Admissions & Financial Support
Application Requirements
Application Requirements
Interested in applying to one of our fully funded PhD Programs? Before you begin, learn more about our application requirements. Please note that applicants are only required to possess a bachelors degree. Undergraduate applicants in their senior year are welcome to apply
We realize that the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, recent natural disasters, and other extenuating circumstances may have significant impacts on applicants’ academic and personal lives, including the ability to provide all required application materials prior to our stated deadlines. If this pertains to your circumstances, please review the information below for next steps.
Required Application Materials
- Completed online application form
- Resume
- Statement of Purpose
- Personal Statement
- Transcripts for all college/university degrees and courses
Self-reported transcripts are accepted for both all programs at the application stage. Applicants must upload copies of his/her transcripts to the online application system. Hard copy transcripts will only be required if admitted to a program, prior to enrollment.
- Current GMAT or GRE scores (see details below)
- TOEFL or IELTS scores (non-native English speakers see details below)
- Three letters of recommendation (at least one from an academic source). Recommendation letters must be submitted online through the online application system. Hard copy recommendation letters will not be accepted.
- $105 application fee via credit card
- Optional writing sample (no more than 10 pages)
GMAT & GRE
All applicants are required to take either the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) or the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Submitted test scores are valid for no longer than five years. If you are applying for admission for fall 2024, you may submit scores from tests taken no earlier than January 5. 2019. There is no minimum test score requirement, and admissions committee does not have a preference in tests.
- Institution Codes for PhD Programs
- GRE: 3451
- GMAT: HRL-X8-30
A department code is not required for score submission.
We realize that the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, recent natural disasters, and other extenuating circumstances may have significant impacts on applicants’ academic and personal lives, including the ability to provide all required application materials prior to our stated deadlines. If you are unable to take the GRE or GMAT before the deadline, we still encourage you to apply, even if your scores are missing. Our application form includes a section for you to let us know about any of your materials that may be unavailable or delayed.
International Applications
Adequate command of spoken and written English is required for admission. Applicants whose native language is other than English and who do not hold a Bachelor degree or its equivalent from an institution at which English is the language of instruction must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores.
Submitted scores are valid for no longer than two years. If you are applying for admission for fall 2024, you may submit scores from tests taken no earlier than January 5, 2022. The committee prefers scores of at least 100 on the the TOEFL internet-based test and at least 7.5 on the IELTS test. Applicants are strongly encouraged to choose the TOEFL internet-based test when possible.
Institution Codes for Toefl score reports
PhD programs: 3451
Instructions for submitting IELTS score reports
Designate Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences as a recipient
of your test results. Our address, for the record only, to identify us in the IELTS
system, is 1350 Massachusetts Ave. Smith Campus Center 350, Cambridge, MA 02138. Paper
test report forms will not be accepted at this address.
Accomodations for COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, or other extenuating circumstances
Reapplicants
Applicants who applied last year are considered reapplicants. Those reapplying must submit a completely new application. The new application must include all required documents to be provided by the applicant - we will not re-use material previously submitted. These materials include an updated statement of purpose, transcripts, test score reports, updated letters of recommendation, the application fee, and any other supporting materials
Please note, Harvard University will accept no more than three applications from any one individual over the course of their lifetime. If your 2023 application is incomplete and you are denied admission, GSAS will not count it toward our lifetime limit of three total applications that an individual may submit due to the global pandemic.
APPLY FOR A PROGRAM
Join a community of scholars shaping the future of business.