Visiting Undergraduate Students
Overview
Contacting VUS Admissions
Following University guidance regarding COVD-19, the Admissions Office staff are working remotely until further notice. The VUS Admissions team will be available to answer questions by email at adm-vus@fas.harvard.edu Monday through Friday between the hours of 9am and 5pm EST. We will not be available by phone.
The Visiting Undergraduate Students (VUS) Program at Harvard College welcomes students enrolled in colleges and universities around the world to spend a semester or full year studying at Harvard.
Frequently Asked Questions
About the VUS Program
Add Harvard College to your undergraduate experience by spending a term or full academic year studying as a Visiting Undergraduate Student (VUS). We welcome the unique insights visiting students bring from their current universities around the world.
In addition to enrollment in courses at the college, you can take advantage of our many museums, laboratories, theaters, and extracurricular activities, all in the rich cultural and historical setting of Cambridge and Boston.
You should consider applying to the VUS program if you:
- Are currently enrolled in full-time, undergraduate study in the U.S. or abroad
- Have a strong academic and personal record at your current university
- Feel your interests would be well served by undergraduate courses which may not be offered normally in your home institution but are offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS). View our course catalog for full listings.
Please note that visiting undergraduate students are not eligible for financial aid, so you will need to be prepared to cover all tuition and other costs.
Application Timeline
Admission to the VUS program is offered twice per year. Students can apply to start in the fall or the spring term. Students applying for fall admission can enroll for either one semester or the full academic year. Applications must be postmarked by the date of the deadline. Ordinarily, you are not allowed to defer admission, so please apply for the appropriate term.
Fall term or full academic year
- Application opens: mid-February
- Application deadline: April 1
- Notification of admission: by June 1
Spring term
- Application opens: August 1
- Application deadline: October 1
- Notification of admission: by December 1
How To Apply
The online application consists of information about the student, transcripts, and supporting documents from your current university, listed below. You will send out the forms requesting the various supporting documents through the online system once you have started the student portion of the application. For further information about each component of the application, please carefully read through the information below.
Detailed VUS Application Steps
Take a Virtual Tour
Use our Virtual Tour to discover spaces that aren't even available on an in-person campus tour, such as classrooms, laboratories, residence halls, and more.
Tuition & Fees
When you spend a term or year at Harvard, you will need to pay the costs listed below. Visiting Undergraduate Students are not eligible for Harvard financial aid, and you must secure your own funding. In order to satisfy U.S. Immigration requirements, international students must demonstrate that they can afford all expenses, including tuition, fees, living expenses, and travel.
While you are responsible for securing your own off-campus housing, you will need to show that you can afford the food and housing estimates shown below before arriving at Harvard.
Most Harvard College students are enrolled in four courses (16 credits) per term, but you may choose to enroll in fewer. If you are an international student, you are required by United States immigration laws to enroll in a full-time program of study (a minimum of 3 courses) in order to obtain your visa.
Tuition Rates Per Course for 2021 - 2022
|
Course Rate |
Per Semester |
Per Year |
|
1 |
$6,392.88 |
$12,785.75 |
|
2 |
$12,785.75 |
$25,571.50 |
|
3 |
$19,178.62 |
$38,357.25 |
|
4 |
$25,571.50 |
$51,143.00 |
Fees for 2021 - 2022
|
Cost |
Per Semester |
Per Year |
|---|---|---|
|
Fees |
$2,222.00 |
$4,444.00 |
|
Blue Cross Blue Shield |
$2,020.00 |
$4,040.00 |
| Tuition | $25,571.50 | $51,143.00 |
|
Total |
$29,813.50 | $59,627.00 |
Living Expense Estimates for 2021 - 2022
|
Cost |
Per Semester |
Per Year |
|---|---|---|
|
Housing |
$5,852.00 |
$11,705.00 |
|
Food |
$3,618.00 |
$7,236.00 |
|
Personal |
$1,750.00 | $3,500.00 |
|
Travel |
$2,000.00 | $4,000.00 |
|
Total |
$13,220.00 | $26,441.00 |
Housing & Advising
Visiting undergraduate students are not offered University housing. Accepted students must find their own lodging before they arrive in Cambridge.
Securing an apartment in the Cambridge area can be competitive and time-consuming. It is important to allow sufficient time to find accommodation. It is critical to secure housing before arriving at Harvard.
Harvard University Housing cannot secure off-campus housing for undergraduate students, but they do provide a number of online resources and can answer questions that are common for students who will be new to Cambridge. (e.g., Which residential areas are close to the mass transit system? Which locations are within walking distance to Harvard Yard? What is a reasonable rental rate? etc.). After you have been accepted and decide to matriculate, you can access a Harvard University affiliate database of private market rentals and sublets.
Advising
To help ensure your time at Harvard is successful, we provide advising resources specifically for Visiting Undergraduate Students.
Our advisers:
- Give you an extensive orientation upon arrival and approve your final course selection
- Meet with you by appointment throughout the term to discuss academic issues and monitor your progress
- Hold regular open office hours
- Help you access specialized advising resources
- Organize social gatherings with other visiting undergraduates
Contact VUS Admissions
If you have any questions about the Visiting Undergraduate Students admissions, please contact us at adm-vus@fas.harvard.edu. We're here to help.