Prospective applicants sometimes ask how they can visit the program to learn more before applying. The website is packed with information about the program, research projects, students, faculty, alumni, and tips for applying.
There are a few other ways to explore:
HASTS offers this day so that prospective students can get a better understanding of what our program offers in terms of research and resources, and to help them decide if our program may be a good fit for them. Prospective students do not have to attend the visit day in order to apply to our program. Our most recent Visit Day was held on October 25, 2024. If you would like to be notified about the Visit Day that will be held in October 2025, please email us at hasts@mit.edu.
You can also learn more about the academic interests of the scholars in our programs and the kinds of conversations we’re in dialog with by attending online seminars organized by our participating departments and exploring their websites: Anthropology, History, STS (upcoming events, recorded events).
Follow the departments on social media: Twitter (Anthropology, History, STS) and Facebook (STS). Find out more about the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences through their website, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channel.
Learn more about MIT at the Graduate Admissions page, or explore MIT’s Admissions Office’s Visit MIT page (though it’s primarily written for prospective undergraduate students).
For general questions about the program or the application process, please reach out to the Academic Administrator, Karen Gardner, at hasts@mit.edu or click here to set up a meeting.
While the Visit Day is the most effective way to learn about the HASTS program, prospective students may consider contacting a HASTS faculty member or current student who shares their research interests in order to learn more about the program. Please understand that our faculty receive a significantly higher number of queries from prospective students than they can possibly answer, and will not be able to answer all inquiries. Faculty will be most likely to respond to questions that engage pertinently with their own research. Please note that students’ time may also be limited and can’t respond to all emails.
During the admissions cycle, applicants who are selected to advance to the interview round of the admissions process will have additional opportunities to learn about HASTS and engage with members of the program in February or March, and may have a chance to visit campus.