World-class
research
Our distinguished faculty do field-defining work and develop the values, vision, and ethical compass of tomorrow’s leaders. They produce operas alongside research that makes the world a better place.
Without human understanding, there is no understanding. The School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences is home to scholars and artists who are doing transformative work in fields that are vital to addressing the world’s most important challenges.
Q&A: A new initiative to help strengthen democracy
David Singer, head of the MIT Department of Political Science, discusses the Strengthening Democracy Initiative, focused on the rigorous study of elections, public opinion, and political participation.
MIT launches new Music Technology and Computation Graduate Program
The program will invite students to investigate new vistas at the intersection of music, computing, and technology.
Learn more about the research of our exceptional faculty.
Empowering systemic racism research at MIT and beyond
MIT political scientist Fotini Christia, who directs the MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS) and co-leads the Initiative on Combatting Systemic Racism (ICSR), is helping to build an open data repository to advance research on racial inequity in areas like policing, housing, and health care.
Study: Hospice care provides major Medicare savings
MIT economist and economics department chair Jon Gruber co-authored a study detailing how hospice care in the U.S. generates substantial savings (about $29,000) to Medicare over the first five years after someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD).
SHASS offers an wide array of events through our departments, programs, and centers. We’ve featured some upcoming events below. See our events calendar for opportunities to drink tea with luminaries from SHASS fields, hear groundbreaking ideas at a symposium, or attend a film screening.
Global Languages Pre-Registration Fair
Global Language’s Pre-Registration Fair is Monday, December 2 at 3:30 p.m. in 10-105 (Bush Room). Learn about offerings in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish when you open the door to new study and career opportunities through languages.
MIT Jazz Combos Concert
MIT’s music program presents its Jazz Combos Concert Tuesday, December 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Building 14’s Killian Hall.
SHASS community spotlight
The SHASS community is made of inspiring students, staff, and faculty. Meet these individuals who have big impacts in the corridors of MIT and beyond.
Latest news from SHASS
Our work has broad impact at MIT and across the globe. Read the latest about new ideas coming out of SHASS.
The MIT Press releases report on the future of open access publishing and policy
Report aims to “ensure that open science practices are sustainable and that they contribute to the highest quality research.”
Professor Emeritus James Harris, a scholar of Spanish language, dies at 92
The longtime professor is remembered for his influential role in MIT’s linguistics program and in the expansion of foreign language instruction at the Institute.
Your child, the sophisticated language learner
New research shows that a grasp of grammar helps even very young children figure out when they must acquire new words.