the fellowship year

Loeb Fellows represent the broadest spectrum of design practitioners.  They come from around the world from such different places as Albuquerque, Quito, Ecuador, Cleveland and Shenzhen, China. As a class they arrive in Cambridge rich in experience and diversity with a common desire to make the world a better place for all. Read here about courses, seminars, dinners, study tours and travel, and financial matters.

Courses

The Fellowship is an independent study program. Each Fellow develops his/her individual work plan for the year. The program expects all Fellows to fully participate in at least one course each
semester at the Graduate School of Design. While the focus of activity is at the GSD, Fellows may audit courses at Harvard College, any Harvard’s Graduate Schools and at MIT. They may use any library in the University system, and are free to read, conduct research, write, interview faculty, create and manage symposia, and pursue other activities they believe will advance their professional growth. Fellows may not take courses for academic credit and may not be enrolled in a degree program.

Seminars

The Fellows seminars bring the class together once a week to discuss and debate ideas and share their work. Some of the seminars are organized by and for the fellows only, and some are open to the GSD community and the public.The public seminars are organized by the Fellows on subjects of interest, often bringing practitioners and professionals they have worked with and know to the school to discuss and present innovative projects and ideas.

Dinners

A long standing tradition of the program is for the class to host a weekly or bi-weekly dinner with an invited guest from the professional or academic community. These are opportunities for lively discussion and engaging conversations, held in the Doebele House dining room.

Study Tours and Travel

For the past 14 years the class has embarked on an international study tour to share ideas with professionals and leaders in other countries. The current practice is to travel with a second semester GSD studio and to serve as mentors to the students throughout the second semester. 

Each fall a study tour is organized by Loeb alumni. An intensive program of visits to program and project sites, panel discussions with local design and policy leaders introduces the participants to a Loeb’s eye view of a place. Stimulating debates and discussion, the sharing of innovative ideas are interwoven with a time for more informal networking and visiting. Recent destinations have been Albuquerque/Santa Fe; Birmingham, Alabama; and Vancouver, Canada.

Financial Matters

This information is subject to change.

The current stipend for the full academic year is $47,500. This is considered taxable income. It is allocated in ten monthly payments on the last day of the month beginning in August and ending the last day of May. Costs of attending regular Harvard classes are covered by the program.  Health insurance is not covered by the program.

The Fellowship makes every effort to provide appropriate housing for accepted Fellows and their families living outside the Boston area. The Fellowship has two residential facilities: 

• Doebele House is a Victorian home close to the GSD which houses up to four people who come without their partners or their families.
• 153 Mt. Auburn Street (known as Stroebel House) is a 5 unit apartment building close to Harvard Square which houses Fellows who chose to come with their families/and or their affiliates.
  

Travel Grants

A modest travel grant issued during the fall semester is aimed at covering about one round trip home per semester.