Funding & Scholarship

All students admitted to our Ph.D. program receive full financial support. This includes tuition, fees, and a cost-of living stipend ($2,607 per month before taxes in 2012-13).

Support is independent of need provided a student remains in good academic standing and is making satisfactory progress towards his/her Ph.D. degree. Students are expected to complete their Ph.D. requirements in four to six years.

All students who receive financial support participate in the educational program for about ten hours a week for one term—usually as a quarter time teaching fellow or in a similar capacity, during their second year of study.

For additional information about funding, please read the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) Financing Graduate Study booklet. 

Cost of Study (G1s & G2s)

For 2012-13, tuition for the two-term academic year is estimated at $40,674 (including University health service fees). After the second year of study, tuition costs drop substantially.  A more detailed explanation of costs of study can be found on the GSAS Tuition and Fees webpage.

Graduate dormitory accommodations are available to single students. Rates are $6,106 - $9,509 per 9-month academic year. Meals are available in the graduate dining hall. Dormitory residents are required to enroll in the meal plan at a cost of $2,268.  For more information, please visit the GSAS Housing Office webpage.

University-operated married students' apartments, from efficiency to three-bedroom suites, are available. The cost varies according to the accommodations. A wide range of private housing can be found within commuting distance.  For more information, please visit Harvard University Housing webpage.

Outside Support

To provide full support throughout the program for all Ph.D. candidates, we anticipate that a certain number of entering students will gain financial support from sources outside of Harvard.

Applicants are therefore expected to apply for all non-Harvard scholarships for which they are eligible, especially those offered by the National Science Foundation (see below). Recipients of other external awards made on the basis of open competition receive similar considerations on a pro-rated basis.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences expect that all students will accept any outside aid they are awarded.

Financial Support

Financial support takes several forms: grants-in-aid (fellowships), teaching fellowships, and research assistantships. Ordinarily, first-year Ph.D. students are supported with full fellowships so that they can devote all their time to coursework.

Beyond the first year, when students are in a better position to teach and assist in research, support is ordinarily provided through research assistantships, or a combination of a teaching fellowship and a research assistantship.

Candidates for Ph.D. and master's degrees can occasionally be employed as technical assistants on one of the numerous research projects or in a similar capacity in other parts of the University.

During the academic year, full-time students may not accept employment inside or outside the University, other than teaching fellowships or research assistantships that involves a commitment of more than ten hours per week, without special permission.

For more information, please visit the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) financial aid section.

Scholarships and Fellowships

The Siebel Scholars program was established in 2001 to recognize the most talented students at the world’s leading graduate schools of business and computer science. Each year, up to five outstanding graduate students are honored as Siebel Scholars. The Dean nominates the Siebel Scholars on the basis of outstanding academic performance and qualities of leadership. Each Siebel Scholar receives a $35,000 award to defray tuition and expenses in the final year of his or her graduate studies.

Requirements

• prospective students cannot apply for these fellowships
• for students in computer science only
• Part-time students cannot be included

Peirce Fellowships

We offer eight Peirce Fellowships per year to the highest caliber admits. Prospective students cannot apply for these fellowships; they are awarded by our faculty. The award offers selected students a $16,000 bonus payable in one of two ways: either as one lump sum in the first year or in increments of $6,000 over the first three years.

Outside Funding and Fellowships

Students who receive open competitive outside funding, such as NSF and NDSEG Fellowships, are eligible to receive a bonus of $3,000 for the life of their funding. For example, if a candidate is awarded a three-year NSF Fellowship, he or she is eligible to receive $3,000 each year for three years in addition to the fellowship.