Graduate Admissions

  • Graduate Hooding Ceremony 2022
  • Graduate Hooding Ceremony 2022
  • Graduate Hooding Ceremony 2022
  • Graduate Hooding Ceremony 2022
Department of the History of Science
Graduate Admissions Frequently Asked Questions

1. Admissions Overview and Key Dates

Applications for admission to the PhD and AM programs in Fall 2024 are due on FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2023, 5:00PM Eastern Standard Time. The Department does not consider applications at any other time. All applications must be submitted online. The application portal is available here.

During the fall, the Department's Director of Graduate Studies holds a series of information sessions about our graduate programs over Zoom. Here are the dates, times and registration links for these sessions in Fall 2023:

  • Friday, 15 September @ 10:30-11:30.
  • Friday, 13 October @ 3:00-4:00.
  • Friday, 17 November @ 9:00-10:00.

On contacting faculty: Students may contact faculty with whom they are interested in working, but this is not required and it does not impact the admissions process. Note that for reasons of equity in admissions, the Department does not normally organize formal visits or interviews for prospective students.

The Graduate School notifies successful applicants in February. The Department of the History of Science normally provides opportunities for admitted PhD students to meet with faculty and current students in advance of the April 15 decision deadline.


2. Application Materials

Application to both the PhD and AM programs require submission of the following materials.

  • Statement of Purpose
  • Personal Statement - New Harvard GSAS requirement for more info, please see Personal Statement
  • University and College Transcripts
  • A Writing Sample*
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • CV or Resume
  • (Optional) GRE Scores
    The GRE code for Harvard GSAS is 3451.
  • Application Fee**
  • TOEFL or IELTS Scores (for international applicants whose undergraduate institution’s language of instruction was not English)

* No application to the Department of the History of Science will be considered complete unless accompanied by a relatively recent sample of the applicant’s written work (e.g., term paper, senior thesis, master's essay, etc.). Writing samples must be submitted electronically with the online application.

** The non-refundable application fee for 2023 is $105.00, payable by credit card only. All applications received by the appropriate deadline with the correct application fee are guaranteed full consideration by the admissions committee. In those uncommon situations where an applicant has demonstrated that paying the application fee would cause them extreme financial hardship, GSAS will waive the fee. In order to determine eligibility for and apply for a fee waiver see this page. For further questions about fee waivers, email admiss@fas.harvard.edu. Note that the Department of the History of Science is not involved in determing elibility for a fee waiver.


3. Information about the Department's Programs

Program Descriptions for the AM and the PhD in the History of Science are available online from the Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).

Applicants are encouraged to explore the Department’s web pages describing its Graduate Program and the many opportunities available to students.

See also Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences website for further information for prospective graduate students concerning admission, grants, tuition, and registration policies.


4. Special Students and Visiting Fellows

Students who meet the eligibility requirements to apply for admission as Special Students or Visiting Fellows—the non-degree programs of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences—and who are interested in being admitted with affiliation with the History of Science department, must secure approval from the faculty member with whom they would like to work prior to applying. The department only considers applications by scholars/students whose application a faculty member has agreed to sponsor.

Note: GSAS does not allow applicants applying to AM or PhD programs to apply as Special Students in the same year.

Exchange Scholar Program: The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences participates in the Exchange Scholar Program. Doctoral candidates in the History of Science and related fields at participating institutions who are interested in visiting the Department as an Exchange Scholar are strongly encouraged to contact the members of the faculty with whom they would like to work prior to applying.

5. Further Information

Prospective applicants are also encouraged to consult the Department’s Graduate Admissions Frequently Asked Questions.

Inquiries about the graduate programs in the History of Science may be directed to:

Linda Schneider
Graduate Program Coordinator
Department of the History of Science
linda_schneider@harvard.edu
617-495-9978

Inquiries concerning the Harvard Graduate School’s admissions process and requirements in general may be directed to:

Office of Admissions
Harvard Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

admiss@fas.harvard.edu
(617) 495-5315