Program Overview

Academics

The Harvard Graduate School of Design 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 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 Harvard Graduate School of Design 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

Courses

One of the courses offered is:

Water, Land-Water Linkages, and Aquatic Ecology

• Course Description: This course covers water across the globe in relation to land-water interactions, aquatic ecology, and human activities.
• Course Objectives: The course aims to provide students with an understanding of water that will inform their professional approaches to landscape architecture, architecture, and planning.
• Evaluation: Based on class attendance and participation, short written assignments, quizzes, focused design exercises, and a semester-long project.

About

The Harvard Graduate School of Design is committed to making a resilient, just, and beautiful world through education, research, and scholarship. The school has a strong focus on community values, rights, and responsibilities, and is dedicated to promoting academic integrity, respectful engagement, and equitable accountability.