harvard phd computer science requirements

Computer Science

Undergraduate

The concentration in Computer Science is designed to teach students skills and ideas they will use immediately and in the future. Because information technology affects every aspect of society, graduates with computer science degrees have open to them an enormous variety of careers—engineering, teaching, medicine, law, basic science, entertainment, management, and countless others. Students are also eligible to apply for an A.B./S.M. degree program.

The Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree is designed for industry professionals with years of work experience who wish to complete their degrees part time, both on campus and online, without disruption to their employment. Our typical student is over 30, has previously completed one or two years of college, and works full time.

A graduate degree in computer science equips you to stay ahead of the curve and meet the computing challenges of today and tomorrow. In our rigorous master’s degree program, you’ll focus on advanced computer science theories and applications. Learning from expert faculty from Harvard and industry, you’ll acquire the skills to design, develop, and maintain complex computer and software systems.

Harvard School of Engineering offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degree in Computer Science, conferred through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. In addition to the Ph.D. in Computer Science, the Harvard School of Engineering also offers master’s degrees in Computational Science and Engineering as well as in Data Science. Computer scientists at Harvard pursue work in a wide range of areas including theoretical computer science, artificial intelligence, economics and computer science, privacy and security, data-management systems, intelligent interfaces, operating systems, computer graphics, computational linguistics, robotics, networks, architectures, program languages, machine learning, and visualization.

• Computational Science and Engineering
• Introduction

Harvard Griffin GSAS strives to provide students with timely, accurate, and clear information. If you need help understanding a specific policy, please contact the office that administers that policy.

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Graduate students across Harvard can complete a secondary field in computational science and engineering (CSE). This secondary field is available to any student enrolled in a PhD program in the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences upon approval of a plan of study by the CSE Program Committee and the director of graduate studies in the student’s home department.

Contacts for questions about the CSE secondary field:  All questions should be directed to Daniel Weinstock , Associate Director of Graduate Studies in Applied Computation.

CSE is an exciting and rapidly evolving field that exploits the power of computation as an approach to major challenges on the frontiers of natural and social science and all engineering fields. In keeping with Harvard’s emphasis on foundational knowledge, this program will focus on cross-cutting mathematical and computational principles important across disciplines.

Completion of the secondary field will equip students with rigorous computational methods for approaching scientific questions. These approaches include mathematical techniques for modeling and simulation of complex systems; parallel programming and collaborative software development; and methods for organizing, exploring, visualizing, processing and analyzing very large data sets.

Admission into the CSE secondary field is by application, which must be submitted to the CSE ADGS (Maxwell Dworkin G107). Students interested in the secondary field should consult with their departmental director of graduate studies (DGS) no later than the first semester of the third year of study. Applications may be submitted twice a year, in the spring semester (deadline: March 1) and fall semester (deadline: October 1) for the following academic term. The application, which will include a proposed Plan of Study, must also be approved by the home department DGS. The DGS in CSE will respond to all applications within one month.

Requirements

Each student’s plan of study for the secondary field will include:

• At least one applied mathematics core course and one computer science core course
• One or two electives in AM or CS (chosen from lists below)
• As a substitute for one elective, either a “domain elective”—an approved computation-intensive course within the PhD domain—or a semester-length independent research project
• As a final requirement, an oral examination by a faculty committee

Course requirements at a glance:

*must take at least one AM and one CS core course

1. Core: 2–4 courses

The goal of the core courses is to provide:

• The mathematical foundations for computational science
• Hands-on instruction in relevant ideas in computer science
• Experience implementing these principles in collaborative projects in a rigorous software engineering environment

2. Applied Math electives: 0-2 courses

3. computer science electives: 0-2 courses, 4. domain elective or 299r research course.

A domain elective is a computation-intensive course outside CS and AM. A student wishing to earn Secondary Field credit for a proposed domain elective or 299R course must propose these courses in the Plan of Study and receive approval of the CSE Program Committee.

Advising and Academic Monitoring

A faculty member on the CSE Program Committee will serve in the role of Director of Graduate Studies for the Secondary Field. Daniel Weinstock, the Associate Director of Graduate Studies (ADGS) who will be responsible for frontline advising of students, helping to create a meaningful program sensitive to the student’s needs. All students will participate in the activities of the IACS community, which will include technical and interdisciplinary colloquia and skill-building workshops.

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Computer Science Degree Requirements

This  Master of Liberal Arts, Computer Science  degree field is offered online with one 3-week course required on campus here at Harvard University.

The primarily asynchronous format offers the most flexibility for international students and those with variable work schedules.

Getting Started

Explore Degree Requirements

• Review the course curriculum .
• Learn about the on-campus experience .
• Determine your initial admissions eligibility .
• Learn about the 2 degree courses required for admission .

Upcoming Term: Summer 2024

Course registration is open March 4 – June 20. Learn how to register →

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

Required Courses

New this year with admission applications accepted starting march 15, 2024, 12 graduate courses (48 credits).

The degree is for individuals with a strong technical background who are proficient in programming languages such as Java, Python, and C++.

Core Requirements

• 1 programming language course
• 1 data structures course
• 1 discrete math course
• 1 algorithms course
• 2 theoretical computer science courses
• 1 data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning course
• 1 cloud computing course
• 2 software engineering courses
• First offering will be summer 2025
• First offering will be fall 2025

Capstone sequencing. You enroll in the precapstone and capstone courses in back-to-back semesters and in your final academic year. The capstone must be taken alone as your sole remaining degree requirement.

Precapstone: The Harvard 3-week On-Campus Experience View More

Nearly all courses can be taken online, but you are required to come to Cambridge for the precapstone course, where you and your team, along with an industry partner, create the research design/protocol for your final capstone project. It is offered:

• On campus during the 3-week summer session. The summer session offers our adult learners a traditional on-campus experience. Harvard Summer School offers housing, meal plans, and a prolonged on-campus experience here at Harvard University. Learn more about campus life at Harvard .

International students who need a student visa. To meet the on-campus requirement, you can easily request an I-20 for the F-1 student visa through Harvard Summer School. For more details, see International Student Study Options for important visa information .

In-Person Co-Curricular Events

Come to Cambridge for Convocation (fall) to celebrate your hard-earned admission, Harvard career fairs offered throughout the year, HES alumni networking events (here at Harvard and around the world), and, of course, Harvard University Commencement (May).

Computer Science Capstone View More

The Capstone Experience

The team-based capstone project experience is a unique and valuable aspect of the master’s degree curriculum.

Real-World Projects: The capstone project experience is designed to give you the opportunity to work on real-world team-based projects in collaboration with industry partners and fellow students. The goal is to apply the skills and knowledge you have gained throughout the program to solve a pressing industry need.

Interdisciplinary Approach: You work in a team on a capstone project that address complex problems from multiple perspectives.

Innovation: The team-based capstone project experience is designed to encourage innovation and creativity. You will be encouraged to think outside the box and develop novel solutions to complex problems, providing you with a valuable opportunity to showcase your skills and knowledge.

Professional Development: The team-based capstone project experience is also designed to provide you with valuable professional development opportunities. You learn how to work effectively in teams, communicate your ideas effectively, and develop valuable negotiation and project management skills in various professional settings.

Below are our initial eligibility requirements and an overview of our unique admissions process to help get you started. Be sure to visit Degree Program Admissions for full details.

Initial Eligibility

• Prior to enrolling in any degree-applicable courses, you must possess a 4-year  regionally accredited  US bachelor’s degree or its foreign equivalent. Foreign bachelor’s degrees must be evaluated for equivalency.
• You cannot already have or be in the process of earning a master’s degree in computer science or a related field.  Check your eligibility .

Earning Your Way In: Courses for Admission

The path to your degree begins before you apply to the program. To begin, you simply register—no application needed—for the following 2 graduate-level degree-requirement courses (available online):

• 1 data structures course 

The 2 courses are investments in your studies and help ensure success in the program. They count toward your degree once you’re admitted; they are not additional courses.

Course sequencing and grading. The 2 courses don’t need to be taken in a particular order or in the same semester, but each course must be completed with a grade of B or higher, without letting your overall Harvard cumulative GPA dip below 3.0.

Applying to the Degree Program

During the semester of your second degree course, submit the official application to the program. 

Don’t delay! You must prioritize the 2 degree courses for admission and apply before completing subsequent courses. By doing so, you’ll:

• avoid the loss of credit due to expired course work or changes to admission and degree requirements.
• ensure your enrollment in critical and timely degree-candidate-only courses.
• pay the standard versus delayed application fee.
• gain access to exclusive benefits (see bottom of page).

Eligible students who submit a complete and timely application will have 10 more courses after admission to earn the degree.

The Office of Predegree Advising & Admissions makes all final determinations about program eligibility. For details about full eligibility, the application process, and application fees, visit Degree Program Admissions.

Search and Register for Courses

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) offers degree courses all year round to support accelerated degree completion.

• You can study in fall, January, and spring terms through Harvard Extension School (HES) and during the summer through Harvard Summer School (HSS).
• You can enroll full or part-time with many degree candidates, after qualifying for admission, choosing 2 courses per semester (fall/spring) and 1 in the January term as well as summer.
• Most fall and spring courses meet online once a week for 2 hours, while January and summer courses meet more frequently in a condensed format.

To Complete Your Degree

Required 3.0 GPA, 2 Withdrawal Grade Limit, and Repeat Course Policy View More

GPA. You need to earn a B or higher in each of the 3 degree courses required for admission and a B– or higher in each of the subsequent courses. In addition, your cumulative GPA cannot dip below 3.0.

Withdrawal Grades. You are allowed to receive 2 withdrawal (WD) grades without them affecting your GPA. Any additional WD grades count as zero in your cumulative GPA. Please note that a WD grade from a two-credit course will count as 1 of your 2 allowed WD grades. See Academic Standing .

Repeat Courses. We advise you to review the ALM program’s strict policies about repeating courses . Generally speaking, you may not repeat a course to improve your GPA or to fulfill a degree requirement (if the minimum grade was not initially achieved). Nor can you repeat a course for graduate credit that you’ve previously completed at Harvard Extension School or Harvard Summer School at the undergraduate level.

Courses Expire: Finish Your Coursework in Under 5 Years View More

Courses over 5 years old at the point of admission will not count toward the degree. Further, you have 5 years to complete your degree requirements. The 5-year timeline begins at the end of the term in which you complete any 2 degree-applicable courses, regardless of whether or not you have been admitted to a degree program. Potential degree candidates must plan accordingly and submit their applications to comply with the 5-year course expiration policy or they risk losing degree credit for completed course work. Additionally, admission eligibility will be jeopardized if, at the point of application to the program, the 5-year degree completion policy cannot be satisfied (i.e., too many courses to complete in the time remaining).

Graduate with Your Harvard Degree View More

When you have fulfilled all degree requirements, you will earn your Harvard University degree: Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Extension Studies, Field: Computer Science. Degrees are awarded in November, March, and May, with the annual Harvard Commencement ceremony in May.

Degree Candidate Exclusive Benefits View More

When you become an officially admitted degree candidate, you have access to a rich variety of exclusive benefits to support your academic journey. To learn more, visit degree candidate academic opportunities and privileges .

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.

Tags for computer science courses

The following is the list of CS courses that satisfy the various tags. This list is continuously updated, but once a plan of study has been approved, it will remain valid even if the course no longer satisfies a certain tag. The SEAS 4 year course plan contains the most up to date plan for courses to be offered in the near future.

Tag Definitions

Courses that count towards the Computer Science core requirements.

Programming 1 and 2

A Programming course must include significant software construction and good engineering practice (e.g., invariants, assertions, testing).

Formal Reasoning

A Formal Reasoning course should include significant formal reasoning about computer science as an integral part of the course material and student work. Such a course should define properties of some computational entities (e.g., computers, functional programming languages, auctions) and prove statements that apply to every entity with those properties. Formal reasoning courses instill in students the formal habits of mind that are central to academic computer science.

Computational Limitations

A Computational Limitations course covers basic computability and complexity theory. It exposes students to the beautiful results concerning the fundamental limits of universal (Turing-complete) model of computation, the equivalence of different computational models, and the impossibility or infeasibility of computing certain functions.

All Computational Limitations courses are also Formal Reasoning courses. The prototypical Computational Limitations courses are CS 120 and CS 121.

An Algorithms course covers introductory algorithms, algorithmic analysis, and data structures. It exposes students to fundamental algorithms for problems involving topics such as sorting, searching, and graphs, and to the basic toolkit for algorithmic analysis, such as recurrences for runtime.

All Algorithms courses are also Formal Reasoning courses. The prototypical Algorithms courses are CS 120 and CS 124.

Intermediate Algorithms

An Intermediate Algorithms course, like an Algorithms course, covers algorithms, algorithmic analysis, data structures, and algorithmic analysis, but at a greater level of sophistication and covering more ground.

Intermediate Algorithms courses are also Formal Reasoning courses and Algorithms courses. The prototypical Intermediate Algorithms course is CS 124. Our honors requirements mention Intermediate Algorithms instead of Algorithms. We assume that a good fraction of honors students will take CS 120 and CS 124, and a good fraction will take CS 121 and CS 124.

A systems course should feature significant computer system development, i.e., the development of systems where interaction with and adaptation to other software or hardware interfaces is an important concern. Systems courses require that students complete extensive programming or computer system development assignments on their own or in small groups. These assignments must be in part open-ended and require the design of software or hardware components. Assignments must involve adapting to existing interfaces, and concern for performance, robustness, and/or security. Many systems courses will also satisfy a Programming tag.

Computation and the World

A Computation and the World course should introduce rigorous methods for developing and evaluating computational models and systems that encapsulate, interact with, and adapt to aspects of the empirical world. This often involves computational modeling, or the distilled expression of properties of the complex world—of natural, human, social, and informational systems—in terms amenable to computation, and the formulation of computational objectives to capture positive interventions in that world. Ideally, Computation and the World courses should give students tools and metrics for constructing their own models and objectives, as well as specific ones that apply to specific phenomena. Discretion, selection, and design are fundamental to these courses (modeling complex systems in computation, or designing systems that interact with humans or the world, rarely has one right answer).

Artificial Intelligence

An Artificial Intelligence course should introduce, motivate, and analyze tools and techniques to model or replicate behaviors that in humans are thought of as requiring or exhibiting intelligence. These behaviors include representation of knowledge, reasoning, planning, language use, and sensory interpretation.

Most Artificial Intelligence courses are also Computation and the World courses, human behaviors being aspects of the empirical world. However, some AI courses that do not focus on the discretion, selection, design, and interaction fundamental to Computation and the World might not fulfill the corresponding tag. (Such courses might focus, instead, on mathematical foundations.)

Advanced Computer Science

An Advanced Computer Science course should correspond to computer science courses at an advanced undergraduate level or above (typically corresponding to courses with a course number CS 100 or above).

The Harvard College Curriculum & Graduation Requirements

All students complete the College Curriculum Requirements (General Education, Divisional Distribution, Language, Expository Writing, and Quantitative Reasoning with Data), declare, and then complete a concentration to receive a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. 

• Harvard students take 128 credits, or 32 4-credit courses to complete their degree 
• Students complete their degrees in 8 semesters 
• All students typically take 16 credits each term (four courses, four credits per course). Students wishing to take more than 20 credits (or more than 16 credits for first-term first-years) in a term must obtain the approval of their Resident Dean.  
• In the fall term, first-year students ordinarily take exactly 16 credits (four courses, four credits per course). Exceptions are rare and must be approved by the Resident Dean of First-Year Students.   
• Students may not enroll in more than 24 credits (six courses, four credits per course) in one term without Administrative Board approval. 
• First-year students may not cross-register for courses at other Harvard schools in the first term so that they may fully engage with the curriculum in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. 

The College Curriculum

Harvard’s Program in General Education provides a broad foundation that enables students to make meaningful connections across disciplines. Students are required to take one course in each of four perspectives: Aesthetics & Culture; Ethics & Civics; Histories, Societies, Individuals; as well as Science & Technology in Society. 

The distribution requirement exposes students to the diversity of scholarly disciplines at Harvard. Students graduating in May 2020 or later must complete one departmental (non-Gen Ed) course in each of the three main divisions of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and the Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS): Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Science and Engineering and Applied Science. 

The QRD requirement introduces students to mathematical, statistical, and computational methods that will enable students to think critically about data as it is employed in fields of inquiry across the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

The writing requirement is a one-semester course offered by the Harvard College Writing Program that focuses on analytic composition and revision. Expos courses are taken as first-year students and are taught in small seminars focusing on writing proficiency in scholarly writing.  

Degree candidates must meet a language requirement in a language other than English that is taught at Harvard or for which an appropriate examination can be given. Details regarding the language requirement can be found on the Office of Undergraduate Education’s website. If after the second term of study a student has not met the language requirement, an advising hold will be placed on their record in my.harvard during each registration period until the language requirement has been met. Students will be expected to have a conversation with their academic advisor to plan how they will fulfill the requirement before graduation.

Concentrations

To explore potential concentrations and fields of study you are encouraged to use the following resources:

• The Harvard College Handbook for Students – Fields of Concentration
• Concentrations and Secondary Fields

Many concentrations offer different tracks within the concentration to allow students to specialize within a field of study.  Many also offer an honors track for students who wish to write a thesis. 

Students may consider completing a joint concentration- a joining of two overlapping concentrations in which students complete requirements from both concentrations and ordinarily complete an interdisciplinary thesis. 

Students may also consider completing a double concentration- allowing students to study two completely unrelated concentrations in depth, with no more than 8 credits of overlap. 

Students must declare a concentration in their third term at Harvard. That said, students are able to declare a different concentration later in their time at Harvard if their academic interests and goals change. 

Electives  

These are three formal programs students can pursue in their Electives are the following (detailed in the Harvard College Handbook for Students ):

• Secondary Fields (Minors): In addition to a concentration, students may complete one of the 49 secondary fields of study. While many fields have an associated secondary field, some secondary fields are multi-disciplinary and are thus not directly affiliated with a concentration. 
• Language Citations: Study of a foreign language to an advanced level at Harvard may be acknowledged by a language citation. The awarding of a citation is noted on the student’s transcript and a printed version is issued along with the diploma at Commencement. 
• Concurrent Master’s Degrees : Students can apply to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences for a master’s degree pursued concurrently with the bachelor’s degree.  

Course Grading  

Of the 128 credits required to graduate, 84 must be taken for a letter-grade. Students enrolling in courses without letter grades are reminded of the following requirements:  

• Each term students must take, for credit, at least one letter-graded course offered by the FAS. Courses taken at the Graduate School of Education under the UTEP Program constitute an exception to this rule. 
•  Of the 128 credits, students must pass (with a letter graded C- or higher) at least 84 credits (96 credits for a degree with honors) to receive the degree awarded by the FAS. The only non-letter grade that may be counted toward the requirement of 84 satisfactory letter-graded credits is Satisfactory (SAT).  
• No more than one of the four required General Education courses (Aesthetics & Culture; Ethics & Civics; Histories, Societies, Individuals; and Science & Technology in Society) may be taken pass/fail.  
• Writing, foreign language, and certain concentration requirements can only be satisfied by letter-graded courses.  
• Ordinarily, no first-year student or sophomore may take fewer than three letter-graded courses (4 credits per course) in any term. 

For more details about course grading policies, please see the Harvard College Handbook for Students . 

Email forwarding for @cs.stanford.edu is changing. Updates and details here . CS Commencement Ceremony June 16, 2024.  Learn More .

PhD Admissions

Main navigation.

The Computer Science Department PhD program is a top-ranked research-oriented program, typically completed in 5-6 years. There are very few course requirements and the emphasis is on preparation for a career in Computer Science research. 

Eligibility

To be eligible for admission in a Stanford graduate program, applicants must meet:

• Applicants from institutions outside of the United States must hold the equivalent of a United States Bachelor's degree from a college or University of recognized good standing. See detailed information by region on  Stanford Graduate Admissions website. 
• Area of undergraduate study . While we do not require a specific undergraduate coursework, it is important that applicants have strong quantitative and analytical skills; a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science is not required.

Any questions about the admissions eligibility should be directed to  [email protected] .

Application Checklist

An completed online application must be submitted by the CS Department application deadline and can be found  here .

Application Deadlines

The online application can be found here  and we will only one admissions cycle for the PhD program per respective academic term.

Computer Requirements

Laptop requirement.

The GSD requires each student to bring to school a laptop computer, capable of running Windows software. (Note that an Apple computer can satisfy this requirement, with a dual-OS solution that includes Windows, at some extra expense and complication.) This laptop computer should be powerful enough to suport the software your program requires.  Typical applications include AutoCad, Rhino, GIS and the Adobe Creative Suite, and so on.

Computer Purchasing Options

For suggestions on computer purchases and minimum requirements, please visit the GSD’s  Computer Recommendations .

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• Universities /

Stanford PhD Computer Science: Application, Requirements, and Acceptance Rate

• Updated on  
• Apr 23, 2024

You can dramatically boost your career by pursuing the world-class Stanford PhD computer science program. The degree prepares students for careers in research and teaching either in industry or university. The knowledge and skillsets acquired during the program enable you to excel, be it in academics, research, or the professional world. Located in Stanford, California, United States , Stanford University is renowned for its high-quality research and education facilities. Keep reading this blog to learn about the pursuit of PhD in computer science at this prestigious private research university. 

This Blog Includes:

Stanford phd computer science: program details, eligibility requirements, stanford phd computer science application, tuition fees, stanford university acceptance rate.

The Stanford PhD computer science degree is a top-ranked research-oriented program, usually completed in 5-6 years. It emphasises preparing you for a career in Computer Science research. The course is designed for candidates who can conduct independent research. With guided research, it prepares students to provide original contributions in computer science and related fields.

The following topics are focused on in the course:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Computer Science
• Scientific Computing

Also Read: PhD in Chemistry at Edinburgh University: Entry Requirements, Cost, Application Process

Are you excited to apply for the Stanford PhD computer science program? If so, please ensure you meet its eligibility criteria. So, here are the requirements you need to meet to secure your enrolment in this course. 

• Students must hold a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university. 
• While the university doesn’t need specific undergraduate coursework, you must possess strong quantitative and analytical skills.
• Your GPA must be at least 3.6 on a 4.0 scale. 
• Students whose native language is not English must have a minimum TOEFL score of 250 for the computer-based test, 100 for the internet-based test or 600 for the paper-based test to be considered for admission. 
• See the list of documents you need to submit:
• Application Form,
• Statement of Purpose ,
• Three (3) Letters of Recommendation ,
• College and University Transcripts,
• Passport Copy (For International Students), and
• Student Visa (For International Students)

If you meet the eligibility criteria for the Stanford PhD computer science program, it’s time to proceed towards the application process. Follow the steps given below to secure your admission to this course:

• First of all, visit the Stanford University’s Graduate Admissions page .
• Then, click on the “Apply Now” button and create your account. 
• Key in your first name, last name, email address, and birthdate. Click “Continue” and a temporary PIN will be sent to your email address.
• Follow the instructions provided in the email to set up your account password.
• Log in and press “Start New Application”.
• Return to your application, complete it, and pay the application fee. 
• You can check the status of your application on the institute’s status page . 

Also Read: PhD at Columbia University: Courses Overview, Tuition Fees and Duration

Now that you are familiar with the details of the Stanford PhD computer science program, let’s check out the annual tuition fee you will have to pay for the same. The tuition cost and some other key details of the program are shown in the table below. 

The acceptance rate of Stanford University is about 4%, making it a very selective institute to get in. However, don’t let the low acceptance rate discourage you from trying. You can secure your admission to this prestigious university if you meet the right qualifications and have determination. 

Relevant Reads:

Answer: Yes, it offers a PhD in computer science and this top-notch research-oriented program is typically completed in 5-6 years.

Answer: The university’s graduate programs don’t require to you provide GRE scores, however, you can include them in your application. 

Answer: The Stanford PhD computer science is generally completed in 5-6 years. 

So, this was all about the Stanford PhD computer science. Many Indian students dream of pursuing education in foreign nations due to the exposure and career growth they offer. Consider joining a free counselling session with Leverage Edu if you plan to study abroad .

Abhishek Kumar Jha

Abhishek Kumar Jha is a professional content writer and marketer, having extensive experience in delivering content in journalism and marketing. He has written news content related to education for prominent media outlets, garnering expansive knowledge of the Indian education landscape throughout his experience. Moreover, he is a skilled content marketer, with experience in writing SEO-friendly blogs. His educational background includes a Postgraduate Diploma in English Journalism from the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Dhenkanal. By receiving an education from a top journalism school and working in the corporate world with complete devotion, he has honed the essential skills needed to excel in content writing.

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PhD Program

We are proud of the quality of PhD students we attract and the training they receive. All of our students receive support, including an annual stipend, in the form of external and internal competitive fellowships, research fellowships, or teaching fellowships. As a PhD candidate, you will share in the excitement of discovery as you collaborate with our faculty on cutting-edge research . You will also acquire strong independent research skills and begin to develop your own reputation as a member of the research community.

Because the advisor-graduate relationship is the cornerstone of a successful PhD experience, all new PhD candidates are carefully matched with faculty advisors based on mutual research interests. In addition, an active three-person PhD committee is created for each PhD student to provide cogent advice throughout your degree program.

You will find the work here challenging and personally rewarding. Students who complete our PhD program are well-prepared for careers in academia, research, government, and industry. Please visit the Graduate Admissions information page  for application requirements, deadlines, and other important information.

Application Deadlines:

• The PhD deadline for fall is December 15th. (No recruiting for spring admissions.)
• The application will be available for submission on or around August 15.

To learn more about the PhD admissions process, please visit our PhD Admissions FAQ page .

Apply today

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Harvard announces return to required testing

Leading researchers cite strong evidence that testing expands opportunity

Students applying to Harvard College for fall 2025 admission will be required to submit standardized test scores, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences announced on Thursday. This new policy will be applied to the Class of 2029 admissions cycle and will be formally assessed at regular intervals.

For the Class of 2029 admissions cycle, Harvard will require submission of scores for the SAT or ACT. In exceptional cases in which applicants are unable to access SAT or ACT testing, other eligible tests will be accepted.

In a message to the FAS community on Thursday, Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Hopi Hoekstra foregrounded “a number of factors” that underscored the decision.

“Standardized tests are a means for all students, regardless of their background and life experience, to provide information that is predictive of success in college and beyond,” she said. “Indeed, when students have the option of not submitting their test scores, they may choose to withhold information that, when interpreted by the admissions committee in the context of the local norms of their school, could have potentially helped their application. In short, more information, especially such strongly predictive information, is valuable for identifying talent from across the socioeconomic range.”

In research published last year, Harvard Professors Raj Chetty and David J. Deming and co-author John N. Friedman used data from more than 400 institutions and about 3.5 million undergrads per year to better understand socioeconomic diversity and admissions. Standardized tests emerged as an important tool to identify promising students at less-well-resourced high schools, particularly when paired with other academic credentials.

“Critics correctly note that standardized tests are not an unbiased measure of students’ qualifications, as students from higher-income families often have greater access to test prep and other resources,” said Chetty, the William A. Ackman Professor of Public Economics and director of Opportunity Insights . “But the data reveal that other measures — recommendation letters, extracurriculars, essays — are even more prone to such biases. Considering standardized test scores is likely to make the admissions process at Harvard more meritocratic while increasing socioeconomic diversity.”

Deming, the Kennedy School’s Isabelle and Scott Black Professor of Political Economy and a professor of education and economics at the Ed School, pointed to access as a key issue.

“The virtue of standardized tests is their universality,” he said. “Not everyone can hire an expensive college coach to help them craft a personal essay. But everyone has the chance to ace the SAT or the ACT. While some barriers do exist, the widespread availability of the test provides, in my view, the fairest admissions policy for disadvantaged applicants.”

In June 2020, as the pandemic severely limited access to standardized testing, Harvard began a test-optional policy under which students could apply to the College without submitting scores. The admissions cycle for the Class of 2028 was the fourth for which students were able to apply without submitting test scores. However, admissions has welcomed applicants to submit test scores, and the majority of those who matriculated during the past four years did so.

“Test scores can provide important information about a student’s application,” said William R. Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial aid. “However, they representonly one factor among many as our admissions committee considers the whole person in making its decisions. Admissions officers understand that not all students attend well-resourced schools, and those who come from modest economic backgrounds or first-generation college families may have had fewer opportunities to prepare for standardized tests.”

In recent years, nonprofits such as Khan Academy have offered robust test-prep tools at no charge. In her message, Hoekstra said that access to testing should never prevent a student from applying to Harvard, and included information for those who may not be able to access the SAT or ACT, as well as tools such as Schoolhouse.world and other sources for no-cost tutoring and no-cost test preparation.

“We recognize that in parts of the United States there may be fewer students than in the past taking SAT or ACT for their state universities — and international applicants can also face barriers to testing,” said Joy St. John, director of admissions. “We hope that promising students faced with such challenges will still apply, using alternative forms of testing.”

Said Hoekstra: “Fundamentally, we know that talent is universal, but opportunity is not. With this change, we hope to strengthen our ability to identify these promising students, and to give Harvard the opportunity to support their development as thinkers and leaders who will contribute to shaping our world.”

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Harvard and Caltech Will Require Test Scores for Admission

The universities are the latest highly selective schools to end their policies that made submitting SAT or ACT scores optional.

By Anemona Hartocollis and Stephanie Saul

Harvard will reinstate standardized testing as a requirement of admission, the university announced Thursday, becoming the latest in a series of highly competitive universities to reverse their test-optional policies.

Students applying to enter Harvard in fall 2025 and beyond will be required to submit SAT or ACT scores, though the university said a few other test scores will be accepted in “exceptional cases,” including Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate tests. The university had previously said it was going to keep its test-optional policy through the entering class of fall 2026.

Within hours of Harvard’s announcement, Caltech, a science and engineering institute, also said it was reinstating its testing requirements for students applying for admission in fall 2025.

The schools had been among nearly 2,000 colleges across the country that dropped test score requirements over the last few years, a trend that escalated during the pandemic when it was harder for students to get to test sites.

Dropping test score requirements was widely viewed as a tool to help diversify admissions, by encouraging poor and underrepresented students who had potential but did not score well on the tests to apply. But supporters of the tests have said without scores, it became harder to identify promising students who outperformed in their environments.

In explaining its decision to accelerate the return to testing, Harvard cited a study by Opportunity Insights , which found that test scores were a better predictor of academic success in college than high school grades and that they can help admissions officers identify highly talented students from low income groups who might otherwise had gone unnoticed.

“Standardized tests are a means for all students, regardless of their background and life experience, to provide information that is predictive of success in college and beyond,” Hopi Hoekstra, dean of the faculty of arts and sciences, said in a statement announcing the move.

“In short, more information, especially such strongly predictive information, is valuable for identifying talent from across the socioeconomic range,” she added.

Caltech, in Pasadena, Calif., said that reinstating testing requirements reaffirmed the school’s “commitment as a community of scientists and engineers to using all relevant data in its decision-making processes.”

Harvard and Caltech join a growing number of schools, notable for their selectivity, that have since reversed their policies, including Brown, Yale, Dartmouth, M.I.T., Georgetown, Purdue and the University of Texas at Austin.

For Harvard, the move comes at a time of transition, and perhaps a return to more conservative policies.

Last June, the Supreme Court struck down race-conscious college admissions in cases involving Harvard and the University of North Carolina, raising fears that with the demise of affirmative action, those schools would become less diverse.

And in January, Harvard’s first Black president, Claudine Gay, resigned under pressure from critics who said she had not acted strongly enough to combat antisemitism on campus after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, and under mounting accusations of plagiarism in her academic work, which she stood by.

The provost, Alan Garber, was named interim president, while the dean of the law school, John Manning, became interim provost, the university’s second-highest administrative position. Mr. Manning is considered a strong potential candidate to replace Dr. Gay. His background stands out for his conservative associations, having clerked for the former Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia.

In the current climate on campus, a return to test scores could be seen as a return to tradition. It also may address concerns of many parents that the college admissions process, especially in elite institutions, is inscrutable and disconnected from merit.

Applications to Harvard were down by 5 percent this year, while those at many of its peer universities went up, suggesting that the recent turmoil may have dented its reputation. But it still received a staggering number of undergraduate applications — 54,008 — and admitted only 3.6 percent. Requiring test scores could make sorting through applications more manageable.

Critics of standardized tests have long raised concerns that the tests helped fuel inequality because some wealthier students raised their scores through high-priced tutoring. But recent studies have found that test scores help predict college grades, chances of graduation and post-college success, and that test scores are more reliable than high school grades, partly because of grade inflation in recent years .

But Robert Schaeffer, director of public education at FairTest, an organization that opposes standardized testing, said Thursday that the Opportunity Insights analysis had been criticized by other researchers. “Those scholars say that when you eliminate the role of wealth, test scores are not better than high school G.P.A.,” he said, adding that it is not clear whether that pattern is true among the admissions pool at super selective colleges such as Harvard.

Mr. Schaeffer said that at least 1,850 universities remain test optional, including Michigan, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin and Syracuse, which have recently extended their policies. “The vast majority of colleges will not require test scores.” An exception, he said, could be the University of North Carolina system, which is considering a plan to require tests, but only for those students with a G.P.A. below 2.8.

Acknowledging the concerns of critics, Harvard said that it would reassess the new policy regularly. The school said that test scores would be considered along with other information about an applicant’s experience, skills, talents, contributions to communities and references. They will also be looked at in the context of how other students are doing at the same high school.

“Admissions officers understand that not all students attend well-resourced schools, and those who come from modest economic backgrounds or first-generation college families may have had fewer opportunities to prepare for standardized tests,” William R. Fitzsimmons, Harvard’s dean of admissions and financial aid, said in a statement.

Harvard said that in the interest of selecting a diverse student body, it has enhanced financial aid and stepped up recruitment of underserved students by joining a consortium of 30 public and private universities that recruits students from rural communities.

An earlier version of this article misstated Robert Schaeffer’s position. He is the director of public education at FairTest, not the director.

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Anemona Hartocollis is a national reporter for The Times, covering higher education. More about Anemona Hartocollis

Stephanie Saul reports on colleges and universities, with a recent focus on the dramatic changes in college admissions and the debate around diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education. More about Stephanie Saul