What Academic Programs Does the Harvard Department of Economics Offer?

The Harvard Department of Economics offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral-level study in economics, with program and admissions details organized on economics.harvard.edu. Prospective students should use the department site to identify the program level that matches their current stage—undergraduate concentration, PhD, or other graduate study—and then follow the linked admissions information for that program. The site is an academic department resource, not a centralized admissions portal, so applicants should expect to move between department pages and Harvard's central admissions or graduate school pages for complete requirements and deadlines.

Program levels to look for

The department is associated with economics study at several levels. The most reliable way to confirm current offerings is to browse the department's own program navigation rather than relying on secondhand summaries.

Because program names, requirements, and deadlines can change, treat any table like the one above as a map of where to look, not as a substitute for the department's current pages.

How to find the right program for you

Start from your current status and work forward:

1. Identify your level. If you are choosing an undergraduate concentration, look for undergraduate program pages. If you already hold a bachelor's degree and want doctoral training, look for the PhD program.
2. Read the program overview first. Confirm the degree offered, expected duration, and core requirements before diving into application logistics.
3. Check faculty and research fields. The department's faculty and research pages help you judge whether your interests align with the department's strengths—an important factor for doctoral applicants especially.
4. Follow the admissions link. Department pages usually point to the relevant admissions office for application forms, deadlines, test requirements, and funding information.
5. Verify deadlines on the official admissions page. Department pages may summarize timelines, but the admissions office page is the authoritative source.

What the department site covers

The Harvard Department of Economics website functions as the department's public information hub. It typically covers faculty and researcher profiles, academic program information, research areas, seminars and events, and news. For prospective students, the most useful sections are the program pages and the faculty directory, since these let you compare your interests against the department's actual teaching and research profile.

The site does not replace Harvard's central admissions systems. Application submission, fee payment, and official deadline management happen through the relevant admissions office, so plan to use both the department site and the admissions site together.

Common sticking points

• Assuming one page has everything. Program requirements and admissions logistics are often split across department and central pages.
• Using outdated summaries. Third-party descriptions of requirements or deadlines can lag behind official pages; always confirm on the department or admissions site.
• Skipping the faculty check. For research-oriented programs, confirming faculty coverage in your area of interest before applying saves time.
• Missing the distinction between levels. Undergraduate concentration information and PhD admissions information are separate tracks with different contacts and timelines.

Bottom line

Use economics.harvard.edu to understand what the department teaches and who teaches it, then follow its links to the appropriate admissions office for application specifics. Confirm every requirement and deadline on the official page for your program level before you apply.