/ Undergraduate Programs / Minors

Every year, hundreds of MIT undergraduates discover that their HASS concentration has not satisfied their curiosity about a given field and choose to pursue further study by developing a concentration into a minor. A HASS minor expands a three- or four- subject concentration requirement into a six-subject minor.

HASS minors are more structured, culminating in a capstone experience. Most HASS minor programs consist of six subjects arranged into three levels, expressing different degrees of sophistication in the articulation and resolution of intellectual problems. The one exception to this structure is the Regional Studies minor, which arranges subjects into four levels.

• How to minor
• Guidelines for a HASS minor

Locate:
Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming, 7-104
HASS Education Office, 14N-410
Student Services Center, 11-120

How to Minor
Students should apply for a HASS minor program before the third undergraduate year and must apply no later than two full terms before planning to receive the S. B. degree.

Applying for and completing a HASS minor program:

1. Pick up a HASS minor application form from the HASS minor field office or advisor, the HASS Education Office (14N-410), the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming (7-104) or the Student Services Center (11-120).
2. Consult with the HASS minor advisor in the chosen field to plan the program of study. The HASS minor advisor signs the HASS minor application form to indicate approval of the minor program. A list of HASS minor advisors is also available at the HASS Education Office (14N-410), the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming (7-104), or the Student Services Center (11-120).
3. Submit the yellow copy of the HASS minor application form to the HASS Education Office and distribute the other copies as indicated on the bottom of the form. (The student is responsible for distributing copies to the appropriate offices.)
4. To change any part of an approved program, first consult the HASS minor advisor. Be sure changes are noted on the field office copy of the HASS minor application and forward a copy of these changes to the HASS Education Office.
5. When all approved subjects within the HASS minor program have been completed, bring an unofficial transcript (available free from the Student Services Center or the Registrar's Office), a copy of the HASS minor application, and a HASS minor completion form to the HASS minor advisor, who will sign it to certify completion of the program. Also be sure to obtain the signature of the head of the department, program, or section.
6. The HASS minor completion form must be submitted to the HASS Education Office by the end of the third week of the term in which the S. B. degree will be received. Late forms are subject to a $40.00 fee.
7. Even if HASS minor subjects are being taken in the final term before graduation, a HASS minor completion form must be submitted by the end of the third week of that term. Otherwise, the HASS minor will not be designated on the degree. List the subject or subjects being taken in the final term on the bottom of the form; this will indicate provisional approval of the minor pending the satisfactory completion of the subject(s). The Registrar will record that the HASS minor is completed in full when a passing grade has been reported.

Guidelines for a HASS Minor

• Each minor field has a set of requirements and an advisor who can help to design an appropriate minor problem.
• Of the six subjects required for the HASS minor, no more than five will count toward satisfaction of the eight-subject Institute HASS requirement. Of these five, only one will count toward the HASS distribution.
• The junior/senior pass/fail option may not be used in a HASS minor program.
• At the discretion of the minor advisor, transfer credit may be used to fulfill a portion of a HASS minor program. MIT subjects must comprise at least half of any minor program. The Institute Committee on Curricula (COC) may consider exceptions in specific minor programs for credit earned through study abroad.
• A student may not earn more than two minors. Minors can be awarded only at the same time the S. B. degree is awarded and must be associated with a specific degree.
• The HASS minor should be designated by the junior year, and a HASS minor application form must be completed in consultation with the appropriate HASS minor advisor no later than two full terms before receiving the S.B. degree.
• Majors in a humanities, arts, or social science field and students majoring in Courses IV and XI may not elect a HASS minor in the same field. Students completing a Course IV degree in Architectural Design or Building Technology, however, may minor in the Course IV HASS field of History of Art and Architecture.
• The HASS minor may not be taken in the same field as the Humanities component of the Course XXI-E and XXI -S Major.
• Students who decide not to minor after submitting a minor application must notify the HASS Education Office (14N-410) and the HASS minor advisor.