Information...

• for first-year and sophomore pre-concentrators
• for upper-class students transferring in from other concentrations
• for upper-class students transferring in from other schools
• for applicants to Harvard

Information for first-years

Welcome! We are happy to encourage you to explore the psychology concentration and look forward to working with you to help you decide whether it would fit well with your academic and career interests.

This website has several sections you will want to familiarize yourself with in your explorations. In particular, the Requirements section provides information on the several program options within the concentration, including our Mind/Brain/Behavior (MBB) tracks and the track in Life Sciences (Social and Cognitive Neuroscience). Note that column and row headings are often click-able, providing considerable additional information on special topics like non-departmental electives eligible for related course credit. We also have sections describing psychology courses, upper-class advising, and the honors thesis process. You can also pursue a Secondary Field in Psychology if you decide to choose a different field of concentration.

After you have looked throughout website, you will likely have questions, and we will be happy to meet with you. Sophomores are encouraged to contact the Concentration Advisor assigned to their house, either by attending announced drop-in hours or by e-mailing to schedule an appointment. Any student may also meet with one of our Assistant Head Tutors - Shelley Carson and Jeff Perrotti - during advising hours in the Psychology Undergraduate Office (218 William James Hall), on a walk-in basis. See the schedule below for Shopping Week hours and regular term hours appear below.

Students seeking information over the summer should e-mail psychology at wjh dot harvard dot edu.

Finally, the FAS Advising Program Office has many non-concentration specific resources available for pre-concentrators.

Spring Term 2008 Information

If you have made a decision to switch to psychology, you should meet with the Concentration Advisor in your house. Part of your meeting with the Concentration Advisor will involve a new concentrator interview. In this interview we will ask you some general information about your interests so we can place you in a sophomore tutorial if you haven't yet taken one, match you with appropriate mentors, and approve your change of concentration plan of study if you are already in another concentration. These interviews usually last between twenty and forty minutes, and thus it is best to try not to schedule these too close to Study Card days if you are switching concentrations.

Other Information

Information for upper-class students transferring in from other concentrations

If you are interested in transferring into psychology from another concentration, you are in the right place! Examining this website, in particular the Requirements section, will give you a sense of the range of program options available to you in psychology. Note the column and row headings are often click-able, providing considerable additional information on special topics like non-departmental electives eligible for related course credit. We also have sections describing psychology courses, upper-class advising, and the honors thesis process.

After looking through the website, you should speak with the Concentration Advisor in your house. You may meet with an advisor either to explore the concentration or to register for the concentration. If you have decided to become a psychology concentrator, you will complete a new concentrator form with the advisor, who will ask you some general information about your interests so we can place you in a sophomore tutorial and match you with appropriate mentors. We can also complete a change-in-concentration plan of study to make your change into psychology official. Please bring a copy of your Registrar's course printout to this meeting. These conversations usually last between twenty and forty minutes, and it is best to try not to schedule these too close to Study Card day.

Once the semester has begun, you will be matched with a faculty mentor and you will be e-mailed about this by early February.

Information for upper-class students transferring in from other schools

If you are already in college and interested in applying to transfer to Harvard while still an undergraduate, you should consult the website of the Harvard College Admissions Office, particularly its section on transfer admissions. Also see the general Information for Applicants to Harvard, the next section below.

If you have been admitted to Harvard as a transfer student, you should familiarize yourself with this website. Examining this website, in particular the Requirements section, will give you a sense of the range of program options available to you in psychology. Note the column and row headings are often click-able, providing considerable additional information on special topics like non-departmental electives eligible for related course credit. We also have sections describing psychology courses, upper-class advising, and the honors thesis process.

After reviewing this website, you should meet with the Concentration Advisor in your house to review your previous course record. Please bring a photocopy of your transcript from your previous school and syllabi from any psychology or related courses you have already taken. The Concentration Advisor will discuss your record with you, help you choose a required sophomore tutorial, and suggest additional courses you may need or want to take in the psychology concentration. The sooner you are able to hold such a meeting, the better. We'll look forward to welcoming you to Harvard!

Information for applicants to Harvard

We appreciate your interest in becoming an undergraduate at Harvard. Admissions to Harvard College are handled centrally rather than by individual departments. You will thus want to explore the website of the Harvard College Admissions Office which provides a great deal of information on the application process, including admissions forms and international admissions material. Information on financial aid for applicants is available through the website of the Harvard College Financial Aid Office.

If you are considering a concentration in psychology, you are very welcome to surf this website. Some sections are accessible only to current Harvard students, but you can access our Requirements and parts of our Courses sections, which will give you a sense of the academic options available to you if you do come to Harvard and study psychology.

© by the President and Fellows of Harvard College

Last updated April 15, 2008