What you need to know

Full-time sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students at MIT may cross-register for academic subjects offered at the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences or one of Harvard's professional schools, with some exceptions. First-year undergraduate students are not eligible. You must abide by the rules of both institutions and subjects must be taken for credit; MIT students may not enroll as a listener at Harvard.

Although MIT does not charge additional tuition to cross-register, Harvard fees for labs, studios, or materials may apply. These are billed by Harvard, must be paid to them directly, and if you have questions, you should contact the affiliated school’s Registrar’s Office.

Some key points to remember:

  • Cross-registration for most spring 2026 subjects at Harvard begins on Monday, January 12 and you must complete the process by the deadlines listed at courses.my.harvard.edu.
  • Undergraduates – may not cross-register at Harvard Business School, Harvard Extension School, or Harvard Summer School.
  • Graduate students – may not cross-register at Harvard Extension School or Harvard Summer School.

What you need to do

  • Review the Harvard Course Catalog, choose your subject(s), and make note of the date(s) in which Harvard's cross-registration opens by school.
  • Go to MIT's Add/Drop Application.
  • In the “add subjects section,” enter a search term or Harvard subject number, make your selection, complete the form, and click “Submit for Approval.”
  • Two approvals are required at Harvard: the first by the Harvard instructor and the second by Harvard's registrar's office.
  • After Harvard approves your registration, your MIT advisor can approve it within the MIT Add/Drop application.
  • Once these three approvals are in place, return to the Add/Drop application to make your final submission.
  • Go to WebSIS to confirm that your Harvard subject(s) appear on your registration.
  • Once registered, you may request a Harvard ID at the Smith Campus Center, 8th floor (with a government-issued ID) for services such as library access and riding the Longwood M2 Shuttle.