Individuals interested in non-degree seeking study or research at Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences are offered two options: Special Student status and Visiting Fellow status.

Special Students

Special Student status is available to individuals wishing to take coursework who have sound academic and/or professional reasons for not wishing to enter a degree program.  Special Students must hold a bachelor's degree or its equivalent and must present evidence of fitness for admission at the graduate level.  Special Students register for and attend courses as a traditional Graduate School student would.  They receive credit for completed coursework and, upon request, can receive a transcript reflecting the course name and credit earned.  Special Students are not candidates for any degree in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and are not permitted to transfer into a degree-seeking program at any point during the term of enrollment. 

To learn more about Special Students and the admissions process click here.

Visiting Fellows

Visiting Fellow status is available to individuals holding a doctoral degree (or its equivalent), as well as to advanced doctoral candidates who have completed all required coursework and would like to pursue dissertation or independent research at Harvard.  Individuals without a Ph.D. but with comparable professional experience may also apply for Visiting Fellow status.
Visiting Fellows are registered as full-time research students, given access to the libraries and general facilities of the University, and may apply for membership in the Harvard Faculty Club. Visiting Fellows are entitled to audit courses of their choosing throughout the Faculty of Arts and Sciences provided they are given approval by the course’s instructor.  Visiting Fellows may not take courses for academic credit nor are they normally eligible to later apply to degree-seeking programs within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University.

To learn more about Visiting Fellows and the admissions process click here.

To learn more about Application Requirements, Deadlines and Applying Online, click here.