Declaring a Concentration

Welcome! We're so excited that you're considering Psychology as a concentration or secondary field, and we look forward to working with you to determine whether it would fit well with your academic and career interests. If you are interested in declaring a secondary field, please see secondary field declaration instructions here. If you are interested in declaring a double concentration, please read this page and be sure to visit our double concentration page as well! Everyone else... read on!

Declaring Your Concentration in Psychology

If you're interested in declaring a Psychology concentration, please start by familiarizing yourself with our Concentration Requirements and Concentration Tracks. Once you're familiar with the requirements and you've decided to declare a concentration in Psychology, all you need to do is follow the steps below...

Sophomores

Sophomores declaring a concentration in Psychology during the sophomore declaration period should take the following steps.

Complete a New Concentrator Form and Plan of Study Worksheet. Email these to the Concentration Advisor assigned to your house.
Complete the Declaration of Concentration process in my.harvard.edu (for more detailed directions, see the Declaration of Concentration Instructions in the my.harvard Knowledge Center). Be sure to choose the correct track within Psychology (students may NOT declare Honors tracks except for Cognitive Science without an approved thesis application).
Your Concentration Advisor will approve your declaration once they have received your completed documents and you have correctly filled out the electronic my.harvard declaration petition.
During the course registration period, you will meet with your Concentration Advisor and they will discuss your New Concentrator Form and Plan of Study with you before you talk about your course selection.

Upperclass students

If you are an upperclass student or a student adding Psychology or transferring into Psychology after the sophomore declaration period, you should take the following steps.

Complete a New Concentrator Form and Plan of Study Worksheet.
Complete the Declaration of Concentration process in my.harvard.edu (for more detailed directions, see the Declaration of Concentration Instructions in the my.harvard Knowledge Center). Be sure to choose the correct track within Psychology (students may NOT declare Honors tracks except for Cognitive Science without an approved thesis application).
Email the Concentration Advisor assigned to your house to set up a meeting and send them your completed New Concentrator Form and Plan of Study Worksheet.
Your Concentration Advisor will approve your declaration after they have met with you and discussed your forms.

It may be helpful to speak with Psychology department staff as you prepare to declare! Any student, including first-years and non-concentrators, is welcome to visit the Undergraduate Office for drop-in office hours.

Psychology Drop-in Advising Hours
TERM-TIME DROP-IN HOURS Mondays, 1 - 3 PM Eastern - Virtual Wednesdays, 3 - 5 PM Eastern - In-person (William James Hall Suite 218) Visit this link to set up your Zoom account through Harvard. SUMMER ADVISING HOURS Please e-mail the Undergraduate Office at psychology@wjh.harvard.edu to set up an appointment

For more detailed instructions and some specific considerations, please also see...

Resources for First-Year and Sophomore Pre-Concentrators
Information for upperclass students transferring in from other concentrations
Information for students transferring in from other schools and international students
Information for double concentrators

First-Year and Sophomore Pre-Concentrators

When considering the concentration, you should be sure to examine the requirements chart, as well as the courses section of our website, which contains more details on the specific courses needed for the concentration and secondary field.

Ready to join the concentration? Talk with the Concentration Advisor assigned to your house for more info, and see our steps for declaring Psychology as your concentration.

Upperclass Students Transferring from Other Concentrations

If you're interested in transferring into Psychology from another concentration, you're in the right place! When considering a switch, please be sure to explore...

The course requirements for the concentration.
Advising - after looking through the website, you should speak with the Concentration Advisor in your house. You may meet with an Advisor either to explore the concentration or to complete a the steps to make the concentration change official. These conversations usually last between twenty and forty minutes, and it is best to try not to schedule these too close to the Course Registration Deadline.
How to change your concentration - see our steps for filling out Psychology's required paperwork and changing your concentration on my.harvard.

Students Transferring from Other Domestic Schools & International Students

If you are already in college in the USA and interested in applying to transfer to Harvard while still an undergraduate, you should consult the website of the Harvard College Admissions Office, particularly its section on transfer admissions. If you have successfully enrolled at Harvard College, please get in contact with the Concentration Advisor for your house, or contact the Undergraduate Office at psychology@wjh.harvard.edu to discuss your options for joining the concentration.

If you are an international student interested in enrolling at Harvard as a first-year, please consult the website of the Harvard College Admissions Office, particularly the section on international applicants.