Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences (HASS) Requirement

• The HASS Requirement
• Pacing of the HASS Requirement
• HASS-D Subjects in Your Freshman Year
• What if I missed the summer HASS-D Lottery?
• First Year Communication Requirement and the HASS Requirement

The HASS Requirement

As an MIT undergraduate you must pass eight HASS subjects.  These eight subjects must include:

• HASS-Distribution (HASS-D)  (3 subjects, each in a different category)

• Concentration (3-4 subjects)
• HASS electives 

HASS-D subjects are intended for students who have never pursued a particular field and might never again.

It is possible to count one Level III or Level IV foreign language subject toward the HASS distribution requirement.

Pacing of the HASS Requirement

HASS subjects provide a welcome balance to problem-set-oriented Science Core subjects.

You are expected to take at least one HASS subject (elective or HASS-D) each semester to ensure that you are making steady progress towards your degree,

HASS-D subjects in Your Freshman Year

• It is a good idea for you to at least one HASS-D subject in your first year, though this does not have to be in the Fall term.

• If you want to take a HASS-D subject, follow the instructions for entering the HASS-D Lottery.
  
  
• Go to the HASS website for more information on the HASS requirement, including a list of HASS-D subjects.

What if I missed the summer HASS-D Lottery?

Don't worry! Taking a HASS-D subject in the fall term is not a requirement. You are encouraged to take at least 1 HASS-D subject in your first year because these classes are often the entry point to higher-level HASS subjects.

So, depending on the results of your Freshman Essay Evaluation and/or your interests, you can do one of the following:

• Wait until you see your schedule to find out which HASS-D subjects are still open. There are always a lot of changes at freshman registration -- for example, students need to switch to a writing subject, or the class they got in the lottery doesn't fit into their schedule.
  
  
• You will get all the information you need during Orientation about how to add a HASS-D class.
  
  
• You could take a HASS elective to fulfill one of the 8 subjects required for the HASS Requirement. For example, 14.73 The Challenges of Global Poverty, is a new HASS elective for Fall '09 geared to freshmen.
  
  
• Even if you pass the FEE or have AP credit for it, you could still take one of the Communication Intensive writing subjects, which would fulfill the Communication Requirement and give you elective credit for one HASS subject,
  

First Year Communication Requirement and the HASS Requirement

In your freshman year, you must complete one appropriate Communication-Intensive HASS subjec to fulfill the freshman Communication Requirement. 

There are a number of casses that fulfill both the Communication Requirement and a HASS-D. Here's current list of CI-H subjects which also fulfill a HASS-D.