Independent Activities Period (IAP) — MIT’s special four-week term that begins the first week in January — will start this year on Jan. 4 and run through Jan. 29. IAP provides a break from the academic routine of the fall and spring semesters and offers hundreds of opportunities for creativity in teaching and learning.
IAP offerings are distinguished by their variety, innovative spirit and fusion of fun and learning. Past IAPs have included for-credit subjects such as “Language and Mind” in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences; intensive elementary study of European languages; and “The Art and Science of Boat Design” in mechanical engineering. Non-credit activities have ranged from “Advanced Gentoo Linux” to “Battle of the Brownies” to “Charm School,” in which participants learn skills such as which fork to use at a fancy banquet.
Information about IAP can be found on the IAP web site at http://web.mit.edu/iap, with new IAP activities and subjects announced starting in late October and continuing through the IAP period.
The strangely familiar browsing habits of 14th-century readers
MIT professor’s book digs into the eclectic, textually linked reading choices of people in medieval London.
