IAAS Admissions

Admission to the PhD program in Inner Asian and Altaic Studies has been paused and will not be accepting applications for Fall 2026. 

Admission into the Inner Asian and Altaic Studies Program is managed jointly by the Harvard Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) and the Committee on Inner Asian and Altaic Studies (IAAS). All applications to Harvard Griffin GSAS must be completed electronically via the online application. No application materials should be sent to the IAAS office. 

The application deadline for Fall 2025 admission will be in January 5, 2025 at 5:00 pm ET, and the online application for the next admissions cycle typically becomes available in September on the GSAS website. Kindly refer to the website for more detailed instructions on applying to IAAS.

All students admitted into the IAAS program are expected to meet the requirements of the Harvard Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, including a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution, a superior undergraduate academic record, recent GRE scores, submission of a Statement of Purpose, and proficiency in at least one foreign language, for example, Arabic, Chinese, Persian, Russian, Tibetan or Turkish, relevant to the student's area and field of study. A master's degree in hand is advantageous but is not required.

Prospective students should carefully review the Harvard Griffin GSAS application process and the IAAS Program page for additional information and detailed instructions.

IAAS does not discriminate against applicants or students on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry or any other protected classification.