The Institute for the Humanities (IH) promotes research, scholarship, and creative works in the humanistic disciplines and increases the visibility of the humanities generally, both within the University and the community. The Institute assists faculty in the preparation and submission of grant proposals to external agencies and serves as a liaison between its members and the Office of Research. Its membership includes the Associate Dean of Arts & Sciences and the faculty from the Departments of Art, Communication, English, Foreign Languages, History, Music, and Philosophy and Religion, as well as the Cobb Institute of Archeology. The IH Advisory Board includes department Heads from the humanistic disciplines as well as representatives from the humanities faculty and the community.
   The Institute's present activities include sponsoring the Distinguished Speakers Series, which brings prominent people in the humanities from around the world; promoting and helping to fund faculty research initiatives; supporting faculty attendance at scholarly meetings and conferences; and, presenting workshops focused on issues surrounding our appreciation for the humanities in Mississippi, and elsewhere, through scholarship and innovative teaching.
   Each year, with the support of the Mississippi Humanities Council, the Institute recognizes outstanding professors in the humanities by announcing the Humanist of the Year and the Humanities Teacher of the Year awards for Mississippi State University. The winners receive an honorarium and attend the statewide Mississippi Humanities Banquet in Jackson, MS, which is held in their honor.

The humanities and education in the humanities are central to the mission of Mississippi State University and as a component required by the Morrill Land Grant Act.