A Short History

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences began in 1872 when Harvard's Governing Boards created the Graduate Department.

Since its founding in 1636 as a small college primarily dedicated to the training of ministers, Harvard has grown into a great university, known throughout the world for its high standards and unmatched facilities for the cultivation of learning. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), which now is composed of over 50 degree-granting departments, divisions, and committees, began in 1872 when Harvard’s Governing Boards created the Graduate Department.

The Harvard College class of 1869 was the last of those whose members were allowed to take the AM degree for "keeping out of jail and paying five dollars." At that time the Governing Boards decreed formal requirements for the AM, and more advanced examinations and a dissertation deemed a "contribution to knowledge" for the PhD.

William Ellwood Byerly took the first Harvard PhD in mathematics in 1873. From the administrative reorganization of 1890, the Graduate Department emerged as the Graduate School of Harvard University under the new Faculty of Arts and Sciences. In 1905 the name was changed to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Women were first admitted to the Graduate School in 1962 and now make up approximately 45 percent of student enrollment.

The Dean of the Graduate School is charged with the responsibility of implementing and supervising the policies of the faculty in the area of graduate education. In the administration of academic policy, the Dean is guided by the Administrative Board and the Committee on Graduate Education.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers the PhD, AM, SM, ME, and MFS degrees. For specific information on the degrees, tests, financial aid applications, and departmental requirements for your program of interest, please refer to the admissions section of the GSAS Website. Registration as a Special Student (non-degree) is also described on the Website.