Frequently Asked Questions

We do not have a minimum GPA (grade point average). The admissions committee reviews each application holistically and each component of the application is carefully reviewed with the knowledge that successful HDS students possess strengths in different areas. The components of the application are intended to allow you to demonstrate, in a variety of ways, your academic preparation to engage in graduate-level theological study at Harvard Divinity School.

As a condition of admission, all international applicants whose native language is not English, or who did not receive their baccalaureate degree from an institution where English is the sole language of instruction, must take the TOEFL or IELTS. If you have any questions about if your undergraduate degree and institution satisfy this requirement, please reach out to the Office of Admissions at admissions@hds.harvard.edu.

MDiv, MTS, MRPL, and special student applicants must receive a score of:

• 100 or higher on the Internet-based TOEFL test
• 7.5 or higher on the IELTS test

Applicants for the ThM program must receive one of the following minimum scores:

• TOEFL (computer-based exam): 105 or higher
• IELTS: 8

You can access the project proposal form and instructions within the HDS online application for admission. 

Within the program, master of religion and public life (MRPL) students will complete a final project that engages the topic of religion within their profession. The final project will be shaped in consultation with the faculty instructor of the Religion and Public Life Seminar, MRPL candidate peers in the seminar, and the student's faculty advisor. The final project may take one of the following three forms:  

• A portfolio addressing a particular theme in the intersection of religion and the student's profession. This option could, for example, take the form of a series of case studies, a series of articles, or a portfolio of artistic creations relevant to an articulated theme.; or  

• Two smaller papers (each normally 20-30 pages in length); or  

• One large paper (normally 40-60 pages in length) 

All options require approval from the faculty advisor and RPL director by mid-December of the year in which a student is enrolled. Final projects may incorporate work done in courses counting toward fulfillment of the MRPL degree requirements but must also include substantially new materials. Applicants will use the form within the application for admission to provide some preliminary thoughts on their intended MRPL project.  

Applicants may reapply for admission to HDS. Applicants that have applied to HDS within the past three years may elect to reuse up to three letters of recommendation from their previous application. Please find more information on this process, including a Letter of Recommendation Reuse form, in the application instructions within the HDS online application for admission. If you submit this form, please do not submit your application for admission until you have received a response from HDS Admissions.

If you have any questions, or would like guidance on the procedure, please contact us at admissions@hds.harvard.edu.

We expect applicants to apply for the academic year in which they intend to enroll. However, occasionally an admitted student encounters a family emergency or change of circumstances, and we grant deferments on a case-by-case basis.

Harvard Divinity School offers generous institutional grant aid for students enrolling in the master of divinity (MDiv) or master of theological studies (MTS) programs. Approximately ninety percent (90%) of MDiv and MTS students receive Institutional grant aid, the majority of which is need-based grant aid. You can learn more about other types of financial aid that may be available at the HDS Office of Financial Aid website.

Students in the master of theology (ThM) or master of religion and public life (MRPL) program who are U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens may qualify for federal funds and/or private loans. HDS does not provide grant support for the ThM or MRPL programs. Special students are not eligible for institutional or federal aid. 

You’ll need to provide HDS with unofficial transcripts for all post-secondary institutions where you have completed, or are currently pursuing a degree, unless the courses and grades from a previous institution are listed on your current, degree-bearing institution’s transcript. You don’t need to submit a separate transcript if they were courses completed at the college level while you were in high school, although you are welcome to submit those if you would like to. If you have any questions about your transcript(s), please contact our office at admissions@hds.harvard.edu.    Transcripts must be legible and should include: 

• Course names 
• Dates of attendance 
• Grades, course credits, GPA (if applicable) 
• Transcript legend/key (often found on the back page of the transcript or on the Registrar's website)

 

First and foremost, we offer heart-centered listening and accompaniment to anyone who has been part of an instance of identity-based harm. We work with you to determine what you need and what your next steps forward towards repair might be. These can include: 

• Support, listening, and empowerment  
• Space for reflection and validation 
• Facilitation of a restorative conversation between parties 
• A sounding board to think through possible avenues of healing and justice  
• A team that can receive feedback about campus culture and help to weave preventative measures throughout campus life   

Your writing sample should demonstrate your strengths in writing, research, and critical analysis—skills that will be directly applicable to academic work at HDS. You can choose to submit: 

• An excerpt of an academic paper in any subject area within the humanities or social sciences. 

• An adapted piece of professional writing. 

• An original work that is based upon a topic that you are interested in studying here at HDS. 

You may reuse a previous work, especially if you feel that it best represents your academic writing abilities. Please provide an excerpt from a larger piece or edit a selection down instead of providing the entire piece and stay within the word limit. You may add a brief note providing the larger context for the piece you choose. Please note that footnotes, bibliographies, or works cited pages do not count toward the overall word limit. 

Harvard Divinity School's Office of Career Services provides a variety of programs, tools, and services for alumni, including access to the Hired career management system. HDS alumni also have access to the Harvard Alumni Association's Career Resources service, a network of Harvard graduates committed to helping one another explore professional interests and career alternatives.

There may be instances of identity-based harm that people feel able to address directly with the other people involved, with the support of a faculty member or supervisor if appropriate. When that is not possible, or people need more support, the community care team is here as a resource. If you’re not sure whether you need our support, please reach out for an initial conversation – we are happy to help you discern. 

Once you have decided that HDS is one of the graduate schools to which you would like to apply, you can begin preparing immediately, even before the online application is available each fall. Update your résumé or curriculum vitae (CV), write an initial draft of your statement of purpose, discuss your application plans with your recommendation providers, review our application deadlines and policies, and consider researching outside scholarships and funding sources. Careful planning with respect to deadlines will allow you to put forth a thoughtful, cohesive application.

Once the application itself is available, you can find it along with a complete list of application requirements on the Apply page.