I would not put WPI on your list of options if your goal is to avoid exposure to the humanities. While they do not have the classic course distribution requirements of most schools, they do have what amounts to humanities minor for all students. The students have the flexibility of putting together a program with a faculty advisor to put in about 18 semester hours of research/classwork in a subject area. The student gets involved in the design of all parts of the program, but is not at liberty to study only one subject. This flexibility is there to help you find an effective way of developing a positive experience in the humanities world.
As the school is based on a project system, writing and presentation are impossible to escape. A good mathematician or scientist still needs to learn effective communication. A second degree requirement, the interactive qualifying project or IQP, pushes students to do research in an interdisciplinary area. The major qualifying project (MQP) requires project research and often results in presentation. Both the IQP and the MQP are team efforts.
Why? We want you to be able to present your fine ideas effectively and to be aware of your subject area’s interaction with the rest of the world.