MA in History of Science in Cambridge United States | Harvard University

The Department of the History of Science provides an extensive graduate program culminating in AM and PhD degrees. As a globally recognized leader, we prepare emerging scholars to become professional historians of science through a curriculum that establishes a solid groundwork for both teaching and research. Our community utilizes diverse approaches—historical, textual, ethnographic, and social scientific—to investigate the origins and progression of scientific disciplines. We examine science as an integral aspect of human intellectual and societal development while addressing broader inquiries about scientific practice, authority, ethical governance, and its connections to cultural, political, and philosophical movements. Our research spans from medieval periods to modern times, covering disciplines like physics, astronomy, molecular biology, technology, neuroscience, psychology, medicine, and public health. We foster a vibrant, cross-disciplinary academic environment. Admission to our standalone AM program is highly selective, with external applicants evaluated individually and required to maintain full-time residency. Typical AM candidates include PhD students from other Harvard departments, international graduate students, and individuals holding doctorates in unrelated fields from Harvard or other institutions.