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Facts & History

Overview, quick facts, and history.

Year Founded

1847 (as Lawrence Scientific School)

The formation of the Lawrence Scientific School at Harvard University in 1847 marked Harvard's first major effort to provide a formal, advanced education in science and engineering. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the structure to support faculty and research in engineering and applied sciences underwent several reorganizations. In 2007, in recognition of the growing preeminence of engineering and applied sciences, the University transitioned the former Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences into a school.

Dean

Cherry A. Murray
Dean, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
John A. and Elizabeth S. Armstrong Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Professor of Physics

Administration

 Academic Programs

 Undergraduate Concentrations

Graduate Programs

Graduate students may work towards a Master of Science, Master of Engineering, or Doctor of Philosophy degree.

Faculty & Research

Ladder Faculty

(total/full-time equivalent)
  • Tenured: 67/51.95 
  • Associate: 6/5.5 
  • Assistant: 10/9 
  • Total: 83/66.45 
  • Total Participating: 116 (ladder & non-ladder)

Non-Ladder Faculty 

(total/full-time equivalent)
  • Professor of the Practice: 4/1.25 
  • Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, or Visiting Lecturer: 20/7.83 
  • Preceptor or Senior Preceptor: 6/6 
  • Visting Faculty: 3/1.5

Joint Appointments

  • Astronomy: 1
  • Chemistry and Chemical Biology: 3
  • Earth and Planetary Sciences: 10
  • Molecular and Cellular Biology: 4
  • Organismic and Evolutionary Biology: 2
  • Physics: 13
  • Kennedy School: 2
  • Medical School: 1
  • Law School: 1
  • Public Health: 1

Diversity

  • Tenured Women: 11.9%
  • Tenure-track Women: 12.5%
  • Tenured Asian/Minority: 19.4%/0%
  • Tenure-track Asian/Minority: 43.75%/6.25%

Researchers (all areas)

  • Postdoctoral Fellows, Research Appointees, and Research Staff: 410

Primary Research Interests

Select Awards

  • Harvard College Professorships (Brenner, Lewis, Mazur, Parkes, Shieber, Seltzer)
  • MacArthur Award (Hau, Mahadevan, Schrag)
  • Guggenheim Fellowship (Mahadevan)
  • King Faisal Award (Capasso)
  • George Ledlie Prize (Hau, Mahadevan)
  • Technology Review TR 35 Innovators List (Ham, Tarokh, Wood)
  • Turing Award (Rabin, Valiant)
  • Dan David Prize (Rabin)
  • Nevanlinna Prize (Valiant)
  • Nobel Prize (Bloembergen, Van Vleck (deceased))
  • IMU Nevanlinna Prize (Valiant)

Academies

  • 15 members, including those in administrative positions, of the National Academy of Engineering (with 20 total memberships across the entire University)
  • 15 members of the National Academy of Sciences (with 167 total at Harvard)
  • 21 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (with 426 total at Harvard)
  • We also have faculty who are members of the American Philosophical Society; fellows of the Royal Society; and members of the French Academy of Sciences

Impact

Harvard ranked # 1 in Mechanical Engineering; # 1 in Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology; # 5 in Mathematics; # 3 in AI, Robotics, and Auto Control (Science Watch, most recent data)

Harvard ranked # 7 in Theoretical Computer Science

In terms of citation impact, Harvard ranked second nationally in the category of Engineering and Computer Science in a 2002 analysis by ISI (for 1998-2002 data; most recent)

More statistics on research impact

Information on rankings

Milestones

From the invention of baking powder to the development of one of the first electromechanical computers to the first flight of a robotic fly, engineers and applied scientists at Harvard have made and are continuing to make major contributions to their fields. 

Students

Undergraduate Enrollment (2011-2012)

578 Undergraduate Students (Note: All Harvard undergraduates are enrolled in Harvard College.)

By Degree/Secondary Field *

  • Applied Mathematics: 197 (63 female/134 male)
  • Biomedical Engineering: 44 (22 female/22 male)
  • Computer Science: 169 (46 female/122 male)
  • Engineering Sciences, S.B.: 118 (34 female/84 male)
  • Engineering Sciences, A.B.: 49 (25 female/26 male)

* As of January 2012, the number of declared concentrators included new second term sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

By Gender (all degrees)

  • Women: 190 (33%)
  • Men: 388 (67%)

By Ethnicity/Race/Nationality (all degrees, 2011 data)

  • African American: 20
  • Asian American/Pacific: 91
  • Hispanic American: 10
  • Native American: 2
  • Foreign National: 87

Graduate Enrollment (Fall 2011)

  • Total graduate engineering enrollment: 378
  • Master's degree full-time: 18
  • Master's degree part-time: 3
  • Ph.D. full-time: 357

By Degree & Degree Area (2011)

Note: Numbers are approximate (depending on time of declaration of field).

  • Applied Mathematics: 19
  • Applied Physics: 137
  • Computer Science: 63
  • Engineering Sciences: 158

By Gender (all degrees)

  • Women: 33%
  • Men: 270 67%

By Race/Ethnicity/Nationality

  • African American: 5
  • Asian American/Pacific: 47
  • Hispanic American: 8
  • Native American: 0
  • Foreign National: 182

Staff

  • 125 employed at SEAS (21% minority)

Campus

Our campus is located on the main Harvard University campus just north of historic Harvard Yard and bounded to the east by Oxford Street. To the west, across an oak-filled quadrangle, is the Harvard Law School.

We are situated among the buildings housing the University's Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Mathematics, and Physics departments.

Our world-class facilities provide nearly 400,000 square feet of interconnected labs, classrooms, clusters, and offices designed to encourage researchers and students to cross boundaries and collaborate.

Primary buildings include: Maxwell Dworkin, Pierce Hall, Cruft Laboratory, Gordon McKay Laboratory of Applied Science, the Engineering Sciences Laboratory, 60 Oxford Street, and SEAS-dedicated space in the Northwest Building. (The first three of these facilities are interconnected.)

In addition, SEAS takes advantage of shared facilities such as the Laboratory for Integrated Science and Engineering (LISE), containing one of the largest clean room facilities in New England.

Buildings

Gordon McKay Laboratory of Applied Science

9 Oxford Street
Applied Physics; Mechanical Engineering. Links directly to LISE and the Science Center (underground)

The Laboratory for Integrated Science and Engineering (LISE)

15 Oxford Street
This facility, shared with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, houses collaborations in the areas of nanoscale science and nanoscale systems research. Links to Cruft, McKay Laboratory, the Harvard Science Center

Cruft Hall

19A Oxford Street
Applied Physics; Physics. Bridge links to LISE and Pierce

Pierce Hall

29 Oxford Street
Dean’s Office; SEAS Administration; Academic Office; Library; Applied Mathematics; Bioengineering; Environmental Sciences & Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Mail; Kitchen; Bridge to Maxwell Dworkin.

Maxwell Dworkin

33 Oxford Street
Computer Science; Electrical Engineering; Bridge to Pierce Hall

Engineering Sciences Laboratory

58 Oxford Street
Bioengineering; Environmental Sciences & Engineering; Microbiology

Northwest Building

52 Oxford Street
FAS operated building supporting interdisciplinary research facilities and classrooms; SEAS-dedicated space, including the Scientific Machine Shop, administrative offices, and students spaces, is located in NWB1

60 Oxford Street (3rd and 4th floors)

60 Oxford Street
Bioengineering; Applied Sciences; Bio-inspired Engineering (Wyss Institute)
(Note that the first two floors are occupied by University Information Systems and the building is highly secured. Harvard ID and/or a prior appointment is necessary to gain access.)

Alumni 

  • Over 7,000 affiliated graduates

Financials

  • Endowment: $862 million (value based on unaudited financial statements, 6/30/11)
  • Sponsored Research: $44.6 million (end of FY 2011)
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