MIT is dedicated to making a difference in the world—not just in our own community, and not just in our own country.  For MIT to achieve this goal, its students need to understand different cultures, learn how problems are approached in other countries, and experience collaborations enriched by international participation.

MISTI, MIT's pioneering experiential learning abroad program, gives students the tools to achieve these goals by matching them with tailored, hands-on projects around the world. An embodiment of MIT's mens et manus learning culture, MISTI provides students real-life opportunities to take their education abroad and learn how they can help tackle the world's challenges.

Learning by doing---in a global classroom

MIT’s talented students actively learn how to solve problems through a combination of making, building, experimenting and collaborating. MISTI applies this experiential approach to international education in a way that is uniquely adapted to MIT. The result is a nationally recognized program that educates and prepares students have a tangible impact in the world.

Through the MISTI internship program, students work with colleagues in innovative companies and labs around the world. They gain a firsthand understanding of international workplace cultures and learn to navigate scientific networks. They apply their skills to help transform groundbreaking projects and cutting-edge research. They begin to understand just how far their MIT education can take them.

To prepare for their experiences abroad, MISTI students complete coursework in the language and culture of their host country and attend MISTI-prepared, location-specific training sessions. By coupling extensive cross-cultural knowledge with practical experience abroad, MISTI prepares MIT students to lead in addressing the world’s most pressing problems.

Read some of their stories.