HST's Biomedical Sciences Courses ("Pre-Clerkship") are cross-listed at Harvard Medical School and MIT and have different processes for registration, grading option, enrollment eligibility, and course capacity.  Courses follow the HMS academic calendar, use the Harvard CANVAS course platform, and the HMS course evaluation system.

In order for the HST Academic Office to better manage the registration lists, all HST Pre-Clerkship courses are set-up at MIT as limited-enrollment subjects with waitlists. Instructions for adding an HST pre-clerkship course to your course registration are outlined below.

A note on course numbering and grading options
HST's Pre-Clerkship courses are listed at HMS as "HT XXX" and are graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory; at MIT, the courses are listed as "HST.XXX" and most have both a letter graded and a Pass/D/Fail grading option.  The P/D/F option is restricted to HST students and is always the lower number in the joint subject listing.  

For example, Human Pathology: 

  • HT 30 | HMS | Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory 
  • HST.030 | MIT | P/D/F (restricted to HST students)
  • HST.031 | MIT | Letter grade.

More details about individual courses including, enrollment limitations and waitlists are available: HST Pre-Clerkship Course Enrollment and Waitlists

How to ADD an HST Pre-Clerkship Course

HST MD Students

At MIT:

  • Pre-register through MIT's WebSIS into the HST.xxx (P/D/F) version of the course by the pre-registration deadline.
  • Your MIT registration form will be populated with your pre-registration course selections. Registrations will be approved when MIT Registration opens.
  • Submit your approved MIT registration during registration week.

At HMS:

  • Because your curriculum is prescribed, the HMS Registrar's Office will automatically add you to each respective my.harvard course roster.

HST MEMP PHD

At HMS

  • No action required. You will be manually added to the corresponding my.harvard roster based on your MIT registration.

At MIT

  • Pre-register through MIT's WebSIS for the HST.xxx (P/D/F) version of the course. Some courses have early pre-registration deadlines (see the course notes in the HST Pre-Clerkship Course Enrollment and Waitlists); requests received after a deadline require course director approval and may not be able to be accommodated.
  • Your MIT registration form will be populated with your pre-registration course selections. Meet with your advisor and submit your approved MIT registration during registration week.
  • If you did not pre-register for an HST pre-clerkship course, you will need to add the course via the waitlist process described below.

Adding a Limited-Enrollment Subject via waitlist after the pre-registration deadline:

  • Go to WebSIS and click on Waitlists to add yourself to a subject’s waitlist. The subject will be listed under the letter graded number but you will have the option to select pass/d/fail course number during the add.
  • You will receive an email if you are offered enrollment. HST MEMP PhD students have priority and will not require instructor permission, if space is available, you will be automatically offered enrollment.
  • You must accept the offer within 24 hours by submitting an Add Form, or the offer may be rescinded.
  • Your advisor must approve the Add Form for the subject to be added to your registration.
  • After your advisor and/or instructor has approved your request, return to the Add/Drop application to submit the change(s).
  • If you are no longer interested in a subject, remove yourself from the waitlist to allow other students a chance to enroll.
  • If you are registered for a limited-enrollment subject but not attending, please drop it immediately so that another student can be offered the spot.

Harvard Students (non-HST)

  • To enroll for pass/fail credit:
    • Submit a cross-registration petition in my.Harvard for the HT xxx (pass/fail) version. Once your petition is received, you will receive an email, with the course leadership cc'd, requesting additional information. If your petition is approved and you complete enrollment, you are added to the Harvard Canvas site automatically.
  • To enroll for letter-graded credit:
    • Submit a cross-registration petition in my.Harvard for the MIT HST.xxx (letter-graded) version. Your petition will then be handled through the MIT Add/Drop petition site. Once your petition is received, you receive an email, with the course leadership cc'd, requesting additional information. If your petition is approved you will be manually add to the Harvard Canvas site.

MIT Students (non-HST)

  • Non-Degree/Visiting students at MIT are not eligible to register for HST's pre-clerkship courses.
  • Only letter-graded enrollments are permitted.

Pre-registration at MIT

  •  Pre-register for the letter-graded MIT version (see details above) through WebSIS. Enrollment requires course director permission through the MIT Add/Drop petition - once your petition is received, you will receive an email, with the course leadership cc'd, requesting additional information. During the enrollment permission process, you will be moved to the course's waitlist pending approval.
  • If you did not pre-register for an HST pre-clerkship subject, you will only be able to add yourself to waitlists for those subjects once registration opens (see instructions below).

Adding a Limited-Enrollment Subject via waitlist after the pre-registration deadline:

  • Waitlists become available once registration opens.
  • Courses that have active waitlists - submit a petition to add yourself to the waitlist.
  • You will receive an email with the course leadership cc'd requesting additional information.
  • If approved, and space is available, you will be offered enrollment from the waitlist. Per MIT policy, you must accept the offer within 24 hours by submitting an Add Form, or the offer may be rescinded.
  • To enroll, you must accept the offer and complete the enrollment process
    • Your advisor must approve the Add Form for the subject to be added to your registration.
    • After your advisor and/or instructor has approved your request, return to the Add/Drop application to submit the change(s).
    • If you are no longer interested in a subject, remove yourself from the waitlist to allow other students a chance to enroll.
    • If you are registered for a limited-enrollment subject but not attending, please drop it immediately so that another student can be offered the spot.

Auditor/Listener Policies (MIT and Harvard)

Some courses allow listeners with course director permission (see the table). Listeners are added to Canvas to access course materials but do not receive credit. Per HST policy, listeners are only permitted to attend didactic sessions and are not permitted to attend any lab sessions or sessions with a patient.

MIT Students:

MIT students are required to formally enroll as a listener through WebSIS. Course directors' permission is still required to enroll as a listener. Once your petition is received, you will receive an email, with the course leadership cc'd, requesting additional information. If your request is approved and you complete your enrollment as a listener, you will manually be added to the Harvard Canvas site.
 

Harvard Students:

Harvard students do not have a mechanism for formally enroll as a listener/auditor at HMS - therefore, your enrollment is considered "off-the-books" meaning you will have access to the course's Harvard Canvas site, but your participation will not be documented on any transcripts or enrollment records. Course directors' permission is still required to enroll as a listener - please reach out to David Hansen-Gonzalez (%20david_hansen [at] hms.harvard.edu (david_hansen[at]hms[dot]harvard[dot]edu)) if you are interested.