Offices & Services / Office of Academic Programs / Graduate Policies, Procedures and Forms / SM and ME Degrees

SM degree en route to the PhD

Ph.D. Candidates earning the S.M. degree in passing

A Ph.D. student in SEAS or in another GSAS program may earn the S.M. degree in passing (also called en route) to the Ph.D. in one of:

provided that their S.M. program plan satisfies the SEAS-wide and (if the S.M. is in a different subject than the Ph.D.) the area-specific requirements in that subject area.  Harvard Ph.D. students in non-SEAS programs must consult with the Office of Academic Programs in order to pursue the S.M. en route in Applied Math, Applied Physics, Computer Science or Engineering Sciences.  All Ph.D. students must consult with Daniel Weinstock, Director for Master's Education, in order to pursue the S.M. in Computational Science and Engineering.

Considerations for SEAS PhD students

  • A SEAS Ph.D. student with a CHD-approved Ph.D. Program Plan can receive an S.M. in that same area with no further approval required, provided that the courses put towards the S.M. satisfy the SEAS-wide S.M. course requirements.  Meeting the area-specific S.M. requirements is not necessary if the S.M. is in the same subject area as the student's Ph.D. program.
  • If the CHD has approved an exception to the Ph.D. course requirements for the student, the exception also applies to the student's S.M. course requirements in the same subject area if there is a parallel S.M. course requirement
  • SEAS Ph.D. students may use one course's worth of credit for graduate-level coursework taken while enrolled in a prior graduate program towards the S.M. in passing.  Please see the Ph.D. course requirements for specifics on how to include such a prior course on the S.M. course plan.

In all other cases (e.g., the student wishes to receive the S.M. in a different subject from their PhD program) an S.M. Program Plan must be submitted together with the required supplementary statement through the Office of Academic Programs for approval by the CHD.  

Conferral of the S.M. is not automatic; students must also apply to receive the degree in my.harvard by following the FAS Registrar's Office's instructions for a given cycle (for November, February, or May degree conferral). GSAS, the FAS Registrar’s Office and my.harvard refer to the S.M. en route (along with a similar A.M. degree in other programs) as the “masters in passing”.