Admissions FAQ

The deadline for Fall 2025 will be January 5, 2025 at 5:00 pm ET.  All materials must be submitted to GSAS by the deadline. No materials will be accepted after the deadline.

No. All application materials must be submitted directly to Harvard Griffin GSAS via the online application portal before the deadline. The IAAS office is unable to accept any admissions materials.

The writing sample should be on a topic relevant to the area in which the applicant intends to pursue their doctoral degree. Applicants should submit a writing sample that best reflects their abilities and interests while pursuing a doctoral degree. The writing sample should be no more than 20 pages plus citations. The use of primary source materials is highly recommended. 

Harvard Griffin GSAS permits an applicant to submit only two applications in a single year and a total limit of three applications per that applicant’s academic career.

Applicants to the Ph.D. program are not required to have an master's degree before applying to the Ph.D. program; however, a master's degree is highly recommended.

All applicants are encouraged to carefully review the Harvard Griffin GSAS website. Financial Support information may be found at https://gsas.harvard.edu/financial-support.

You can log in to the application portal to check on the status of your application.

After reading the information on the Harvard Griffin GSAS website and the IAAS Program page, if you still have questions about the application process please email: admiss@fas.harvard.edu. If you have questions specific to the IAAS PhD program, please email iaas@fas.harvard.edu for assistance.