Requirement of Harvard GSD

Applicants are admitted for fall term only; there is no mid-year admission. If you apply to more than one program, which you are welcome to do, you will need to submit a separate application fee and form for each program. Applicants receive decision letters at the beginning of April and must respond by April 15. No deferrals of admission will be granted.

Application Deadlines

Architecture: December 14, 2007: Deadline for online submission of the application, nonrefundable $75 application fee, transcripts, resume, letters of recommendation, essay, GRE scores, and TOEFL scores (if applicable). January 2, 2008: deadline for Architecture portfolios (to be received in Admissions Office by this date).

Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning, Urban Design, Master in Design Studies, Doctor of Design: January 18, 2008. Please note that there is only one deadline for these programs. By this date, online submission of the application, nonrefundable $75 application fee, transcripts, letters of recommendation, resume, essay, GRE scores (or GMAT, if applicable; see below), and TOEFL scores (if applicable) must be made, and the portfolio, if required, must be received in our office.

Our 2007 Catalog will be available in September. For information about our degree programs please see the respective program descriptions in the current Catalog.

Frequently Asked Questions

What You'll Need to Send Us

Below is a summary of the documents and materials that you will need to prepare and submit for the application process. For complete instructions and information, however, please read the Instructions for Applying for Admission in the application and the Admission and Financial Information in the Catalog.

All applicants to degree programs must submit the following:

• Online Application Form.
  
• Application Fee of $75 for each application submitted.
  
• Official Transcripts from all colleges and universities from which you have received credit.
  
• Letters of Recommendation (three).
  
• Resume and Essay (please note that there are special instructions for the essay, depending on the degree program to which you are applying, outlined in the application).
  
• Graduate Record Examination Scores (GRE), required of all applicants, though applicants to the area of Project Management and Real Estate Studies in the degree program Master in Design Studies may submit the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) in lieu of the GRE. When requesting that GRE or GMAT scores be sent to Harvard University, applicants should use the institution code for the Graduate School of Design (3455); a department code is not needed.
  
• For International Students: Evidence of English Proficiency (TOEFL and TSE scores, or TOEFL internet-based test scores; see www.ets.org for test information).
  
• Portfolio. Applicants to degree programs other than the Master in Urban Planning program must submit a portfolio that includes their most important and representative design work. Master in Urban Planning applicants do not need to submit a portfolio. The portfolio for Master in Design Studies and Doctor of Design applicants should consist of scholarly, academic and/or professional work and may or may not include visual material, at the discretion of the applicant, and as related to the proposed research area. Special students may also be required to submit portfolios.

If you are applying for Financial Aid, please see the online Financial Aid Instructions.