Humanities & Arts Requirement

Students join hands for a bow onstage following the conclusion of a play.

An important part of the WPI Plan, the distinctive Humanities & Arts (HUA) Requirement teaches you to transcend barriers, understand thoughts and connections, and comprehend how the history of the world matters to your present and future life. By understanding yourself and the diversity and creativity of human experience, you will be a more well-rounded scientist, engineer, entrepreneur, innovator, leader—you get the idea. 

In addition to the many options for HUA coursework and co-curricular activities, the HUA Requirement is your chance to embrace art, theatre, music, and other forms of creative expression. Explore themes of complexity, diversity, and the richness of human experience by examining art/architecture, history, languages, literature, philosophy, or religion. There’s also the option to complete the HUA Requirement at select off-campus project center locations through the Global Projects Program.

No matter how you choose to explore the Humanities & Arts here at WPI, you will acquire broad-based skills that complement and enhance the technical side of your WPI education and gain an individual perspective, one that will allow you to see the world and solve its problems through a lens that is uniquely your own.   

Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities

The Class of 1879 Prize is awarded by the Humanities & Arts department yearly for excellent work in the culminating project for the Humanities & Arts Requirement. These projects must demonstrate exceptional creativity and skill in conceiving, developing, and expressing a theme within any discipline in the humanities and arts.

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Get Off Campus and Into the World

We believe that creating global change is an invaluable part of a WPI education, which is why beginning with the Class of 2022, all students will receive an up to $5,000 scholarship to participate in a global experience. Take your Humanities & Arts Requirement one-step further and immerse yourself in the arts and culture of London, Germany, or Morocco—we can’t wait to see where your experience will take you.

Preview Robbie Oleynick plays the vibraphone with a blue, purple, and pink soundwave projected on the wall behind him.

Finding the Hidden Symphony in Science

WPI students are encouraged to pursue their passions in all fields, a task that may seem daunting, but the finished product is always worth it.

See how Robbie Oleynick '24 has managed to craft a double helix of engineering and music, making for a college experience that's as unique as, well, his own DNA.