Admissions

Student Qualifications & Admission Requirements 

To qualify for admission, applicants must demonstrate strong enthusiasm and ability for the vigorous pursuit of scientific knowledge. Minimal requirements include a bachelor’s degree and undergraduate preparation in the sciences. The program in Bioinformatics requires a strong grounding in mathematics and quantitative sciences (e.g. computer sciences, physics and chemistry). 

 

Strong consideration is given to letters of recommendation, particularly to comments from individuals who have firsthand knowledge of the applicant’s research experience.

 

All of our Programs conduct personal interviews as part of the application process. Invitations for interviews are usually sent out between late December and early January depending on the program.

 

Harvard University's policy is to make decisions on the basis of the individual's qualifications to contribute to Harvard's educational objectives and institutional needs. It is unlawful, and contrary to Harvard University policy, to discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, veteran status, or disability unrelated to job or course of study requirements.


Applying to a Program in DMS 

To apply to a DMS program, you should select "Division of Medical Sciences" as your program of choice from the pull down menu at the "Select degree program" box on the Degree Programs page. Then using the pull down menu at the "Select area of study" box right below this, you must select one of these six specific subject areas within the Division of Medical Sciences.

 

  • Bioinformatics and Integrative Genomics (BIG)

  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS)**

  • Immunology

  • Neuroscience (PiN)

  • Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology (SHBT)

  • Virology

 

Those wishing to do research in Biochemical and Biophysical Mechanisms, Cancer Biology, Cellular Systems and Mechanics, Computational Biology, Developmental Biology, Genomics, Human Biology, Immunobiology, Metabolism and Physiology, Molecular Genetics, Microbial Systems and Infectious Disease, Molecular Neuroscience, Proteomics, Regenerative Biology, Stem Cell Biology, Structural Biology, Synthetic Biology or Therapeutics usually apply through the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) Program.  Applicants wishing to do research in Bioinformatics and Integrative Genomics (BIG), Immunology, Neuroscience, Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology (SHBT) or Virology should apply directly to the relevant program.

  

If you are unsure which program is best for you, please clarify this in an additional letter accompanying your application.

 

**BBS applicants should complete the "Areas of Interest" form on the online application.


Application Fees & Deadline

The cost to apply online is $105.00 U.S. (subject to change) The online application fee must be paid by credit card, no other form of payment is accepted. Your application will not be processed unless payment is submitted and received.

 

Applications for the 2021-2022 academic year will open in the fall.  Applications will have a submission deadline December 1, 2020 5:00 PM EST.  All applications must be submitted by this date in order to be considered.  A completed application includes submission of the online application form, scores from the Graduate Record Examination (General Test), and official transcripts. Applicants whose native language is not English, and who have not received a bachelor's degree from an English language institution, must meet minimum score requirements on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

 

All materials, including letters of recommendation and official reports of the GRE, must be received by the application deadline.

 

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) - Optional

 

The GRE is optional for all DMS Programs (BBS, BIG, Immunology, PiN, SHBT, and Virology). The GRE Subject test is also optional; if you choose to take a subject test, you can take it in the subject of your choice.

 

When requesting GRE score reports, be sure to indicate the receiving institution as Harvard University, Graduate Division, Arts and Sciences code 3451. No department code is required.

 

Demonstrate English Proficiency, Where Required

Adequate command of spoken and written English is essential to success in graduate study at Harvard. Applicants who are non-native English speakers and who received their undergraduate degree from an academic institution where English is not the primary language of instruction must prove their English proficiency by earning either a minimum score of 100 on the Internet based test (iBT) of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a minimum score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic test. Applicants who took tests more than two years ago (i.e., before September 1, 2018, for fall 2020 admission) must retake them. No test other than the iBT TOEFL or the IELTS Academic will be accepted as proof of English proficiency; a master’s degree is not accepted as proof of English proficiency.

 

For those students planning to submit TOEFL scores, please arrange to have an official score report sent to the Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences using code 3451. If you have a copy of your Score Confirmation Report, you can upload it to your online application for consideration by the admissions committee. However, you will still need to ensure that Educational Testing Service sends an official score report.

 

For those students planning to submit IELTS scores, please note that we will only accept official IELTS Academic scores submitted electronically by the IELTS test center via the E-Delivery service. Scores from the IELTS General Training module are not accepted. At the time of test-taking, please specify Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences as a score recipient. We do not accept IELTS paper Test Report Forms nor do we verify Test Report Forms (TRFs).

 

Financial Aid 

Applicants to the Division of Medical Sciences, other than international applicants to the SHBT program, should NOT­ complete the Statement of Financial Resources for Graduate Study. These students receive full tuition and stipend support while they are enrolled. International applicants to the SHBT program who are not permanent legal residents of the US must complete the Statement of Financial Resources for Graduate Study.

 

Letters of Recommendation 

We do not accept any paper letters of recommendation. Be sure to register your recommenders’ information in your application, as all recommendation letters must be submitted online.  Paper letters of recommendation will NOT be included as part of your application.

Application

The application for Fall 2021 matriculation is now open. Please click here to apply.

The application deadline is December 1, 2020 at 5:00pm Eastern time. 


In order to apply to one of the six programs within the Division of Medical Sciences:

  1. Select "Division of Medical Sciences" from the program selection drop down menu
  2. Select from the subject drop down the Ph.D. subject for which you are applying:
    • Bioinformatics & Integrative Genomics (BIG)
    • Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS)
    • Immunology
    • Neuroscience
    • Speech & Hearing Bioscience Technology
    • Virology

 

Frequently Asked Questions

For answers to Frequently Asked Questions on the Admissions process, please click here.

 

Contact Information

DMS Student Affairs Office

Harvard Medical School

TMEC 435
260 Longwood Ave
Boston, MA 02115

(617) 432-0162

dms@hms.harvard.edu


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