What you need to know
CI‑M subjects — Communication Intensive in the Major — are the part of the Communication Requirement in which you will develop your skills in creating the specific forms of communication common to your field’s professional and academic culture.
CI‑M subjects fulfill the CI‑M component of your major and offer substantial instruction and practice in written and oral presentation. You may prepare and present oral and visual research reports for different audiences; learn audience analysis and peer review; and/or experience the process of proposing, writing, and extensively revising a professional journal article individually or in teams.
The Subcommittee on the Communication Requirement (SOCR) has defined an important set of criteria and desired outcomes that all CR subjects are expected to meet. Review CI‑M subject criteria for more information.
Some key points to remember:
- Each undergraduate degree program is designed so that you take at least two CI‑M subjects within your major program, usually in your junior and senior years.
- You will not receive CI credit for CI‑M subjects outside of your major.
What you need to do
- Complete at least one CI‑H/HW subject before taking any CI‑M classes.
- Review our CI‑M subject listing by undergraduate major.
- Take at least one CI‑M subject by the end of your junior year and complete both by the end of your senior year in order to graduate.
- If you are a double major, you must pass two CI‑H subjects and complete the CI‑M subjects that fulfill the communication component of each major. This normally means taking four CI‑M subjects, two in each major program.
- In certain cases, a CI‑M subject may be common to two departments. These subjects may be used to fulfill the communication component of both majors simultaneously. Email commreq@mit.edu to discuss your individual program.
