Requirements for Applicants

PREVIOUS EDUCATION
Applicants to the Biophysics Program are required to have, or be on their way to completion of, a BA, BS, or equivalent undergraduate degree. In most cases this entails completion of a 4-year undergraduate course of study in a relevant major. For prospective international students, a 3 or 4-year undergraduate degree from an institute of recognized standing would be considered acceptable. See suggested coursework and background preparation information in the section below.

APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR ENTRY IN FALL 2027

December 1, 2026

All application materials: the Online Application Form (along with the application fee payment), Transcripts, Letters of Recommendation, Statement of Purpose (best place to describe your past research experience and future interests), 500-word Personal Statement (best place to include aspects of your experience that might be exceptional, challenges overcome, etc.) and TOEFL Test Scores (where required) need to be in by 5:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time on this date. Late applications will not be considered. Please see the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Admissions page for additional information.

Applicants from the Harvard Medical School MD-PhD Program "first cycle" should submit a "pre-application" by October 15th, 2026, to be considered for entry in the Fall of 2027. The application should be completed in the GSAS Application Portal and downloaded (or screenshots saved) without completing the submittal of the application to GSAS. On receiving the "pre-application" (to be sent to the Program Administrator), the Biophysics Faculty Admissions Review Committee will read the application, and we will set up times for interviews for the applicant with members of the Admissions Committee. Student applicants who are considered appropriate for the Biophysics Program will then be invited to submit their finalized application to the program through the GSAS Application Portal. Decisions on whether or not an MD-PhD student applicant will be invited to submit a finalized, official application, with the understanding that they will be accepted into the program for Fall 2027, will be communicated to the student by November 15th, 2026. MD-PhD "second cycle" students would apply in time for the regular December 1st deadline. Admitted MD-PhD students will be required to do rotations in at least 2 Biophysics Program labs (either as part of their MD-PhD program rotations prior to starting in the Biophysics Program and/or once admitted to the Program), consistent with the current program requirement for PhD-only Biophysics students.

STANDARDIZED TESTS (GRE General, GRE Subject, TOEFL, IELTS, MCAT)

Both the General Test and the Subject Tests of the Graduate Records Examinations (GRE) are optional.

Applicants to the Biophysics Program who are non-native English speakers can demonstrate English proficiency in one of three ways:

Receiving an undergraduate degree from an academic institution where English is the primary language of instruction.
Earning a minimum score of 5 (95 for tests taken prior to January 21, 2026) on the TOEFL iBT and a minimum Speaking score of 4.5 (23 for tests taken prior to January 21, 2026).*
Earning a minimum score of 7 on the IELTS Academic test and a minimum Speaking score of 6.5.*

A master’s degree or other graduate degree is not accepted as proof of English proficiency.

If you received an undergraduate degree from an institution in the United States in which English was not the primary language of instruction but a significant portion of your program was conducted in English, you may petition for a waiver of the TOEFL/IELTS requirement. Please note this ONLY applies to US institutions. Contact the office of admissions for details.

Alternate language tests, certifications, or individual examples of English language experience are not accepted as proof of English proficiency.

In order to ensure that test scores are received in time for the Biophysics Program's application deadline, students should register for the TOEFL or IELTS within a timeframe that allows the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to report the official scores so that they can be included in the student's application file. Scores should be reported and sent to Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, using School Code 3451.

Applicants applying for admission for Fall 2027 may submit scores from tests taken no earlier than January 5, 2025. Please see the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences English Proficiency Site for additional important information.

MINIMUM and AVERAGE SCORES:

Applicants must earn a minimum score of 5 (95 for tests taken prior to January 21, 2026) on the TOEFL iBT and a minimum Speaking score of 4.5 (23 for tests taken prior to January 21, 2026). Applicants must earn a minimum score of 7 on the IELTS Academic test and a minimum Speaking score of 6.5.

For admitted students whose English language skills might benefit from additional focus, the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University offers programming to support increased English language competence through the Professional Communication Program for International Teachers and Scholars.

As part of forming a complete picture of the applicants to the Biophysics Program, we consider the standardized test scores (if submitted) as well as Grade Point Average information. However, standardized test scores and GPAs are just a few of the many factors we consider when reviewing applications to the Biophysics Program, and we have no additional established minimum threshold for standardized tests and GPA besides the minimums indicated above for the TOEFL iBT and IELTS Academic test. At no point in the application review process do these scores or GPA values serve to triage applications, but are instead considered in light of the whole application and the primary focus that the review committee puts on the quality of an applicant's preparation, the personal statement, and the strength of an applicant's recommendation letters.

SUGGESTED COURSEWORK and BACKGROUND PREPARATION:
Students interested in applying to the Harvard Biophysics PhD Program should have a strong background in the physical sciences, especially chemistry, physics, and/or mathematics. The list of courses below are only to give some examples of the kind of courses that would provide an ideal undergraduate course background for a student's future course work in specialized areas of biophysics. No undergraduate major would have taken every one of these courses in college, and they are merely provided to serve as an example and reference point for the types of courses that would be considered appropriate background training for research work in Biophysics.

Mathematics:
Mathematics Multivariable Calculus/ Linear Algebra and Differential Equations
Advanced Calculus, Real Analysis
Complex Analysis
Introduction to Computer Science
Linear Algebra

Physics:
Classical Mechanics
Electromagnetism/ Relativity
Wave Phenomena/ Optics
Quantum Mechanics
Laboratory Electronics
Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics

Chemistry:
General Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Physical Chemistry
Introductory Quantum Mechanics
Statistical Thermodynamics

Biological Sciences/ Biochemistry and Molecular Biology:
Molecular Biology
Cell Biology
Neurobiology
Genetics
Physical Biochemistry

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The Statement of Purpose that is part of the application to the Biophysics Program within the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, is an intergal piece that allows the Faculty Admissions Review Committee to learn about the specific research experiences an applicant has undertaken, the student's motivation for wanting to pursue a PhD in Biophysics, and their overall enthusiam for future work as an independent research scientist. Every application to the Biophysics Program is read in its entirety and then discussed by the Faculty Admissions Review Committee as part of the decision-making process, so extra care should be taken to ensure that the Statement of Purpose accurately and fully reflects these aspects of an applicant's incentive for submitting an application to the Biophysics Program at Harvard.

PERSONAL STATEMENT

The Personal Statement is an additional aspect of the Harvard Griffin GSAS application. This 500-word (or less) section allows students to express experiences and circumstances that have shaped who they are and their motivation for graduate school. This can include challenges overcome, leadership roles in organizations, etc. This section will be read in conjunction with the Statement of Purpose.

RECOMMENDATION LETTERS
The Biophysics Program requires Letters of Recommendation from three faculty members, or others qualified to evaluate a student's potential for graduate study. The most useful letters are from those faculty members who have gotten to know an applicant within a scientific research setting, or have otherwise developed an understanding of an applicant's strengths and challenges beyond their getting good grades within a classroom setting.

Recommendation letters must be submitted through the recommender portal by the application deadline.

The Harvard Biophysics Program does not discriminate against applicants or students on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry or any other protected classification.