MINOR REQUIREMENT

One of the requirements or doctoral study in the Department of
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science is the completion of a
minor program.  The object of the minor progrm is to broaden the
student's grasp of a field outside the field of major professional
interest; often the student is exposed to methodologies and ways of
thinking that are different from those encountered in the major field.
For an experimentalist, for example, the abstract concepts of
mathematics form such a different methodology; for a theoretician, the
new methodology might be the practical considrations of engineering.

The minor program should be a cohesive program consisting of at least
three subjects that are closely related in content with a minimum of
27 units.  For example, three sublects in a single area like Topology,
Accounting, Solid State Physics, or Neurophysiology are acceptable
selections.  It should be pointed out that a collection of subjects
offered by the same academic department should not automatically be
considered to be a cohesive package.  On the other hand, a selection
of subjects from different departments may well form an acceptable
program.

The minor program should be a study program outside of the major
pofessionall area of study.  As an example, Computer Science subjects
are normally not appropriate as part of a minor program for students
in Area II, but advanced study in areas close to Computer Science may
b acceptable as a minor program.  The decision in such case should be
based on the criterion of whether the studies in question expose the
student to a methodology and a way of thinking that are different from
those found in the major study program.

The minor program should involve study beyond the introductory level
although. when appropriate, the program may contain one subject at an
undergraduate or introductory graduate level.  It should be noted that
certain subjects with graduate 'H' credit are considered to be
introductory.  The Graduate Office should be consulted if there are
questions concerning the acceptability of certain subjects.  Subjects
in the series 6.981 and 6.991 series are not acceptable.

It is a departmental requirement that at least one of the subjects in
a minor program must be taken on campus at MIT. No subjects with a
grade of C or lower will be aocepted in a minor prgram.

Minor study may start as early in the graduate program as the student
wishes.  However, it is strongly advised that the suitability of the
proposed program be discussed with the Graduate Counselor before
beginning minor studies.  The program should be agreed to by the
Counselor before it is commenced.  The program must also have the
approval of the Area Committee acting for the Department Committee on
Graduate Students.  Hence, the plan for the minor should be included
in the overall doctoral plan submitted to the Graduate Office through
the Counselorr on Form 3910.  The field of the minor as well as the
field of the major must be named in the plan submitted to the Graduate
Office so that the distinction between them is clear.  Revisions in
the student's plan for major study may require that a new minor
program be formulated and approved.

A student's minor program should be formulated when applying for the
Oral Qualifying Examination for doctoral study.  This insures that the
minor program will be included in the plan for graduate study when it
is submitted to the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Graduate Office.

Minor programs for students in each Area will be evaluated and
certified by that Area Committee at the time the student is judged
"Oualified" for the doctoral program on completion of the Oral
Qualifying Examination.