Undergraduates

First-Year MIT Students

DesignPlus First-Year Learning Community

Incoming undergraduates can apply to join DesignPlus, a First-Year Learning Community that explores how design shapes the world—and our place within it. Through a curated set of classes, workshops, and community events, students engage in hands-on learning from day one.

M1T — Makerspace 1st Year Training

We offer a special maker training program for First Years to quickly get you up to speed on the most common tools, get you access to key makerspaces, and get some Makerbucks to spend on supplies. The trainings are run by experienced student mentors and include practice on machines such as laser cutters, 3D printers, drill presses, and bandsaws.

Study Design at MIT

Undergraduates can pursue design more formally through the Design Major and Minor within the Department of Architecture. These programs blend theory and practice, fostering creativity through hands-on studios, critical seminars, and interdisciplinary study. Students explore design as both a technical craft and a cultural lens, learning to develop solutions while engaging with societal, historical, and technological contexts in preparation for dynamic careers across industries.

Students can also browse and enroll in design-related classes offered across the Institute—from architecture and engineering to media arts and management.

Access Makerspaces

MAD-affiliated makerspaces across campus offer undergraduates a wide variety of tools and training to prototype, build, and test ideas—from woodworking and textiles to robotics and digital fabrication.

Attend Public Events

Throughout the year, MAD hosts public events featuring leading designers, makers, and thinkers. Students are always welcome—come for a workshop, a conversation, or just to see what others are creating.