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EAPS Undergraduate Program

The Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at MIT is vigorous and dynamic, uniting faculty and students in the quest to solve real world problems through the application of physics, chemistry, and mathematics.

With an emphasis on personal attention, the EAPS undergraduate program provides students with a challenging course of study in the geophysical sciences: geology, geophysics, geochemistry, geobiology, atmospheric science, oceanography, climate, planetary science, and astronomy. The Department’s flexible academic program allows students to develop individualized courses of study, and our small class sizes encourage and enhance student-professor interactions. Many of our classes involve studying in the field, at sites both local and distant. View the webistes for some trips. Through MIT’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), students in EAPS have ample opportunities to work alongside faculty conducting significant research.

In addition to theoretical work, the required subjects in each area include field or laboratory training. All undergraduate majors must also complete an independent research project or thesis to achieve the bachelor of science degree.

EAPS participates in Terrascope, a Freshman Learning Community by offering 12.000 Solving Complex Problems, Mission 2012 during the Fall semester. The theme changes each year, so check out not only this year's topic, but also the archive of websites from previous years.

For interested EAPS undergraduates, the Department offers a distinctive Fifth-Year Master of Science Degree Program.

How do I become an EAPS major?

MIT Freshmen choose a department for their major at the end of the Spring term. If you would like to discuss majoring in EAPS please contact or stop by the EAPS Education Office [54-912, 3-3380].

Learn about the EAPS Department’s:

• Course Schedules
• Course Websites
• Field Trips
• Education Office

If you are a high-school student who would like to attend MIT, learn more about the Department—including why, when, and how to apply—on our Undergraduate Admissions page.