The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) offers PhD and master’s degrees in a wide range of disciplines that lie at the interfaces of engineering, the applied sciences (from biology to physics), and technology.
You will work toward a degree in one of six subjects—Applied Mathematics; Applied Physics; Computational Science & Engineering; Computer Science; Data Science; and Engineering Sciences, which includes Bioengineering, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Science and Engineering, and Materials Science & Mechanical Engineering. SEAS also offers a master's in design engineering jointly with the Harvard Graduate School of Design* and an MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences program** jointly with Harvard Business School. PhD, SM, and ME students study primarily with SEAS faculty and are enrolled in and receive their degree from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
You may also pursue collaborative options through the Medical Engineering and Medical Physics program, which is part of the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, and supplement their studies by cross-registering in other Harvard graduate schools or at MIT.
Graduates of the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have gone on to found their own startups and to work at employers including Intel, Tesla, Microsoft, Merck, IBM, McKinsey & Company, Amazon, JP Morgan, NASA, Google, and Apple. Others have gone on to academic careers with faculty appointments as MIT, Princeton, Columbia, Yale, Stanford, Imperial College-London, and Harvard.
Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and requirements for the degree are detailed in GSAS Policies.
*Prospective students who are interested in the master in design engineering degree program apply through the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
**Prospective students who are interested in the MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences degree program apply through Harvard Business School.
***Prospective students who are interested in the Quantum Science and Engineering degree apply to GSAS through the Quantum Science and Engineering Program.
Admissions Requirements
Please review GSAS admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS)
Academic Background
Applicants typically have bachelor’s degrees in the natural sciences, mathematics, computer science, or engineering. In the application for admission, select “Engineering and Applied Sciences” as your degree program choice and your degree and area of interest from the Area of Study drop down. PhD applicants must complete the Supplemental SEAS Application Form as part of the online application process.
AB/SM Program
Harvard College students may apply to the AB/SM program, which enables them to earn a master’s degree in applied mathematics, applied physics, computational science and engineering, computer science, or engineering sciences while simultaneously completing their AB degree. Students interested in applying for the AB/SM should contact the Office of Undergraduate Education at Harvard College about eligibility.
Special Instructions for Medical Engineering and Medical Physics
If you are also applying to the Medical Engineering and Medical Physics program, please review their admissions instructions. By December 15, you must send a PDF of your completed GSAS application to [email protected].