International Applicants
English Language Requirement
Who Needs to Take the TOEFL?
International applicants must take the TOEFL test and submit official scores to the GSD by the application deadline with the following exception. Applicants who hold or are in the process of completing a bachelor’s degree that includes a minimum of three years of in-person, full-time study where English is the sole medium of instruction in the following countries are exempt from the TOEFL requirement: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, and the United States. An official transcript for the relevant bachelor’s degree, showing three full-time years in residence, must be uploaded into the appropriate section of application.
Appropriate English proficiency is incredibly important for success at the GSD, and so we encourage applicants to diligently prepare for the TOEFL to achieve your highest possible score.
Minimum and preferRed score requirements
| SECTION | PREFERRED SCORE | MINIMUM SCORE |
| OVERALL | 104 | 92 |
| Reading | 26 | 23 |
| Listening | 26 | 23 |
| Speaking | 26 | 23 |
| Writing | 26 | 23 |
TEST SCORE SUBMISSION
Official TOEFL scores must be sent to the institution code for the Graduate School of Design (3455). A department code is not needed. If you are required to enter a department code, choose the department that best aligns with the program you are applying to. Scores are typically delivered to the GSD within 8-10 business days after your test date. To account for weekends and winter holidays, we recommend taking the test no later than December 20th. Scores received after the deadline will be added to your application, but we cannot guarantee that the admissions committee will see late materials during the review process. In cases where you are applying to two or more programs with different deadlines (ex. MArch II and MDes), your official TOEFL score is due by the earlier application deadline. TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the date of the test, and we are not able to accept expired scores. Admitted students with an overall or section TOEFL scores above our minimum score requirements but below our preferred score requirements are required to take the summer English for Design course before enrolling at the GSD
English for Design
The TOEFL requirement is in place to ensure that all students have the foundational language skills necessary to succeed in the academically rigorous environment of the GSD. We encourage any prospective international applicants interested in applying to the GSD to invest time in strengthening their English language competencies before and as they prepare for the application process.
The English for Design course is an enrollment requirement for admitted GSD students with an overall or section TOEFL score below our preferred score requirements and above our minimum score requirements. The course is offered in partnership with Boston University, and it is a six-week, virtual, intensive program. The program provides students with the unique opportunity to receive design-focused English language instruction and to participate in a seminar course led by GSD instructors. The course fee for the English for Design program is separate from GSD tuition, and students who are required to enroll in the program are responsible for covering the cost. More information is provided at the time of admission if an admitted applicant is required to take the course.
Documents Requiring Translation
All application materials not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation. Please review the following list of items that require your attention.
Transcripts
Any transcript not issued in English must be submitted with a certified English translation. We do not recommend a specific translation company. Both the original and translated versions should be uploaded into the application. Applicants who have completed or will complete a degree at an international school do not need to submit a WES evaluation at the time of application, though it will be required later if you are admitted.
Recommendation Letters
For applicants whose recommenders are not comfortable writing in English, recommendation letters must be translated by an official, certified translation service. The applicant may choose and pay for the translation service, but the recommender should send the original letter directly to the translator. After translation, the recommender is responsible for uploading both the original letter and translated letter from their own email address. This process ensures the confidentiality of the recommendation.
Additionally, recommenders will be prompted to complete a required questionnaire in English when submitting their letter. They may wish to seek assistance from a translator for this section as well. For more details about recommendation letters please review the FAQ.
Financial Aid Application
Tuition fees are the same for all students. We encourage any applicant to submit the financial aid application, though financial assistance cannot be guaranteed to all applicants. The GSD has limited need-based grant funds available for international students. International students are also eligible for consideration for merit-based scholarships based on their admissions application materials.
We highly encourage applicants to seek external scholarships as early as possible. Please note that external scholarship deadlines may differ from those of the GSD and often occur before our application deadline. For further information, please visit Financial Aid.
What Next?
International students admitted to the Harvard GSD who do not hold U.S. citizenship or legal permanent resident status in the U.S. will be required to complete financial certification as part of the enrollment process. The financial certification process is the first step toward obtaining the F-1 or J-1 visa to study in the United States. To fulfill this requirement, international admitted students will need to provide evidence that they have sufficient funds for their first full year of study at the GSD.
More information will be provided to admitted international students. In the meantime, we invite you to learn more about student visa types on the Harvard International Student website . Note that we are unable to advise or review documentation or answer questions about your status prior to admission.
GSD STEM DESIGNATED PROGRAMS
The following programs are STEM-designated. Accordingly, international students holding F-1 visas may be eligible for a 24-month Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension on top of their initial OPT of 12 months, for a total of 36 months, following graduation. Each F-1 student must petition the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to approve the 24-month STEM extension, and Harvard does not represent or warrant that UCIS will grant any individual petition.
- MArch I
- MArch I AP
- MArch II
- MLA I
- MLA I AP
- MLA II
- MAUD
- MLAUD
- MDE
- MUP
- MRE
- MDes, Mediums
- MDes, Ecologies
- DDes