NON-DEGREE STATUS
SPECIAL STUDENT STATUS
Courses in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences are open to individuals who have sound reasons for not wishing to enter a degree program, who hold a bachelor's degree or its equivalent, and who are able to present evidence of fitness for admission at the graduate level via the required online application process. Such persons are admitted by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and registered as Special Students. Special Student status is a non-degree status in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Persons denied admission to degree programs in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences cannot apply for Special Student status for the same academic year without express permission from the Special Students and Visiting Fellows Office.
Detailed information outlining the Special Students Program and application instructions are available from the Special Student and Visiting Fellows Office, Holyoke Center 350, 617-495-5392.
APPLICATIONS
| Application Deadline | Term/Year | Notification of Admissions Decisions |
|---|---|---|
| March 1 | fall term only or entire academic year | April/May |
| October 1 | spring term only | November/December |
Prospective Special Students may apply for admission to one academic term (fall or spring) or a full academic year (September through May). Special Student status is normally limited to one academic year, with extension only possible via a required online reapplication process. Students are expected to follow the Proposed Plan of Study stated in their application and to which they were admitted.
TUITION AND FEES
Special Student tuition is charged on a per-course basis, according to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences’ full tuition schedule. The 2012–2013 rates are:
| Course Rate | Tuition per Term | HUHS Basic Health Fee per Term† | HUSHP Health Insurance Plan† per Term | Total Tuition and Fees per Term | Total Tuition and Fees per Academic Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Course* | $4,697 | $465 | $1,084 | $6,246 | $12,492 |
| 2 Courses* | $9,394 | $465 | $1,084 | $10,943 | $21,886 |
| 3 Courses* | $14,091 | $465 | $1,084 | $15,640 | $31,280 |
| 4 Courses* | $18,788 | $465 | $1,084 | $20,337 | $40,674 |
Please note that some language courses are listed in the catalog as intensive (e.g., French Acd. Intensive Beginning French: Special Course). All intensive courses are one full academic year in duration (metting in fall and spring terms) and listed as full courses. Full courses will be charged at the two half-course rate ($9,394) as a half-course ($4,697) each academic term.
† All registered Harvard University students, including Special Students, are required to pay the Harvard University Health Services Basic Health Fee and the Harvard University Student Health Program (HUSHP) fee. The Harvard University Student Health Plan provides medical/hospital/specialty care through the insurance provider Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Massachusetts and prescription drug coverage through Medco. Students who meet certain requirements may apply to receive a waiver of both health fees. Special Students enrolled in two or more courses may not waive the HUHS Basic Fee, but those who meet certain requirements may apply for a waiver of the HUSHP coverage and the associated fee. All waiver requests must be completed online prior to the appropriate deadlines published by HUHS. Please refer to Chapter XIII for information about HUSHP and health fee waivers. Medical insurance requirements and policies governing billing and overdue bills are the same for Special Students as for degree candidates.
There is no tuition reduction for courses that are not taken for credit (TIME courses; see Chapter V).
A registered Special Student who drops all courses (withdraws from GSAS) or a portion of their courses will be charged a portion of tuition per course according to the schedule for STUDENTS WITHDRAWING MID-TERM in Chapter VIII.
Financial aid is not available for Special Students from any part of the University. Students are advised to seek aid from outside sources.
ACADEMIC CREDIT
While Special Students are admitted to courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, they are not degree candidates in either Harvard College or in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Special Students do, however, enjoy many of the same privileges of degree candidates in the University. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences Office of the Registrar will provide a transcript of credits earned following completion of each academic term for students who do not have an outstanding term bill balance.
Special Students may take four half-courses per term and may not take more without express permission from the Special Students and Visiting Fellows Office. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services regulations require that all foreign nationals who are conducting study in the United States and holding a Harvard-sponsored F-1 visa be registered for full-time study (four concurrent, half-courses per academic term).
Special Students may later apply for admission to a degree program through the regular GSAS admissions process (See Chapter III), but status as a Special Student carries no commitment whatsoever regarding subsequent admission to any part of the University.
A Special Student who is later admitted to a degree program in GSAS may be eligible for academic and financial credit for courses completed as a Special Student. Such credit is granted only for graduate-level courses that are valid for the specific GSAS degree program in which the student is enrolled. Upon completion of one term in a GSAS degree program, students may petition their academic department for credit for work done as a Special Student. A maximum of eight half-courses may be used for credit for PhD or a two-year master’s program; a maximum of four half-courses may be used for credit for a one-year master’s degree. GSAS PhD candidates who receive academic and financial credit for work done as a Special Student become eligible for reduced tuition sooner in their degree program. Students should consult with their financial aid officer to learn how the tuition charges are affected in their case.
For more information about the Special Student status, please visit the Special Student webpage.
VISITING FELLOW STATUS
Individuals holding a doctoral degree or its equivalent, or with comparable professional experience, may apply via a required online application process to be a Visiting Fellow in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Applications to Visiting Fellow status are also accepted from advanced doctoral candidates in domestic and international universities who have completed all coursework and would like to pursue dissertation research at Harvard.
Although Visiting Fellows are sometimes invited by departments or research centers to participate in seminars or other organized activities, they are expected for the most part to pursue their research independently as full-time researchers. Visiting Fellow status is a non-degree status in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Visiting Fellows are registered full-time graduate students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. They have access to the libraries, athletic, and other general facilities of the University, and are eligible to apply for membership in the Harvard Faculty Club. However, Visiting Fellows are not members of any Harvard University faculty. Persons denied admission to degree programs in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences cannot apply for Visiting Fellow status for the same academic year without express permission from the Special Students and Visiting Fellows Office.
Visiting Fellows are registered, full-time, graduate research students and are permitted to audit but not permitted to officially enroll in courses. Visiting Fellows are not degree candidates and do not take courses for academic credit. Although they may attend courses, they cannot sit for final examinations and do not receive grades for completed courses. Visiting Fellows and other auditors are normally not permitted to attend basic skills courses such as languages or computer science. Those who wish to enroll in courses for academic credit or in basic courses to learn new skills (such as languages) should apply for Special Student status.
Office space throughout the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is extremely limited and few departments have offices available for Visiting Fellows. Carrel or study space is occasionally available in Widener Library; applications should be made to the Widener stack division, if possible before the beginning of a term. For more information on carrels and study spaces, please visit the Harvard Libraries web page.
Detailed information outlining the Visiting Fellows Program and application instructions are available from the Special Student and Visiting Fellows Office, Holyoke Center 350, 617-495-5392.
| Application Deadline | Term/Year | Notification of Admissions Decisions |
|---|---|---|
| March 1 | fall term only or entire academic year | April/May |
| October 1 | spring term only | November/December |
Prospective Visiting Fellows may apply for admission to one academic term (fall or spring) or a full academic year (September through May). Visiting Fellows status is normally limited to one academic year, with extension only possible via a required online reapplication process.
TUITION AND FEES
Visiting Fellows pay reduced tuition of $9,770 for the 2012–2013 academic year ($4,885 per academic term).
All registered Harvard University students, including Visiting Fellows, are required to pay the Harvard University Health Services Basic Health Fee ($465/term) and the Harvard University Student Health Program (HUSHP) Fee ($1,084/term). The Harvard University Student Health Plan provides medical/hospital/specialty care through the insurance provider Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Massachusetts and prescription drug coverage through Medco. Visiting Fellows, as full-time students, may not waive the HUHS Basic Fee, but those who meet certain requirements may apply for a waiver of the HUSHP coverage and the associated fee. All waiver requests must be completed online prior to the appropriate deadlines published by HUHS. Please refer to Chapter XIII (hyperlink to Chapter VIII) for information about HUSHP and health fee waivers. Medical insurance requirements and policies governing billing and overdue bills are the same for Visiting Fellows as for degree candidates.
Total tuition and fees equal $12,868 for the academic year or $6,434 per academic term.
For more information about Visiting Fellow status, please visit the Visiting Fellows web page.