Program Overview
Introduction to Harvard Graduate School of Design
The Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) is a premier institution for design, research, and scholarship. The GSD educates leaders in design, research, and scholarship to make a resilient, just, and beautiful world.
Academics
The GSD offers a wide range of academic programs, including:
- Master of Architecture I
- Master of Architecture I AP
- Master of Architecture II
- Master in Landscape Architecture I
- Master in Landscape Architecture I AP
- Master in Landscape Architecture II
- Master of Architecture in Urban Design / Master of Landscape Architecture in Urban Design
- Master in Urban Planning
- Master in Real Estate
- Concurrent and Joint Degrees
- Master in Design Engineering
- Master in Design Studies
- Doctor of Design
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Early Design Education
- Executive Education
Application Deadlines
The application deadlines for the GSD programs are:
- January 5, 2026, 5:00 p.m. ET for MArch, MLA, MUP, MAUD, MLAUD, MRE, DDes
- January 8, 2026, 5:00 p.m. ET for MDes, MDE
Financial Aid Deadlines
The financial aid deadlines are:
- October: FAFSA opens to applicants
- Mid-March: GSD financial aid application opens
- Mid-April: Financial aid application deadline
- Late May/Early June: Notification of financial aid awards
Research
The GSD has various research centers and initiatives, including:
- Harvard Center for Green Buildings and Cities
- Joint Center for Housing Studies
- Aga Khan Program
- Harvard Mellon Urban Initiative
- Laboratory for Design Technologies
- Critical Landscapes Design Lab
- Geometry Lab
- Grinham Research Group
- Healthy Places Lab
- Just City Lab
- Material Processes and Systems Group
- Office for Urbanization
- Responsive Environments & Artifacts Lab
- Laboratory for Values in the Built Environment
People
The GSD has a diverse community of faculty, students, and staff. The faculty directory, student directory, staff directory, alumni directory, and affiliates directory are available.
Offices & Facilities
The GSD has various offices and facilities, including:
- Academic Affairs
- Academic Administration
- Academic Planning and Innovation
- Advanced Studies Programs
- Department of Architecture
- Department of Landscape Architecture
- Department of Urban Planning and Design
- Faculty Affairs
- Student Affairs
- Admissions
- Career Services
- Financial Aid
- Registrar
- Student Life
- Administrative Offices
- Communications
- Dean’s Office
- Development & Alumni Relations
- Community, Impact and Opportunity
- Facilities and Campus Operations
- Finance & Research Administration
- Human Resources
- Research and Production
- Frances Loeb Library
- Fabrication Lab
- Information Technologies
Public Discourse
The GSD engages in public discourse through various publications, exhibitions, and public programs. The Harvard Design Magazine is a key publication that showcases the school's research and design work.
Calendar
The GSD has a calendar of events and exhibitions, including academic calendars, application deadlines, and public programs.
Alumni & Support
The GSD has a strong alumni community, with various events, updates, and resources available. Alumni can support the GSD through annual giving, gift planning, and fellowships.
About
The GSD is committed to making a resilient, just, and beautiful world. The school's mission and values are centered around community, academic integrity, and respectful engagement.
Courses
The GSD offers various courses, including:
- PRO-7460: Architecture Outside Patronage
- This course analyzes the history of architectural patronage and locates instances outside of the normative professional structures and relationships between architects, clients, and builders.
- The course examines the capacity of the architectural profession to initiate the project, to define the client, to bypass the client or patron altogether, to exercise greater control of the terms of design and construction, and/or to assume the roles, responsibilities, and risk of the developer and/or builder.