Yes. In addition to professors' weekly office hours, students spend time with their professors before and after class. There are also many occasions when professors take meals in Harvard's residential dining halls; attend gatherings in the residences of House Masters, who are themselves Harvard faculty members; and participate in other programs and special events.

Are there required freshman courses?

Harvard requires all freshmen to take Expository Writing, a one-semester course. Otherwise, freshmen may enroll in any courses in which they are interested and for which they are prepared.

How many courses does Harvard offer?

About 3,500. For a complete copy of the course catalog, visit the Registrar's website.

How large are courses?

Some introductory courses as well as several other very popular courses attract large enrollments. Yet, of the 1,325 courses offered last fall, 1,154 of them enrolled 19 or fewer students.

What are Harvard's engineering and science programs like?

Harvard is experiencing tremendous expansion within engineering and the sciences. Our unsurpassed facilities provide dozens of labs (many interconnected), clusters, and programs designed to encourage scientists to cut across boundaries and to collaborate.

In the past year alone, Harvard faculty members have invented new types of lasers, stopped light in its tracks, created nanowires one-thousandth the width of a human hair, won a host of prestigious awards, and received major government and industry grants. Our graduates have gone on to lead Fortune 500 companies, run world-class labs, and teach the next generation of researchers, professionals, and technologists.

Harvard caters to "renaissance" thinkers who want to blend a rigorous approach to science and engineering with a broader liberal arts education. Students tackle technical, yet socially relevant challenges through coursework- solving the University's parking space problems or modeling college enrollment trends - and by doing research and fieldwork on everything from computer security to water pollution.

Undergraduates can study an enormous range of topics, including Computer Science (artificial intelligence, graphics, languages, networking, systems, and theory of computation); Engineering Sciences (bioengineering, electrical and environmental engineering, and mechanical and materials science); and Applied Mathematics (with a focus on biology, chemistry, computer science, decision and control, economics, physics, social sciences, and engineering).

About half of recently entering students intend to major in the natural sciences, engineering sciences, computer science, or mathematics. For more information about engineering and the applied sciences, visit the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences website.

How easy is it for students to change majors ("concentrations")?

About a third of undergraduates change fields after declaring their concentrations at the end of their third semester. Students simply change fields in consultation with departmental advisers. For information about the breadth of Harvard's academic programs, consult the departmental listings.

Can students fulfill academic requirements with previous course work?

Students cannot receive degree credit for coursework completed before matriculation, but Harvard offers an Advanced Standing Program to entering students who meet certain specific standards on the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) or comparable examinations. For more information on Advanced Standing, you can visit the Advising Programs Office website.

What is Harvard's graduation rate?

Harvard graduates 97 percent of its students, among the very highest graduation rates in the nation. We are certain that everyone admitted to Harvard has the ability to complete all academic requirements successfully.

Is on-campus housing guaranteed?

Yes. Harvard guarantees housing for all four years. First-year students live in the 17 dormitories in or adjacent to historic Harvard Yard. Self-selected groups of students are assigned to one of 12 residential Houses for the final three years of undergraduate study. About 330 to 500 students live in each House, and each House includes its own dining hall, library, and advising staff, among other resources. You can read more about first-year dormitories online.

Must students live on campus?

Students must live in Harvard housing their first year at the College. A very small percentage of students choose to live off campus as upperclassmen. Many students and alumni/ae, however, consider the House system one of the hallmarks of their Harvard experiences. Considering the diversity of student backgrounds, interests, and talents, Harvard's residential program enhances the degree to which students - among our most powerful educational resources - learn from one another.

What is the climate at Harvard for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered students?

Harvard's bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender (BGLT) community consists of an active, visible, and diverse group of students, staff, and faculty. Organizations, support groups, colloquia, and political and social events provide a range of opportunities for BGLT students and their friends to become engaged in the life of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities according to their own preferences for involvement and openness.

In our ongoing efforts to support transgender students, we have made important changes to our policies, such as ensuring that the "gender" field on our application is optional, and that Harvard College has inclusive policies on housing and access to gender non-specific bathrooms across campus. We have many "out" faculty and staff members on campus who are accessible to students as role models and/or mentors. There is an active student BGLT community through the Harvard Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Supporters Alliance and Harvard boasts the oldest and largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender alumni association in the country, the Harvard Gay &: Lesbian Caucus. We strive to create an inclusive environment that supports the well-being and dignity of every student.

Harvard College has an extensive network of BGLT proctors and tutors in our residential communities. These proctors and tutors are live-in residential staff who provide information and programming for BGLT students and their allies. They offer a strong commitment to BGLT students by living and working with students in their communities. The BGLT educational and social programming is visible and readily accessible. Through the Women, Gender, and Sexuality department, students have additional opportunities to explore issues of gender, identity, and expression.

If you have questions about housing for transgender students, please call the Harvard College Office of Residential Life at 617 495-1942 or Paul J. McLoughlin II, Assistant Dean of Harvard College for Student Life and Activities at 617 495-1558.

May students bring cars to Harvard?

Yes, and students may park their cars, for a fee, in designated University lots. You can read more about student parking online. Students do not need a car to get around. Public transportation in Greater Boston is safe, clean, convenient, and inexpensive.

Should students be concerned for their safety at Harvard?

The University sponsors a comprehensive public safety program that includes a full campus police force, a walking escort service, a campus-wide shuttle service, emergency phones, lighted pathways, and a computer-card key system operating in all freshman and most other residences. Read Harvard's "Playing It Safe" handbook.

Does Harvard provide services for students with disabilities?

Yes. Undergraduates with disabilities are served by the Accessible Education Office, an office that assists students who have clinically documented impairments which limit their ability to participate in academic, housing and programmatic activities sponsored by the University. The Accessible Education Office assesses eligibility for services and accommodations, and collaborates with faculty and staff to ensure individualized implementation of recommended services, including accessible coursework, housing, transportation and activities. Prospective students should contact the Accessible Education Office (617) 496-8707 for further information.

Are there exchange programs with other Greater Boston colleges?

Harvard students may cross-register in courses offered at MIT, which is a direct, 10-minute trip from Harvard Yard. Students may also enroll in advanced courses at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences as well as at many of Harvard's professional schools.

What study-abroad programs does Harvard offer?

The new Office of International Programs provides assistance to undergraduates who wish to study abroad during term time and summer. Students may enroll in foreign universities or participate in overseas programs sponsored by U.S. universities. They can receive concentration and elective credit for academic work completed abroad, and may have a substantial portion of their educational expenses during term time study covered by their financial aid package. On average, over 200 students study abroad each year for credit in more than 30 foreign countries.

Are there research opportunities for undergraduates?

Yes. Many students find research projects through individual inquiries with departments and professors as well as through the Harvard College Research Program and the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program. The Faculty Aide Program links professors to undergraduates interested in becoming research assistants. Read more about these programs on the Student Employment Office website.

How successful are Harvard students in gaining admission to graduate schools or finding employment after graduation?

Our graduates enjoy an extraordinarily high rate of success receiving job offers and admission to graduate and professional schools. Resident tutors in each of the 12 Houses assist students applying to graduate schools and fellowship programs. In fact, Harvard is almost always the best-represented undergraduate institution at Harvard's graduate schools. The Office of Career Services offers all undergraduates a range of job and internship counseling services. Popular careers in recent years include academic life, business, medicine, law, the arts, and public service.

More Information

About Harvard College Frequently Asked Questions

What percentage of faculty members teach undergraduates?

Is it possible to talk with and get to know professors?