Concourse is animated by the principle that the first-rate STEM education students receive at MIT should be complemented by an in-depth education in the humanities so that in addition to learning to do things, students also learn to think about what is worth doing and why.
To that end, we gather a cohort of 50 first-year students each year and offer them a community and set of courses that meet their first-year math and science requirements, while also offering an opportunity for expanding and enriching their understanding of the fundamental questions of human life.
The Concourse core humanities courses (Becoming Human and Writing about Big Questions) and the Friday Advising Seminar ask students to read books and engage in conversations that prompt them to reflect on the good life, the nature of justice, what it means to be ethical, what is beauty or art, and how we know what we know. These studies are enhanced by our dedicated sections of the mainstream Institute required math and science courses (GIRs). In our small science-core classes, our instructors get to know students and their intellectual interests and can enrich the required material accordingly. The math, science, and humanities classes thus foster a community that together seeks truth in both science and human things.
The Concourse lounge, located in the heart of MIT’s campus, provides a home for our students to gather, study, and eat. The lounge includes a kitchen where students can cook for themselves as well as for their peers, space for independent or group studying, and a seminar room for reading groups and small discussion-based seminars. Upper-level students return to Concourse to study, share a meal, relax, and get to know the first year students, often serving as TAs for the first-year courses, or as associate advisors.
Outside the classroom, Concourse offers myriad opportunities for students to engage with one another, with their professors, and with the city of Boston to deepen their studies. We attend concerts and plays, hold game and movie nights in the lounge, and offer opportunities for science education outreach, and much more. Past outings have included trips to Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society and the Boston Early Music Festival, often followed by a meal where we discuss the performance. There is also an annual Spring Break trip to New York City to experience the art and history of one of America’s greatest cities.
A core humanities curriculum
Required MIT courses taught by our own instructors
Small seminars and debates that delve into great books and important issues of the day.
A vibrant community of peers and upper-level students who share a broader interest in the humanities
Outings that expand horizons and promote intellectual and social community
