MIT Grad Rat

You can order your Grad Rat any time of year on our website by clicking "Order Now" in the top right corner. You can also order in-person at one of the Herff Jones info sessions (see "Ordering" section above for HJ on-campus dates).

NOTE: Rings will be delivered at our Spring Ring Party or shipped direct to you. Please allow 8-10 weeks for manufacturing, though the exact time frame can vary depending on the time of year.

We host info sessions with Herff Jones on campus throughout the semester. Please refer to the schedule above in the "Ordering" section for more details.

Any graduate student who will receive a graduate degree at MIT (e.g. SM, PhD, MBA, etc.) can purchase a Grad Rat! The only requirement is that you are getting a degree from MIT. We encourage you to get a ring in your first year, so that you can wear it throughout your time at MIT!

Additionally, for the first time this year, we will be allowing all MIT graduate alumni to buy rings after they have graduated. Specifically, graduate alumni will be allowed to purchase the new ring design, but will have the freedom to put their graduation year on the ring. We are working with the MIT Alumni Association to set up an online system to confirm alumni eligibility.

• Be a current graduate student enrolled at MIT in a degree program that will grant you a graduate degree

• Be a current full-time student or an alumni with a graduate degree

  List of eligible graduate degrees:  (if you’re not getting one of these, you’re not eligible!)

  • Engineer (ENG)

  • Master of Architecture (MArch)

  • Master of Applied Science (MASc)

  • Master of Business Administration (MBA)

  • Master of Business Analytics (MBAn)

  • Master of City Planning (MCP)

  • Master of Engineering (MEng)

  • Master of Finance (MFin)

  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

  • Doctor of Science (ScD)

  • Master of Science (SM)

  • Dual Degree (e.g., SM-MBA or PhD-MBA; pick from list)

In some cases, you are ineligible if you are:

• Cross-enrolled at MIT and taking MIT classes but receiving a degree from another university

  • This includes people in the HST program who are receiving a degree(s) from only Harvard but not from MIT

• A postdoc, visiting researcher, or otherwise affiliated with MIT but not receiving a graduate degree

• Earning a certificate but not a graduate degree

  • E.g., you are a Sloan Visiting Fellow or an MITx MicroMasters student

• Accepted to MIT but have not yet started as a full-time student 

  • E.g., it’s the summer before you start full-time at MIT

  • You are also not eligible if you’ve deferred your acceptance and have not started your studies at MIT

  • Advised by a professor at MIT but will be receiving a degree from another university

Common cases where you are eligible and there may be a mistake: 

• You just started your graduate program this semester and may not be in our ordering system yet.

• People in the SCMb program may not automatically be approved in our system, but if you will receive a degree from SCMb, you are allowed to get a Grad Rat

• Sloan Fellows (not Sloan Visiting Fellows) earning an MBA from MIT are eligible

• You’re on medical leave but plan to finish your degree

If any of these apply to you, fill out the form! But if you’re not eligible, please don’t – no exceptions are made.

On the Herff Jones Grad Rat page, you will be asked to provide the following information:

• Your MIT email (name@mit.edu or name@alum.mit.edu)

• Your MIT student ID number

• An official letter of acceptance to a graduate degree-granting program at MIT (please attach the pdf letter, not just an email)

• The exact name of your department, program, and degree title

  • Be as specific as possible. This should be cross-referenced with the list of accepted and non-accepted programs/degrees

• An MIT website or link with your name and/or department, proving you are a graduate student at MIT [optional but highly recommended]

• A valid reason why you aren’t included in MIT’s database of graduate students (e.g., they are on medical leave but will return next semester) [optional]

No. The current design will be available until 2029, when a new ring design be unveiled.

Yes, we accept ring orders year round but you must place a ring order by early spring semester to receive your ring in time for graduation. If you have already graduated, you can order your Grad Rat after the Alumni Association confirms your eligibility through our verification form.

The Grad Rat tradition is to buy a ring during your first year at MIT and wear it proudly throughout your time at the Institute. We know that PhD students sometimes may not know their exact graduation date! Therefore, we have customization options to leave your graduation year blank on the ring. Once you know your graduation year, you can send your ring to Herff Jones to add in the year, free of cost!

For all rings ordered during the academic year, we encourage you to pick up your ring at our annual Spring Ring Party (late April/early May). This event is a cherished MIT tradition, in which you and your classmates receive your Grad Rat rings together while celebrating your accomplishments from the past academic year. This year’s event will be at View Boston on April 25th form 7 PM - 10 PM. Stay tuned for the invite!

If you can’t attend this event, you can have your ring shipped to you. Please allow 8-10 weeks for manufacturing, and lead times vary depending on the time of year. There will be also be alternative ring pick up times on campus the week following the Spring Ring Party (see Ordering for HJ on-campus dates).

Any questions related to order status or shipping should be directed to Herff Jones at mitsupport@herffjones.com.They will email you tracking info when your order ships.

We are not currently recruiting new members, but will begin our next round of recruitment in Aug/Sept 2026. Please check back then for an updated application form link!

We strongly recommend that applicants volunteer at our events and chat with committee members in-person before applying.

Visit Herff Jones MIT warranty page: https://hjgradwalk.com/mit/warranty-graduate/ or email mitsupport@herffjones.com

For other questions, please contact Herff Jones’ MIT Representative: Jeffrey Quirk at (401)-383-0028 or email jpquirk@herffjones.com