Welcome to the family/supporters page!

Exploration, preparation, and a team that understands how it all works.

MIT Career Advising and Professional Development (CAPD) empowers students to think big picture about their career interests and goals, then supports them through every part of the journey, from research, resumes, and career fairs to interviews, job offers, and salaries. Watch the CAPD Orientation to learn how our office can help your student explore careers and prepare for internships, jobs, and graduate school. We also invite you to learn more about our programs and services and meet CAPD staff.


Parents and supporters are integral navigators.

Parents and supporters have a special role in navigating students to resources during their time at MIT that will help as they discover their career interests and gain experience to verify that those are career paths they wish to pursue in the future. Review this video series to hear additional ways that parents and supporters can assist students in career exploration.

Freshman Orientation group of students having fun

Supporting your student during the first year at MIT

At MIT, supporters, families, and parents can help first-year students explore and prepare for their future careers by connecting them to Career Advising and Professional Development (CAPD). During the first year, we help with connecting major to career, selecting courses for those interested in prehealth, exploring career fields, and much more. First-year students can also come to CAPD’s first-year signature events, where content is tailored to their unique stage of their college career, or to any of the general events and programs.

Supporting your student beyond the first year

MIT co-curricular and experiential learning provides vast opportunities to explore and discover career paths. We encourage students to start by exploring careers through our Career Exploration Series, perusing our Career Interests page, attending an Infinite Careers event featuring MIT alums, and exploring a career path through micro-internships or career prototyping. CAPD also provides shadowing, and or short- and long-term experiences in workplace settings in various fields, which students have access to through MIT’s Handshake system. Additional MIT experiential learning opportunities are available in MIT’s ELx.

Continuing to support your graduate student’s career pursuits

As a parent or supporter of a graduate student at MIT, your role continues to be important. An advanced degree often requires determination, as students are focused on their professional endeavors. CAPD offers career advising for Master’s and PhD students. Also, Graduate Student Professional Development provides a comprehensive collection of professional development opportunities designed to help graduate students develop skills and knowledge within and beyond academe.

QS ranks MIT the world’s No. 1 university for 2025-26

Ranking at the top for the 14th year in a row, the Institute also places first in 11 subject areas.

MIT News, posted on June 18, 2025

MIT has again been named the world’s top university by the QS World …

By Francis Borrego
Francis Borrego Associate Director, Employer Relations 
Read more

Johnson & Johnson’s Access-Ability Lime Scholarship

Designed for current college students with disabilities who are pursuing a Health Care or STEM degree at a four-year university or college in the U.S. 2025 Applications will open on August 1st.

This scholarship is delivered in collaboration with our …

By Kendel Jester
Kendel Jester Assistant Director, Early Career Engagement
Read more

Building a Network: Digital and In-Person Strategies for Students, Recent Graduates, and Postdocs

The following article is from Trevor Cambron’s post for the MIT Communications Lab

Networking. For some it is a loaded word that induces a visceral sense of dread, while for others it is a natural part of the workday. In …

By Tara Thakurta
Tara Thakurta Graduate Community Fellow
Read more

Featured Resources

/

Hire a MIT micro-intern

Process More information and frequently asked questions

Handshake 101: What it is & how to use it*

CAPD is committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive environment for everyone we serve. If you need any disability-related accommodations to …

Offer an industry job shadow

Industry job shadows help MIT students explore their career options

Industry job shadows are in-person opportunities for MIT first years …

Parentaly provides free resources and tools for expecting employees, working parents and HR leaders to help navigate the parental leave …