Frequently Asked Questions

Will my honors recommendation from Social Studies be accepted by Harvard College?

The Faculty of Harvard College cannot raise a student’s recommendation above that which is determined by the Committee on Degrees in Social Studies, but it can lower the recommendation when the student fails to meet college-wide cut-offs set by the Faculty. Harvard College limits the number of students graduating summa cum laude to 5% of the class, magna cum laude to 15% of the class, and cum laude to 30% of the class.

Is Social Studies able to count final term grades in the calculation of honors?

Final term course grades are not available in time to be considered by Social Studies in honors calculations. The Committee votes on a recommendation for each student based on seven semesters of grades and then forwards its recommendation to the College. By the time that the College votes on these recommendations, the final term course grades are available.

How will Social Studies calculate and decide upon my honors recommendation?

A student’s class rank is based on a calculation weighted as follows: the grade average in all concentration courses (all Social Studies requirements, all courses in the social sciences or history, and all courses in the student’s plan of study) x 50; the senior thesis x 35; the oral defense of the senior thesis x 5; and the oral general examination x 10. The total is then divided by 100 to determine the final average.

Honors recommendations are based on an overall score as well as scores in each of the three areas (courses, thesis grades, and oral examinations) that factor...

What kind of support does Social Studies provide for its thesis writers?

We provide substantial support to our thesis writers throughout all stages of the process. You can read more on our thesis support page.

If I decide that I do not want to write a senior thesis, what are my options?

To receive a degree recommendation from Social Studies, a student must write an acceptable senior thesis (one that receives a passing grade as the average of its two evaluations) and take the oral thesis defense and general examinations that follow.

If you have any doubts about your desire or ability to write a senior thesis, please speak to your advisor and the Director of Studies. If you decide not to write a thesis, you must transfer to another concentration and fulfill its requirements in order to graduate.

Can Social Studies students study abroad?

Yes, Social Studies strongly encourages study abroad. Many Social Studies juniors use a term abroad to find a thesis topic and even to conduct preliminary research. However, Social Studies concentrators can generally only study abroad for one term during their junior year, as they will need their other term to prepare for their senior thesis while in residence at Harvard. Social Studies students cannot go abroad during their sophomore year (when they are...

What should I do if I am interested in doing a joint concentration, combining Social Studies with another concentration?

Social Studies concentrators routinely pursue joint concentrations when students’ academic areas of interest overlap with programming in other departments that offer substantial coursework in the social sciences. You can read more about joint concentrations in Social Studies here.

If I transfer into Social Studies from another Harvard concentration as a junior, can I get credit for a sophomore tutorial taken in another department?

If you are transferring from history or a social science department, then Social Studies will count the tutorial for Social Studies credit, just as we count all courses taken in those departments. No other sophomore tutorial, however, will exempt a student from taking Social Studies 10.

As a transfer student from another college, will I receive any credit toward degree requirements in Social Studies for previous course work?

You will receive credit toward fulfillment of requirements for courses that are (1) approved for Harvard credit by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and then (2) approved for Social Studies credit by the Director of Studies. (Grades received for courses taken elsewhere are not considered when calculating a student's Social Studies grade average). Transfer courses may be included in a focus field by petition to the Social Studies Board of Instruction.

How can I arrange an independent study within Social Studies?

There are two sorts of independently arranged courses for credit at Harvard: an independent study course, graded Pass/Fail; and a reading and research course, known as a 91r, which is letter-graded. Independent study, graded Pass/Fail, must be supervised by a voting member of the faculty (i.e., someone with an appointment of assistant professor or higher). If you wish to take an independent study with a teaching fellow or lecturer, the Chair of the Department must co-sign your petition. Pass/Fail independent studies, however, do not count towards Social Studies requirements.

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Can courses “double count” to meet General Education and Social Studies requirements?

Yes.

Can I fulfill the statistics requirement by taking a course in summer school or at another college?

Yes, you can fulfill the Social Studies statistics requirement by taking an introductory statistics class at the Harvard Summer School or through a summer school at another accredited 4-year college or university. Please note, however, that if you take the course at a summer school other than Harvard, you will fulfill the Social Studies statistics requirement but, most likely, you will not receive Harvard credit for this course. A summer statistics course must be the equivalent of a semester-long course.

Can I count a freshman seminar towards requirements in Social Studies?

No, because freshman seminars are not letter-graded.

Can I take any Social Studies requirements Pass/Fail?

All of the courses that you are counting for Social Studies concentration credit must be taken for a letter grade, except for Social Studies 99, which is graded SAT/UNSAT. However, we will count courses that are transferred for Harvard credit (either taken at another college for transfer credit, or taken abroad) for focus field credit if they were originally taken for a letter grade even when that grade will not show up on an official Harvard College transcript.

Can I do a secondary field?

Yes, as long as the secondary field is substantially different from your focus field in Social Studies. Harvard College allows only one course to overlap between the primary and secondary fields, and Social Studies counts all social science and history courses for concentration credit. But students can petition to “unconc” (not count) courses in one of these departments at the beginning of their senior year, as long as they are submitting a focus...

What if I want to include a course that is not in a social science department in my focus field?

Students commonly include courses outside of our five member departments (Anthropology, Economics, Government, History, and Sociology) in their Focus Fields. Typically, courses that have substantial social science, historical, or social theoretical content (e.g., more than half of the topics covered) can be counted, as can courses taught by faculty members with PhDs in the social sciences, history, or continental philosophy. If the course that you want to include in your Focus Field is taught by a faculty member with a PhD in one of these areas, all you need to do is list the course on...

Which courses automatically count in Social Studies?

Social Studies will count all courses in Anthropology, Economics, Government, History, and Sociology, whether or not they are part of a student’s focus field in Social Studies.

Please note that for purposes of calculating honors we will include the grades in all courses you have taken that are acceptable for concentration credit, not just the courses you designate in your focus field or towards a specific concentration requirement.

What happens if I change thesis topics between junior and senior year? Will I have to create a new focus field?

Yes. If you change thesis topics, and your new topic does not follow from your original focus field courses, you will need develop a new focus field and, if necessary, take courses during your senior year to complete it.

What is a Focus Field?

A focus field is an interdisciplinary area of study proposed in the junior year and refined in the senior year; it should be associated with the student’s senior thesis topic. Students will be asked to submit an advisor-approved description of their potential area of study to the Social Studies Board of Instruction in the fall of their junior year. The focus field should include a minimum of four courses, normally drawn from at least two social...

Who will be my academic advisor in Social Studies?

First-semester sophomores will be advised in their houses, but are also encouraged to consult their sophomore tutor or members of our first year/sophomore advising team: Dr. Rosemarie Wagner, the Assistant Director of Studies for First Years and Sophomores, and Kate Anable, our...

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