NON-DEGREE STATUS
SPECIAL STUDENT STATUS
Faculty of Arts and Sciences courses are open to individuals who have sound reasons for not wishing to enter a degree program, who hold a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent, and who are able to present evidence of fitness for admission at the graduate level via a required online application process. Such persons are admitted by, and registered as Special Students in, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Special Student status is a non-degree status in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Persons denied admission to degree programs in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences cannot apply for Special Student status for the same academic year.
Detailed information outlining the Special Students Program and application instructions are available from the Special Student and Visiting Fellows Office, Holyoke Center 350, 617-495-5392.
| Application Deadline | Term/Year | Notification of Admissions Decisions |
|---|---|---|
| March 1 |
fall term only or entire academic year |
April/May |
| October 1 | spring term only | November/December |
Prospective Special Students may apply for admission to one academic term (fall or spring) or a full academic year (September through May). Special Student status is normally limited to one academic year, with extension possible only via a required online reapplication process. Students are expected to follow the Proposed Plan of Study stated in their application and to which they were admitted.
Special Students may take up to four half-courses per term. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services regulations require that all foreign nationals holding Harvard-sponsored F-1 visas be registered full-time (four half-courses per term).
Although Special Students are admitted to courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, they are not degree candidates in either Harvard College or in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. They do, however, enjoy many of the same privileges of degree candidates in the University. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences registrar will provide a transcript of credits earned following completion of each academic term for students who do not have an outstanding term bill balance.
Special Students may apply for admission to a degree program through the regular GSAS admissions process (See Chapter III), but status as a Special Student carries no commitment whatsoever regarding subsequent admission to any part of the University.
Tuition is charged on a per-course basis, according to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences’ full tuition schedule. The 2011–2012 rates are:
| Course Rate | Tuition per Term | Student Health Fee per Term† | Student Health Insurance Plan† per Term | Total Tuition and Fees per Term | Total Tuition and Fees Per Academic Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Course* | $4,538 | $593 | $917 | $6,089 | $12,178 |
| 2 Courses* | $9,076 | $593 | $917 | $10,627 | $21,254 |
| 3 Courses* | $13,614 | $593 | $917 | $15,165 | $30,330 |
| 4 Courses* | $18,152 | $593 | $917 | $19,703 | $39,406 |
Please note that some language courses are listed in the catalog as intensive (e.g., French Acd. Intensive Beginning French: Special Course). All intensive courses are one full academic year (fall and spring) in duration and listed as full courses. They will be charged at the two half-course rate ($9,076) as a half-course ($4,538) each academic term.
† All registered Harvard University students are required to pay the Harvard University Student Health Program (HUSHP) fee. The Student Health Insurance Plan provides hospital/specialty care through Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) and prescription drug coverage through Medco. Please read Chapter XIII for information about HUSHP and waivers. (Students who meet certain requirements may be eligible to waive all or a portion of HUSHP. All waivers must be completed online prior to the deadlines.) Medical insurance requirements and policies governing billing and overdue bills are the same for Special Students as for degree candidates
There is no tuition reduction for courses that are not taken for credit (TIME courses; see Chapter V). Medical insurance requirements and policies governing billing and overdue bills are the same for Special Students as for degree candidates.
Financial aid is not available for Special Students from any part of the University. Students are advised to seek aid from outside sources. A Special Student who is later admitted to a degree program in GSAS may be eligible for academic and financial credit for work done as a Special Student. Such credit is granted only for graduate-level courses that are valid for the specific GSAS degree program in which the student is enrolled. Upon completion of one term in the degree program, students may petition their departments for credit for work done as a Special Student. A maximum of eight half-courses may be used for credit for PhD or a two-year master’s program; a maximum of four half-courses may be used for a one-year master’s degree. GSAS PhD candidates who receive academic and financial credit for work done as a Special Student become eligible for reduced tuition sooner in their degree program. Students should consult with their financial aid officer about how the tuition charges are affected in their case.
For more information about the Special Student status, please visit the Special Student webpage.
VISITING FELLOW STATUS
Individuals holding the PhD degree (or its equivalent), or with comparable professional experience, may apply via a required online application process to be Visiting Fellows in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Applications to Visiting Fellow status are also accepted from advanced doctoral candidates in domestic and international universities who have completed all coursework and would like to pursue dissertation research at Harvard.
Although Visiting Fellows are sometimes invited by departments or research centers to participate in seminars or other organized activities, they are expected for the most part to pursue their research independently as full-time researchers. Visiting Fellows are registered full-time graduate students in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. They have access to the libraries, athletic facilities, and other general facilities of the University, and are eligible to apply for membership in the Harvard Faculty Club. However, Visiting Fellows are not members of any Harvard University faculty.
Detailed information outlining the Visiting Fellows Program and application instructions are available from the Special Student and Visiting Fellows Office, Holyoke Center 350, 617-495-5392.
| Application Deadline | Term/Year | Notification of Admissions Decisions |
|---|---|---|
| March 1 | fall term only or entire academic year | April/May |
| October 1 | spring term only | November/December |
Prospective Visiting Fellows may apply for admission to one academic term (fall or spring) or a full academic year (September through May). Visiting Fellows status is normally limited to one academic year, with extension possible only via a required online reapplication process.
Visiting Fellows are registered, full-time, independent, graduate research students and are permitted to audit but not permitted to officially enroll in courses. Visiting Fellows are not degree candidates and do not take courses for academic credit. Although they may attend courses, they cannot sit for the final examinations and do not receive grades for their coursework. Visiting Fellows and other auditors are normally not permitted to attend basic skills courses such as languages or computer science. Those who wish to enroll in courses for academic credit or in basic courses to learn new skills (such as languages) should apply for Special Student status.
Visiting Fellows pay reduced tuition of $9,440 for the 2011–2012 academic year ($4,720 per academic term). All registered Harvard University students, including Visiting Fellows, are automatically enrolled in the Harvard University Student Health Program (HUSHP). Please carefully read Chapter XIII for information about the HUSHP and waiver deadlines. (All waivers must be completed online prior to the deadlines.) Medical insurance requirements and policies governing billing and overdue bills are the same for Visiting Fellows as for degree candidates.
Office space throughout the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is extremely limited and few departments have offices available for Visiting Fellows. Carrel or study space is occasionally available in Widener Library; applications should be made to the Widener stack division, if possible before the beginning of a term. For more information on carrels and study spaces, please visit the Harvard Libraries web page.
For more information about Visiting Fellow status, please visit the Visiting Fellows web page.