What you need to know

Proposals for CI‑H/HW subjects are reviewed in two rounds — first by the Subcommittee on the Communication Requirement (SOCR) and then by the Committee on Curricula (CoC), who grants final approval. New subjects are also reviewed by the Subcommittee on the HASS Requirement (SHR).

New CI‑H/HW subjects are typically approved for an initial three-year term; relicensed subjects for a term of five years. We will contact departments at the start of each academic year with a list of subjects up for relicensing. You may also contact us for information about proposing CI‑H subjects or integrating communication instruction into your class.

Some key points to remember:

  • Departments or HASS teaching units, both within and outside of SHASS, may propose CI‑H/HW subjects.
  • Instructors may propose new CI‑H/HW subjects with the approval of, and in collaboration with, their department.
  • Subjects approved for CI‑H/HW status must also count toward the HASS Requirement.
  • If instructors change, SOCR expects the subject will continue to meet CI‑H/HW criteria.
  • Subjects must be relicensed at the end of their terms.

What you need to do

  • Download and review our CI‑H subject criteria before beginning your proposal.
  • In our Subject Proposal Management application select the Communication Requirement category for your subject, upload a syllabus, and complete the required CI‑H fields.  
  • If you are interested in teaching a CI‑H subject with the assistance of a specially-trained lecturer in Writing, Rhetoric, and Professional Communication, submit a separate proposal to request a Writing Advisor.
  • The deadline for submitting subject proposals is set by the CoC. It is typically the first or second Friday in December.
  • Email commreq@mit.edu with questions.