Program Details
MIT
How many tenure-track or tenured faculty -- male/female?
64/5
How many graduate students-- male/female?
200/42
How many post doctoral associates - male/female?
90/17
Is there a family leave policy for graduate students? If so, describe.
The MIT Physics Department funds a third month of paid maternity leave for female physics graduate students, an extension of the two months of childbirth accommodation provided for female graduate students Institute-wide. The policy is described at http://web.mit.edu/physics/policies/dept/maternity_leave.html.
Is there family health insurance for graduate students? If so, is it included in the stipend?
Individual health insurance is paid by the MIT Physics Department for RAs, TAs, and Fellows. This is in addition to the stipend we provide. Family health insurance is available but the graduate student must pay the difference between individual and family coverage.
Please describe why someone applying to graduate school who is interested in a female-friendly department should choose your department.
At MIT there is a lot of support for female grad students from other woman grad students, from the department and from the Institute. Our active graduate women's group, Graduate Women in Physics (GWIP), meets bi-weekly for dinner in a room that is dedicated for the use of female physics graduate students. The department head attends these dinners at least once a semester to address concerns of the female grad student population. During the year, the group chooses a department colloquium speaker, mentors undergraduate women, and occasionally holds retreats and professional development events. We are lucky enough to have an external donor who supports the graduate physics women through travel grants. The department hosts ongoing 'Physics Diversity and Inclusion' lunch series to foster dialogue not just with women grad students but with other underrepresented groups in the department about how to make MIT physics a welcoming place - and these dialogues set a tone of inclusion and support within the department. MIT also has a strong graduate women's group, Graduate Women at MIT (GWAMIT), that provides resources for the larger community, hosting annual leadership and empowerment conferences, a mentoring program that pairs female academic and industry leaders with graduate students, and speakers throughout the year. Additionally, the Dean of Graduate Education sponsors a 'Path of Professorship' workshop for MIT's graduate women, which covers the ins and outs of applying for, and being successful in, academic jobs.
Has the institution had a Climate for Women in Physics Site Visit or Gender Equity Conversation?
Yes
Updated: November 19, 2012
