harvard phd requirements for international students

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Admissions & Financial Support

Interested in applying to one of our fully funded PhD Programs? Before you begin, learn more about our application requirements. Please note that applicants are only required to possess a bachelors degree. Undergraduate applicants in their senior year are welcome to apply

We realize that the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, recent natural disasters, and other extenuating circumstances may have significant impacts on applicants’ academic and personal lives, including the ability to provide all required application materials prior to our stated deadlines. If this pertains to your circumstances, please review the information below for next steps.

Required Application Materials

• Completed online application form
• Statement of Purpose
• Personal Statement
• Transcripts for all college/university degrees and courses Self-reported transcripts are accepted for both all programs at the application stage. Applicants must upload copies of his/her transcripts to the online application system. Hard copy transcripts will only be required if admitted to a program, prior to enrollment.
• Current GMAT or GRE scores (see details below)
• TOEFL or IELTS scores (non-native English speakers see details below)
• Three letters of recommendation (at least one from an academic source). Recommendation letters must be submitted online through the online application system. Hard copy recommendation letters will not be accepted.
• $105 application fee via credit card
• Optional writing sample (no more than 10 pages)

GMAT & GRE

All applicants are required to take either the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) or the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Submitted test scores are valid for no longer than five years. If you are applying for admission for fall 2024, you may submit scores from tests taken no earlier than January 5, 2019. There is no minimum test score requirement, and admissions committee does not have a preference in tests.

• Institution Codes for PhD Programs
• GMAT: HRL-X8-30

A department code is not required for score submission.

We realize that the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, recent natural disasters, and other extenuating circumstances may have significant impacts on applicants’ academic and personal lives, including the ability to provide all required application materials prior to our stated deadlines. If you are unable to take the GRE or GMAT before the deadline, we still encourage you to apply, even if your scores are missing. Our application form includes a section for you to let us know about any of your materials that may be unavailable or delayed.

International Applications

Adequate command of spoken and written English is required for admission. Applicants whose native language is other than English and who do not hold a Bachelor degree or its equivalent from an institution at which English is the language of instruction must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores.

Submitted scores are valid for no longer than two years. If you are applying for admission for fall 2024, you may submit scores from tests taken no earlier than January 5, 2022. The committee prefers scores of at least 100 on the the TOEFL internet-based test and at least 7.5 on the IELTS test. Applicants are strongly encouraged to choose the TOEFL internet-based test when possible.

Institution Codes for Toefl score reports PhD programs: 3451

Instructions for submitting IELTS score reports Designate Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences as a recipient of your test results. Our address, for the record only, to identify us in the IELTS system, is 1350 Massachusetts Ave. Smith Campus Center 350, Cambridge, MA 02138. Paper test report forms will not be accepted at this address.

Accomodations for COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, or other extenuating circumstances

Reapplicants.

Applicants who applied last year are considered reapplicants. Those reapplying must submit a completely new application. The new application must include all required documents to be provided by the applicant - we will not re-use material previously submitted. These materials include an updated statement of purpose, transcripts, test score reports, updated letters of recommendation, the application fee, and any other supporting materials

Please note, Harvard University will accept no more than three applications from any one individual over the course of their lifetime. If your 2023 application is incomplete and you are denied admission, GSAS will not count it toward our lifetime limit of three total applications that an individual may submit due to the global pandemic.

APPLY FOR A PROGRAM

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Psychology Graduate Program

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The  Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences welcomes applications for admission from individuals who have or will have by the time of matriculation a BA, BS, or equivalent undergraduate degree (for prospective international students, a three- or four-year undergraduate degree from an institution of recognized standing) and actively seeks applicants from groups historically  underrepresented in graduate schools . All degree candidates are admitted for full-time study beginning in the fall term.

Immigration status does not factor into decisions about admissions and financial aid. For more information, see  Undocumented at Harvard .

If you already hold a PhD or its equivalent, or are an advanced doctoral candidate at another institution, you may apply to a PhD program only if it is in an unrelated field of study; however, preference for admissions and financial aid will be given to those who have not already had an opportunity to study for a doctoral degree at Harvard or elsewhere. You may also want to consider pursuing non-degree study through our  Special Student or Visiting Fellow  programs.

Eligible Harvard College students with advanced standing may apply in the fall of their junior year to earn an AM or SM degree during their final year of undergraduate study. Interested students must contact the  Office of Undergraduate Education  for eligibility details before applying.

Questions about the application or required materials should be directed to the Harvard Griffin GSAS Admissions Office at  [email protected] or 617-496-6100. 

Harvard Griffin GSAS does not discriminate against applicants or students on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry or any other protected classification. 

Required Application Materials

Please refer to Completing Your Application on the Harvard Griffin GSAS Admissions site for details.  A complete application consists of:

Online application form

Application fee payment* ($105)

Transcripts

Letters of recommendation (at least 3)

Statement of purpose

Personal statement

Demonstration of English proficiency

GRE General exam scores -  o ptional but recommended for Fall 2024 admission**

Harvard Griffin GSAS may request additional academic documents, as needed.

*Application fee waivers are available to those for whom payment of the application fee would be financially challenging. Applicants can determine eligibility for a fee waiver by completing a series of questions in the Application Fee section of the application. Once these questions have been completed, the application system will provide an immediate response regarding fee waiver eligibility.

**Graduate student admissions are among the most important decisions we make as a department. Like many other PhD programs around the US and abroad, we have wrestled with the question of whether we should continue to require that applicants to our PhD program submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) as part of their application. After extensive review of the scientific literature and robust discussion among our faculty, we have decided to continue to make submission of GRE scores optional, but to Recommend that students submit GRE scores if they are able to do so. We wanted to share our candid thoughts on this here.  

A number of empirical and review papers have noted that performance on the GRE is not a strong predictor of performance on a number of graduate school metrics (e.g., correlation with graduate school GPA = .21-.31, which represent small to medium effect sizes; Woo et al., 2023) and that the fact that the significant group differences (by race/ethnicity and gender) in GRE scores suggest it may discourage those from underrepresented groups from applying to PhD programs. Other research has shown that although there are limitations to the GRE, other potential predictors of success in graduate school have even smaller correlations with such outcomes, and removing the GRE would lead us to rely on these other potentially biased factors, such as where a person received their undergraduate degree, what research lab they had the opportunity to train in, and letters of recommendation.(1) We have heard anecdotally from current and former PhD students (including those historically underrepresented in PhD programs) who argue that the GRE helped them demonstrate their abilities when they didn’t attend a top undergraduate institution or work in a well-known research lab.  

On balance, we acknowledge that the GRE is an imperfect test and should not be used as the single deciding factor in admissions; however, we fear that excluding it altogether will introduce more, not less, bias into the admissions decision-making process. Thus, we have decided to keep the submission of GRE scores optional, but to recommend that students submit their scores if they are able to do so.  

We know that many students might expect that we are looking for near-perfect scores as a requirement for admission. We are not. We do not use a rigid threshold for GRE scores, and take it into consideration with other factors (e.g., strong performance in undergraduate statistics might be used to demonstrate quantitative abilities in place of strong performance on the quantitative section of the GRE). To be transparent about this, we note that our past 10 years’ of admitted PhD applicants have had scores on the GRE ranging on the Quantitative section from the 38th to the 98th percentile, and on the Verbal section ranging from the 59th to the 99th percentile.(2 )

We will continue to work toward determining how to make admissions decisions in a way that identifies the candidates who match best with what our PhD training program has to offer and in doing so may make further adjustments to our admissions requirements in future admissions cycles.  

(1) For a review of these issues, see: Woo, S. E., LeBreton, J. M., Keith, M. G., & Tay, L. (2023). Bias, Fairness, and Validity in Graduate-School Admissions: A Psychometric Perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 18(1), 3–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916211055374  

(2) Note: Test scores were not required for the past 3 years and so are largely unavailable for that period. 

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International Students

Informational links for international students are provided below. Please feel free to contact the Financial Aid Office directly with any questions you may have. 

Additional information may be found in the HGSE Ed.M. Guidebook (335KB pdf).

• Visit the Harvard University International Office
• Visit the HGSE Office of Student Affairs

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i apply for financial aid at hgse.

The HGSE Financial Aid Application will be available in January after the Admissions application deadline. The HGSE Financial Aid Office will contact you with information and instructions on how to submit your Financial Aid Application online.

2023-2024 Financial Aid Application for International Applicants

The financial aid application process is the same for both residential and online programs. The 2023-2024 HGSE Financial Aid Application will be available by the end of January 2023 and is completed electronically. The HGSE Financial Aid Office will contact you with information and instructions on how to submit your Financial Aid Application, and the HGSE Financial Aid Application is due by February 17, 2023 . Late applications are accepted but priority is given to applications that meet our initial deadline. Late applications are also subject to funding availability.

May I apply for a tuition waiver?

Tuition waivers are not available at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

What kind of financial aid is available?

Grants & scholarships.

International students are eligible to be considered for both need-based and scholarship HGSE aid found on the Fellowships & Grants pages .

All HGSE applicants and students may apply for any of the University-wide Restricted Scholarships for which they may be eligible.  You can apply for these scholarships when you complete your HGSE Financial Aid Application.

International students may refer to our fellowship Information for general information about possible external sources of support and may also want to refer to the list of Funding Sources for International Students available through this website. The Harvard Committee on General Scholarships also provides funding through various scholarships and fellowships; some require nomination from HGSE (utilizing your admissions and financial aid application information) and others may require a separate application as specified by the funding opportunity.

International students are not eligible for U.S. Federal Student Loans. Many international students utilize loan programs in their home nations. However, international students may borrow supplemental loans through some private lenders. International students will generally be required to have a credit worthy co-signer/co-borrower who is a U.S. citizen. Please refer to our loan page for information about supplemental loan programs.

International students are generally restricted from working in the United States, but may be able to work on the Harvard campus depending on visa status. Applicants should refer to the Harvard International Office for questions about work eligibility.

For information about on-campus job opportunities students should refer to the Student Employment Office . Please keep in mind that U.S. Federal Work-Study positions, which subsidize employer costs, are available only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. It is often difficult for international students to find unsubsidized campus jobs.

Information on Housing and Other Living Expenses.

Upon admission to HGSE, students are sent information that includes details from the HGSE Financial Aid Office, Office of Student Affairs, and the Harvard Housing Office.

How can I calculate the funds I will need to obtain a student visa?

For myself/for myself and family members?

The following examples are estimates for full time students entering in the 2024-2025 academic year:

• A single student must certify:

$99,944 for the standard cost of attendance for international students (including tuition, fees, living expenses and books) plus the cost of individual return airfare in guaranteed, available funds (through a scholarship, personal funds in a U.S. bank, agency sponsorship, or combination thereof). Students enrolling in the Teaching & Teacher Leadership (TTL) Program must certify an additional $3,360, which totals $103,304.

• A student with a spouse must certify:

$99,944 for self plus $22,574 for the cost of health fees and living expenses for their spouse, plus the cost of their return airfare for self and spouse in guaranteed, available funds ( see above ).

• A student with a spouse and a child must certify:

$99,944 for self plus $37,290 for the cost of health fees and living expenses for their spouse and child, plus the cost of their return airfare for self and family in guaranteed, available funds (see above). A student with a spouse and more than one child must certify $2,370 in additional health insurance fees plus $10,000 for each additional child for living expenses, along with the cost of their return airfare for self and family in guaranteed, available funds (see above). Please note the above figures pertain to full-time Ed.M. students.

HGSE students who are currently enrolled, or returning from a leave of absence, should contact the HGSE Financial Aid Office for instructions on certifying for an extension of their visa and related documents.

When do I receive information about applying for my student visa?

The HGSE Admissions Office sends information about visa requirements soon after the notice of admission.

Outside Funding Sources

Fundación México en Harvard

Provides scholarships and loans to citizens or permanent residents of Mexico who are admitted for graduate study at Harvard. Interested students must apply for consideration before entering the U.S. and prior to the start of their Harvard programs. Recipients of support from the Fundación are required to return to Mexico upon completion of their Harvard programs or after a period of practical training abroad. 

An agreement exists whereby CONACYT, Fundación México en Harvard and CIDE (Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas) will support with a full scholarship any student from CIDE´s Doctorate in Public Policy program, accepted to the Harvard Graduate School of Education for an M.Ed.  Students must undertake the admissions process with HGSE directly and have been accepted in order to receive this scholarship. 

Fundação Estudar

Merit-based scholarship opportunity for Brazilian students with leadership and entrepreneurial profiles.

Jorge Paulo Lemann Fellowship

Scholarship opportunity for Brazilian students; please visit the  Harvard Committee on General Scholarships  for information.

Additional Sources

You may view our External Funding Sources for International Students Guide to find external scholarship opportunities.

You may also visit the Harvard Committee on General Scholarships  for additional sources of funds for international students, but please note that not all scholarships listed are available for use at HGSE.

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• Program Requirements: Ph.D.

Below is an overview of degree requirements for the PhD in History of Science. The requirements may also be found in the History of Science section of the GSAS Policies web site.

Current students may also consult the HoS Graduate Program Canvas Site for information and resources.

Advising and Progress

For more information on advising expectations, please see the History of Science PhD Program Advising Best Practices Document .

The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) serves as the primary advisor to all first-year PhD students. In addition first-year students are also strongly encouraged to seek guidance about their academic and course plans from other faculty whose research interests correspond to their own. Students are encouraged to take courses with faculty they might ask to serve on their General Examination committee.

During the second year, students are jointly advised by the DGS and the chair of the student’s General Exam Committee.

First and second-year students meet with the DGS at the start of each semester for the first two years to discuss their plan of study. Students also meet with the graduate program coordinator at the beginning of each semester, submitting a completed  History of Science Department PhD Degree Requirements Worksheet.  This is to ensure that students are fulfilling the necessary requirements.

The formal advisor during the third year is the Chair of the student’s Prospectus Committee. Upon acceptance of the Prospectus, the chair of the Dissertation Committee becomes the student’s primary advisor.

Starting in the G3 year, students and advisors both complete an annual progress report (due in April) and meet to discuss progress and academic plans. ( This form is available on the HoS Graduate Program website .) All students’ progress is reviewed each year by the department at a May faculty meeting in which a determination is made of students’ qualification for continuing graduate work in light of both departmental and GSAS requirements.

The DGS and the Department Chair are always available to provide support and advice at any stage of the graduate program. Students are encouraged to seek help from either of these individuals if any part of the advising process seems not to be working as it should.

For more information about advising procedures and resources, see the HoS Advising Timeline and the HoS Advising Best Practices documents available on the HoS Graduate Program website.

First and Second Year of Graduate Study

Students must be in residence for minimum of two years of full-time study. While in residence, students are expected to attend the department seminar.

Coursework and Research Papers

Course Requirements

Sixteen four-credit courses or the equivalent, plus a two-credit course, Colloquium on Teaching Practices, normally taken in the fall of the G3 year, including:

• Two seminars: Historiography in History of Science (HISTSCI 303A) and Research Methods in the History of Science (HISTSCI 303B)
• Four must be offered by DHS.
• At least one must focus substantially on pre-1800 topics and one must focus substantially on post-1800 topics. (See the DHS Graduate Student Program Website for more details.)
• One must be taken outside DHS.
• Eight electives, of which up to five may be graduate-level reading courses in the history of science or other divisions, departments, or committees
• The Colloquium on Teaching Practices (two credits) taken in the first year of employment as a Teaching Fellow (normally the G3 year)

Note: The four graduate seminars in DHS may include courses taught in other departments by faculty in the Department of the History of Science, courses cross-listed as HISTSCI, and graduate courses in Science, Technology, and Society offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . (A maximum of three courses may be taken at MIT). All other courses count as outside the department. Graduate reading courses or independent studies do not fulfill the graduate seminar requirement.

Note: The department does not accept transfer credits. However, students who matriculate into the doctoral program after receiving an AM degree in History of Science or who take graduate courses as Special Students in the department are eligible to transfer up to eight four-unit courses.

Research Papers

In the first two years of graduate study, students must write two research papers, at least one for a departmental course. Papers must be between 7500 and 10,500 words (exclusive of notes and bibliography); each must earn a grade of at least A-. At least one must display serious engagement with archival or other primary sources (which may include printed and/or digital materials and objects); the other may be based on fieldwork observation (e.g., ethnographic, participant-observer) or involve media production (e.g., interactive web, audio, video/photographic, museum exhibition).

One of these essays may be an independent work not connected to a course, but it is expected that the essay will have been substantially written and researched during the course of enrollment in the PhD Program. In this case, the DGS will designate a faculty member to grade the essay.

The first paper should be submitted by 1 June of the G1 year to the Graduate Program Coordinator, CC’ing the course instructor. Ordinarily this essay is written in the context of the required Research Methods course.

The second paper should be submitted by 1 April of the G2 year to the Graduate Program Coordinator. Ordinarily this is written in the context of a departmental or external graduate seminar.

By the end of first semester of the G2 year, one of these papers should be shared and discussed with one of the student’s advisor (normally the Chair of the student’s General Exam Committee).

Grades and Assessment

Eight four-credit courses must be passed at a grade level of B or above in the first year of study.

The grade of Incomplete (INC) is given in extraordinary circumstances. The decision to give an Incomplete is at the discretion of each faculty member. Students with more than one INC on their record at the end of a semester will receive a letter of warning from the department and are at risk of being placed into “unsatisfactory status.”

GSAS policy requires that academic work must be completed, and the grade converted to a letter grade before the end of the next registration period (for example coursework for an incomplete received in the fall of 2022 must be completed before the first day of registration for the fall of 2023). A petition for an extension of time for incomplete work signed by the course instructor and director of graduate studies must be submitted to the GSAS Dean of Student Affairs Office for any course work completed after the end of the next registration period.

All courses must be graded before a student is permitted to teach. Students with outstanding course requirements (excluding the Teaching Colloquium normally taken in G3 year) are not permitted to sit for the general examination.

Language Requirement

All students must demonstrate proficiency in at least one language other than English upon submission of the dissertation prospectus in November of the G3 year (see below). The language(s) in question should reflect students’ research interests and ordinarily will be agreed on in consultation with the DGS and intended dissertation director at the beginning of the first year of graduate study; the list may be revised as necessary to reflect students’ changing intellectual trajectories. Some students may enter with all the language preparation they will need for graduate study in their chosen fields. Others may have an elementary or intermediate knowledge of a language or languages and may improve on that knowledge by taking additional coursework, including first-, second-, or third-year language courses and/or the reading courses offered by some departments, whether during the regular academic year or in summer.

Students may demonstrate proficiency in one of the following ways: 1) completing two semesters of foreign-language coursework, and receiving a grade of A- or higher in the courses; 2) completing a summer Reading Knowledge or other summer language course approved in advance by the DGS and receiving a grade of A- or higher; 3) completing upper-level coursework in a language other than English; 4) making substantial use of non-English texts in one or more seminar papers or in the preparation of general examination fields and prospectuses, or 5) passing a language exam offered by the department. Proficiency is assumed in the case of native speakers and bilingual students, as long as they are skilled in both reading and speaking.

To document proficiency, students must email the graduate program coordinator, cc’ing the advisor and the faculty member who certifies the student’s language skills; students should list the language(s) and the means by which proficiency has been demonstrated. Students taking language reading courses at Harvard Summer School or in an external institution should have a transcript sent to the graduate program coordinator.

As students’ fields of study develop, they may find that they need to acquire new languages or further develop their skills in ones they already know. This should be discussed by students and their advisors on a regular basis as part of the advising process.

Year 2: The General Examination

PhD students in the History of Science normally take the General Examination at the end of the spring semester of the G2 year. The aim of the General Examination is to deepen and expand students’ historical knowledge for the purposes of both research and teaching. It is an oral examination in three fields, each one directed by a different faculty examiner. Students are not expected to demonstrate an encyclopedic command of detail but, rather, to give evidence of understanding the main historical developments in each field, mastery of the chief historiographic traditions associated with a particular content area, and an ability to discuss particular sciences or topics within relevant historical contexts.

The three examiners constitute the student’s General Examination Committee, one of whom serves as Chair. Each field is chosen in consultation with the DGS, the Chair of the Committee, and individual Committee members. Two fields should be directed by faculty in the Department of the History of Science (or in certain cases by faculty approved by the department to direct a field related to the history of science, technology, or medicine). One field should be directed by a faculty member outside the Department, and students should consult carefully with the DGS and their intended Chair about the scope of that field and who might be asked to direct it. Occasionally, a single field may be split into two subfields, each of which is directed by a distinct faculty member.

Once the student has agreed with each Committee member about the title of their field, and the Chair of the Committee has approved all of them, students should submit the General Examination Application and a completed PhD Degree Requirements Worksheet  to the Graduate Program Coordinator. This should happen by early November of the G2 year. These applications are reviewed and then voted on by Department faculty at the following Faculty Meeting.

During the G2 year, students normally enroll in a directed reading course (HSCI 3001) with each of the directors of their three fields during either the Fall or Spring semester. Preparation for the exam may take place in the fall or spring, or it may extend over both semesters. In any case, preparation should involve at least seven meetings between student and faculty member. At the beginning of preparation for each field, the student and director of each field will agree on a set of texts that constitutes the Reading List for that field. This list may be revised over the course of preparation in consultation with the Director of each field.

Early in the spring semester it is the student’s responsibility to coordinate with their General Examination Committee to determine the date and time of the exam. The Examination should be scheduled for two hours: 90 minutes for the exam itself and 30 minutes for the Committee to review the exam and discuss the result with the student. Once the date and time have been determined, the student should inform the Graduate Coordinator who will secure a room and add it to the schedule.

General Examination Applications will normally only be considered once students have completed all required coursework from the G1 year (and have no outstanding Incomplete grades). Moreover, at the time of the exam itself, students should have completed (or should be actively enrolled in) all required coursework for the degree. A rising G3 student who has not passed the General Examination will be allowed one semester in which to complete any outstanding course and writing requirements as well as to sit for and pass the examination. The department may ask students who have not completed this process and passed the Examination by the end of the first semester of the G3 year to withdraw from the Program.

For more information about General Examination Fields and the exam itself, consult the HoS General Examination Procedures document available on the HoS Graduate Program website.

Third Year of Graduate Study

All students are required by the department to participate as teaching fellows or course assistants in at least one course offered by department faculty. Students may not teach during the DCF year and so should plan accordingly. All students are required to complete the Colloquium on Teaching Practices (two credits) offered in the fall of the first year that they teach in the Department, with opportunities for additional sessions in the spring.

Rising G3 students must attend the fall Bok Center Teaching Retreat as well as the department teaching retreat held in late August/early September. The Bok Center offers numerous teaching workshops and resources to enable teaching fellows to hone their teaching skills.

Faculty course instructors hold weekly meetings with teaching fellows to guide them in leading discussion sections and grading assignments and exams.

The Dissertation Prospectus

Students are expected to begin preparing to write their prospectus following the completion of their General Examination at the end of the G2 year. To help facilitate this process, the Department normally holds two “Prospectus Study Days” (in late May and early September).

During the summer or early in the Fall term, students will assemble a Prospectus Committee in consultation with their General Examination Committee Chair, presumptive Primary Advisor, and/or the DGS. The Prospectus Committee normally consists of three faculty members, of which one is the Chair. (While Dissertation Committees may have more than three members, the Prospectus Committee is made up of exactly three members except in exceptional circumstances.) At least two members of this Committee should be members of the Department. Students are encouraged to include junior faculty on their Dissertation Committees.

Over the course of the G3 year's fall semester, students develop a draft of their prospectus in consultation with their Prospectus Committee, which will approve its submission to the department faculty as a whole. Prospectuses are to be submitted to the graduate program coordinator at least one week before the December history of science faculty meeting (usually, by the Thanksgiving break). The faculty discuss prospectuses at this meeting and vote on their approval.

Students are expected to submit their prospectuses in the fall of the G3 year; in all cases, however, approval must be obtained before the end of the G3 year.

After obtaining faculty approval, students present their prospectuses to the history of science community in a department seminar, usually in the spring of the G3 year.

For more information about the prospectus process and requirements consult the Dissertation Prospectus Guidelines Document .

Fellowship Applications

Third Year students often apply for traveling and research fellowships beginning in the late fall of the G3 year as well as other external and internal fellowships. Please see the HoS Graduate Program website for further information. Department Faculty and the GSAS Fellowships Office  offer workshops to assist students in the application process.

Progress Report

Beginning in the G3 year, students and advisors together complete an end-of-the-year Progress Report  which is submitted to the graduate coordinator in April .

Post-prospectus

Annual  Progress Reports   are due in April each year following acceptance of the Dissertation Prospectus.

The Dissertation

Once the student’s Prospectus has been approved by the department, a Dissertation Committee is formed. Normally, the chair of the Prospectus Committee becomes the chair of the Dissertation Committee and the student’s primary advisor. The chair of the Dissertation Committee must be an eligible member of the department, as must at least one other member of the committee. (The names of faculty members available for the direction of the PhD dissertation are listed in the course catalog under History of Science 3000.) Students are encouraged to include junior faculty on their committees.

Timetable for submission of the dissertation

Students planning to graduate in March, May, or November, should meet with the graduate program coordinator to review the graduation process. Students need to provide the coordinator with vital information to ensure the dissertation acceptance certificate may be processed to meet GSAS deadlines and the degree application approved.

Students must submit a final, complete draft of the dissertation to their committees no later than six weeks prior to the “dissertations are due on” date specified by GSAS. All students must submit a pdf of the submitted dissertation with the signed dissertation acceptance certificate to the graduate coordinator.

Committees will read and comment on the dissertation draft, and ask for any revisions, no later than three weeks prior to the same date.

Students will make any necessary changes and submit the dissertation in its final form to the committee and to the department no later than one week prior to the “due on” date.

The dissertation should be an original contribution to knowledge. It must conform to the online description, Formatting your Dissertation , on the GSAS Policies website.

Dissertation Defense

The dissertation defense in History of Science ordinarily takes place after the members of the Dissertation Committee have approved the dissertation. The dissertation defense is not required to receive the doctoral degree, but students often find the forum useful as they further their research. The Graduate Program Coordinator will assist students in setting a defense date.

Duration of Study

Work for the degree should be completed within a total of six years. Normally, students take a Dissertation Completion Fellowship during the year that they complete the dissertation. However, in cases in which the dissertation is not completed, the Graduate School permits students to remain enrolled in the PhD Program for one year following the Dissertation Completion Fellowship year. An extension beyond this one-year limit may be considered by the Department and the Graduate School in extraordinary circumstances.

Please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator (Linda Schneider) at [email protected] or 617-495-9978.

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• PhD Program

The Ph.D. Program in the Department of Economics at Harvard is addressed to students of high promise who wish to prepare themselves in teaching and research in academia or for responsible positions in government, research organizations, or business enterprises. Students are expected to devote themselves full-time to their programs of study.

The program prepares students for productive and stimulating careers as economists. Courses and seminars offered by the department foster an intellectually active and stimulating environment. Each week, the department sponsors more than 15 different seminars on such topics as environmental economics, economic growth and development, monetary and fiscal policy, international economics, industrial organization, law and economics, behavioral economics, labor economics, and economic history. Top scholars from both domestic and international communities are often invited speakers at the seminars.  The Harvard community outside of the department functions as a strong and diverse resource. Students in the department are free to pursue research interests with scholars throughout the University. Faculty of the Harvard Law School, Kennedy School of Government, and Harvard Business School, for example, are available to students for consultation, instruction, and research guidance. As a member of the Harvard community, students in the department can register for courses in the various schools and have access to the enormous library resources available through the University. There are over 90 separate library units at Harvard, with the total collections of books and pamphlets numbering over 13 million.  Both the department and the wider University draw some of the brightest students from around the world, which makes for a student body that is culturally diverse and likely unequaled in the range of intellectual interests of its members. These factors combine to add an important dimension to the educational process. Students are able to learn from one another, collaborate on research projects and publications, and form bonds that are not broken by distance once the degree is completed and professional responsibilities lead them in different directions.

• Program Requirements
• Job Placement
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The Harvard Biophysics Graduate Program

Phd research at the interface of quantitative science and biology.

HMS Campus, 240 Longwood Avenue, Seeley G. Mudd Bldg., Room 204c Boston, MA 02115

• Requirements for Applicants

PREVIOUS EDUCATION Applicants to the Biophysics Program are required to have, or be on their way to completion of, a BA, BS, or equivalent undergraduate degree.  In most cases this entails completion of a 4-year undergraduate course of study in a relevant major.  For prospective international students, a 3 or 4-year undergraduate degree from an institute of recognized standing would be considered acceptable.  See suggested coursework and background preparation information in the section below.

APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR ENTRY IN FALL 2025

December 1, 2024

All application materials: the Online Application Form (along with the application fee payment), Transcripts, Letters of Recommendation, Statement of Purpose (best place to describe your past research experience and future interests), new 500-word Personal Statement (best place to include aspects of your experience that might be exceptional, challenges overcome, etc.) and TOEFL Test Scores (where required) need to be in by 5:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time on this date.  Late applications will not be considered.  Please see the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Admissions page for additional information.

Applicants from the Harvard Medical School MD-PhD Program should submit a "pre-application" by October 15th, 2024, to be considered for entry in the Fall of 2025.  The application should be completed in the GSAS Application Portal and downloaded (or screenshots saved) without completing the submittal of the application to GSAS.  On receiving the "pre-application" (to be sent to the Program Administrator), the Biophysics Faculty Admissions Review Committee will read the application, and we will set up times for interviews for the applicant with members of the Admissions Committee.  Student applicants who are considered appropriate for the Biophysics Program will then be invited to submit their finalized application to the program through the GSAS Application Portal.  Decisions on whether or not an MD-PhD student applicant will be invited to submit a finalized, official application, with the understanding that they will be accepted into the program for Fall 2025, will be communicated to the student by November 15th, 2024.

STANDARDIZED TESTS (GRE General, GRE Subject, TOEFL, IELTS, MCAT)

The Biophysics Program no longer requires applicants to report scores from the General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) .

The Biophysics Program does not require scores from one of the GRE Subject Tests .

Applicants to the Biophysics Program who are non-native English speakers, and whose undergraduate degree is received from an academic institution where English is not the primary language of instruction, must complete either the Internet Based Test (IBT) of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) , or the International English Language Testing System Academic Test (IELTS) .  Reported scores from the TOEFL or IELTS, if required, must be no older than 2 years prior to the application deadline date.  The Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences will only accept the IBT TOEFL or IELTS as proof of English proficiency.

In order to ensure that test scores are received in time for the Biophysics Program's application deadline, students should register for the TOEFL or IELTS within a timeframe that allows the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to report the official scores so that they can be included in the student's application file.  Scores should be reported and sent to Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences , using School Code 3451 .

MINIMUM and AVERAGE SCORES:  

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences has a required minimum score of 80 on the IBT TOEFL or 6.5 on the IELTS .  GSAS requires incoming students, whose TOEFL or IELTS scores fall within certain tiers, to meet an Oral English Language Requirement prior to being allowed to serve as Teaching Fellows at the University.  For admitted students whose English language skills might benefit from additional focus, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers the English Language Program (ELP), a residential, cultural immersion program during the summer months prior to matriculation into graduate school.  Additional follow up courses are offered throughout the year to assist students in reaching the oral English language requirement.

As part of forming a complete picture of the applicants to the Biophysics Program, we consider the standardized test scores (if required) as well as Grade Point Average information.  However, standardized test scores and GPAs are just a few of the many factors we consider when reviewing applications to the Biophysics Program, and we have no established minimum threshhold for standardized tests and GPA.  At no point in the application review process do these scores or GPA values serve to triage applications, but are instead considered in light of the whole application and the primary focus that the review committee puts on the quality of an applicant's preparation, the personal statement, and the strength of an applicant's recommendation letters.

SUGGESTED COURSEWORK and BACKGROUND PREPARATION: Students interested in applying to the Harvard Biophysics PhD Program should have a strong background in the physical sciences, especially chemistry, physics, and mathematics. The list of courses below are only to give some examples of the kind of courses that would provide an ideal undergraduate course background for a student's future course work in specialized areas of biophysics.  No undergraduate major would have taken every one of these courses in college, and they are merely provided to serve as an example and reference point for the types of courses that would be considered appropriate background training for research work in Biophysics.  

Mathematics :   Mathematics Multivariable Calculus/ Linear Algebra and Differential Equations Advanced Calculus, Real Analysis Complex Analysis Introduction to Computer Science Linear Algebra  

Physics : Classical Mechanics Electromagnetism/ Relativity Wave Phenomena/ Optics Quantum Mechanics Laboratory Electronics Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics

Chemistry: General Chemistry Organic Chemistry Physical Chemistry Introductory Quantum Mechanics Statistical Thermodynamics

Biological Sciences/ Biochemistry and Molecular Biology : Molecular Biology Cell Biology Neurobiology Genetics Physical Biochemistry

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The Statement of Purpose that is part of the application to the Biophysics Program within the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, is an intergal piece that allows the Faculty Admissions Review Committee to learn about the specific research experiences an applicant has undertaken, the student's motivation for wanting to pursue a PhD in Biophysics, and their overall enthusiam for future work as an independent research scientist.  Every application to the Biophysics Program is read in its entirety and then discussed by the Faculty Admissions Review Committee as part of the decision-making process, so extra care should be taken to ensure that the Statement of Purpose accurately and fully reflects these aspects of an applicant's incentive for submitting an application to the Biophysics Program at Harvard.

RECOMMENDATION LETTERS The Biophysics Program requires Letters of Recommendation from three faculty members, or others qualified to evaluate a student's potential for graduate study.  The most useful letters are from those faculty members who have gotten to know an applicant within a scientific research setting, or have otherwise developed an understanding of an applicant's strengths and challenges beyond their getting good grades within a classroom setting.  

Recommendation letters are due at the same time as the application, although the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Admissions Office will make every effort to allow for consideration of recommendation materials submitted after the deadline.

The Harvard Biophysics Program does not discriminate against applicants or students on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry or any other protected classification.

• How to Apply
• Financial Aid

How to Apply

We offer admission into the ph.d. degree in the following areas:.

• Applied Mathematics
• Applied Physics
• Computer Science
• ​​​​​ Bioengineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Environmental Science and Engineering
• Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering

​​​ ​​​ *Note we do not offer admission into masters degree programs in these areas.

We offer admission into a terminal masters degree in the following areas:

• Data Science  (S.M.) 
• Computational Science and Engineering  (S.M. or M.E.)
• Master in Design Engineering  (M.D.E.) (joint with  Harvard Graduate School of Design )
• MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences (joint with Harvard Business School)

Application Process and Requirements  

All prospective graduate students to our Ph.D., M.E., S.M., and A.B./S.M. programs apply to the School of Engineering through the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin  Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) .

Students interested in the Master in Design Engineering with the Harvard Graduate School of Design will find information about applying to that program  here .

Students interested in the MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences program offered jointly with Harvard Business School will find information about applying to that program  here. Students with bachelor's degrees in the natural or quantitative sciences, mathematics, computer science, or engineering are invited to apply.

All students begin graduate study in the fall term only. 

What does the application require?

• Completed  application form  submitted by the appropriate application deadline (Dec.1st for masters applicants;  December 15th for Ph.D. applicants)
• Statement of Purpose: describe your future research interests, how they relate to your classroom and/or research experience, and which labs at SEAS you're most excited about.  Your statement should be no longer than 1,000 words.
• Personal Statement:Please share how your experiences or activities will advance our mission and commitment to sustain a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive environment  (full text of prompt can be found in the application).  No longer than 500 words.
• Three letters of recommendation submitted electronically
• Transcripts; please upload copies of all transcripts to the Academic Background section of the online application; unofficial copies are acceptable. 
• C.V. or Resume
• SEAS does not accept General GRE scores nor Subject Test GRE scores for applicants to our Ph.D. programs.  Applicants to these programs should not submit official or unofficial GRE scores to us nor mention them anywhere in their application materials.  
• SEAS does not accept General GRE scores nor Subject Test GRE scores for applicants to our masters degree programs in Computational Science & Engineering and Data Science.   Applicants to these programs should not submit official or unofficial GRE scores to us nor mention them anywhere in their application materials.  
• Either the GRE or GMAT is required for applicants applying to the Master of Design Engineering or the MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences programs.   The applications for these programs are available via the Graduate School of Design or Harvard Business School, respectively. 
• If required, an official  TOEFL  or  IELTS  score report. The school code to use to submit your TOEFL score is 3451.  *TOEFL or IELTS scores are required for applicants whose native language is other than English and who do not hold a Bachelor degree or its equivalent from an institution at which English is the language of instruction.  The score must be valid at the time of entry into the program.   Note that a masters degree from an English-speaking institution does not meet this requirement.   
• The application fee of $105.00. Should you want to request a fee waiver from Harvard Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, you may do so in the fee section of the application.

Please list only SEAS ladder faculty on the application.  "Affiliate faculty" cannot admit PhD students.  There are many SEAS ladder faculty with formal joint appointments in other Harvard Griffin GSAS departments, like Physics and Earth and Planetary Sciences.  These faculty can serve as primary research advisors to SEAS students.   A complete list of the SEAS ladder faculty can be found  here - filter for "primary graduate advisors" once you're on this page. 

We do not require an interview as part of the application process and we cannot offer applicants the opportunity for an in-person interview with the admissions staff.  Attending a Ph.D. or Masters Programs admissions information session is the best way to have your questions answered.   More information about our information sessions that will be held in the Fall can be found  here.

We require electronic submission of the entire application, including letters of recommendation and transcripts.  Please do not send us any hard copy materials.

Admissions Timeline for Ph.D., M.E., S.M., and A.B./S.M. Programs  (Note: The  Master in Design Engineering  and the  MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences  have different deadlines and timetables.) Please note:   The application deadline for applicants to our masters programs (S.M., M.E., and AB-SM) is earlier than the application deadline for applicants to our Ph.D. program.    Applicants to our S.M., M.E., and AB-SM masters programs must apply by December 1, 2023.  Applicants to our Ph.D. program   must apply by December 15, 2023 .   We do not accept late applications to any of our programs.

For Prospective Graduate Students

The Department of Government. Calling all researchers, leaders, and changemakers.  

When you join Harvard University’s Department of Government, you become part of a highly-recognized intellectual community of scholars, researchers, visionaries, leaders, and changemakers. Our strength in teaching and research in all fields of political science is reflected in both our faculty and our curriculum. 

Harvard University’s Department of Government is a world leader in the study and scholarship in political science. Our programs of study include:

• American Government
• Comparative Politics
• International Relations
• Political Methodology/Formal Theory
• Political Philosophy and Its History

Our innovative curriculum reflects a diverse range of fields and methodologies. The vibrant graduate student body receives hands-on training by conducting supervised dissertation research and working with our faculty in research projects and undergraduate teaching. 

Here, scholars have access to unparalleled resources.  They have the opportunity to define and formulate their own research questions and to apply a variety of research methodologies. 

• Graduate students research is greatly facilitated by the exceptional resources offered by the Department of Government and the University.
• Harvard has the  largest university library in the world .
• Harvard expansive network of research centers and top international studies centers bring together scholars and researchers from around the globe.

Scholars can also take advantage of Harvard’s generous financial aid program.  In addition, there is just no match to the energy and excitement that accompanies student life in the Cambridge/Boston area.  

Harvard University does not discriminate against applicants or students on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry or any other protected classificiation.

PhD Requirements

Candidates for the PhD in Government are expected to complete the required coursework during their first two years of graduate study and take the General Examination at the end of the second year. A typical schedule consists of these two years, followed by three or four years of work on a dissertation, combined with supervised teaching.

Admissions 

The graduate program of the Department of Government is designed to train students for careers in university teaching and advanced research in political science. The department does not offer an independent master’s program, the master of arts in political science being reserved for PhD candidates on the way to their final degrees.  Click here  to visit the Graduate School of Arts and Science’s page on admission to the Government Department to learn more about the application process. 

Application for Admission

The application for admissions is available at  http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/apply .

The application fee is $105. Applicants can determine eligibility for a fee waiver by completing a series of questions in the Application Fee section of the application. Once these questions have been answered, the application system will provide an immediate response regarding fee waiver eligibility.

Application information and instructions are available at  www.gsas.harvard.edu . Applicants with admissions questions should call 617-496-6100 from 2-5pm EST or email  [email protected] .  Applicants with financial aid questions should call 617-495-5396 or email  [email protected] .

Financial Aid and Fellowship Opportunities 

Financial aid is administered under the direction of the  Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) .  The department intends that all graduate students should have support adequate to enable them to complete their studies while enrolled full-time. Prospective students apply for financial aid at the same time they apply for admission and are also required to submit a Statement of Financial Resources.  The financial aid package for government students typically includes tuition and fees plus a stipend and a summer research grant for the first two years; tuition and fees plus guaranteed teaching fellowships and a summer research grant for years three and four; tuition and fees in year five; and tuition and fees plus a stipend for the completion year.

In addition to  funding from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences , graduate students are encouraged to apply for outside fellowships and grants. Please visit the  website of the GSAS Fellowships Office  for more information.  

Admissions FAQs: International J.D. Applicants

If you are an international applicant looking for information related to visas, immigration etc., it is recommended that you review the information provided by Harvard’s  International Office .

Undocumented applicants and those with DACA status are encouraged to review the information and resources listed on the  Undocumented at Harvard site.

The Harvard Law School Program

The world’s premier center for legal education and research, Harvard Law School provides unparalleled opportunities to study law and related disciplines in an energetic and creative learning environment. A Harvard Law education prepares students for success in various careers, including law practice, public service, business, and academia. Through its faculty, students, and alumni, Harvard Law School is able to contribute solutions to the world’s most complex legal and social challenges.

Our students come from all over the United States and more than 80 countries around the world. Most are pursuing a J.D. (Juris Doctor) degree, while many others are earning an  LL.M (Master of Laws)  or the  S.J.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science) . Outside the classroom, there is a rich variety of student practice organizations, professional interest groups, social groups, and student journals, which allow students to pursue many interests.

Harvard is home to the world’s largest academic  law library . Its collections, numbering nearly two million volumes including international volumes in the Lewis International Law Center, support the teaching and research activities of the School and serve as a resource for legal scholars throughout the world. Harvard Law School’s outstanding faculty  and extraordinarily gifted students and alumni, its size and prodigious resources, and its location at the heart of Harvard University all contribute to its leadership role in American and international legal education.

Harvard Law School is one of the 12 degree-granting schools which form Harvard University.

The  LL.M (Master of Laws)  and the  S.J.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science)  degrees are intended for students who have previously earned an  initial law degree . Most of the students enrolled in these programs come to HLS from other nations. The one-year LL.M program provides students who already have excellent legal training and experience—many have served as practicing lawyers, judges, diplomats, community leaders—with broad latitude to design a course of study that will give them an expanded understanding of law and legal theory. The S.J.D. is a still more advanced degree, intended for students who wish to pursue a career in legal education. Graduates of the S.J.D. program are teaching in the world’s finest law schools and producing scholarship at the highest levels. For more information on these programs, visit the  graduate program website .

Please note, students who have already earned an LL.M are eligible to apply to Harvard Law School for a J.D. degree. However, HLS does not offer advanced standing or transfer credits from the LL.M program towards the J.D.

Earning an LL.M degree does not qualify international lawyers to sit for the bar exam of every US state or Canadian province. It is important to note that the American Bar Association (ABA) does not accredit degrees of any kind other than the JD. It is incumbent on the individual to contact the state board of bar examiners in the state to which they aspire practicing as a lawyer to determine the requirements for taking the bar exam. Contact information for all the state board of bar examiners is available at  Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar  and in the  Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements .

The J.D. (Juris Doctor) degree is a three-year post-graduate program that first gives students the intellectual foundations for legal study, and then gives them the opportunity to focus their studies on areas of particular interest. The program culminates with a third-year paper that requires students to engage in a rigorous exploration of some aspect of the law or legal system.

In the United States, law is a postgraduate course, so eligibility requires a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) by August of the year of intended enrollment at HLS. The J.D. degree at HLS requires three years of full-time study, and new students begin their studies at the beginning of September each year. Please note, HLS does not offer a J.D. degree through part-time, distance, online, or summer programs.

The J.D. degree is a program in US law, enabling a graduate to become a practicing lawyer in the US, though HLS does offer an extensive curriculum in international law. To practice in the United States, one must first pass the bar exam for a particular state (more details below). Many students do this the summer after they graduate, taking the exam around the end of July.

Please visit the American Bar Association website for more information.

There are many possible and distinct answers to this question. They all stem from the fact that the Harvard Law J.D. degree program is one of the most internationally renowned and respected courses in the world. In addition, the HLS curriculum has generous offerings in international and comparative law. Students interested in comparative and international law may want to explore the  International Legal Studies  resources for information about course work on campus, as well as work and research abroad.

Outside of the United States, many global law firms practice US law and thus require lawyers who have been trained with a J.D. degree. Also, HLS strongly promotes public service as an integral aspect of lawyers’ training, requiring the completion of at least 50 hours of pro bono work before graduation. Harvard Law School students gain practical experience while serving the public through an extensive  clinical program , term-time externships, and several student-practice organizations.  Summer Public Interest Funding (SPIF)  is guaranteed for all students who work in public service during either or both summers between matriculation and graduation.  Additionally, there are many opportunities for graduates entering public service, with the support of the  Low Income Protection Plan , that are international in nature (e.g. the UN, developmental banks) and encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds with a J.D.

A number of Harvard law graduates pursue careers in business and industry, and the J.D. degree is highly respected in those fields as well.

Application Requirements and Standardized Tests

Three types of students may consider applying to the HLS J.D. Program: (1) regular J.D. applicants, (2) Junior Deferral Program applicants (JDP), and (3) transfer applicants.

• Regular J.D. applicants are eligible to apply if they will have a bachelor’s degree by August of the year they intend to enroll at HLS. The J.D. degree requires three years of full-time study beginning in the fall semester of each year exclusively. Please note, HLS does not offer a J.D. degree through part-time, distance, online, or summer programs. For more detailed information on our application requirements, please review our  Application Components .
• The Junior Deferral Program (JDP) allows candidates to apply to HLS as a college junior (or the international equivalent) and, if admitted, commit to defer their enrollment for at least two years after completing your undergraduate degree. More details on the JDP program are found in  here .
• Transfer applicants must have completed and may not exceed one year of full-time study in a J.D. program (or one third of the total credits required in a part-time program) at a United States law school that is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). Students may apply for transfer to begin the second year of J.D. studies in the fall semester only. For more information, please visit the  Transfer Applicant FAQs.

Our admissions decisions are based on the Admission Committee’s experienced judgment applied to individual cases, and many factors are considered.  The chances of admission for international and internationally educated prospective students are equivalent to those for domestically educated students.   Please see our  class profile  for current information on the number of non-U.S. citizens in the 1L class.

Each year we receive many applications from international students. The Admissions Committee is experienced in international admissions and has specific knowledge regarding foreign universities. Rest assured that your transcripts will be viewed within the context of your specific university and your country’s grading scheme as a whole.

J.D. Applicants:  When you submit your application, LSAC sends a full translation and summary of your transcript in addition to the original copy. LSAC provides HLS an evaluation of the transcript and translates the GPA you received to its US equivalent. This is not done on a 4.0 scale but rather on the basis of US letter grades. This provides us with a comparative scale when reviewing your GPA and course history.

Junior Deferral Program (JDP) Applicants:  Please adhere to the specific instructions found on the JDP application. If your transcript is not in English, you will need to provide an official translation.

The J.D. program at Harvard Law School does not require the TOEFL, IELTS, or any other test of English proficiency.

Our requirements state that your undergraduate degree should be equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree to be eligible to apply.

J.D. Applicants : The duration of program is not an issue so long as you have met the complete degree requirements as determined by the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). To read more about the LSAC CAS, please visit the following  link .

Junior Deferral Program (JDP) Applicants : Please verify your degree is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree.

Financial Questions

All students who demonstrate financial need according to a combination of federal and institutional guidelines receive adequate financial assistance to complete their course of study.  International and U.S. citizens alike qualify for the full range of need-based grants. Harvard Law School treats international applicants exactly the same as US applicants for the purposes of financial aid. Any loans which the US government would give to a US applicant, Harvard will match through its own loan program.  Harvard does not offer merit-based scholarships. All financial aid is based on financial need.

For more information about financial aid, visit the HLS  Student Financial Services  Office web site.

The  Low Income Protection Plan (LIPP)  is one of the most generous loan forgiveness programs in the nation. This program helps relieve the burden of repayment of educational loans for J.D. graduates in qualifying jobs. Qualifying jobs include all full-time jobs in non-profits, government, or academia, and law-related jobs in the private sector. As with need-based aid, international students and US students are treated exactly the same for the purposes of determining LIPP eligibility.

Please visit the  Student Financial Services  website or email  [email protected] .

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Studying PhD in the USA 2023 - 2024: Your Complete Guide

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Thinking about PhD? Think America!

PhD in the USA comes not only with a substantial recognition of your expertise but also impacts your overall growth in person. Learning shoulder to shoulder with the best minds that walked on this planet is a privilege. Starting from engineering, computer science, applied sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medicine to management, you may earn your PhD in the USA in the program of your choice. There are many fully funded PhD programs in America for international students in 2023 that you may opt for, too. Overwhelmed? Don’t worry; reading this blog is the first step which may guide you to your dreams of studying PhD programs in the U.S.A. Let’s keep scrolling!

Why Study PhD in the USA?

The top reasons to study in the USA include unparalleled academic excellence, American prestige , choices of flexible college programs alongside the best Universities like Stanford and Harvard and a diverse range of courses offered for PhD in the USA.

1. Course Length of PhD in the USA

Students prefer to earn their degree in the USA for the flexibility of the PhD programs in the USA for international students in 2023. The duration of your PhD in the country may vary from program to program. The maximum no. of years a part-time doctoral student spends is ten years. In other cases, full-time enrollment in PhD programs in the United States of America demands a minimum of 4 years. There are many online PhD programs in the country you may go for. Adding more to the best things about studying in the USA, you will also have the option of one-year PhD programs in the USA.

2. Top-Notch Universities

If the USA were to be a person, it would have definitely boasted about being the top destination country with its cities encompassing every aspect of a student’s dream. The hunt for knowledge seems never ending in the top institutes for PhD in the USA. The USA is home to distinguished universities like Harvard and Stanford. Studying Doctor of Philosophy in the USA means you will never have to look back. 

And, just in case you are very prepared and have the merits for pursuing a PhD in the U.S.A. for international students, the chances are high that you might get an acceptance letter from the oldest universities in the world. The fully funded PhD programs in the U.S.A. for international students 2023 add to the glee of every applicant. Most public and private universities conduct intakes year-long. Also, the intakes for 2023-2024 in the USA are ongoing. You may go ahead and plan accordingly and not miss the opportunity of studying at world-class universities and the best faculty. 

3. Diversity in the College Campuses 

The USA is the pioneer in neo-cultural globalisation or, let us rather say, the initiator of cultural diversity. The USA is home to approximately 9,50,000 international students, making up 5.5% of the international diaspora in the US. The whooping number of students choosing the USA as their destination for higher studies is a testimony to the diversity of the beautiful campuses host. 

4. Availability of Scholarships for PhD in the USA

The education system of the USA is very well devised to serve the needs of every student enrolling for PhD degree in the USA. There are many scholarships available for PhD students in the American universities. The scholarships allow you to pursue a fully funded PhD in the USA for international students 2023. There are entities such as the Government of the USA, universities and various private organisations that extend scholarships to students with merits and credible need of funds to pursue their PhD programs in the USA. We will be discussing it further in some moments. 

5. Availability of Jobs after PhD in the USA

American universities typically have vibrant campus communities with a wide range of extracurricular activities, clubs and organisations. As a student, you will have the opportunity to engage in various social, cultural and recreational activities alongside your academic studies.

Best Universities for PhD Programs in the USA

1. harvard university.

Tuition Fees: $78,000 ‍Acceptance rate: 4% QS Ranking: 4th

US Ranking: 2nd

Top Courses: Arts & Humanities, Business & Management, Engineering & Technology, Life Sciences & Medicine, Social Sciences & Management

Intake Seasons: Fall/Spring

Famous Alumni: Bill Gates

Harvard University stands as one of the best universities in the USA and the entire world. The university enrols close to 22,947 students annually, making it one of the toughest universities to get into as well. The university hosts a range of PhD programs in the U.S.A. for international students 2023, including chemical biology, engineering, immunology and neuroscience, among other top PhD programs in the U.S.A. The campus is also home to the largest library system in the world. 

2. Stanford University

Average Fees: $80,000 ‍Acceptance rate: 16% QS Ranking: 5th

US Ranking: 3rd

Eligibility: GPA: 4, SAT: 1465, ACT: 31.5, IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 90, GMAT: 690, GRE: 162

Intake Seasons: Fall

Famous Alumni: Elon Musk

Located in the silicon valley, the university is a pioneering institution brimming with knowledge. As a campus that is spread across more than 8,000 acres and home to 16,000+ students flocking in from various parts of the world each year, it is one of the best choices for PhD programs in the U.S.A. for international students 2023.

3. University of Chicago

Average Fees: $78,000 ‍Acceptance rate: 6.5% QS Ranking: 11th

US Ranking: 12th

Intake Seasons: All Seasons

Famous Alumni: Susan Sontag

The University of Chicago introduces you to a world that's transformational, effective and always on the go. The campus is home to more than 17,000 students and boasts of one-of-its-kind diversity. A wide number of PhD programs in the U.S.A. for international students 2023 makes it one of the top choices for students in the world. 

Top 3 PhD Scholarships in the USA

There may be situations where you wish to pursue PhD in the USA but are unable to take your leap of faith due to financial constraints. You may enroll in fully funded PhD programs in the U.S.A for international students 2023 with the help of the scholarships provided for PhD in the U.S.A. We have listed below the best scholarships for PhD in the United States of America. 

1. Fulbright Foreign Student Program

Amount: $35,000

Provider: Binational Fullbright Commission/US Embassies

Deadline: 17th May, 2023

Expenses Covered: Tuition and fees, Round-trip travel, Living expenses and others

The scholarship offered by the organisation for PhD in the U.S.A. comes by as a ray of hope in your tough times. The scholarships help you move further towards a bright future backed by the PhD programs in the U.S.A. from top educational institutions. 

2. AAUW International Fellowships

Amount: $20,000

Provider: American Association of University Women 

Expenses Covered: Full tuition and Fees

Deadline: 1st December, 2023

The scholarship is one of the oldest, largest and most competitive scholarships for PhD in the U.S.A. The scholarship or fellowship is offered to women from across the world. The scholarship aims at boosting the contribution of women in the field of research and development. And transforming the world. 

3. Campbell Fellowships for Transformative Research

Amount: $54,000

Provider: School of Advanced Research

Expenses Covered: Stipend, Tuition fees waiver, Registration costs

Deadline: November, 2023

The scholarship is among the best short-term scholarships for PhD in the USA for women scholars. The duration of the Campbell fellowship lies between 6 months to 9 months. The scholarship is awarded to female scholars who are working in global research for women in developing nations. 

Application Requirements for PhD in the USA

Pursuing a PhD on American soil sounds like a dream come true. However, the process of application is extensive and requires due diligence and the best research before the selection of the scholarships and the colleges or the courses. We have tried to help you out below with some of the many requirements for applying for scholarships for PhD programs in the U.S.A. for international students 2023. Scroll for the list below:

1. Applying 

The first step is completing the application form before the deadline. You may check out the websites of the scholarships and universities and keep track of deadlines.

There are two types of scholarships. One is an easy scholarship which might not require an essay, and there are scholarships for PhD in the U.S.A. demanding essays. Thus, depending on the requirement, prepare an essay describing the needs of the scholarship for you.

3. Credible References

You must collect credible sources of references while applying for the scholarships. The reference must align with the PhD programs in the USA for international students 2023 you are applying for.

4. Competitive Exam Scores

Receiving a scholarship for PhD in the United States of America comes with criteria of scores in competitive exams like IELTS, TOEFL, GRE, GMAT, SAT, and ACT, among many others. Take your tests well to qualify for the applications of scholarships to transform your PhD into fully funded PhD programs in the U.S.A. for international students 2023.  

Top 3 Jobs Options After PhD in the USA

1. professor/ lecturer.

After completing your PhD in the U.S.A., you become eligible for the position of lecturer or professor in the top universities in the world. 

2. Scientific Assessor

The job of a scientific assessor is also available post you earn your degree in any of the PhD programs in the U.S.A. for international students 2023.

3. Research & development

A PhD in the U.S.A. makes you eligible to apply for jobs in the research and development field. If your field of study is research-oriented, you may have job opportunities in some of the best research institutes in the world nestled in the USA. 

Hope you are ready to resume or take forward the academic journey you have been aiming for. The blog was just an initiative for you to understand the overall landscape of PhD in the U.S.A. You may get in touch with us via the comment section below or DM us on our Instagram channel for additional info you might need. 

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Degree Calendar

Policies detail the regulations, rules, and procedures that apply to students, including departmental-specific requirements. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the policies and following the procedures outlined. Student group leaders are also expected to read and follow the policies and procedures outlined in the Student Groups at Harvard Griffin GSAS Handbook. Harvard Griffin GSAS reserves the right to make changes to the Policies at any time without advance notice. These changes may affect such matters as tuition and other fees, degrees, and programs offered (including the modification or possible elimination of degrees and programs), degree and other academic requirements, academic policies, rules pertaining to student conduct and discipline, fields or areas of concentration, and other rules and regulations applicable to students.

• Academic Calendar 2023–2024
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Degree Calendar dates can also be viewed on the Harvard Griffin GSAS calendar .  

Academic Year 2023-2024

*Students who wish to retain health coverage for the fall 2023 term (through January 31, 2024) and who would like to be charged accordingly should submit their dissertation ON September 7, 2023.

Academic Year 2024-2025

*Students who wish to retain health coverage for the fall 2024 term (through January 31, 2025) and who would like to be charged accordingly should submit their dissertation ON [Date coming soon]

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Business Communications Graduate Certificate

Learn to deliver clear, concise, and convincing messaging to advance ideas, build consensus, and resolve conflict.

Get Started

No Application Required

Online and On Campus Options

Number of Required Courses

What You'll Learn

• Compose effective business communications, including proposals, presentations, and reports.
• Apply key communication methods—such as informational briefing, persuasive messaging, or conflict management—to meet specific objectives.
• Master the techniques of public speaking, including message development, content, projection, inflection, and delivery.

Our Community at a Glance

It may seem daunting to tackle schoolwork while maintaining a job, but you won’t be alone. You’ll bring challenges you face at work or in your community into the classroom to consult with faculty and peers on new, innovative solutions. Test a fresh concept or framework in the workplace and see immediate results.

Average Age

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Certificate Courses

The professional graduate certificate in Business Communications requires three courses.

You may choose any three courses from the Business Communications certificate course group, using the certificate course search.

Search for Courses

You can find certificate courses in the DCE Course Search and Registration platform.

Upcoming Term: Summer 2024

Summer course registration is open through June 20. Learn more about how to register →

Fall 2024 courses and registration details will be live in June.

Earning Your Certificate

To meet the requirements for the certificate, you must:

• Complete three courses for graduate credit .
• Earn at least a  B grade  in each course.
• Complete the courses within three years .

Learn more about  pursuing a certificate  and the process of  requesting your certificate .

Anyone with the drive and right support network can write the next chapter of their story here at Harvard Extension.

Affordability is core to our mission. When compared to our continuing education peers, it’s a fraction of the cost.

This graduate certificate stacks to the following degrees:

• Journalism Master’s Degree Program
• Management Master’s Degree Program

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

Master in Public Administration

Prepare for greater responsibility across sectors with this flexible two-year program

Key Program Information

Program Length: Two years (varies for students pursuing concurrent degrees)

Degree Awarded: Master in Public Administration

Admission Application Deadline: December 2024

Financial Aid Application Deadline: January 2025

Contact the MPA Program

79 John F. Kennedy Street Littauer Building, Room 126 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

Elevate your impact as a public leader

The Master in Public Administration Program is for aspiring leaders with real-world experience and graduate-level coursework in economics, public policy, or management.

The Master in Public Administration (MPA) curriculum is flexible. You create a study plan that reflects your academic interests, focuses on your personal and professional aspirations, and integrates across disciplines.

You may also decide to pursue a concurrent degree in business, law, medicine, or other professional fields. You’ll earn two degrees in less time and acquire even more skills you can use to make a difference in the world.

“HKS provided opportunities for me to expand the narrative of what diversity looks like in foreign policy and foreign service.” —Korde Innis MPA 2023

About the MPA Program

The MPA curriculum is flexible. You’ll create your own 64-credit study plan that reflects your academic interests and professional aspirations.

As an MPA student, you’ll take eight credits in a Policy Area of Concentration as well as four credits in each of these key areas:

• Economics and Quantitative Analysis
• Management, Leadership, and Decision Sciences
• Public Ethics and Political Institutions

You’ll select your remaining credits to support your unique intellectual and professional objectives. You can take classes across academic disciplines at HKS and cross-register into courses at other Harvard graduate schools as well as at MIT Sloan School of Management and The Fletcher School at Tufts University. 

Sample Courses

• MLD-223: Negotiating Across Differences
• API-135: Economics of Climate Change and Environmental Policy
• DPI-640: Technology and the Public Interest: From Democracy to Technocracy and Back

Concurrent Degrees

You might consider  pursuing a second degree concurrently  if you’re interested in how the world’s public challenges can be addressed at the intersection of business, law, medicine, design, or other fields.

Pursuing a concurrent degree reduces coursework and residency requirements and makes it possible to earn two degrees in a shorter amount of time.

Concurrent degree students complete 48 credits at HKS, including four credits in each of the key areas:

Concurrent degree students are not required to fulfill the Policy Area of Concentration requirement.

Degree Requirements

The MPA Program consists of four semesters of full-time coursework in residence at HKS.

To graduate, you must:

• Earn at least 64 credits
• Finish with a GPA of B or better
• Earn a B- or higher in all courses counting towards the distribution requirements
• Matriculate as a full-time, in-residence student and take between 12-20 credits per semester
• Fulfill a Policy Area of Concentration requirement by taking eight credits in one of the policy areas at HKS
• Economics and Quantitative Analysis

HKS  faculty members  are among the most influential leaders and thinkers in their fields. They have contributed vital research and scholarship to their fields. Served in U.S. administrations. Founded learning labs to assist local communities. Led negotiations to reduce nuclear stockpiles. Reported on human rights abuses. Led efforts to address climate change. Advised governments and companies on gender equality.

They are doers as well as thinkers, shaping public policy and devising entrepreneurial approaches to public problems at the local, national, and international levels.  

MPA Faculty Chair

Kessely Hong

Mpa at a glance.

*Statistics are based on a five-year average.

Employment Snapshot:  MPA Class of 2023 Employment Sectors

* The number of private sector jobs secured by MPA graduates is, in large part, a reflection of the program’s many concurrent degree graduates.

Featured MPA stories

Elevating the stories of diverse, unsung women.

Jamie Mittleman MPA 2022 launched her COVID-adapted dream job: a platform for women Olympians and Paralympians.

A long military heritage shapes a desire for peace

Clark Yuan MPA 2022 wants unique perspectives to have a seat at the table when critical decisions are being made.

From Santiago to Cambridge to Paris

For Ingrid Olea MPA 2020, a journey that started with a career change has led to remarkable achievements in education policymaking.

Applying to the MPA Program

Prerequisites.

There are specific academic and professional prerequisites required to apply to the MPA Program. You must have:

• A bachelor’s degree with a strong academic record 
• Three years of professional work experience by September 1 of the year you would enroll in the program
• Master of Business Administration
• Master of International Business
• Master of International Development
• Master of International Economics
• Master of Science in Engineering

How to Apply

A complete application to the MPA Program includes the following: 

• Online application
• Three letters of recommendation
• GRE or GMAT required
• Non-native English speakers who did not earn an undergraduate degree conducted in English must submit results of the TOEFL, IELTS, or Cambridge English exam
• Academic transcripts
• $100 application fee or waiver

Read more about how to apply . 

The application for the 2025-2026 academic year will be available in September 2024. There is one admission application deadline and one start date for each degree program per year. You may apply to only one master's degree program per admissions cycle. 

Tuition & Fees

The cost of attendance for the 2024-2025 academic year is outlined in  Funding Your Master ’ s Education  to help you plan financially for our master’s degree programs. Living expense costs are based on residence in Cambridge. The 2025-2026 academic year rates will be published in March 2025. HKS tuition and fees are subject to change without notice. 

At HKS, we consider financing your education to be a partnership and are here to help guide you. We encourage you to explore all opportunities for funding .

Learn more about the HKS community

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PhD Admissions

The doctoral program provides advanced study and training to prepare students to be research scholars with expertise in operations research, human factors/ergonomics or production systems & manufacturing. 

On this page:

Fall Admission

• February 15: Full consideration
• We accept applications on a rolling basis throughout the year.

Spring Admission

• October 1:  Full consideration

Admissions Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree in engineering or a related technical field, such as math, physics, behavioral sciences or health sciences. Appropriate academic background varies by graduate specialization.
• A minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0) for all undergraduate work undertaken during the last two years of the applicant's studies. 
• GRE scores are optional for PhD program admissions.
• We will also consider demonstrated practical engineering experience and demonstrated leadership skills
• Earned MS degree or demonstrated research experience is preferred for admission to the PhD Program

In addition to the above requirements, proficiency is required in mathematics through the level of multivariate calculus, probability and statistics considered from a calculus point of view, and computer programming. Students whose backgrounds have not adequately prepared them to enter the graduate curriculum directly may be asked to take appropriate undergraduate courses. Credit for these courses will not be applied toward the minimum number of hours required for the MS/ME degrees. In exceptional cases, the department may admit an applicant who does not meet all these requirements; in such cases, the department will set special performance criteria for continuing in the program.  

Application Materials

Application form.

All domestic and international students must apply online for the PhD program.

Application Fee

A non-refundable application fee of $85 must be submitted for each graduate application before it will be reviewed. You can pay the application fee in your Application Status Portal via credit card. The link to pay your application fee will appear shortly after you submit your application. If you have an issue with your application fee, please contact [email protected] .

We do not offer application fee waivers for our programs. Only US Military/Veterans and their spouses and participants in special programs such as Americorps, McNair Scholars, EOP, HEOP, SEEK, or Project 1000 are eligible for an application fee waiver. Program participants must also be a US citizen or permanent resident. There are no exceptions. If you are eligible and requesting a waiver, please contact [email protected] with documentation of your military service or program participation.

Materials Checklist

Personal statement.

Your application package must include a brief statement of purpose describing your background and your academic and career goals. The Personal Statement can be typed into the space provided on the application or uploaded electronically to the application.

Transcripts

Unofficial copies of transcripts are to be uploaded to your online application. Official transcripts are not required at the time the application is submitted. If an applicant is accepted and decides to attend our program, official transcripts will be requested at that time.

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation are required for PhD program applicants. While we will accept letters from professional sources, we strongly prefer letters from professors who are acquainted with your academic interests, achievements and abilities.

Requests for letters of recommendation will be emailed to your recommenders upon submitting your application form. Recommenders can submit their recommendations online. Once submitted, they are automatically uploaded to your online application.

Did you know? UB's graduate application process is paperless and saves more than 200,000 pages of paper each year!

Please DO NOT send hard copies of materials unless specifically asked.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

GRE scores are optional for the PhD program admissions. Please note: the GRE may be required for some scholarship/fellowships.

English Language Proficiency

International applicants are required to provide proof of English proficiency. The exam results must be dated within two years from your proposed date of admission and remain valid upon entering the term for which you applied. The University at Buffalo has a minimum TOEFL score requirement of 550 (paper-based) or 79 (internet-based). On IELTS, UB requires an overall score of 6.5.

Information and arrangements to take the GRE and TOEFL exams can be made by contacting the Educational Testing Service (ETS) . It is strongly recommended to make test arrangements early in the year so sufficient time can be allowed for the results to be reported before our application deadline.

Sending ETS Scores Please send your GRE or TOEFL results to the University at Buffalo electronically from ETS by using institution code 2925 (no department codes necessary)

International Student Financial Form

All international applicants must submit a completed financial form. Answer all questions thoroughly. An I-20 cannot be issued without this form and supporting documentation showing necessary funds for each year of intended study (two years for a master's program; five years for a PhD program). This information can be uploaded to your online application. If you have any questions, please email us at  [email protected] . We will be glad to assist you in any way possible. 

Financial Aid

If you are interested in financial aid in the form of a teaching assistantship or research assistantship, please check the appropriate box on your application form. No applicant will be considered for financial aid until the application is complete and the applicant has been admitted. For more information, visit or contact the Office of Financial Aid .

Application Deadlines

The Graduate Admissions Committee will consider applicants whose application packages are complete by the following deadlines:

For Fall Admission:

• February 15 - Full consideration

For Spring Admission:

• October 1 - Full consideration