PhD Applied Physics at Harvard University

Programme overview

Applied Physics sits at the intersection of physics and engineering and studies the fundamentals of complex systems, including living organisms, with research in biomaterials, materials, photonics, quantum engineering and soft matter.

Faculty: Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences | Department: Applied Physics, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | Intake: Application deadline December 15, 2026 | Study mode: full-time | Location: Cambridge, MA, United States

What you will study

Research projects include millimetre-size flat lenses for virtual and augmented reality, materials for stable quantum computing, and technologies for integrated photonics.

Career pathways

Graduates work at companies such as Apple, NTT Physics & Information Labs and Intel, and hold faculty positions at Wisconsin, Stanford and Columbia.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Programme: apply through Harvard Griffin GSAS selecting Engineering and Applied Sciences and 'PhD Applied Physics'. GRE General and Mathematics/Physics Subject tests are optional. Three letters of recommendation are required (at least one from a faculty member at the school of the most recent degree unless out of school for more than five years). English proficiency for non-native speakers: an undergraduate degree from an institution where English is the primary language of instruction, or TOEFL iBT minimum 5 (95 for tests taken before January 21, 2026) with Speaking minimum 4.5, or IELTS Academic minimum 7 with Speaking minimum 6.5. A master's degree does not count as proof. Application deadline December 15, 2026 (5:00 p.m.).

USD 59,048 a year (2026-27). Harvard Griffin GSAS full tuition for PhD students, required for the first two years of study, 2026-27; reduced tuition is $15,352 in years three and four and the continuation fee is $3,906 after year four; PhD students may receive grants covering tuition Source

Intake: Application deadline December 15, 2026

Explore more study programmes

Engineering