School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Welcome to SHASS If we are to make the world a better place, we need to understand how it works. And that requires understanding the ethical, social, economic, and human dimensions of the challenges we face. Understanding the world we live in requires human understanding. The research in our school pushes the limits of human understanding. And that’s only part of what we do. We help students become their whole selves. We mentor them to think about the best way to live, to compose symphonies, to gain an understanding of shared human history. We drive our students to have a moral compass and build the foundations of a well-lived life. We invite you to explore our community, programs, and research. At a Glance SHASS at a glance The School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences is made up of 13 different academic units, spanning disciplines from music and literature to economics and political science. Our faculty carry out world-class research, train exceptional graduate students, and bring critical skills and methodologies to MIT’s undergraduates.