The Arts

Arts on the MIT campus are rooted in experimentation, risk taking, and imaginative problem solving. Among the eminent artists who teach at MIT are Pulitzer Prize–winning composer John Harbison and writer Junot Díaz, world music composer Evan Ziporyn, theater director Jay Scheib, and MacArthur Fellowship recipient John A. Ochsendorf.

• The Institute offers degrees in visual and architectural design through the School of Architecture and Planning, and in music, theater, and writing through the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.
• Seventy-nine percent of incoming freshmen have prior training in the arts.
• More than half of all MIT undergraduates enroll in arts courses each year—over a third of them in music classes.
• Students can participate in more than 60 music, theater, visual arts, writing, and dance groups.

MIT's program in architecture was the first to be established in the United States. Notable alumni include skyscraper pioneer Cass Gilbert '80, Louis Skidmore '23, I. M. Pei '40, and Charles Correa '55.

The MIT Museum draws over 150,000 visitors each year to programs and exhibitions exploring the foundations and frontiers of science and technology.

The List Visual Arts Center maintains a permanent collection of nearly 3,000 pieces of contemporary art sited throughout the Institute, including an acclaimed outdoor sculpture collection.

The Student Loan Art Program allows MIT students to borrow valuable artworks to hang in their living spaces.

The Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT celebrates innovative talents in all arts disciplines and is one of the most generous cultural honors in the United States.