MIT onboarding processes automatically provision a Kerberos account for students, staff, faculty, and family members who reside on campus. Other individuals who need an MIT digital identity in order to access resources requiring authentication, but who are not active students, staff, or faculty, may be provided a sponsored guest account.
Benefits and key features
Registering for a guest account establishes an identity in MIT's Kerberos identity system which can be used to access services and resources requiring authentication.
- A sponsored guest account is intended for individuals who need access to MIT services requiring digital authentication for Institute-related activities. Examples include contract or temporary employees working for an MIT department, guests or visitors working on Institute projects, and former MIT students or staff who are continuing their work with their department for a period of time after graduating or ceasing to be an employee at the Institute.
- Sponsored guest accounts remain active for up to one year. Account sponsors will be contacted prior to account expiration regarding whether the account should be renewed for another year.
Requirements
- MIT faculty or staff sponsoring a guest account for an affiliate must provide a valid Institute cost object, which will be used for reporting purposes only, and will not be charged.
- Graduate students may sponsor an account for a spouse or partner who does not reside on campus. (Family members – spouses, partners, dependents – who reside on campus receive a guest Kerberos account through the housing process, managed by the Division of Student Life.)
- The sponsor is the primary contact for issues related to the account, including renewal.
-
Guest accounts may be requested only for individuals who:
- are not registered MIT undergraduate or graduate students, MIT faculty, or MIT staff
- are engaged in Institute activities that make use of MIT-provided services requiring authentication.
- The MITnet Rules of Use must be followed.
Getting started
Sponsors: Complete the Sponsor a Guest Account request form.
Guests: You will receive an email with a link to MIT's account registration application, which will guide you through the process of choosing a Kerberos user name, setting a strong password, registering a device with Duo for two-factor authentication, and uploading a photo to be displayed on your MIT ID.
For more information, visit Sponsored Accounts in the Knowledge Base.
Note: Bulk requests for guest accounts may be made by an authorized Access Approver using the MIT Campus Access system.