Culture at MIT Biology

Department Culture

MIT Biology faculty treat students like colleagues, and that respect helps to create a really welcoming, comfortable, and productive environment.

Students in our department are primarily spread across three main biology buildings: Building 68, the Koch Institute, and the Whitehead Institute. Some students also work in labs in Picower, McGovern, Ragon, and Broad institutes located in close proximity to MIT campus. Each has a distinct sub-culture, so feel free to ask current students about it!

Lab Culture

The labs available for you to work in as an MIT Biology student are highly diverse in many ways.

In addition to covering a vast range of research topics and experimental approaches, MIT Biology faculty is comprised of brand-new hires just starting their lab to well-established PIs. Lab sizes vary from small (<8 members) to large (around 30), and from highly structured to very relaxed.

One of the goals of rotations is to help you find what kind of lab environment and mentorship style works best for you, and to help match you up with a lab where you’ll feel confident and able to succeed.

MIT Culture

MIT is a tight-knit community with a vibrant, quirky culture.

This culture is built by both the graduate and undergraduate students. Did you know that MIT enrolls ~4,700 undergraduates, but over 7,000 graduate students?

Browse around the official MIT website for more information about student organizations and various other aspects of MIT culture. Or, ask us about it!