Secondary Fields

Secondary Fields in PhD Studies

PhD students at Harvard may elect a secondary field of study in the departments and programs listed below. Secondary fields may be attractive options for PhD students seeking to broaden their courses of study at Harvard and to enhance the competitiveness and professional reach of their degree programs.

• African and African American Studies
• Celtic Medieval Languages and Literatures
• Classics
• Comparative Literature
• Computational Science and Engineering
• Critical Media Practice
• Film and Visual Studies
• German
• Historical Linguistics
• History of American Civilization
• Linguistic Theory
• Medieval Studies
• Mind, Brain, and Behavior
• Music
• Romance Languages and Literatures
• Science, Technology, and Society
• Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality
  

A secondary field in PhD studies consists of a set of four or five graduate courses in a discipline, interdisciplinary area, or intellectually coherent subfield. The program offering the secondary field provides an intellectual rationale and outlines the package of courses required.

Students who choose to pursue courses for a secondary field remain under GSAS time limits and must meet all milestones and deadlines in their home PhD programs. Click here for instructions and an application.

For more information, contact the department of interest.