The full doctoral student experience at Harvard is not just about outstanding academics. It’s also about the community you build, the connections you make, and the many ways for you to grow academically, professionally, and personally.
There are many student organizations and opportunities for you to make your doctoral program experience truly your own—and resources to support you along the way. Those below are just a few.
Kennedy PhD Student Association (KPSA)
The singular focus of KPSA, a student organization, is on building a supportive and healthy community for students enrolled in Harvard Kennedy School-affiliated doctoral programs. Among its responsibilities, KPSA organizes social events, promotes health and well being among doctoral students, and focuses on research development opportunities.
Diversity at Harvard
The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS) and Harvard is a community of students and scholars who represent different races, ethnicities, belief systems, nationalities, genders, and sexual orientations. There are student groups and resources at Harvard Griffin GSAS and HKS alike that provide opportunities for you to become part of communities and help you thrive academically, develop professionally, and grow personally during your time at Harvard.
Harvard Grad Women in Economics
Housed in the Department of Economics, the Harvard Grad Women in Economics student organization brings together Harvard’s female and non-binary graduate students to build community and work on important issues that affect women’s representation and inclusion in the economics field.
Supporting the Whole You
Harvard Griffin GSAS and Harvard provide a range of resources to support your academic, physical, social, and mental well being as you pursue your doctoral research. Several professional development programs are also available to prepare you for each step as you work toward your doctoral degree.
Among the Harvard Griffin GSAS resources include those that are academically focused, particularly the Bureau of Study Counsel and the Center for Writing and Communicating Ideas. But they also include family-minded resources such as the Harvard Student Spouses and Partners Association and Care.com as well as those focused on your mental health and well being.
Read more about the support programs available to you at Harvard Griffin GSAS and HKS during your time at Harvard.