Visiting Fellows

Admissions

Scholars intending to do research who hold a doctorate, or have equivalent professional experience, or are advanced doctoral candidates who have completed all required coursework, may apply for Visiting Fellow status within Harvard University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS). 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. A Visiting Fellow, therefore, is an independent researcher who occasionally audits a course or two. Visiting Fellows are normally admitted under the auspices of an academic department within GSAS.
Fellows wishing to concentrate their research in one of the other nine Harvard graduate schools (e.g., the Graduate School of Education, the Harvard Business School) should contact the appropriate admissions offices directly.

Visiting Fellows are registered as full-time research students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and have access to most university facilities. They are also eligible to apply for membership in the Harvard Faculty Club.

Courses within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) may be audited, with the permission of the appropriate instructors. Fellows may also wish to audit courses at the other Harvard graduate schools (e.g., The Law School, John F. Kennedy School of Government) or at other cooperating schools (i.e., M.I.T. and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University).

Those persons who wish to learn new skills (e.g., language, computer) or to take courses for academic credit should apply for Special Student status. Visiting Fellows and other auditors are normally not permitted to audit basic skills courses such as beginning languages or computer sciences.
Faculty members from other universities whose scholarship distinguishes them in their field may be eligible for a special departmental appointment as Visiting Scholar. Advanced scholars should contact the appropriate academic department about this status.

Applications

As of December 2008, we have changed our application procedure to allow students and fellows to apply on-line.  We will no longer accept paper applications. Our new on-line application also provides for submission of supporting documents such as transcripts and letters of recommendation on-line.

As always, applications and supporting materials must be submitted by the deadlines indicated (March 1 for fall term and full academic year applications, and October 1 for spring term applications).  An application will not be considered complete until all the required materials have been received by the Special Student/Visiting Fellow Office. Applicants are notified by mail of the decision, and those who accept an offer of admission are then informed of registration procedures and other relevant information including housing, visa requirements, etc.

Official transcripts should be requested by the student from (1) the institution in which the student is currently enrolled in a PhD program, (2) the institution from which the student received his or her bachelor's degree, (3) any previous work done at Harvard (e.g., Extension School, Summer School) and any other transcripts, degree or non-degree, which are relevant. Applicants for Visiting Fellow status are also required to submit one letter of recommendation. A TOEFL IBT score is required of International Students unless they are able to provide confirmation of one year of study at an English language institution.
 
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