These elective fields, which are listed on students’ transcripts when completed, are a way to broaden the scope of a graduate program, enhancing one’s professional reach while fostering new collaborations.

Each secondary field consists of a set of four or five graduate courses in a discipline, interdisciplinary area, or intellectually coherent subfield. They are seen by many PhD students as attractive options — a way to further scholarly goals, enrich their research, and enhance the competitiveness of their studies at Harvard. They also foster new scholarly communities and create an opening for the kind of unexpected interactions — and collaborations — that often fuel innovative discoveries.

If you’re interested in pursuing a secondary field, though, keep an eye on the clock; you’ll remain under GSAS time limits and must meet all milestones and deadlines in your home PhD program. Learn more here.