Exploring Fields of Study
With 50 concentrations (“majors”) and 49 secondary fields (“minors”) to explore, the APO strives to inform you of all the college offers and support you as you navigate its fields of study.
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The Exploring Fields of Study program takes place every Spring semester and provides first-year students with the opportunity to explore concentrations and secondaries of interest to them. Over the course of four weeks, students attend events hosted by the concentrations and secondaries. All events will be posted on the college calendar.
At these events, you can hear from and speak with faculty, advisors, and peers about the nuances of the concentrations and expand on your knowledge of academic fields that might be of interest to you.
The Harvard College Curriculum lays out the requirements that you need to fulfill in order to complete your program of study. Declaring a concentration is required while secondary fields are optional to study.
For official information about concentration and secondary field requirements, visit the Harvard College Handbook for Students – Fields of Concentration.
During this season of exploration, we encourage you to:
Identify which concentrations may be of interest by visiting our overview of each field, and explore the specific concentration websites and requirements.
Meet with your academic advisor to discuss your concentration interests and determine what questions you might have about the concentration.
Attend Exploring Fields of Study Sessions or office hours to learn more about each concentration. Events are added in real time to the College calendar.
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Choosing a Concentration
Choosing a concentration is an important moment in your academic journey at Harvard. Focus on three key steps as you determine your concentration: reflect, research, and declare.
Reflect
As you prepare to declare your concentrations, reflect on:
- Your academic interests and long-term career goals
- The concentration experience, including research opportunities, required courses, and thesis requirements
- Your four-year plan for completing concentration requirements (may be multiple if choosing between more than one concentration).
Research
To learn more about the concentration requirements, declaring a concentration, or concentration advising, we recommend collecting information from the following sources:
- The Harvard College Handbook for Students
- Pre-concentration advisors in your fields of interest
- Our Concentrations and Secondary Fields webpage
Declare
Concentration declaration takes place in the Fall semester of students’ sophomore year. In advance of concentration declaration, sophomores should:
- Contact Directors of Undergraduate Studies or concentration advisors with any questions or set up a time to meet with them.
- Review the official requirements for your prospective concentration in the Fields of Concentration handbook.
- Consult our Guide to Pre-Declaration Processes to ensure you complete all the necessary steps to declare your concentration on time.
- Follow the steps to declare your concentration in my.harvard by the declaration deadline.
Academic Planning Resources
Academic planning also involves introspection, goal-setting, and the careful selection of courses, activities, and co-curricular opportunities. To inform your own academic planning, we encourage you to learn more about these academic requirements and opportunities by reviewing the pages below.
