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Getting Started

Answers to common questions asked by current students

Why study Computer Science at Harvard?

"Think of your freedom of choice - of what courses to take, of how to spend your Sunday afternoons, whatever - as a commodity that is precious in and of itself.

"It’s your life, even at Harvard.

"Enjoy it."

- Harry Lewis, Harvard College Professor and Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science

At Harvard, computer science is part of a dynamic hub that links to fields such as electrical engineering, physics, chemistry, and biology, and to professions such as medicine and business.

You could see the field as the “planning and building” that fosters the sciences and engineering and informs our digital society. The computer industry - in fact, every part of our society and every type of business - needs a generation of skilled individuals who possess a new way of thinking, a new way of approaching research, and a new way of
doing business.

 That means …

  • deploying digital sensors to monitor everything from earthquakes to heartbeats
  • modeling the way the brain works or how global weather patterns develop
  • mining the data from the Human Genome Project to tackle disease  translating radio signals to understand the nature of distant planets and galaxies
  • creating algorithms that automate e-commerce and make buying and selling online a breeze
  • applying technology to solve public issues ranging from e-voting to privacy and security to cyberlaw.

What’s different about pursuing Computer Science in a liberal arts setting?

What our computer science faculty do, you can do. We emphasize a hands-on, immersive approach.

  • Our small classes, with an average 5:1 student/faculty ratio, give students direct access toprofessors.
  • Being at Harvard provides unmatched opportunities to use the latest tools and technologies, such as grid computing; learn about cutting-edge research, from cryptography to sensor motes; and meet world-class thinkers and leaders.
  • Opportunities to conduct research abound - in 2007, 700 undergraduates received over $1,000,000 for research from the Financial Aid Office alone.
  • Entrepreneurship goes beyond theory - Harvard students have created world-class companies such as Microsoft, and most recently, undergraduate Mark Zuckerberg made facebooking part of the nation’s vocabulary.
  • Computer science is part of a dynamic hub that links to fields such as electrical engineering, physics, chemistry, and biology, and to professions such as medicine and business.
  • If you would like a preview of some of Harvard’s offerings in computer science watch the video podcast of CS 50.

What are some good courses for those who are considering concentrating?

Computer Science 50: Introduction to Computer Science provides an excellent starting point. (Many nonconcentrators take CS 50 as a way to learn to think logically and use computers effectively.) If you have completed CS 50 prior to arriving at Harvard, CS 61 Systems Programming and Machine Organization is a good choice for the fall. If you have a strong background in both math and computer science, you may also start with CS 121 or CS 141 (see suggested course plans).

What’s the workload for a typical course like?

Students can expect to spend 10 to 20 hours per week on work for a computer science class (including CS 50). If you see your academic “workweek” as 40 hours, that puts things in perspective.

What programming languages are taught/used?

Computer classes use languages such as C, C++, Java, and Lisp.

What are the requirements for Computer Science?

The following publications describe the concentration in engineering sciences and its requirements.

What are the requirements for Computer Science?

The following publications describe the concentration in computer science and its requirements.

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