harvard thesis requirements

Doctoral Thesis Guidelines

Introduction

Preparing to Submit the Thesis

Application for the Degree Oral Final Examination – Signature Page

Online Submission of the Thesis

ETDs @ ProQuest ORCID Harvard Author Agreement Redaction Embargoes Surveys

Distribution of the Thesis

Open Access After Submission Bound Thesis Fee Additional Bound Copies

Copyright and Publishing Considerations

Understanding Your Copyright and Fair Use Copyright Registration Acknowledging the Work of Others Use of Copyrighted Material Steps for Using Published and To-Be Published Work

Formatting Guidelines

Text Margins Pagination Title Title Page Abstract Body of Thesis Figures and Tables Footnotes Bibliography Supplemental Material  

Citation & Style Guides

Thesis Submission Checklist

INTRODUCTION All DrPH degree candidates at the Harvard Chan School are required to successfully complete and submit a thesis to qualify for degree conferral. This website provides information on the requirements for how to format your thesis, how to submit your thesis, and how your thesis will be distributed.  Please follow the submission and formatting guidelines provided here. Back to top

PREPARING TO SUBMIT THE THESIS The electronic submission of your thesis and the original Signature Page are due on the dates specified on the Harvard Chan School’s Academic Calendar Summary for each degree awarding period (November, March, and May). These items must be submitted using the ETDs @ ProQuest tool in order for the degree to be voted. No exceptions will be made to this rule. Back to top

Application for the Degree There are three degree granting periods: November, March, and May. To apply for graduation, students must complete the Application for Degree on the my.Harvard portal by the deadline posted on the Harvard Chan School’s Academic Calendar .

Deadline extensions are not possible. Students who miss the deadline must apply for the subsequent degree conferral date (November, March, or May). The student is responsible for meeting submission deadlines. Back to top

Oral Final Examination — Signature Page All Doctoral Committee members are required to sign the Signature Page at the time of the Doctoral Final Oral Examination indicating their final approval of the thesis.

A scanned copy of the Signature Page should appear before the title page of the PDF online submission of the thesis; no page number should be assigned to the Signature Page. The title on the Signature Page must read exactly as it does on the title page of the thesis. The Signature Page will be included in all copies of the thesis.

Click here for instructions on how to merge the Signature Page into the thesis PDF.

The Signature Page for DrPH students must be formatted as follows:

This Doctoral Thesis, [ Title of Doctoral Project ], presented by [ Student’s Name ], and Submitted to the Faculty of The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Public Health , has been read and approved by:

______________________________________ (typed name below line – signature above)

________________________________________ (typed name below the line – signature above)

Date : [ Doctoral Project Official Approval Date (month day, year) ]

Back to top

ONLINE SUBMISSION OF THE THESIS  

ETDs @ ProQuest All DrPH candidates are required to submit a digital copy of the thesis to the Registrar’s Office as a PDF file via ETDs @ ProQuest by the deadline established for each degree conferral date. Theses must be submitted in their final format, as described in the section Formatting Guidelines . Students must check their formatting carefully before submitting. Formatting errors will prevent the students’ theses from being accepted and approved.

The online-submission tool can be found at:  http://www.etdadmin.com/hsph.harvard

A how-to video for submitting a thesis via ETDs is available on the Countway Library website .

ORCID ETDs @ ProQuest supports ORCIDs.  ORCIDs are persistent digital identifiers that link you to your professional activity.  You may register for an ORCID either before or during submission if you do not yet have one.  To do so, you may go here .

The Harvard Library ORCID page provides information about the value of having an ORCID iD and how Harvard plans to use ORCID data. Additionally, please visit the Harvard ORCID Connect site to connect your existing ORCID iD to Harvard University.

Harvard Author Agreement When submitting work through ETDs @ ProQuest, you will be consenting to the Harvard Author Agreement , which grants the University a non-exclusive license to preserve, reproduce, and display the work. This license, which is the same the Harvard Chan School faculty use under the School’s Open Access Policy, does not constrain your rights to publish your work subsequently. Back to top

Redaction Very few theses require redaction, which is the process of obscuring or removing sensitive information for distribution. ETDs @ ProQuest does support redacted versioning for these very rare cases where there is sensitive or potentially harmful material in the thesis (e.g., commercially sensitive information, sensitive personal data, risk of harmful retribution, etc.).

If your work is one such rare instance, then you may select the “I think I need to submit a redacted version of my thesis” on the file upload screen. You will then be prompted to contact the Office for Scholarly Communication, which will help you with your request. Back to top

Embargoes To forestall any potential challenges that a student may face in the publication process (e.g., if the candidate has a publication pending with a publisher or has previously published some of the content in the thesis and there is a publisher’s embargo that must be honored), the Harvard Chan School has instituted a default one-year embargo for submissions through ETDs @ ProQuest.   The embargo starts on the date of the thesis submission deadline. With an embargo, the full text of the thesis will be unavailable for view or download for a limited period of time.  The citation and abstract for the work, however, will be publicly available.

If a student would like to make her/his work available immediately by opting out of the embargo process, she/he may do so by selecting the No Embargo option during the submission process.

If, due to extenuating circumstances, a student is required to embargo part or all of their work beyond one year, she/he must request an extension during the submission process. An extension can be requested for up to two years. This request is subject to the approval of the student’s department chair(s) and the University Librarian.

Any embargo applied to the DASH version of the thesis will be applied to the Countway Library and Harvard Chan School department versions of the work.

Students do not need to take any action to remove an embargo.  The embargo will automatically be lifted in DASH at the end of the selected and approved period.  If a student would like to change the duration of his/her embargo request, then please contact the Registrar’s Office at [email protected] or 617-432-1032. Back to top

Surveys The School of Public Health is asked to participate in the Survey of Earned Doctorates. This is an annual census of research doctorate recipients in the United States.  Data collected from these surveys are used to make federal policy decisions regarding graduate education.

Students are required to complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates upon submission of their thesis. A Certificate of Completion will be sent to you, as well as to the Registrar’s Office.

Please click here to complete your survey.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE THESIS

Open Access For information on open access, we recommend the Office of Scholarly Communication’s (OSC) Director Peter Suber’s brief introduction . He has also written about providing open access to theses . The OSC has produced several videos of Harvard faculty and students discussing open access. Two may be of particular interest: the first features Professors Gary King and Stuart Shieber , and the second features a recent Harvard graduate, Ben Finio . Back to top

After Submission Once you have applied for your degree and submitted your thesis online, it is checked for compliance by the Registrar’s Office and, if accepted, is piped to the following downstream systems:

• DASH : Your work will be sent to DASH (Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard), Harvard’s open access repository. Search engines index DASH, which means your work will be more discoverable and more frequently cited. You will be making DASH access decisions for your work at the point of submission. This will be the access copy of the thesis.
• HOLLIS : The metadata about your work will be sent to HOLLIS . This will make your work discoverable through the Harvard Library catalog.
• DRS2 : Your work will be stored in Harvard Library’s digital preservation repository, DRS2 . This will be the preservation copy of the thesis.

By default, theses will be made available through DASH one year after students submit their theses via ETDs @ Harvard for degree completion (see Embargoes ). DASH is operated by Harvard Library’s Office for Scholarly Communication and is the University’s central service for openly distributing Harvard’s scholarly output.

Note that any embargo applied to the DASH version of the thesis will be applied to the Countway Library and department versions of the work. Back to top

Bound Thesis Fee Currently we are not receiving bound thesis copies.  Doctoral students will not be charged bound thesis fees. Back to top

Additional Bound Copies Students may secure extra copies of their work for their own purposes.  These additional copies may be purchased through  Acme Bookbinding . or through ETDs @ ProQuest . Back to top

COPYRIGHT AND PUBLISHING CONSIDERATIONS

Understanding Your Copyright and Fair Use The Office for Scholarly Communication has created copyright-related resources for your reference.

The first addresses your copyrights and identifies some considerations when publishing (see “ Planning to publish? ”). It is important that you envision any future use you may like to make of your work. Any publishing contract you sign can affect your potential future uses, such as use in teaching, posting your work online on either a personal or departmental website, or any potential future publication. Before you sign a publication agreement, you can negotiate with a publisher to secure licensing terms that best suit your needs. It is important that you read any contract you sign and keep a copy for your own records.

The second resource discusses fair use (see “ Fair use ”), what it is, the laws that have determined its shape over time, and tips for ensuring that use of third-party material (including quotes, images, music, film, etc.) in your thesis is fair. Back to top

Copyright Registration Your work is copyrighted as soon as it is fixed in a tangible form. You are not required to register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office to enjoy protection of your work. However, if you choose to do so, you may register your work with the Copyright Office online . Back to top

Acknowledging the Work of Others Students are responsible for acknowledging any facts, ideas, or materials of others used in their own work. Students should refer to the statement on Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism in the Harvard Chan School’s Student Handbook . Back to top

Use of Copyrighted Material A thesis is a scholarly work, and as such use of third party material is often essential. Fair use applies to the reproduction of any third party material, including your own previously published work, that you may use in your thesis.

If you have questions about copyright and fair use, please contact the Office for Scholarly Communication . Back to top

Steps for Using Published and To-Be Published Work When submitting an article for publication that you intend to use in your thesis, you should secure permission to do so (along with permission to reuse your own work as you would like) from your publisher in your publishing agreement. If the default contract does not let you retain these rights already, then you should use an author addendum to secure these rights (see “ Planning to publish? ”).

You may use your own previously published material as part of your thesis with the permission of the publisher. Again, refer to your publication agreement for details. If your contract does not specify these rights, then contact the publisher to negotiate this use. Back to top

FORMATTING GUIDELINES The following are instructions on how to format your thesis. If, after reading the instructions here, you have additional questions about the requirements, please contact the Registrar’s Office at (617) 432-1032; [email protected]. Back to top

Text   All text should be double-spaced on one side of the page with footnotes single-spaced. The font size should be at least 10 point, but no larger than 12 point.  The font and font size should be consistent throughout.  All text should be black. Back to top  |  Back to Formatting Guidelines

Margins The margins of the thesis must be 1 inch on all sides. Back to top  |  Back to Formatting Guidelines

Pagination Students’ theses must follow the pagination guidelines as illustrated below. It is customary not to have a page number on the page containing a chapter/paper heading. Drawings, charts, graphs, and photographs should be referred to as figures and should be numbered consecutively within the text of the thesis with Arabic numerals. Each figure should carry a suitable caption; e.g., Fig. 42. Arrangement of Experimental Equipment. Check pagination carefully and account for all pages.

All page numbers should be consecutive and centered at either the bottom or top of the page.
 Back to top  |  Back to Formatting Guidelines

Title The title of the thesis should be brief and should indicate the general subject treated. Nine words are usually sufficient to describe the investigation. Students are strongly encouraged to embed keywords into their title, so that the title will be retrievable on computerized listings. Back to top  |  Back to Formatting Guidelines

Title Page The title page must contain the following information, well-spaced and centered on the page:

For DrPH Students:

TITLE OF DOCTORAL THESIS

STUDENT’S NAME

A Doctoral Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of

The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Doctor of Public Health

Harvard University

Boston, Massachusetts.

Date (the month in which degree will be awarded, year of graduation (e.g., May 2021)

Back to top  |  Back to Formatting Guidelines

Abstract The abstract should not exceed 350 words. It should immediately follow the Title Page, and should state the problem, describe the methods and procedures used, and give the main results or conclusions of the research. The abstract should be double-spaced. The author’s name and the title of the thesis, as well as the name of the thesis advisor, should be included on the abstract page. The author’s name should be right justified, the title of the thesis centered, and “Thesis Advisor: Dr. ____________” should be left-justified at the top of the abstract page.

Thesis Advisor: Dr. [Advisor’s name]                                                    [Author’s name]

[Title of thesis]

           The text of the abstract, not to exceed 350 words, should be double-spaced.  The first line of each paragraph is indented.  Full justification of the text is not recommended.

Students will also be required to submit a text version of the abstract via the online-submission tool. Back to top  |  Back to Formatting Guidelines

Body of Thesis The thesis should consist of manuscripts suitable for publication in a scientific medium appropriate to the candidate’s field and/or approved reprints of the published work(s) (see Steps for Using Published and To-Be Published Work and Use of Copyrighted Material ).

Technical appendices should be added where necessary to demonstrate full development of the thesis material. Papers published under joint authorship are acceptable provided the candidate has contributed a major part to the investigation. The degree candidate is expected to be senior author on at least one of the papers. In the case of manuscripts published under joint authorship, the co-authors or the advisor may be consulted by the readers or the CAD to clarify the nature and extent of the candidate’s contribution. In addition to evaluating the quality and significance of the work, those responsible for accepting the thesis [the Department(s) and Doctoral Project Committee] may determine whether the format is suitable for publication in a scientific medium appropriate to the degree candidate’s field(s). Back to top  |  Back to Formatting Guidelines

Figures and Tables Figures and tables must be placed as close as possible to their first mention in the text. They may be placed on a page with no text above or below, or they may be placed directly in the text. If a figure or table is alone on a page with no narrative, it should be centered within the margins of the page.

Figures and tables referred to in the text may not be placed at the end of the chapter or at the end of the thesis. Figure and table numbering must be either continuous throughout the thesis or by paper (e.g., 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2). For example, there cannot be two figures designated in a thesis as “Figure 5.”

Headings of tables should be placed at the top of the table. While there are no specific rules for the format of table headings and figure captions, a consistent format must be used throughout the thesis. (See Citation and Style Guides )

Captions of figures should be placed at the bottom of the figure. If the figure takes up the entire page, the figure caption should be placed alone on the preceding page and centered vertically and horizontally within the margins. Each page receives a separate page number. When a figure or table title is on a preceding page, the second and subsequent pages of the figure or table should say, for example, “Figure 5 (Continued).” In such an instance, the list of figures or tables will list the page number containing the title. The word “Figure” should be written in full (not abbreviated), and the “F” should be capitalized (e.g., Figure 5). In instances where the caption continues on a second page, the “(Continued)” notation should appear on the second and any subsequent page. The figure/table and the caption are viewed as one entity and the numbering should show correlation between all pages. Each page must include a header.

Horizontal figures and tables must be positioned correctly and bound at the top, so that the top of the figure or table will be at the left margin (leave a 1 inch margin on the long edge of the paper above the top of the table).

Figure and table headings/captions are placed with the same orientation as the figure or table when on the same page. When on a separate page, headings/captions are always placed in vertical orientation, regardless of the orientation of the figure or table. Page numbers are always placed as if the figure were vertical on the page.

Figures created with software are acceptable if the figures are clear and legible. Legends and titles created by the same process as the figures will be accepted if they too are clear, legible, and run at least 10 or 12 characters per inch. Otherwise, legends and captions should be printed with the same font used in the text. Back to top  |  Back to Formatting Guidelines

Footnotes Footnotes are reserved for substantive additions to the text and should be indicated by an asterisk in the text. Extensive use of footnotes is not encouraged. The footnote should be placed at the bottom of the page. A horizontal line of at least two inches should be typed above the first footnote on any page. Footnotes should be placed so that at least one inch is left at the bottom of the page. Use single-spacing within footnotes. Back to top  |  Back to Formatting Guidelines

Bibliography To document the sources of information, a bibliography must be included at the end of the papers or thesis. References may be numbered or listed alphabetically. If references in the bibliography are numbered, then corresponding in-text references should be indicated by listing the number in parentheses after the name of the author.

Bibliographic Example:

23. Gibbs, C.S.: Filterable virus carriers. J. Bact., 23, 1932, 113.

In-Text Example:

“. . . as Gibbs (23) has stated.”

The initial number should be omitted if references are listed alphabetically.

Within any bibliographic section there should be consistency and adherence to an acceptable journal style for a bibliography. Each reference in the bibliography must contain the name of the author, title of the paper, name of publication, volume, date, and first page.

More than one publication by the same author in the same year should be indicated both in the bibliography and in the text by the use of underlined letters, etc., after the date of publication. The standard system of abbreviation used by the Quarterly Cumulative Index should be followed for the abbreviations of journal titles.

If students’ individual papers have different bibliographic styles, then it is not necessary to change the bibliographic style of one to match the other. Consistency within each bibliographic section is the most important element. Back to top  |  Back to Formatting Guidelines

Supplemental Material Supplemental figures and tables must be placed at the end of each chapter/paper in an appendix. If additional digital information (including text, audio, video, image, or datasets) will accompany the main body of the thesis, then it should be uploaded as supplemental material via the ETDs @ Harvard online submission tool. Back to top  |  Back to Formatting Guidelines

CITATION & STYLE GUIDES

• The Chicago Manual of Style. 16th ed. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2003.
• Crews, Kenneth D. Copyright Law and the Doctoral Dissertation. Ann Arbor, MI: ProQuest, 2000.
• Day, Robert A. and Barbara Gastel. How to Write & Publish a Scientific Paper. 6th ed. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2006.
• MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Modern Language Association of America, 2008. Strunk, William. The Elements of Style. 4th ed. New York, NY: Penguin Press, 2005.
• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 6th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2010.
• Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Chicago
• Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing. 7th ed. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2007.

THESIS SUBMISSION CHECKLIST ☐ Is the Signature Page unnumbered and positioned as the first page of the PDF file? ☐ Is there a blank page after the Signature Page? ☐ Does the body of the thesis begin with Page 1? ☐ Is the pagination continuous? Are all pages included? ☐ Is every page of the thesis correctly numbered? ☐ Is the placement of page numbers centered throughout the manuscript? ☐ Is the Title Page formatted correctly? ☐ Is the author’s name, in full, on the Title Page of the thesis and the abstract? ☐ Does the author’s name read the same on both and does it match the Signature Page? ☐ Is the abstract included after the Title Page? ☐ Does the abstract include the title of the thesis, the author’s name, and the thesis advisor(s)’ name? ☐ Is the title on the abstract the same as that on the title page? ☐ Are the margins 1” on all sides? ☐ Is the font size 10-12 point? ☐ Are all charts, graphs, and other illustrative materials perfectly legible? ☐ Do lengthy figures and tables include the “(Continued)” notation? ☐ Has all formatting been checked? ☐ Is the Survey of Earned Doctorates  completed? ☐ Has the Survey of Earned Doctorates’ confirmation email or certificate been uploaded to ETDs @ Harvard?

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What is a thesis?

What is a dissertation, getting started, staying on track.

A thesis is a long-term project that you work on over the course of a semester or a year. Theses have a very wide variety of styles and content, so we encourage you to look at prior examples and work closely with faculty to develop yours. 

Before you begin, make sure that you are familiar with the dissertation genre—what it is for and what it looks like.

Generally speaking, a dissertation’s purpose is to prove that you have the expertise necessary to fulfill your doctoral-degree requirements by showing depth of knowledge and independent thinking.

The form of a dissertation may vary by discipline. Be sure to follow the specific guidelines of your department.

• PhD This site directs candidates to the GSAS website about dissertations , with links to checklists,  planning, formatting, acknowledgments, submission, and publishing options. There is also a link to guidelines for the prospectus . Consult with your committee chair about specific requirements and standards for your dissertation.
• DDES This document covers planning, patent filing, submission guidelines, publishing options, formatting guidelines, sample pages, citation guidelines, and a list of common errors to avoid. There is also a link to guidelines for the prospectus .
• Scholarly Pursuits (GSAS) This searchable booklet from Harvard GSAS is a comprehensive guide to writing dissertations, dissertation-fellowship applications, academic journal articles, and academic job documents.

Finding an original topic can be a daunting and overwhelming task. These key concepts can help you focus and save time.

Finding a topic for your thesis or dissertation should start with a research question that excites or at least interests you. A rigorous, engaging, and original project will require continuous curiosity about your topic, about your own thoughts on the topic, and about what other scholars have said on your topic. Avoid getting boxed in by thinking you know what you want to say from the beginning; let your research and your writing evolve as you explore and fine-tune your focus through constant questioning and exploration.

Get a sense of the broader picture before you narrow your focus and attempt to frame an argument. Read, skim, and otherwise familiarize yourself with what other scholars have done in areas related to your proposed topic. Briefly explore topics tangentially related to yours to broaden your perspective and increase your chance of finding a unique angle to pursue.

Critical Reading

Critical reading is the opposite of passive reading. Instead of merely reading for information to absorb, critical reading also involves careful, sustained thinking about what you are reading. This process may include analyzing the author’s motives and assumptions, asking what might be left out of the discussion, considering what you agree with or disagree with in the author’s statements and why you agree or disagree, and exploring connections or contradictions between scholarly arguments. Here is a resource to help hone your critical-reading skills:

http://writing.umn.edu/sws/assets/pdf/quicktips/criticalread.pdf

Conversation

Your thesis or dissertation will incorporate some ideas from other scholars whose work you researched. By reading critically and following your curiosity, you will develop your own ideas and claims, and these contributions are the core of your project. You will also acknowledge the work of scholars who came before you, and you must accurately and fairly attribute this work and define your place within the larger discussion. Make sure that you know how to quote, summarize, paraphrase ,  integrate , and cite secondary sources to avoid plagiarism and to show the depth and breadth of your knowledge.

A thesis is a long-term, large project that involves both research and writing; it is easy to lose focus, motivation, and momentum. Here are suggestions for achieving the result you want in the time you have.

The dissertation is probably the largest project you have undertaken, and a lot of the work is self-directed. The project can feel daunting or even overwhelming unless you break it down into manageable pieces and create a timeline for completing each smaller task. Be realistic but also challenge yourself, and be forgiving of yourself if you miss a self-imposed deadline here and there.

Your program will also have specific deadlines for different requirements, including establishing a committee, submitting a prospectus, completing the dissertation, defending the dissertation, and submitting your work. Consult your department’s website for these dates and incorporate them into the timeline for your work.

Accountability

Sometimes self-imposed deadlines do not feel urgent unless there is accountability to someone beyond yourself. To increase your motivation to complete tasks on schedule, set dates with your committee chair to submit pre-determined pieces of a chapter. You can also arrange with a fellow doctoral student to check on each other’s progress. Research and writing can be lonely, so it is also nice to share that journey with someone and support each other through the process.

Common Pitfalls

The most common challenges for students writing a dissertation are writer’s block, information-overload, and the compulsion to keep researching forever.

There are many strategies for avoiding writer’s block, such as freewriting, outlining, taking a walk, starting in the middle, and creating an ideal work environment for your particular learning style. Pay attention to what helps you and try different things until you find what works.

Efficient researching techniques are essential to avoiding information-overload. Here are a couple of resources about strategies for finding sources and quickly obtaining essential information from them.

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/writing_in_literature_detailed_discussion/reading_criticism.html

https://students.dartmouth.edu/academic-skills/learning-resources/learning-strategies/reading-techniques

Finally, remember that there is always more to learn and your dissertation cannot incorporate everything. Follow your curiosity but also set limits on the scope of your work. It helps to create a folder entitled “future projects” for topics and sources that interest you but that do not fit neatly into the dissertation. Also remember that future scholars will build off of your work, so leave something for them to do.

Browsing through theses and dissertations of the past can help to get a sense of your options and gain inspiration but be careful to use current guidelines and refer to your committee instead of relying on these examples for form or formatting.

DASH Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard.

HOLLIS Harvard Library’s catalog provides access to ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global .

MIT Architecture has a list of their graduates’ dissertations and theses.

Rhode Island School of Design has a list of their graduates’ dissertations and theses.

University of South Florida has a list of their graduates’ dissertations and theses.

Harvard GSD has a list of projects, including theses and professors’ research.

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While Sandel argues that pursuing perfection through genetic engineering would decrease our sense of humility, he claims that the sense of solidarity we would lose is also important.

This thesis summarizes several points in Sandel’s argument, but it does not make a claim about how we should understand his argument. A reader who read Sandel’s argument would not also need to read an essay based on this descriptive thesis.  

Broad thesis (arguable, but difficult to support with evidence) 

Michael Sandel’s arguments about genetic engineering do not take into consideration all the relevant issues.

This is an arguable claim because it would be possible to argue against it by saying that Michael Sandel’s arguments do take all of the relevant issues into consideration. But the claim is too broad. Because the thesis does not specify which “issues” it is focused on—or why it matters if they are considered—readers won’t know what the rest of the essay will argue, and the writer won’t know what to focus on. If there is a particular issue that Sandel does not address, then a more specific version of the thesis would include that issue—hand an explanation of why it is important.  

Arguable thesis with analytical claim 

While Sandel argues persuasively that our instinct to “remake” (54) ourselves into something ever more perfect is a problem, his belief that we can always draw a line between what is medically necessary and what makes us simply “better than well” (51) is less convincing.

This is an arguable analytical claim. To argue for this claim, the essay writer will need to show how evidence from the article itself points to this interpretation. It’s also a reasonable scope for a thesis because it can be supported with evidence available in the text and is neither too broad nor too narrow.  

Arguable thesis with normative claim 

Given Sandel’s argument against genetic enhancement, we should not allow parents to decide on using Human Growth Hormone for their children.

This thesis tells us what we should do about a particular issue discussed in Sandel’s article, but it does not tell us how we should understand Sandel’s argument.  

Questions to ask about your thesis 

• Is the thesis truly arguable? Does it speak to a genuine dilemma in the source, or would most readers automatically agree with it?  
• Is the thesis too obvious? Again, would most or all readers agree with it without needing to see your argument?  
• Is the thesis complex enough to require a whole essay's worth of argument?  
• Is the thesis supportable with evidence from the text rather than with generalizations or outside research?  
• Would anyone want to read a paper in which this thesis was developed? That is, can you explain what this paper is adding to our understanding of a problem, question, or topic?
• picture_as_pdf Thesis

Dissertation Formatting Guidance

The following resource shares some best practice guidance for dissertation formatting. 

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The following resource shares some best practice guidance for dissertation formatting. Please note that some of the elements outlined below are required and will be reviewed by the FAS Registrar's Office as part of Harvard Griffin GSAS policies on formatting . 

Language of the Dissertation

The language of the dissertation is ordinarily English, although some departments whose subject matter involves foreign languages may accept a dissertation written in a language other than English.

Most dissertations are 100 to 300 pages in length. All dissertations should be divided into appropriate sections, and long dissertations may need chapters, main divisions, and subdivisions.

Page and Text Requirements

• 8½ x 11 inches, unless a musical score is included
• At least 1 inch for all margins
• Body of text: double spacing
• Block quotations, footnotes, and bibliographies: single spacing within each entry but double spacing between each entry
• Table of contents, list of tables, list of figures or illustrations, and lengthy tables: single spacing may be used

Fonts and Point Size

Use 10-12 point size. Fonts must be embedded in the PDF file to ensure all characters display correctly. 

Recommended Fonts

If you are unsure whether your chosen font will display correctly, use one of the following fonts: 

If fonts are not embedded, non-English characters may not appear as intended. Fonts embedded improperly will be published to DASH as is. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that fonts are embedded properly prior to submission. 

Instructions for Embedding Fonts

To embed your fonts in recent versions of Word, follow these instructions from Microsoft:

• Click the File tab and then click Options .
• In the left column, select the Save tab.
• Clear the Do not embed common system fonts check box.

For reference, below are some instructions from ProQuest UMI for embedding fonts in older file formats:

To embed your fonts in Microsoft Word 2010:

• In the File pull-down menu, click on Options .
• Choose Save on the left sidebar.
• Check the box next to Embed fonts in the file.
• Click the OK button.
• Save the document.

Note that when saving as a PDF, make sure to go to “more options” and save as “PDF/A compliant”

To embed your fonts in Microsoft Word 2007:

• Click the circular Office button in the upper left corner of Microsoft Word.
• A new window will display. In the bottom right corner select Word Options . 
• Choose Save from the left sidebar.

Using Microsoft Word on a Mac:

Microsoft Word 2008 on a Mac OS X computer will automatically embed your fonts while converting your document to a PDF file.

If you are converting to PDF using Acrobat Professional (instructions courtesy of the Graduate Thesis Office at Iowa State University):  

• Open your document in Microsoft Word. 
• Click on the Adobe PDF tab at the top. Select "Change Conversion Settings." 
• Click on Advanced Settings. 
• Click on the Fonts folder on the left side of the new window. In the lower box on the right, delete any fonts that appear in the "Never Embed" box. Then click "OK." 
• If prompted to save these new settings, save them as "Embed all fonts." 
• Now the Change Conversion Settings window should show "embed all fonts" in the Conversion Settings drop-down list and it should be selected. Click "OK" again. 
• Click on the Adobe PDF link at the top again. This time select Convert to Adobe PDF. Depending on the size of your document and the speed of your computer, this process can take 1-15 minutes. 
• After your document is converted, select the "File" tab at the top of the page. Then select "Document Properties." 
• Click on the "Fonts" tab. Carefully check all of your fonts. They should all show "(Embedded Subset)" after the font name. 
•  If you see "(Embedded Subset)" after all fonts, you have succeeded.

Body of Text, Tables, Figures, and Captions

The font used in the body of the text must also be used in headers, page numbers, and footnotes. Exceptions are made only for tables and figures created with different software and inserted into the document.

Tables and figures must be placed as close as possible to their first mention in the text. They may be placed on a page with no text above or below, or they may be placed directly into the text. If a table or a figure is alone on a page (with no narrative), it should be centered within the margins on the page. Tables may take up more than one page as long as they obey all rules about margins. Tables and figures referred to in the text may not be placed at the end of the chapter or at the end of the dissertation.

• Given the standards of the discipline, dissertations in the Department of History of Art and Architecture and the Department of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning often place illustrations at the end of the dissertation.

Figure and table numbering must be continuous throughout the dissertation or by chapter (e.g., 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, etc.). Two figures or tables cannot be designated with the same number. If you have repeating images that you need to cite more than once, label them with their number and A, B, etc. 

Headings should be placed at the top of tables. While no specific rules for the format of table headings and figure captions are required, a consistent format must be used throughout the dissertation (contact your department for style manuals appropriate to the field).

Captions should appear at the bottom of any figures. If the figure takes up the entire page, the caption should be placed alone on the preceding page, centered vertically and horizontally within the margins.

Each page receives a separate page number. When a figure or table title is on a preceding page, the second and subsequent pages of the figure or table should say, for example, “Figure 5 (Continued).” In such an instance, the list of figures or tables will list the page number containing the title. The word “figure” should be written in full (not abbreviated), and the “F” should be capitalized (e.g., Figure 5). In instances where the caption continues on a second page, the “(Continued)” notation should appear on the second and any subsequent page. The figure/table and the caption are viewed as one entity and the numbering should show correlation between all pages. Each page must include a header.

Landscape orientation figures and tables must be positioned correctly and bound at the top so that the top of the figure or table will be at the left margin. Figure and table headings/captions are placed with the same orientation as the figure or table when on the same page. When on a separate page, headings/captions are always placed in portrait orientation, regardless of the orientation of the figure or table. Page numbers are always placed as if the figure were vertical on the page.

If a graphic artist does the figures, Harvard Griffin GSAS will accept lettering done by the artist only within the figure. Figures done with software are acceptable if the figures are clear and legible. Legends and titles done by the same process as the figures will be accepted if they too are clear, legible, and run at least 10 or 12 characters per inch. Otherwise, legends and captions should be printed with the same font used in the text.

Original illustrations, photographs, and fine arts prints may be scanned and included, centered between the margins on a page with no text above or below.

Pages should be assigned a number except for the Thesis Acceptance Certificate. Preliminary pages (abstract, table of contents, list of tables, graphs, illustrations, and preface) should use small Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, v, etc.). All pages must contain text or images.  

Count the title page as page i and the copyright page as page ii, but do not print page numbers on either page .

For the body of text, use Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.) starting with page 1 on the first page of text. Page numbers must be centered throughout the manuscript at the top or bottom. Every numbered page must be consecutively ordered, including tables, graphs, illustrations, and bibliography/index (if included); letter suffixes (such as 10a, 10b, etc.) are not allowed. It is customary not to have a page number on the page containing a chapter heading.

Check pagination carefully. Account for all pages.

Thesis Acceptance Certificate

A copy of the Thesis Acceptance Certificate should appear as the first page. This page should not be counted or numbered. The DAC will appear in the online version of the published dissertation. The author name and date on the DAC and title page should be the same. 

The dissertation begins with the title page; the title should be as concise as possible and should provide an accurate description of the dissertation. The author name and date on the DAC and title page should be the same. 

Do not print a page number on the title page. It is understood to be page  i  for counting purposes only.

Copyright Statement

A copyright notice should appear on a separate page immediately following the title page and include the copyright symbol ©, the year of first publication of the work, and the name of the author:

© [ year ] [ Author’s Name ] All rights reserved.

Alternatively, students may choose to license their work openly under a  Creative Commons  license. The author remains the copyright holder while at the same time granting up-front permission to others to read, share, and (depending on the license) adapt the work, so long as proper attribution is given. (By default, under copyright law, the author reserves all rights; under a Creative Commons license, the author reserves some rights.)

Do  not  print a page number on the copyright page. It is understood to be page  ii  for counting purposes only.

An abstract, numbered as page  iii , should immediately follow the copyright page and should state the problem, describe the methods and procedures used, and give the main results or conclusions of the research. The abstract will appear in the online and bound versions of the dissertation and will be published by ProQuest. There is no maximum word count for the abstract. 

• double-spaced
• left-justified
• indented on the first line of each paragraph
• The author’s name, right justified
• The words “Dissertation Advisor:” followed by the advisor’s name, left-justified (a maximum of two advisors is allowed)
• Title of the dissertation, centered, several lines below author and advisor
• Table of Contents

Dissertations divided into sections must contain a table of contents that lists, at minimum, the major headings in the following order:

• Front Matter
• Body of Text
• Back Matter

Front and Back Matter

Front matter includes (if applicable):

• acknowledgements of help or encouragement from individuals or institutions
• a dedication
• a list of illustrations or tables
• a glossary of terms
• one or more epigraphs.

Back matter includes (if applicable):

• bibliography
• supplemental materials, including figures and tables
• an index (in rare instances).

Supplemental Material

Supplemental figures and tables must be placed at the end of the dissertation in an appendix, not within or at the end of a chapter. If additional digital information (including audio, video, image, or datasets) will accompany the main body of the dissertation, it should be uploaded as a supplemental file through ProQuest ETD . Supplemental material will be available in DASH and ProQuest and preserved digitally in the Harvard University Archives.

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• IX. Dissertation Requirements

The dissertation, which must make an original contribution to knowledge, may deal with any subject approved by the dissertation committee. The dissertation must be written in English and must demonstrate the student’s capacity to make critical use of source material in one or more East Asian languages.

There is no departmental requirement regarding the length of the dissertation. As a rule, however, most dissertations fall somewhere between 300 and 500 typed, double-spaced pages. Shorter dissertations may be accepted; students are encouraged not to exceed 600 pages.

Dissertation Research and Travel

Dissertation writing.

There are numerous campus resources available to assist students who have begun to write the thesis. Many students find that joining a dissertation writing group provides helpful support and structure. Within the Department, such groups are student-led and form each year. If you are interested in joining or forming such a group, you may do so simply by contacting other senior students and/or your advisor.  are sometimes available to support dissertation writing groups. Applications must be submitted by a faculty member.

Candidates should not expect members of the dissertation committee to perform the duties of a copy editor. Both native and non-native speakers of English often find it helpful to solicit editorial assistance in the final stages of dissertation writing. Such assistance may be provided by peers in the program or by professional editors.

There is a wealth of resources to help you with your writing while at Harvard, a comprehensive list of which may be found  here.

Dissertation Completion Fellowship

The Harvard Griffin Graduate School offers one year of full financial support to all PhD students who are engaged in the final stages of dissertation writing. The application is available on CARAT, and the Graduate Program Coordinator will notify eligible students of the year’s deadlines once these are announced by Harvard Griffin GSAS.

This support ordinarily cannot be split between two academic years, but must be held continuously in one academic year, i.e., sequential fall and spring terms.

To be eligible for a Harvard Griffin GSAS Dissertation Completion Fellowship (DCF), a student must meet the following requirements:

a) the student must have completed work on two substantial chapters of the dissertation by the departmental deadline in the early spring term prior to the grant year.

The completion of the dissertation drafts must be confirmed by the dissertation advisor and a second advisor in a signed  confirmation form . Note that this form replaces the formerly required letters of recommendation. The student will also need to submit a dissertation abstract (one-page double-spaced) along with a Table of Contents indicating progress status for each chapter or article. More information may be found  here.  

Students who have accepted a Harvard Griffin GSAS Dissertation Completion Fellowship should be aware that Harvard Griffin GSAS rules require them to complete the dissertation by the end of the grant year. For students who hold the DCF, one additional year of enrollment may be permitted.

Questions about these requirements should be directed to the Graduate Coordinator.

It is the Department’s expectation that students will have completed all requirements for the PhD, including submission of a satisfactory thesis, by the end of the G8 year (G7 year for transfer students from RSEA). Students who have received Dissertation Completion Fellowships are held strictly to this time limit.

As mentioned in  Section IV , pursuant to Harvard Griffin GSAS regulations, any student who has not completed the dissertation by the end of the G10 year will be withdrawn from the PhD program. Students thus withdrawn may continue to work on the thesis and will be formally readmitted to the program once they have finished in order that the degree may be conferred.

Hooding Ceremony

Completion of degree statement, approval of the dissertation.

Students nearing completion of the thesis must inform the Harvard Griffin Graduate School of their plans to finish. Harvard Griffin GSAS awards degrees three times during the year, in March, May, and November. Most students choose to graduate in May, but any of the three dates is acceptable. The required Degree Application will be on the my.harvard portal, under "My Program".   Students who have formally been awarded the degree in the preceding November and March are invited to take part in Commencement ceremonies in May, together with May degree recipient (more on Commencement below). A minimum of three readers is required for final dissertation acceptance; under most circumstances, readers are drawn from the student’s dissertation committee. At least two readers must be within FAS (this includes emeritus/emerita members of the faculty). In order to receive the degree, all members of the dissertation committee must have read and approved the thesis by signing the Dissertation Acceptance Certificate, available from the Graduate Coordinator. To allow sufficient time for the committee to read and comment on the dissertation, for the student to implement revisions, and for the committee to approve the revised dissertation, the student must submit the final draft of the dissertation to the committee no less than six weeks before the Registrar’s deadline. For Academic Year 2024-2025, these deadlines are:

The dissertation advisor and members of the Committee should send their comments and suggestions to the student within two weeks of receiving the final draft. In the remaining four weeks, students should implement the revisions, submit the revised dissertation for final approval by the Committee, and have the dissertation ready for submission to meet the Registrar’s deadline.

The dissertation is to be submitted electronically to the student's committee, the Director of Graduate Studies and the EALC Graduate Program Coordinator by 5:00 p.m. of the deadline date.  Students who miss the deadline will have to apply for the degree in the next cycle. 

After the submission of the final draft of the dissertation, the student should contact the Graduate Program Coordinator to request that the Registrar's "Dissertation Acceptance Certificate" be prepared. The student should provide the exact title as it appears on the dissertation, including capitalization and punctuation, along with the names of the committee members.

Dissertation Defense

To qualify for the degree of doctor of philosophy, students are required to present their dissertation at a public defense no later than one week before the Registrar's dissertation submission date. The defense is intended to provide an opportunity for constructive discussions concerning the achievements as well as any remaining shortcomings of the dissertation, together with possibilities for future research and ideas on revising the thesis for publication. It is open to faculty and graduate students as well as friends and family of the student. Those who intend to participate in the discussion are expected to have read the dissertation. One week prior to the defense the student must provide an electronic version to be made available on the  EALC Intranet .

The defense should be scheduled after the student’s committee has granted approval of the dissertation. The defense committee consists of the student’s dissertation committee, and preferably, one additional member from the EALC department, another Harvard department, or an institution outside of the University. The student’s primary advisor decides when the dissertation is ready for the committee’s perusal. All readers must approve the dissertation as is, or approve it with voluntary minor revisions in order for the defense to proceed. Prior to the defense, two readers’ reports on the dissertation by the primary advisor and the next closest advisor on the committee will be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies and Coordinator. Once the approvals are received the defense will be advertised to the department via e-mail, with the inclusion of an abstract.

The defense will last approximately two hours. The exact format of the defense proceedings is left up to the student’s primary advisor, who also acts as chair of the defense. A typical defense may proceed as follows:

The student gives a brief statement summarizing the major arguments or contributions of the thesis, which may also include an account of the project’s genesis and development. Each member of the committee will then have approximately twenty minutes to pose questions to the candidate. Questions typically begin with the most external reader and make their way toward the advisor. Questions are based on the dissertation itself, rather than the field as a whole. If there is time and the chair decides, the audience can be invited to ask questions after the faculty finishes. The audience and the candidate are then dismissed and the committee consults. The candidate is then brought back into the room to receive any further advice or comments the committee may wish to offer in private.

In preparation for the defense, the student must declare the members of the dissertation committee by the start of the academic year in which they intended to finish by informing the Director of Graduate Studies. Students should consult closely with their primary advisor about the committee and the inclusion of anyone from outside of the University, whose presence at the defense will require budget approval.

Because finding a mutually agreeable time for all faculty members can be difficult and time consuming, the student should make every effort possible to aid the Graduate Coordinator in scheduling the defense.

Submitting the Thesis

Online submission of the dissertation via  ProQuest ETD  is required by the Harvard Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. (Harvard Griffin GSAS is no longer using ETDs @ Harvard.) Dissertations must be received by 11:59 pm on the  deadline date  for the given degree period. NO EXTENSIONS TO THIS DEADLINE ARE PROVIDED.

Dissertations should be submitted in their final format, in accordance with the guidelines listed in the  Formatting your Dissertation page on Harvard Griffin GSAS' website, and ready for publication. The Registrar’s Office will review the document for formatting compliance.  Formatting errors may prevent the conferral of the degree and the student may need to apply for the next available degree period.  A  sample dissertation  as well as the  Top Ten Common Errors  are provided for your convenience.

In addition to the electronic dissertation submission, the original complete and signed Dissertation Acceptance Certificate must be delivered to the Registrar's Office, on the fourth floor of the Smith Campus Center by the appropriate dissertation deadline. **As of summer of 2020, electronic signatures are still acceptable on the final Dissertation Acceptance Certificate.  Students are required to upload their final signed DAC to the “Administrative Documents” section of ProQuest ETD during dissertation submission.    This certificate should be typed, printed on watermark paper, and match the dissertation title page exactly. It must be signed by a minimum of three readers, two of whom must be members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The student name must match the legal name on file at the Registrar's Office.

• Delayed Release/Embargos : If students would like to request a delayed release of their dissertation of greater than 2 years , they will be prompted to upload a signed document to the “Administrative Documents” section of ProQuest ETD showing Director of Graduate Study approval of this request. If students do not have a document when submitting their dissertation, they will be asked to have the DGS contact the Registrar’s Office at [email protected] , acknowledging approval of the delayed release request.

Commencement

The end of the academic year is marked by a graduation ceremony, called (after the Latin) Commencement. Ceremonies consist of Morning Exercises, a colorful procession of dignitaries, deans, professors, and degree candidates through Harvard Yard, followed by the Harvard Griffin GSAS Diploma Awarding Ceremony in Sanders Theatre. Details become available on the  Harvard Griffin GSAS website  in the spring.

Families are invited to these events, with a limited number of tickets available for the Sanders Theatre ceremony. The Department can sometimes help with extra tickets. In addition, Harvard Griffin GSAS hosts a luncheon for all graduates and their families following the PhD awards ceremony.

Graduating PhD candidates who plan to take part in Commencement are required to wear the appropriate academic regalia, which may be purchased or rented from the Harvard Coop.

• I. Introduction and General Information
• II. Financial Aid
• III. Orientation, Registration, and Advising
• IV. Satisfactory Standing and Residency Requirements
• V. Coursework and Language Requirements
• VI. General Examinations
• VII. Dissertation Prospectus
• VIII. Teaching Fellowships
• X. Professional Development and Career Planning
• XI. A Brief History of EALC
• XII. Faculty and Fields
• XIII. Forms and Checklists
• PhD in History and East Asian Languages
• Graduate Liaison Committee
• Peer Mentoring Program

Honors & Theses

The Honors Thesis: An opportunity to do innovative and in-depth research.  

An honors thesis gives students the opportunity to conduct in-depth research into the areas of government that inspire them the most. Although, it’s not a requirement in the Department of Government, the honors thesis is both an academic challenge and a crowning achievement at Harvard. The faculty strongly encourages students to write an honors thesis and makes itself available as a resource to those students who do. Students work closely with the thesis advisor of their choice throughout the writing process. Approximately 30% of Government concentrators each year choose to write a thesis.

Guide to Writing a Senior Thesis in Government  

You undoubtedly have many questions about what writing a thesis entails. We have answers for you. Please read  A Guide to Writing a Senior Thesis in Government , which you can download as a PDF below. If you still have questions or concerns after you have read through this document, we encourage you to reach out to Dr. Sergio Imparato ( [email protected] ), the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies who oversees the senior-thesis program in Government.

PhD Thesis Guide

This phd thesis guide will guide you step-by-step through the thesis process, from your initial letter of intent to submission of the final document..

All associated forms are conveniently consolidated in the section at the end.

Deadlines & Requirements

Students should register for HST.ThG during any term in which they are conducting research towards their thesis. Regardless of year in program students registered for HST.ThG in a regular term (fall or spring) must meet with their research advisor and complete the  Semi-Annual PhD Student Progress Review Form to receive credit.

Years 1 - 2

• Students participating in lab rotations during year 1, may use the optional MEMP Rotation Registration Form , to formalize the arrangement and can earn academic credit by enrolling in HST.599. 
• A first letter of intent ( LOI-1 ) proposing a general area of thesis research and research advisor is required by April 30th of the second year of registration.
• A second letter of intent ( LOI-2 ) proposing a thesis committee membership and providing a more detailed description of the thesis research is required by April 30th of the third year of registration for approval by the HST-IMES Committee on Academic Programs (HICAP).

Year 4 

• Beginning in year 4, (or after the LOI-2 is approved) the student must meet with their thesis committee at least once per semester.
• Students must formally defend their proposal before the approved thesis committee, and submit their committee approved proposal to HICAP  by April 30 of the forth year of registration.
• Meetings with the thesis committee must be held at least once per semester. 

HST has developed these policies to help keep students on track as they progress through their PhD program. Experience shows that students make more rapid progress towards graduation when they interact regularly with a faculty committee and complete their thesis proposal by the deadline.

Getting Started

Check out these resources  for finding a research lab.

The Thesis Committee: Roles and Responsibilities

Students perform doctoral thesis work under the guidance of a thesis committee consisting of at least three faculty members from Harvard and MIT (including a chair and a research advisor) who will help guide the research. Students are encouraged to form their thesis committee early in the course of the research and in any case by the end of the third year of registration. The HST IMES Committee on Academic Programs (HICAP) approves the composition of the thesis committee via the letter of intent and the thesis proposal (described below). 

Research Advisor

The research advisor is responsible for overseeing the student's thesis project. The research advisor is expected to:

• oversee the research and mentor the student;
• provide a supportive research environment, facilities, and financial support;
• discuss expectations, progress, and milestones with the student and complete the  Semi-Annual PhD Student Progress Review Form each semester;
• assist the student to prepare for the oral qualifying exam;
• guide the student in selecting the other members of the thesis committee;
• help the student prepare for, and attend, meetings of the full thesis committee, to be held at least once per semester;
• help the student prepare for, and attend, the thesis defense;
• evaluate the final thesis document.

The research advisor is chosen by the student and must be a faculty member of MIT* or Harvard University and needs no further approval.  HICAP may approve other individuals as research advisor on a student-by-student basis. Students are advised to request approval of non-faculty research advisors as soon as possible.  In order to avoid conflicts of interest, the research advisor may not also be the student's academic advisor. In the event that an academic advisor becomes the research advisor, a new academic advisor will be assigned.

The student and their research advisor must complete the Semi-Annual PhD Student Progress Review during each regular term in order to receive academic credit for research.  Download Semi Annual Review Form

*MIT Senior Research Staff are considered equivalent to faculty members for the purposes of research advising. No additional approval is required.

Thesis Committee Chair

Each HST PhD thesis committee is headed administratively by a chair, chosen by the student in consultation with the research advisor. The thesis committee chair is expected to:

• provide advice and guidance concerning the thesis research; 
• oversee meetings of the full thesis committee, to be held at least once per semester;
• preside at the thesis defense; 
• review and evaluate the final thesis document.

The thesis committee chair must be well acquainted with the academic policies and procedures of the institution granting the student's degree and be familiar with the student's area of research. The research advisor may not simultaneously serve as thesis committee chair.

For HST PhD students earning degrees through MIT, the thesis committee chair must be an MIT faculty member. A select group of HST program faculty without primary appointments at MIT have been pre-approved by HICAP to chair PhD theses awarded by HST at MIT in cases where the MIT research advisor is an MIT faculty member.**

HST PhD students earning their degree through Harvard follow thesis committee requirements set by the unit granting their degree - either the Biophysics Program or the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS).

** List of non-MIT HST faculty approved to chair MIT thesis proposals when the research advisor is an MIT faculty member.

In addition to the research advisor and the thesis committee chair, the thesis committee must include one or more readers. Readers are expected to:

• attend meetings of the full thesis committee, to be held at least once per semester;
• attend the thesis defense; 

Faculty members with relevant expertise from outside of Harvard/MIT may serve as readers, but they may only be counted toward the required three if approved by HICAP.

The members of the thesis committee should have complementary expertise that collectively covers the areas needed to advise a student's thesis research. The committee should also be diverse, so that members are able to offer different perspectives on the student's research. When forming a thesis committee, it is helpful to consider the following questions: 

• Do the individuals on the committee collectively have the appropriate expertise for the project?
• Does the committee include at least one individual who can offer different perspectives on the student's research?  The committee should include at least one person who is not closely affiliated with the student's primary lab. Frequent collaborators are acceptable in this capacity if their work exhibits intellectual independence from the research advisor.
• If the research has a near-term clinical application, does the committee include someone who can add a translational or clinical perspective?  
• Does the committee conform to HST policies in terms of number, academic appointments, and affiliations of the committee members, research advisor, and thesis committee chair as described elsewhere on this page?

[Friendly advice: Although there is no maximum committee size, three or four is considered optimal. Committees of five members are possible, but more than five is unwieldy.]

Thesis Committee Meetings

Students must meet with their thesis committee at least once each semester beginning in the fourth year of registration. It is the student's responsibility to schedule these meetings; students who encounter difficulties in arranging regular committee meetings can contact Henrike Besche at hbesche [at] mit.edu (hbesche[at]mit[dot]edu) . 

The format of the thesis committee meeting is at the discretion of the thesis committee chair. In some cases, the following sequence may be helpful:

• The thesis committee chair, research advisor, and readers meet briefly without the student in the room;
• The thesis committee chair and readers meet briefly with the student, without the advisor in the room;
• The student presents their research progress, answers questions, and seeks guidance from the members of the thesis committee;

Please note that thesis committee meetings provide an important opportunity for students to present their research and respond to questions. Therefore, it is in the student's best interest for the research advisor to refrain from defending the research in this setting.

Letters of Intent

Students must submit two letters of intent ( LOI-1 and LOI-2 ) with applicable signatures. 

In LOI-1, students identify a research advisor and a general area of thesis research, described in 100 words or less. It should include the area of expertise of the research advisor and indicate whether IRB approval (Institutional Review Board; for research involving human subjects) and/or IACUC approval (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee; for research involving vertebrate animals) will be required and, if so, from which institutions. LOI-1 is due by April 30 of the second year of registration and and should be submitted to HICAP, c/o Traci Anderson in E25-518. 

In LOI-2, students provide a description of the thesis research, describing the Background and Significance of the research and making a preliminary statement of Specific Aims (up to 400 words total). In LOI-2, a student also proposes the membership of their thesis committee. In addition to the research advisor, the proposed thesis committee must include a chair and one or more readers, all selected to meet the specified criteria . LOI-2 is due by April 30th of the third year of registration and should be submitted to HICAP, c/o Traci Anderson in E25-518.

LOI-2 is reviewed by the HST-IMES Committee on Academic Programs (HICAP) to determine if the proposed committee meets the specified criteria and if the committee members collectively have the complementary expertise needed to advise the student in executing the proposed research. If HICAP requests any changes to the proposed committee, the student must submit a revised LOI-2 for HICAP review by September 30th of the fourth year of registration. HICAP must approve LOI-2 before the student can proceed to presenting and submitting their thesis proposal. Any changes to the thesis committee membership following HICAP approval of LOI-2 and prior to defense of the thesis proposal must be reported by submitting a revised LOI-2 form to HICAP, c/o tanderso [at] mit.edu (Traci Anderson) . After final HICAP approval of LOI-2, which confirms the thesis committee membership, the student may proceed to present their thesis proposal to the approved thesis committee, as described in the next section.

Students are strongly encouraged to identify tentative thesis committee members and begin meeting with them as early as possible to inform the direction of their research. Following submission of LOI-2, students are required to hold at least one thesis committee meeting per semester. Students must document these meetings via the Semi- Annual PhD Student Progress Review form in order to receive a grade reflecting satisfactory progress in HST.ThG.

Thesis Proposal and Proposal Presentation

For MEMP students receiving their degrees through MIT, successful completion of the Oral Qualifying Exam is a prerequisite for the thesis proposal presentation. For MEMP students receiving their degrees through Harvard, the oral qualifying exam satisfies the proposal presentation requirement.

Proposal Document

Each student must present a thesis proposal to a thesis committee that has been approved by HICAP via the LOI-2 and then submit a full proposal package to HICAP by April 30th of the fourth year of registration. The only exception is for students who substantially change their research focus after the fall term of their third year; in those cases the thesis proposal must be submitted within three semesters of joining a new lab. Students registering for thesis research (HST.THG) who have not met this deadline may be administratively assigned a grade of "U" (unsatisfactory) and receive an academic warning.

The written proposal should be no longer than 4500 words, excluding references. This is intended to help students develop their proposal-writing skills by gaining experience composing a practical proposal; the length is comparable to that required for proposals to the NIH R03 Small Research Grant Program. The proposal should clearly define the research problem, describe the proposed research plan, and defend the significance of the work. Preliminary results are not required. If the proposal consists of multiple aims, with the accomplishment of later aims based on the success of earlier ones, then the proposal should describe a contingency plan in case the early results are not as expected.

Proposal Presentation

The student must formally defend the thesis proposal before the full thesis committee that has been approved by HICAP.

Students should schedule the meeting and reserve a conference room and any audio visual equipment they may require for their presentation. To book a conference room in E25, please contact Joseph Stein ( jrstein [at] mit.edu (jrstein[at]mit[dot]edu) ).

Following the proposal presentation, students should make any requested modifications to the proposal for the committee members to review. Once the committee approves the proposal, the student should obtain the signatures of the committee members on the forms described below as part of the proposal submission package.

[Friendly advice: As a professional courtesy, be sure your committee members have a complete version of your thesis proposal at least one week in advance of the proposal presentation.]

Submission of Proposal Package

When the thesis committee has approved the proposal, the student submits the proposal package to HICAP, c/o Traci Anderson in E25-518, for final approval. HICAP may reject a thesis proposal if it has been defended before a committee that was not previously approved via the LOI-2.

The proposal package includes the following: 

• the proposal document
• a brief description of the project background and significance that explains why the work is important;
• the specific aims of the proposal, including a contingency plan if needed; and
• an indication of the methods to be used to accomplish the specific aims.
• signed research advisor agreement form(s);
• signed chair agreement form (which confirms a successful proposal defense);
• signed reader agreement form(s).

Thesis Proposal Forms

• SAMPLE Title Page (doc)
• Research Advisor Agreement Form (pdf)
• Chair Agreement Form (pdf)
• Reader Agreement Form (pdf)

Thesis Defense and Final Thesis Document

When the thesis is substantially complete and fully acceptable to the thesis committee, a public thesis defense is scheduled for the student to present his/her work to the thesis committee and other members of the community. The thesis defense is the last formal examination required for receipt of a doctoral degree. To be considered "public", a defense must be announced to the community at least five working days in advance. At the defense, the thesis committee determines if the research presented is sufficient for granting a doctoral degree. Following a satisfactory thesis defense, the student submits the final thesis document, approved by the research advisor, to Traci Anderson via email (see instructions below).

[Friendly advice: Contact jrstein [at] mit.edu (Joseph Stein) at least two weeks before your scheduled date to arrange for advertising via email and posters. A defense can be canceled for insufficient public notice.]

Before the Thesis Defense 

Committee Approves Student to Defend: The thesis committee, working with the student and reviewing thesis drafts, concludes that the doctoral work is complete. The student should discuss the structure of the defense (general guidelines below) with the thesis committee chair and the research advisor. 

Schedule the Defense: The student schedules a defense at a time when all members of the thesis committee will be physical present. Any exceptions must be approved in advance by the IMES/HST Academic Office.

Reserve Room: It is the student's responsibility to reserve a room and any necessary equipment. Please contact imes-reservation [at] mit.edu (subject: E25%20Room%20Reservation) (IMES Reservation) to  reserve rooms E25-140, E25-141, E25-119/121, E25-521. 

Final Draft: A complete draft of the thesis document is due to the thesis committee two weeks prior to the thesis defense to allow time for review.  The thesis should be written as a single cohesive document; it may include content from published papers (see libraries website on " Use of Previously Published Material in a Thesis ") but it may not be a simple compilation of previously published materials.

Publicize the Defense:   The IMES/HST Academic Office invites the community to attend the defense via email and a notice on the HST website. This requires that the student email a thesis abstract and supplemental information to  jrstein [at] mit.edu (Joseph Stein)  two weeks prior to the thesis defense. The following information should be included: Date and time, Location, (Zoom invitation with password, if offering a hybrid option), Thesis Title, Names of committee members, with academic and professional titles and institutional affiliations. The abstract is limited to 250 words for the poster, but students may optionally submit a second, longer abstract for the email announcement.

Thesis Defense Guidelines

Public Defense: The student should prepare a presentation of 45-60 minutes in length, to be followed by a public question and answer period of 15–30 minutes at discretion of the chair.

Committee Discussion:  Immediately following the public thesis presentation, the student meets privately with the thesis committee and any other faculty members present to explore additional questions at the discretion of the faculty. Then the thesis committee meets in executive session and determines whether the thesis defense was satisfactory. The committee may suggest additions or editorial changes to the thesis document at this point.

Chair Confirms Pass: After the defense, the thesis committee chair should inform Traci Anderson of the outcome via email to tanderso [at] mit.edu (tanderso[at]mit[dot]edu) .

Submitting the Final Thesis Document

Please refer to the MIT libraries  thesis formatting guidelines .

Title page notes. Sample title page  from the MIT Libraries.

Program line : should read, "Submitted to the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, in partial fulfillment of the the requirements for the degree of ... "

Copyright : Starting with the June 2023 degree period and as reflected in the  MIT Thesis Specifications , all students retain the copyright of their thesis.  Please review this section for how to list on your title page Signature Page: On the "signed" version, only the student and research advisor should sign. Thesis committee members are not required to sign. On the " Accepted by " line, please list: Collin M. Stultz, MD, PhD/Director, Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology/ Nina T. and Robert H. Rubin Professor in Medical Engineering and Science/Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

The Academic Office will obtain Professor Stultz's signature.

Thesis Submission Components.  As of 4/2021, the MIT libraries have changed their thesis submissions guidelines and are no longer accepting hard copy theses submissions. For most recent guidance from the libraries:  https://libguides.mit.edu/mit-thesis-faq/instructions  

Submit to the Academic Office, via email ( tanderso [at] mit.edu (tanderso[at]mit[dot]edu) )

pdf/A-1 of the final thesis should include an UNSIGNED title page

A separate file with a SIGNED title page by the student and advisor, the Academic Office will get Dr. Collin Stultz's signature.

For the MIT Library thesis processing, fill out the "Thesis Information" here:  https://thesis-submit.mit.edu/

File Naming Information:  https://libguides.mit.edu/

Survey of Earned Doctorates.  The University Provost’s Office will contact all doctoral candidates via email with instructions for completing this survey.

Links to All Forms in This Guide

• MEMP Rotation Form (optional)
• Semi-Annual Progress Review Form
• Letter of Intent One
• Letter of Intent Two

Final Thesis

• HST Sample thesis title page  (signed and unsigned)
• Sample thesis title page  (MIT Libraries)

• Utility Menu

Senior Thesis & Undergraduate Research

Every year, approximately 45%-55% of senior History concentrators choose to cap their Harvard careers by writing a senior honors thesis.

The senior thesis tutorial is a two-semester sequence  comprising Hist 99a and Hist 99b . While the overwhelming majority of students who start a thesis choose to complete it, our process allows students to drop the thesis at the end of the fall semester after History 99a (in which case they are not eligible for departmental honors).

The senior thesis in History is a year-long project involving considerable primary- and secondary-source research and a good deal of writing; finished theses are expected to be between 60 and 130 pages in length , and to make an original contribution to historical knowledge.

The department’s senior thesis program is one of the strongest in Harvard College. In recent years, one quarter or more of our thesis writers have received  Hoopes Prizes , which is well over the College average.

History 99 Syllabus 2022–2023

History 99: Senior Thesis Writers’ Tutorial Wednesdays, 6–7 and 7-8 PM Robinson Conference Room

Click here to view the History 99 syllabus for this year.

A Sampling of Past History Thesis Titles

For a list of thesis titles from the past five years, please click here .

Senior Thesis Conference

The History Department's annual Senior Thesis Writer's Conference is an opportunity for thesis writers to present their projects as members of three-to-four person panels moderated by a faculty member or advanced graduate student, to an audience of other faculty and graduate students. Their aim is to get the critical and constructive feedback they need to clarify their arguments, refine their methods, and ultimately transform their research projects into theses.

Like our faculty, our student presenters are conscious of their reliance on other disciplines in almost every aspect of their work. This conference supplies opportunities to engage in cross-disciplinary dialogues. Audience members also learn from these dedicated and talented young scholars even as they teach them new ways of conceiving and pursuing their projects.

For more information about the conference or the Department's thesis program as a whole, please write to the  Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies in History, or visit the Senior Thesis Writers Conference and History 99a website. The  Conference is open to all active members of the Harvard community.

All seniors writing theses receive as part of the History 99a and 99b seminar materials a Timetable for Thesis Writers which lists approximate deadlines for staying current with work on this large-scale project. (For current copies of these documents, please click here .) Many thesis writers will submit work in advance of the deadlines listed on the timetable, following schedules worked out with their individual advisers. Several of the deadlines listed on the timetable must be met:

• Students who wish to enroll in History 99 must attend the first meeting of the seminar on Wednesday, September 5th at 6:00 pm in the Robinson Lower Library.
• By the beginning of the fall reading period, students must submit substantial proof of research to both their adviser and the 99 History instructors. This usually takes the form of a chapter or two of the thesis (20–30 pages).
• Theses are due to the History Undergraduate Office (Robinson 101) on Thursday, March 10, 2022  before 5:00 pm. Theses that are handed in late will be penalized.

Thesis Readings

Each History thesis is read by at least two impartial members of the Board of Tutors, assigned by the Department. The Board of Tutors consists of (1) all department faculty in residence and (2) all graduate students teaching History 97 and/or a Research Seminar, as well as those advising senior theses. If History is the secondary field of a joint concentration, there is only one History reader. Each reader assigns an evaluation to the thesis (highest honors, highest honors minus, high honors plus, high honors, high honors minus, honors plus, honors, or no distinction), and writes a report detailing the special strengths and weaknesses of the thesis.  Theses by students with a highest honors-level concentration GPA and one highest-level reading will automatically be assigned three readers. Additionally, a thesis by any student may be sent to a third reader when the first two evaluations are three or more distinctions apart (e.g., one high honors plus and one honors plus).

Department Standards for the Thesis Program

Seniors who wish to write a thesis must meet certain prerequisites:

• a ‘B+’ average in the concentration;
• a ‘B+’ average on a 20-page research seminar paper
• the recommendation of their Research Seminar tutor(s).

Students who do not meet the above standards may petition the  History Undergraduate Office for admission to the senior thesis; successful petitions must include a detailed thesis proposal, and will be evaluated at the discretion of the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies (Asst. DUS).

The Awarding of Departmental Honors in History

THE AWARDING OF DEPARTMENTAL HONORS IN HISTORY

 Nominations for departmental honors are made by the Board of Examiners at the degree meeting each spring.  In making its nominations, the Board first takes two elements into account:  the average of course grades in History and thesis readings.  All students who may be eligible for a recommendation of highest honors will then be given an oral examination by the Board of Examiners; performance on this exam will be considered in determining the final recommendation.  The standing of those students at the border of two different degrees may also be determined through an oral examination administered by the Board of Examiners.

To be considered eligible for highest honors in history, a student will ordinarily have a grade point average greater than or equal to 3.85 in courses taken for departmental credit, and have received at least two highest -level thesis readings.  In addition, the student must convince the Board of Examiners of their qualifications for the highest recommendation through their performance on the oral examination.  Whether any particular student falling into this numerical range receives highest honors in history will be determined in part by the performance on the oral examination. 

To be considered eligible for high honors in history, a student will ordinarily have a grade point average greater than or equal to 3.7, and will ordinarily have received two high -level readings on the thesis. 

To be considered eligible for honors in history, a student will ordinarily have a grade point average greater than or equal to 3.3, and will ordinarily have received two honors -level readings on the thesis. 

Please note that the Department recommends students’ English honors (highest, high, honors, no honors) and sends these recommendations to the College which determines students’ Latin honors based on total GPA.  Please visit:   https://handbook.fas.harvard.edu/book/requirements-honors-degrees    for more information on how the College awards Latin honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, cum laude, no honors).  In addition, you should consult with your Resident Dean.  Any degree candidate who does not receive the A.B. degree with honors in History will be considered by the FAS for the degree of cum laude.  

Departmental Support

Students who do decide to enter the thesis program benefit from a great deal of departmental support. The Department encourages its thesis writers to consider the possibility of devoting the summer prior to their senior year to thesis research, whether on campus or around the world. Each year a large number of rising seniors find funding for summer thesis research. The Undergraduate Office holds a meeting to advise students on how to write a successful fellowship proposal. In addition, we maintain a  listing of organizations that have supported concentrators’ thesis research.

The Department also supports its senior thesis writers through two semesters of a Senior Thesis Seminar, History 99a and 99b , which provide a useful framework for thesis writers as they work through the intermittent difficulties that all thesis students inevitably encounter. For many seniors, their thesis will turn out to be the best piece of writing done while at Harvard. It will also be the longest and most complicated. Consequently, the seminars will focus much attention on the unique challenges of writing an extended, multi-chapter work. History 99a and 99b also provide a common forum in which seniors can share with thesis-writing colleagues their feedback, successes, frustrations, interests, and techniques. This kind of collegiality and exchange of ideas is at the heart of the academic seminar, and it can be the most rewarding aspect of the seminar series.

Students must enroll in the Thesis Seminars in order to write a thesis by obtaining approval from the Asst. DUS  on their study cards.

• Thinking about a History Concentration?
• Undergraduate Alumni Profiles
• Concentration Guidelines and Requirements
• Senior Thesis Grants
• Office Hours
• Research & Employment Opportunities
• Tempus: Undergraduate History Journal
• Graduate Program

• Utility Menu

Committee on Regional Studies East Asia

Harvard university.

• Thesis Requirements

All RSEA degree candidates must complete a thesis under the guidance of and in close consultation with their thesis adviser. The minimum thesis standards for the RSEA A.M. degree are:

• The thesis must adhere to standards of academic integrity as outlined in the Harvard Griffin GSAS Policies.
• The thesis should demonstrate original research and a fresh interpretation of a subject. 
• The thesis should demonstrate significant use of primary sources in one or more East Asian languages. 
• The thesis should demonstrate the student's familiarity with previous scholarship related to the subject matter. 
• The thesis should follow the appropriate scholarly format and include proper scholarly apparatus, including footnotes and bibliography.
• The body of text (i.e., excluding bibliography and other supplementary materials) should be 60-80 pages in length (approximately 15,000 -20,000 words, excluding footnotes).

Current students should refer to the  RSEA Sharepoint  for additional details and specific policies.

• Course Requirements
• Language Requirement

Sustainability Master’s Degree Requirements

The Master of Liberal Arts, Sustainability degree field is offered online with 1 course required on-campus here at Harvard University. Weekend options are available for the on-campus course.

Getting Started

Explore admissions & degree requirements.

• Course curriculum and the on-campus experience
• Admissions: eligibility and earning your way in
• Completing your degree

Begin Your Admissions Path This Upcoming Spring

Enroll in your first admission course. Registration is open November 4, 2024–January 23, 2025.

Learn how to register →

Required Course Curriculum

Online core and elective courses

On-campus thesis proposal or capstone course

Capstone or thesis

12 Graduate Courses (48 credits)

The degree is highly customizable. As part of the program curriculum, you choose either a capstone or thesis track as well as the sustainability courses that meet your professional goals, whether it’s corporate sustainability, natural resource management, environmental policy, city planning, or food systems.

Online courses are primarily asynchronous , providing flexibility for international students and those with variable work schedules.

Required Core & Elective Courses View More

• ENVR 101 Proseminar: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Sustainability and Global Development
• ENVR 210 Quantitative Research in Sustainability
• 3 sustainability skill-set courses
• EXPO 42c Writing in the Sciences or EXPO 42b Writing in the Social Sciences is an option.

Browse Courses →

Thesis Track View More

The thesis is a 9-month independent research project where you work one-on-one in a tutorial setting with a thesis director.

You enroll in the following additional courses:

• 1 applied research course
• ENVR 496 Crafting the Thesis Proposal in Sustainability course (3-week on-campus course; see on-campus experience )
• ENVR 499AB ALM Thesis in Sustainability (8 credits)

Recent Thesis Topics:

• Examining Partnerships Between Grocery Stores and Food Pantries as a Mechanism for Reducing Grocery Stores’ Generated Food Waste
• Solar Power Tower: An Alternative Method to Power Egypt
• Quantifying Benefit-Cost Ratios for a Low Emission Zone against Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicles in Bangkok
• Dumping on the Disenfranchised: Environmental Justice Implications of Polychlorinated Biphenyl Contamination in West Virginia
• Design Methodology for Optimized Climate-Specific Passive Dew Collectors

Capstone Track View More

In the capstone track, you develop a project design in the precapstone tutorial, then execute the project in your capstone course. You choose the 1) independent research, 2) consulting, or 3) innovation capstone.

Additional courses for the capstone track include:

• 3 sustainability electives
• Precapstone tutorial (noncredit)
• Capstone (on campus one weekend or 3 weeks; see on-campus experience )

Capstone sequencing. You enroll in the precapstone and capstone courses in back-to-back semesters and in your final academic year. The capstone must be taken alone as your sole remaining degree requirement.

• Independent research capstone experience. First, in ENVR 598 Sustainability Precapstone Tutorial, you design an independent research project with your assigned research advisor. Then, in the ENVR 599 Independent Research Capstone, you execute the research while receiving guidance and support from your instructor and fellow degree candidates.

Recent Research Capstone Topics:

• Analyzing Implementation Barriers to Farm-to-School Programs
• Comparing External Cost in the Transportation of Alberta Bitumen by Pipeline and Rail
• To What Extent Are Wind and Solar Companies Pursuing a Clean Energy Future at the Expense of Human Rights?
• Clean Ride to School: Viability and Opportunities of School Bus Electrification in Massachusetts
• Capturing Carbon Atmospherically for Use as Materials and Ingredients as an Alternative to Fossil Fuel Sources

2) Consulting capstone experience. First, in ENVR 598a Consulting for Sustainability Solutions Precapstone, you work with your research advisor to identify a partner organization. For example, a company, nonprofit organization or governmental agency. Then, in ENVR 599a Consulting for Sustainability Solutions Capstone, you develop a Sustainable Action Plan (SAP) to support the partner’s sustainability efforts.

Recent Consulting Partners:

• National Oil Company of the United Arab Emirates
• Sargento Foods, Inc.
• Luwire Wildlife Conservancy (Mozambique)
• Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University
• Automotive Industry, Mexico

3) NEW Innovation capstone experience. First, you successfully complete ENVR 154 Sustainable Product Design and the Innovation Ecosystem as one your electives. Then you register for ENVR 598b Innovation in Sustainability and Global Development Practice Precapstone, where you draft a sustainable startup business plan for investors or a plan to assess a local innovation ecosystem for a client. Class time is devoted to addressing investor and client requirements, plus developing actionable solutions.

Finally, in ENVR 599b Innovation in Sustainability and Global Development Practice Capstone, you deliver an innovative new product development plan or sustainable business plan focused on reducing operating costs, minimizing the environmental footprint, and improving environmental sustainability practices. You will work with public or private entities, such as local governments, corporations, nongovernment organizations, governmental agencies, schools, universities, and hospitals.

Optional Graduate Certificates View More

You can choose to concentrate your degree studies in a specific area within sustainability to earn a certificate along the way.

Graduate Certificates:

• Corporate Sustainability and Innovation
• Environmental Policy and International Development
• Natural Resource Management and Sustainable Ecosystems
• Sustainable City and Communities
• Sustainable Food Systems

On-Campus Experience

Choose between the thesis or capstone on-campus experience.

Learn and network in-person with your classmates.

Nearly all courses can be taken online, but you are required to come to Harvard University for at least 1 course—either the thesis proposal or capstone course—where you’ll share your thesis research design or your final capstone project with faculty and peers.

Choose between two on-campus experience options:

• Thesis track option: Complete the thesis proposal course on-campus either in our 3-week January session or 3-week on-campus Harvard Summer School (HSS) session.
• Capstone track option: Complete the capstone via an online course with an on-campus weekend in the fall or spring or a 3-week on-campus Harvard Summer School (HSS) session.

The 3-week HSS option is ideal for those who want a more traditional on-campus experience. HSS offers, for an additional fee, housing, meal plans, and a prolonged on-campus experience here at Harvard University. Learn more about campus life at Harvard .

International Students Who Need a Student Visa View More

To meet the on-campus requirement, you choose the Standard on-campus option and study with us in the summer. You can easily request an I-20 for the F-1 student visa for Harvard Summer School’s 3-week session. For more details, see International Student Study Options for important visa information.

In-Person Co-Curricular Events View More

Come to Cambridge for Convocation (fall) to celebrate your hard-earned admission, Harvard career fairs offered throughout the year, HES alumni networking events (here at Harvard and around the world), and, of course, Harvard University Commencement (May).

Confirm your initial eligibility with a 4-year bachelor’s degree or its foreign equivalent.

Take two courses in our unique “earn your way in” admissions process that count toward your degree.

In the semester of your second course, submit the official application for admission to the program.

Below are our initial eligibility requirements and an overview of our unique admissions process to help get you started. Visit the Degree Program Admissions page for more details.

Initial Eligibility View More

• Prior to enrolling in any degree-applicable courses, you must possess a 4-year regionally accredited US bachelor’s degree or its foreign equivalent. Foreign bachelor’s degrees must be evaluated for equivalency.
• If English is your second language, you’ll need to prove English proficiency before registering for a course. We have multiple proficiency options .

Earning Your Way In — Courses Required for Admission View More

To begin the admission process, you simply register — no application required — for the following two, four-credit, graduate-level degree courses (available online).

These prerequisite courses count toward your degree once you’re admitted ; they are not additional courses. They are investments in your studies and help ensure success in the program.

• Before registering, you’ll need to pass our online test of critical reading and writing skills or earn a B or higher in EXPO 42c Writing in the Sciences or EXPO 42b Writing in the Social Sciences.
• You have two attempts to earn the minimum grade of B in the proseminar (a withdrawal grade counts as an attempt). The proseminar cannot be more than 2 years old at the time of application.

While the two courses don’t need to be taken in a particular order or in the same semester, we recommend that you start with ENVR 101. Each course must be completed with a grade of B or higher, without letting your overall Harvard cumulative GPA dip below 3.0.

Search Admissions Courses

Applying to the Degree Program View More

During the semester of your second degree course, submit the official application to the program.

Don’t delay! You must prioritize the two degree courses for admission and apply before completing subsequent courses. By doing so, you’ll:

• Avoid the loss of credit due to expired course work or changes to admission and degree requirements.
• Ensure your enrollment in critical and timely degree-candidate-only courses.
• Avoid the delayed application fee.
• Gain access to exclusive benefits.

Eligible students who submit a complete and timely application will have 10 more courses after admission to earn the degree. Applicants can register for courses in the upcoming semester before they receive their grades and while they await their admission decision.

Prospective ALM students can expect acceptance into the program by meeting all the eligibility and academic requirements detailed on this page, submitting a complete application, and having no academic standing or conduct concerns .

Alternative Admission Pathway View More

We offer one alternative pathway to admission:

MITx MicroMasters® Credential Admissions Pathway

If you have earned the MITx MicroMasters credential, you may apply the credential toward admission and complete 1 additional course at the Extension School. Learn more about the MicroMasters pathway .

The Office of Predegree Advising & Admissions makes all final determinations about program eligibility.

Search and Register for Courses

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) offers degree courses all year round to accelerate degree completion.

• You can study in fall, January, and spring terms through Harvard Extension School (HES) and during the summer through Harvard Summer School (HSS).
• You can enroll full or part time. After qualifying for admission, many of our degree candidates study part time, taking 2 courses per semester (fall/spring) and 1 in the January and summer sessions.
• Most fall and spring courses meet once a week for two hours, while January and summer courses meet more frequently in a condensed format.

Completing Your Degree

Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Complete your courses in five years.

Earn your Harvard degree and enjoy Harvard Alumni Association benefits upon graduation.

Required GPA, Withdrawal Grades, and Repeat Courses View More

GPA . You need to earn a B or higher in each of the two degree courses required for admission and a B– or higher in each of the subsequent courses. In addition, your cumulative GPA cannot dip below 3.0.

Withdrawal Grades. You are allowed to receive two withdrawal (WD) grades without them affecting your GPA. Any additional WD grades count as zero in your cumulative GPA. See Academic Standing .

Repeat Courses . We advise you to review the ALM program’s strict policies about repeating courses . Generally speaking, you may not repeat a course to improve your GPA or to fulfill a degree requirement (if the minimum grade was not initially achieved). Nor can you repeat a course for graduate credit that you’ve previously completed at Harvard Extension School or Harvard Summer School at the undergraduate level.

Courses Expire: Finish Your Coursework in Under Five Years View More

Courses over five years old at the point of admission will not count toward the degree. As stated above, the proseminar cannot be more than two years old at the time of application.

Further, you have five years to complete your degree requirements. The five-year timeline begins at the end of the term in which you complete any two degree-applicable courses, regardless of whether or not you have been admitted to a degree program.

Potential degree candidates must plan accordingly and submit their applications to comply with the five-year course expiration policy or they risk losing degree credit for completed course work. Additionally, admission eligibility will be jeopardized if, at the point of application to the program, the five-year degree completion policy cannot be satisfied (i.e., too many courses to complete in the time remaining).

Graduate with Your Harvard Degree View More

When you have fulfilled all degree requirements, you will earn your Harvard University degree: Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Extension Studies, Field: Sustainability. Degrees are awarded in November, February, and May, with the annual Harvard Commencement ceremony in May.

Degree Candidate Exclusive Benefits View More

When you become an officially admitted degree candidate, you have access to a rich variety of exclusive benefits to support your academic journey. To learn more, visit degree candidate academic opportunities and privileges .

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

UPD Thesis Guidelines

Upd independent thesis.

Urban Planning and Urban Design students are not required by their degree to complete an Independent Thesis. The thesis project is an opportunity for students to pursue a design project which they have researched and developed independently. UPD students are required to declare their second-year course plans in the spring of their second semester. UPD students who declare Independent Thesis will be required to enroll in Thesis Prep (ADV-9204; 4-units) in the fall of their final year.

Independent Design Thesis (ADV-9302) is a full-year commitment and carries a total of 12-units.

For MUP students, Independent Design Thesis satisfies the Project-Based Learning requirement.

For MAUD/MLAUD students who receive a grade of pass or higher in both first-year studios are eligible to meet their degree requirements by declaring an Independent Design Thesis for their final year. The Independent Design Thesis is taken in place of the fourth-semester Option Studio.  Students who elect to pursue an Independent Thesis instead of an option studio in the spring term of the second year may not petition to opt out of an option studio in the fall term.

UPD Thesis Handbook 2023-2024 Recent UPD Theses Addendum: Open Source Thesis Guide at the GSD UPD Faculty Eligible for Thesis Advising in 2024-2025

UPD students must declare thesis by Monday, April 1st, 2024 by submitting their second-year declaration forms:

MUP Declaration Form MAUD MLAUD Declaration Form

Those UPD Students who declare Thesis will then be required to submit a secondary Thesis Petition by May 1, 2024, with their topic and the signature of their advisor:

UPD Secondary Thesis Petition MAUD-MLAUD Petition for Alternative Thesis Prep

Selected UPD theses are available through  HOLLIS  (Harvard Library), or as hard copy in the Loeb Design Library.

For current thesis students, all final PDF theses must be submitted to the Thesis Director and Program Coordinator by no later than 9:00 AM (ET) on May 13th, 2024. The Department reserves the right to withhold student grades until thesis materials are submitted.

Degree Requirements

The following course requirements apply to both the SM and ME degrees in Computational Science and Engineering. Note that the term "course" refers to a typical Harvard semester-length course, i.e., a 4-credit FAS course or its equivalent. 2-credit courses such as AC 298r count as "half of a course" in the context of these requirements.

Degree Program Options

General Requirements

• Eight letter-graded courses are required for the degree. As many of these as possible should be SEAS 200/2000-level courses. ME students must take 32 additional credits, which can be satisfied by electives courses, non-letter-graded research credits (as AC 302), or a combination of the two.
• No 300/3000-level courses may be included among the eight required, letter-graded courses.
• Up to three of the eight courses may be 100/1000-level SEAS/FAS courses or U-level MIT courses. Courses lower than the 100/1000-level, including all General Education courses, may not be counted towards the degree.
• SM students may include no more than one semester of the reading and research course (AC 299r) and two semesters/four credits of the seminar/project course (AC 298r) among the eight courses. ME students may include up to two AC 299r courses and two semesters/four credits of the seminar/project course (AC 298r).
• Harvard Extension School courses and transfer credit are not accepted toward the degree. Waivers for course requirements may be approved on a case-by-case basis, but will not reduce the total number of credits required for the degree.

Grade requirements: In order to be eligible to count for the degree, a class grade must be a C (2.0) or higher, and the average grade of all courses counting towards the SM or ME degree must be B (3.0) or higher.

Course Requirements

Master of Engineering (ME) Information

The Master of Engineering (ME) in CSE is a two-year program requiring students to complete and defend a thesis project. ME students will spend the majority of their second year working on a substantial computational project that culminates in the submission and oral defense of a master’s thesis. While all thesis projects must have a significant computational component, students are given leeway in finding a project that applies computation to solve a problem in a domain of study that fits with their background and interest.

All ME students must find a research advisor and submit a master's of engineering thesis proposal by mid-April of their first year of study. Thesis proposals will be evaluated by the CSE faculty committee and only those students whose proposals are accepted will be allowed to continue for the second year of the program.

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Harvard President Claudine Gay to Submit 3 Additional Corrections, Corporation Says Improper Citations Fall Short of Research Misconduct

Updated: December 20, 2023, at 10:50 p.m.

Harvard President Claudine Gay will request three corrections to her 1997 Ph.D. dissertation in the latest series of updates Gay has submitted amid mounting allegations of plagiarism.

The new corrections were announced Wednesday evening in a summary of a review undertaken by the Harvard Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — into Gay’s academic work after they became aware of the plagiarism allegations.

The additional corrections come less than one week after the University announced that Gay submitted four corrections across two articles that were the subjects of the Corporation’s initial review.

The review — by both an independent panel of three experts and a subcommittee of the Harvard Corporation — found evidence that Gay did not cite properly in some instances but that her actions fell short of more serious wrongdoing, according to the summary.

Still, Gay’s decision to request corrections to her Ph.D. dissertation marks another serious setback for Harvard’s embattled leader as she reaches the end of a disastrous first semester in office.

In less than six months as president, Gay has faced fierce criticism over her response to the Israel-Hamas war , navigated an onslaught of plagiarism allegations , and watched the Corporation consider calls for her resignation .

The summary of the review paints the clearest picture to date of the Corporation’s decision-making behind requesting the corrections, outlining the timeline of when the body learned about the plagiarism allegations against Gay and explaining why it has not taken further action against her.

Harvard’s top brass were notified about plagiarism allegations against Gay through a media inquiry from the New York Post on Oct. 24, according to the summary.

Five days later, on Oct. 29, Gay asked the Corporation to independently investigate the allegations, and the board created a four-person subcommittee to “consider the merit of the anonymous allegations” brought forth by the Post.

According to the summary, the Corporation decided to undertake a review of the plagiarism allegations against Gay because the University’s research integrity offices ultimately report to the Office of the President, which could create “the potential for the appearance of a conflict of interest.”

On Nov. 2, the Corporation appointed an independent three-person expert panel to conduct the review. The members of the panel “have no ties to Harvard and are among the nation’s most respected political scientists,” according to the summary.

The panel analyzed the specific anonymous allegations raised by the New York Post’s media inquiry, with the Corporation’s subcommittee undertaking a more comprehensive review of “all of President Gay’s other published works from 1993 to 2019.”

The subcommittee, however, did not initially consider Gay’s Harvard dissertation as they had not received related allegations at the time and were focused on reviewing her published work, the summary stated.

The review, according to the summary, was performed under the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ interim research misconduct policy — adopted in 2019 and still in place. Per the policy, a research misconduct finding requires evidence that the disputed action was taken “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly” — which, per the summary, the Corporation’s review did not find.

Though a 1993 article Gay published in historical magazine Origins was initially examined by the review, the independent panel and the Corporation subcommittee decided the article was outside its scope because it was published 30 years ago in a journal that did not typically include citations or quotations, according to the summary.

The Crimson independently verified that articles in the May 1993 issue of Origins — published the same year as Gay’s article — did not include citations. The Crimson was unable to immediately review other issues of the magazine.

Following recent reports of alleged plagiarism in Gay’s dissertation , which the University wrote was not included in the Post’s initial comment request, the subcommittee also reviewed her dissertation.

The group found three instances of “inadequate citation” in Gay’s dissertation, one of which was nearly identical to “a missing citation or quotation mark that had already been identified in a published paper” — her 2001 article “The Effect of Black Congressional Representation on Political Participation” — which Gay has already corrected.

The University’s summary on Wednesday described the two additional instances found by the subcommittee as “duplicative language without appropriate attribution.”

According to the summary, Gay will submit three correction requests to Harvard’s Office of the Provost regarding her dissertation.

She will request to add “quotations and/or citations” that address language drawn from a paper presented by Bradley Palmquist and D. Stephen Voss at a 1996 conference and a 1981 American Political Science Review article by Richard D. Shingles.

Gay will also update citations in her dissertation to a 1990 paper by Lawrence Bobo and Franklin D. Gilliam — the same correction she requested for her 2001 article.

The summary also addressed an anonymous complaint submitted to the FAS’ Research Integrity Office, which was first reported by the Washington Free Beacon on Tuesday, that included previously unreported allegations of plagiarism.

According to the summary, the anonymous complaint included “four new allegations” that the Corporation subcommittee and the independent panel had not previously reviewed.

The subcommittee, however, determined the four new allegations “to be without merit.”

“The subcommittee of the Corporation has determined that no further action is required beyond the updates that have been and are being requested by President Gay,” the summary stated.

—Staff writer Tilly R. Robinson can be reached at [email protected] .

—Staff writer Neil H. Shah can be reached at [email protected] . Follow him on X @neilhshah15 or on Threads @kne.els .

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• Contributors

Rewriting the Rules for Corporate Elections

Ben Bates  is a Research Fellow at the Harvard Law School Program on Corporate Governance. This post is based on his recent  paper .

For the last decade and a half, boards of directors have been gradually rewriting their companies’ election bylaws. Specifically, boards have gradually added more and more disclosure requirements that shareholders must meet in order to nominate alternative board candidates. These changes have made it more costly for shareholders, such as activist hedge funds, to launch election contests. Boards have also reserved to themselves the power to unilaterally reject nominations made by shareholders who do not meet these requirements. If a board improperly rejects a shareholder’s nomination, the shareholder’s only recourse is to challenge the board’s decision in court.

This large-scale rewriting of election bylaws—which are commonly referred to as “advance notice bylaws” (ANBs)—began with a largely unnoticed wave of amendments around the time of the Financial Crisis, and it continued without fanfare for more than a decade. That changed in 2022 when the health-tech company Masimo Corporation adopted ANB amendments in the face of an activist threat that were so onerous that they were all but impossible to comply with. Masimo’s bold amendments elicited the praise and scorn of various academics and pages upon pages of law firm memos. It also earned Masimo a lawsuit in Delaware, filed by hedge fund activist Politan Capital. The lawsuit was ultimately resolved when Masimo agreed to walk back its controversial amendments.

Since the Masimo case brought ANBs into the spotlight, ANBs have been a focal point in public conversations about shareholder activism and in legal disputes between boards and shareholders. A prominent former member of the Delaware judiciary, speaking at a corporate law conference, recently compared complying with modern ANBs to “submit[ting] to a colonoscopy by the incumbents.” Additionally, Delaware courts have seen a steady stream of cases challenging companies’ ANBs on the grounds that they unduly restrict shareholders’ voting rights. At the same time, the last few years have seen hundreds of public companies update and strengthen their ANBs in response to the SEC’s new universal proxy rules.

Despite the attention that they currently command from practitioners, ANBs have been subject to only limited academic scrutiny. In a new working paper , I provide a foundational empirical and policy analysis of ANBs. My analysis leverages a new dataset I have compiled that contains over 14,000 sets of bylaws filed by more than 3,800 U.S. companies, and it focuses on answering three primary questions about ANBs:

(1)  How have ANBs evolved over the past twenty years?

(2)  What market-wide and firm-specific factors have affected ANB innovations?

(3)  What legal reforms, if any, would be beneficial in response to these changes?

I begin by explaining the structure of modern ANBs, which serve two main functions: First, they set a nomination window during which shareholders are allowed to nominate director candidates for an upcoming annual meeting. Second, they require shareholders to make a set of disclosures to the incumbent board in order to submit a valid nomination. I also describe the types of disclosure requirements that tend to be included in modern ANBs. These requirements range from straightforward requests for information about the nominating shareholder and their nominees (e.g., name, address, and shares owned) to much less clearly defined requests for information about “affiliates,” “associates,” or “family members” of the nominating shareholder or parties “acting in concert” with them. Using economic logic, I argue that vague and complex disclosure provisions, or disclosure provisions that vary widely across firms, increase the cost to shareholders of exercising their nomination rights and should be expected to decrease the amount of shareholder activism. I also briefly summarize the Delaware caselaw that outlines the limits on boards’ authority to adopt burdensome ANBs.

Turning to the data, I show that enhanced ANBs disclosure provisions have increased significantly in length and complexity market wide over the past twenty years. I also show that two waves of amendments have propelled the proliferation of disclosure requirements, the first occurring in 2008–09 and the second occurring in 2022–23. This empirical evidence lines up with anecdotal accounts from law firms reporting that many companies amended their ANBs in response to changes in hedge fund activism around the time of the Financial Crisis and again in response to the SEC’s universal proxy rules .

Next, I examine the level of adoption over time of 16 different ANB provisions, twelve of which are disclosure provisions. I show that, while firms have on average increased the number of disclosure requirements in their ANBs over time, there is a large (and potentially growing) amount of variation across firms in the individual provisions they choose to adopt. In contrast, I show that firms have by-and-large converged on a standard way of drafting their nomination windows.

I also explore firm-specific factors that are correlated with the strength of firms’ ANB disclosure requirements. First, I show that firm size is strongly correlated with having more disclosure requirements. On average across my sample period, the largest 20 percent of firms in a given year have two more of the twelve disclosure provisions I track than the smallest 20 percent of firms. This difference is substantial given that firms had adopted, on average, only five of twelve provisions in 2023.

Second, I show that firms who have recently been targeted by an activist also generally have more disclosure requirements than other firms in a given year. Alone, this correlation is merely suggestive evidence that firms adopt tougher ANBs in response to the threat of activism. To further test whether being targeted causes firms to add disclosure requirements to their ANBs, I use an event study specification that examines changes in firms’ ANB strength before and after they are targeted by an activist hedge fund. I use propensity score matching to identify suitable “control” firms in an attempt to mitigate selection bias. Through this analysis, I find that being targeted by an activist does appear to cause firms to strengthen their ANBs. The effect is statistically significant but relatively small: firms add only 0.2 disclosure provisions on average in the years after they are targeted, relative to comparable firms.

I conclude by considering the policy implications of this empirical evidence. I focus on the costs associated with the high level of variation across firms’ disclosure requirements. I argue that the high level of drafting variation makes it more costly for shareholders to both (1) nominate directors and (2) monitor incumbents’ decision-making when they adopt ANBs or reject shareholders’ nominees. These costs are not offset by clear benefits to shareholders. I suggest three possible legal reforms that could either lead to greater drafting uniformity over time or at least reduce the costs of variability: (1) requiring shareholders to vote on all election-related bylaw amendments, (2) requiring boards to give shareholders time to “cure” deficient nomination notices, and (3) allowing shareholders to facially challenge ANBs for overbreadth or vagueness. Each approach has strengths and weaknesses, which I discuss in detail in the paper.

By providing a thorough empirical and policy analysis of ANBs, this paper should provide a valuable resource to aid institutional investors, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to understand the current state of ANB practice and related policy issues. It is also my hope that this paper will provide a foundation for future academic work aimed at studying modern tactics used by boards to control corporate elections.

The paper is available here . I welcome comments and feedback.

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