MIT School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences - Great Ideas Change the World

The HASS Requirement 



Ask The Hassologist
A major tip from Dr. Bette about The Right Way to take the HASS-Ds.  

What Is It?
The HASS Requirement is part of the General Institute Requirements, and applies to every MIT undergraduate.

Why Is It?
MIT's HASS Requirement is designed to prepare MIT students for leadership contributions, lifelong learning in every field, and for global citizenship.

What Do Students Learn?
The capacities students gain include:

  • Written and oral communication skills
  • Knowledge of human cultures, past and present
  • Awareness of concepts, ideas, and systems of thought that underlie human activities
  • Understanding of the social, political, and economic frameworks of different societies
  • Sensitivity to modes of communication and self-expression in the arts
  • Awareness of the relationship of science and technology to society


Four Elements
The HASS Requirement has four elements, summarized below. For detailed information about the HASS Distribution and HASS Concentration Requirements, please click on those topics.

Questions?
The HASS Education Office is always available to answer questions and offer guidance about the HASS Requirement.  Contact the HASS Education Office at 617-253-4441, or via email: hass-www@mit.edu.



Guide to the Four Elements

 

Having Fun
Tess on how how to have the best time with HASS classes.  

The Eight-Subject Requirement

Each candidate for a bachelor’s degree at MIT must complete a minimum of 8 HASS subjects, of at least 9 units each. Three of these will go toward the HASS-Distribution (HASS-D) Requirement; 3 or 4 will go toward the HASS Concentration Requirement. The rest can be any HASS subjects.

The HASS-Distribution Requirement, or HASS-D

Each student must take at least one subject in 3 of the 5 HASS-Distribution categories. HASS-D subjects are designed to give students an opportunity to explore new and varied fields. Students may substitute one Level 3 or 4 foreign language subject for one of the HASS-D subjects. Enrollment in all HASS-D subjects, except for language classes, is determined by the HASS-D lottery. All students wishing to take a HASS-D should enter.

The HASS Concentration Requirement

Each student must complete a Concentration of either 3 or 4 subjects, at minimum, in a single HASS field (the required number is set by each field). This requirement is meant to expose students to a HASS discipline in greater depth.

HASS-Electives

Depending on the concentration, students will have at least one purely elective HASS subject. Students are free—indeed, encouraged--to take more; “extra” HASS classes will count as unrestricted general electives toward the number of units required in the departmental program.

Subjects That Fulfill the HASS Requirement

The School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS) administers the HASS Requirement, and most subjects that can be used toward the requirement are taught within SHASS. However, many are in the School of Architecture and Planning, and a few are in the schools of Engineering and Science. Please note: Although they are taught within SHASS, subjects 14.30, 14.32, 14.33, 14.36, 17.871, 17.891, 24.909, and 21L.993 can not be used toward the HASS Requirement.

To count toward the HASS Requirement, subjects must be taken for a letter grade or under the Freshman Pass/No Record option.

Handy Chart

The Wrong Way

Dr. Bette explains The Wrong Way to handle the HASS Requirement—for those who savor difficulty in life.  

 

 

This chart represents the general layout of the HASS Requirement. Students should use this chart as a basic guide to the requirement but note that the requirement can still be fulfilled without matching this layout exactly. 
 


Notes
* Under the HASS-D Language Option, students may substitute one language subject at level III or IV (Intermediate Level) for one HASS-D subject.

** The depiction of Concentration subject allocation is only representitive. Each Concentration has specific requirements as defined by the department. Some require 3 subjects, some 4, and some (for example, Economics) do not count any HASS-D subjects toward the Concentration. Please refer to each specific department's requirements for a Concentration.