Doctoral Program FAQ

Please go to the Prospective Students page and follow instructions on applying to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University.

You can find a full list of faculty in the Study of Religion under the People tab. Emeritus faculty are retired and are not eligible to advise new students. Lecturers and Research Professors can serve as members of a student’s dissertation committee, but according to FAS rules, they cannot serve as primary advisors. Doctoral students in Religion often study with faculty from other departments, but it is rare for students to have a primary advisor who is not affiliated with the Study of Religion.

Harvard’s program in Religion is organized around traditions (e.g. Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, etc.), geographical areas (e.g. South Asian Religions, North American Religions, African Religions, etc.), and methodologies (history, ethnography, gender and sexuality studies, etc.).

By asking our applicants to choose (1) a tradition or geographical area, and (2) a methodology, we aim to encourage them to think more closely about their categories of analysis. We also hope to make visible the full range of faculty resources. A student interested in Buddhism and ethnography, for example, might consider taking courses on ethnography that do not focus on Buddhism. Students are expected to do significant coursework to support their methodological interests as well as their interests in a particular tradition or geographical area.

Harvard’s program in Religion is interdisciplinary, and many students employ more than one methodology in their research (for example, literary studies and history, or ethnography and critical theory). You are welcome to write about your multiple interests in your statement of purpose.

For more information about various academic fields in the Study of Religion, please visit our Academic Fields page.

While a master’s degree is not a requirement, it is a distinct advantage in the application process. In fact, most students admitted to the Ph.D. program have already earned master’s degrees or academic equivalent outside the U.S. The background gained from one or two years of study beyond the undergraduate level allows a student to enter a doctoral program prepared to do the advanced work required for a Ph.D.

Students with an undergraduate record of high quality and extensive academic preparation relevant to their statement of purpose may be admitted with only a B.A.

For applicants to the Ph.D. program in the Study of Religion, a writing sample is required. The 20-page limit/5000-word limit refers to the main body of the paper and does not include bibliographies.

When applying to the Doctoral Program, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences requires that you upload a copy of your transcript from each college/university attended with your online application. An official transcript showing the conferral of the undergraduate degree is required to register in the Graduate School. An official transcript that differs from the application copy may bar an admitted candidate from registering.

No. We do not accept GRE scores.

It is very important that you write a clear and informative statement of purpose. You should be able to talk in some detail about your academic interests, what led you to them, and what you envision the focus of your program at Harvard would be. As much as possible, you should familiarize yourself with the faculty and resources at Harvard in your proposed area of study. Reviewers of your application will look for a good “fit” between what you want to do and what Harvard has to offer.

Academic preparation is also extremely important, and reviewers will look for courses on your transcripts which indicate that you have the background necessary to do the program for which you are applying. In particular, for those fields requiring knowledge of one or more foreign languages, you should have evidence of a year or more of study of at least one of the languages. For example, study of Sanskrit prior to admission would be crucial for anyone applying in Hinduism.

Recommendations from faculty familiar with your academic work are crucial as well. When deciding whether to get a reference from a more senior or renowned professor who may not know you well, or from a more junior faculty member who does know your work and your capabilities, it is best to choose the latter. Reviewers of your application are looking for assessments of your academic achievement and future potential, so it is most important to hear from those who best know your work. Personal references, such as from employers or family friends, are discouraged.

Harvard offers a coordinated JD/PhD Program which is designed for students interested in completing interdisciplinary work and is founded on the belief that students’ legal studies and their arts and sciences graduate studies can be mutually enriched through this pursuit. Students completing the coordinated program receive a JD from Harvard Law School (HLS) and a PhD from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS). It is expected that these students will be strong candidates for teaching posts at law schools and in arts and sciences programs, as well as for other positions in law and academia. Details about the program and admissions process can be viewed here.

Program guidelines stipulate that students should complete their degrees in seven years. Some students may complete their doctoral programs sooner. Various factors, such as language study or research abroad, will affect the length of a student’s program.

In our advising system, each doctoral student is admitted to study with a primary advisor, but all entering students, in collaboration with their advisors, also choose two other faculty members to support them in their work. One of those faculty members must be from outside of the student’s main areas of interest.

Students are encouraged to meet regularly with all members of their advising team during the year, and they meet with their advising team as a group in the spring. Students continue to work with an advising team during their second year, but they are invited to make changes to its membership if their interests have changed.

In the third year, students choose a doctoral general exam committee of three or four faculty. One of the many advantages of this more collaborative advising system is that it dissuades students from becoming overly specialized. Our goal is to prepare our students to be scholars of religion writ large, not simply scholars of Buddhism, Christianity, etc.

As part of the funding offered to admitted students, teaching fellowships are made available beginning in year three. Teaching experience is integral to the doctoral program. Teaching Fellowship positions are most often found through the Divinity School and in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Additional teaching opportunities include work as junior and senior tutors with small groups or individuals majoring in religion, as well as work with HarvardX and the Harvard Extension School. Every effort is made to give students the best information for securing these teaching positions.

Incoming new graduate students receive their stipend disbursement on orientation day. Returning graduate students are issued stipend the first of September for the fall term. If you have not set up direct deposit, the check will be mailed on that date.

Yes. Once you are a student, you are eligible to apply for a range of fellowships at various stages in your program, for example, summer language study grants, traveling fellowships for research abroad, other research grants, and dissertation completion fellowships.

The GSAS made some changes to their funding structure for doctoral students entering 2016-17 and beyond. These allow for some deferrals of teaching fellowships to later G years and other enhancements. Read more.

GSAS made some recent changes which allow students to shift their priority years to any combination within G3, G4, G5, and G6 years. This allows students in the Study of Religion to do research work earlier in their program, if they have secured alternative sources of funding. Read the guidance here.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers accommodations to students who are anticipating the birth or adoption of a child. You may review the policy here.

The Harvard graduate Student Union (HGSU-UAW Local 5118) has their own website detailing their membership, events, and their full contract. Visit here.