Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Graduate Programs

We offer admission into the Ph.D. in the following four areas: Applied Mathematics, Applied Physics, Computer Science, and Engineering Sciences. Engineering Sciences includes Bioengineering, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Science and Engineering, and Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering.

Note: we do not offer admission into terminal masters degrees in any of these areas.

We offer admission into the Master of Science (S.M.) in the following two areas: Computational Science and Engineering and Data Science. This is a terminal degree.

We offer admission into the Master of Engineering (M.E.) only in Computational Science and Engineering. This is a terminal degree.

SEAS offers the the following joint programs with other partner schools at Harvard:

• Master in Design Engineering (MDE) with the Harvard Graduate School of Design; information about applying to that program is here.
• MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences program offered jointly with Harvard Business School; information about applying to that program is here. 

• Additionally, the Health Sciences and Technology (HST) graduate program in Medical Engineering/Medical Physics (MEMP), with Harvard Medical School and MIT is available.  Interested candidates can apply to participate in the MEMP curriculum in conjunction with their PhD at Harvard. This path is appropriate if you’re interested in joining the lab of a Harvard SEAS faculty member to work on a SEAS-based project. Please consult HST directly about the application process.

While there is no perfect set of criteria for admission, we especially look for candidates who:

• Have a strong interest in and great potential for undertaking research
• Have excellent grades, e.g., in the range of A to A- in their undergraduate, and if applicable, graduate programs
• Have solid preparation in coursework (e.g., a strong plan of study)
• Research experience a plus 
• Obtain recommendation letters from distinguished people who (a) know your work and (b) know what is expected at a major research university. The strongest letters speak in specific terms about your preparation and aptitude to conduct research at a major university

Applicants to SEAS are responsible for fulfilling the requirements listed here and also on the GSAS website.

The graduate application for Fall 2026 will be available from GSAS in Fall 2025. Students with bachelor’s degrees in the natural sciences, mathematics, computer science, or engineering are invited to apply for admission. We offer admissions for the Fall Term only. Please read the GSAS Application Instruction and Information webpage for important details pertaining to your graduate application.

We have two application deadlines; one for students applying to our PhD program and one for students applying to any of our terminal masters programs.  We cannot accept late applications, so be sure you apply on time!

December 1, 2025 is the application deadline for students submitting an application to one of our S.M., M.E., or AB-SM programs.    

December 15, 2025 is the application deadline for students submitting an application to one of our PhD programs.   

Note these deadlines do not apply to our MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences nor Master in Design Engineering programs.

Out of fairness to all applicants, we do not accept late applications for any of our programs.

GSAS 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). More information is here.

Applicants are required to upload copies of all transcripts into the online application system; these are usually in PDF format. Official transcripts are not required at the time of application; applicants may upload unofficial transcripts for the purposes of the application. More information is here.

Transcripts from international institutions must be in English or be accompanied by a certified English translation. All translations must be literal and complete versions of the original records. International transcripts should include: 

• courses, seminars, and examinations taken
• grades, scores, and grading scales
• confirmation of degree conferral and date.

The application fee is required to process the application. If you would like to request a fee waiver, you may do so in the Application Fee section of the application. More about the fee waiver process is here.

We do not offer rolling admissions. New students are admitted once a year, to begin studying in the fall.

Applicants may submit two applications to SEAS only if one is for a PhD degree and one is for a terminal master’s (SM or ME) degree. Students cannot apply to multiple 

SEAS PhD programs or multiple SEAS masters programs simultaneously. Each application must be unique, containing wholly separate application materials, including the statement of purpose, application fee, transcripts, letters of recommendations, and TOEFL or IELTS test scores. Multiple applications to the same degree program in SEAS will result in the additional applications being withdrawn. 

Students may apply to a SEAS program and a non-SEAS program in GSAS in the same admissions season. It is GSAS policy that an individual may submit no more than three applications to GSAS during the course of his or her academic career.

A master’s degree is not required for application to the SEAS PhD program.

Applicants are expected to have/typically have an undergraduate degree in a technical and/or quantitative field. Examples are the natural or physical sciences, an engineering discipline, mathematics, or computer science. 

While completion of an undergraduate program is not a requirement for application, an undergraduate degree program must be completed prior to matriculation.

When requesting official score reports from ETS for the TOEFL, indicate the receiving institution as Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Code 3451. There is no department code; you may leave it blank.

SEAS does not accept the General GRE scores nor Subject Test GRE scores for applicants to our Ph.D. programs or 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.

To check the status of your application, you may log on to your online application account and see what materials have been received and what materials are still missing. SEAS cannot provide information regarding the status of your application or supporting materials, as all materials are submitted to the Harvard Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).  The contact information for GSAS is:

• PHONE: Please call GSAS by phone between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time (EST), Monday through Friday, at 617.496.6100.
• EMAIL: Please email GSAS at admiss@fas.harvard.edu with the SUBJECT LINE and information for the message as noted below. Please allow 24 to 48 hours for a response.
• SUBJECT LINE: Enter “ADMISSIONS QUESTION: CHECKING APPLICATION STATUS” in the subject line exactly as is and in all caps.
• MESSAGE (BODY OF EMAIL): Include your Name, Date of Birth, Program of Interest, and a note that you are checking the status of your application

Decisions on deferral requests to our PhD programs are made on a case-by-case basis and only after an admitted student has accepted our offer of admission.    We do not grant deferrals for our terminal masters programs except in cases with extenuating circumstances. We do not grant deferrals for our masters programs for reasons related to employment or financing the cost of the program.

SEAS does not have a formal transfer application process and we do not admit "transfer students."   All admitted students begin our program as first year graduate students.  All students complete the standard GSAS graduate application. After entering the program, Ph.D. students may submit a petition to transfer in coursework.

You may apply to a SEAS master’s program if you already have a master’s degree from another institution in a different subject area.

We cannot provide advice or guidance beyond what is included in our admissions materials.

We do not require an interview as part of the application process and we cannot offer applicants the opportunity for an interview with the admissions staff.

We encourage serious-minded candidates (i.e. those who have a clear sense of what they would like to do and with whom they would like to work) to get in touch with relevant faculty to discuss their research plans, but it is not a required part of the application. Generally speaking, email is the best way to reach out to faculty. Bear in mind that our faculty may not be able to personally respond to all inquiries they receive.

PhD students are admitted to work with a faculty member who has agreed to advise the student and support them financially through their PhD. Students can explore working with other lab groups and advisors during their first year of study, but only their admitting advisor has committed to advising and supporting them .

Is there an updated list of faculty who are actively recruiting PhD students?
We recommend checking individual faculty members’ research group websites; many of them post this information on their local pages. 

All SEAS students are required to have a member of the SEAS faculty as their primary research advisor.

While we don’t offer in person tours or individual information sessions, you can view our virtual information sessions and join office hours here: https://seas.harvard.edu/prospective-students/prospective-graduate-students/admissions-events

If you are interested in a self guided tour, more information can be found here: https://seas.harvard.edu/about-us/our-campus/tours

SEAS PhD Graduate Admissions

Visit here or email admissions@seas.harvard.edu. 

Masters in Computational Science and Engineering Program

Visit here or email mastersprograms@seas.harvard.edu

Masters in Data Science Program

Visit here or email mastersprograms@seas.harvard.edu

MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences Program (joint with Harvard Business School)

Visit here or email msmba@hbs.edu. 

Master in Design Engineering Program (with the Harvard Graduate School of Design)

Visit here or email designengineering@harvard.edu. 

PhD program in Quantum Science and Engineering

Visit here or email hqidirectors@harvard.edu. 

Undergraduate/Harvard College Admissions 

For undergraduate admissions and application information, please visit Harvard College. 

The degree requirements for the Ph.D., S.M., and M.E. are available here. The S.M. and M.E. in Computational Science and Engineering have additional requirements, which are available here. The additional requirements for the S.M. in Data Science are available here.

• The Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science (A.B./S.M.) is a joint degree program offered only to currently enrolled Harvard College students.
   
• The Master of Science (S.M.) degree is a coursework (non-research) based degree and no thesis, foreign language, or general examination is required. We offer admission into the terminal S.M. in two areas: Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) and Data Science. The S.M. in CSE is a one year (two terms) degree. The S.M. in Data Science is a one and a half year (three terms) degree
   
• The Master of Engineering (M.E.) degree program is a research based degree and no foreign language or general examination is required. Students are expected to successfully complete one year of course work and one year of research, including a final oral presentation and thesis, for a total of sixteen letter-graded courses/research courses. This is a two year degree. We offer the M.E. in Computational Science and Engineering only.

Graduate students are expected to be full time. Students may petition to change their status to part-time study only in cases with extenuating circumstances, such as health concerns or a serious family emergency.

Currently, all degree programs at SEAS require that coursework be completed in residence. 

For non-credit online SEAS courses, please visit Harvard’s initiative, edX at https://www.edx.org/, for information on free online courses offered by MIT and Harvard University.

The Harvard Extension School offers Master’s degree programs in various fields in science and technology areas, as well as professional certificate programs in Nanotechnology, Software Engineering and Web technologies. Some of these courses may be taken online. The Harvard Extension School and SEAS are wholly separate schools within Harvard University. Note that SEAS does not allow coursework taken at the Extension School to count toward our graduate degrees.

All SEAS Ph.D. students must take 10 courses toward the doctoral degree. Each area has "Area Course Requirements, Guidelines, and Model Programs", which provide a good idea of the kinds of courses taken by students in Applied Physics versus the kinds of courses taken by students in Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering (for example.) Visit each area's page to see information specific to their area requirements.

Students must decide, based on their own interests and future plans, which degree area in SEAS is the best fit for them. Note: admitted students can petition to change their degree program after they arrive, providing they have appropriate support from their faculty adviser, an approved program plan in the new area, and the approval of the Committee on Higher Degrees.

SEAS requires that SEAS PhD students have a primary research advisor who is a member of the School's ladder faculty (which includes professors, associate professors, assistant professors, or professors in residence). Exceptions to this policy are rare and must be approved in advance by the Director of Graduate Studies in the student’s area of study and the Academic Dean for Education.

Students already enrolled in a GSAS program are welcome to apply to another GSAS department should they decide it’s a better fit. Doing so requires submitting a complete application to that department during the admissions cycle. There is not a separate process for students who wish to “transfer” from one GSAS department to another. More information can be found here.

For Ph.D. students, transfers from one SEAS area to another SEAS area are handled internally. SEAS Ph.D. degrees areas include Applied Mathematics, Applied Physics, Computer Science, and Engineering Sciences, which encompasses Bioengineering, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Science & Engineering, and Materials Science & Mechanical Engineering.

Masters students cannot change degree areas within SEAS.

“Maybe” for Ph.D. students and “no” for masters students. Ph.D. students can petition for up to three classes taken elsewhere while enrolled in a graduate program to count toward the Ph.D. degree. All "transfer" courses must be approved by the student's faculty advisor and the Committee on Higher Degrees after the student begins graduate study.

Courses taken while in an undergraduate program, even if they are graduate level, cannot be used for this purpose. Any coursework you wish to petition to transfer must have been taken while enrolled in a graduate program.

Our master’s degree programs do not allow for any transfer courses.

The average time to the PhD degree across SEAS is 5.5 years.

Please visit GSAS Oral English Language Requirement for information about our proficiency requirements.

80 is the minimum score on the TOEFL's Internet-based Test (iBT). 

Applicants may opt to take the IELTS test instead of the TOEFL. A minimum score of 6.5 is required.

TOEFL/IELTS scores are valid for no longer than two years. If you are applying for admission for Fall 2026, you may submit scores from tests taken no earlier than January 5, 2024. Applicants must order scores and have them sent to GSAS before the scores expire.

GSAS welcomes applications for admission from individuals holding 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.

Students who are unsure of the US equivalency of their degree(s) should consult a reputable credential evaluation service.

Please contact GSAS if you have any additional questions.

Please visit GSAS Oral English Language Requirement for information about our proficiency requirements.

80 is the minimum score on the TOEFL's Internet-based Test (iBT). GSAS policy is that the TOEFL score must be valid at the time of entry into the program. TOEFL scores expire after two years.

Applicants may opt to take the IELTS test instead of the TOEFL. A minimum score of 6.5 is required. GSAS policy is that the IELTS score must be valid at the time of entry into the program. IELTS scores expire after two years. Results should be sent to Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences by the IELTS test center via IELTS E-Delivery service.

There are no waivers for the English Language Proficiency Requirement.