The 49 A Guide to Harvard Academics 2015-2016 This guide is not the College’s advising resource of record. For the most accurate and up-to-date information on concentration and secondary field requirements, please consult the undergraduate Handbook for Students. Table of Contents Welcome to Harvard .....................................................................................................................................................................4 Fields of Concentration and the 49 Book......................................................................................................................................5 How to Read the Fields of Concentration in the Handbook for Students......................................................................................6 Academic Advising at Harvard......................................................................................................................................................7 The Advising Relationship ........................................................................................................................................................... 8 Building Your Board of Advisors ............................................................................................................................................. ....9 First-Year Advising .....................................................................................................................................................................10 Sophomore Advising ...................................................................................................................................................................11 Concentration Advising ..............................................................................................................................................................12 Additional Advising Resources ..................................................................................................................................................13 A Liberal Education ....................................................................................................................................................................14 Requirements for the Degree ......................................................................................................................................................14 The Program in General Education ............................................................................................................................................15 The Expository Writing Requirement ........................................................................................................................................ 16 The Language Requirement .......................................................................................................................................................17 The Concentration Requirement ............................................................................................... .................................................17 Electives ......................................................................................................................................................................................18 Exploring the Concentrations ..................................................................................................................................................... 19 Getting to Know Faculty/Faculty Getting to Know You.............................................................................................................20 Reading a Syllabus......................................................................................................................................................................22 PAFs to Peers - Advice on Your First Year .................................................................................................................................24 DIVISIONS An Introduction to Harvard’s Divisions .....................................................................................................................................26 Division of Arts and Humanities ................................................................................................................................................26 Division of Science .................................................................................................................................................................... 28 Division of Social Science ......................................................................................................................................................... 29 School of Engineering and Applied Sciences .............................................................................................................................31 CONCENTRATIONS African and African American Studies .......................................................................................................................................34 Anthropology ..............................................................................................................................................................................36 Applied Mathematics ..................................................................................................................................................................38 Astrophysics ...............................................................................................................................................................................40 Biomedical Engineering .............................................................................................................................................................42 Chemical and Physical Biology (CPB) ......................................................................................................................................44 Chemistry .............................................................................................................................................................. .....................46 Chemistry and Physics ................................................................................................................................................................48 Classics ................................................................................................................................................................... ....................50 Comparative Literature ......................................................................................................................................... ......................52 Computer Science .............................................. ................................................................................... .....................................54 Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS) ...........................................................................................................................................56 East Asian Studies (EAS) ................................................................................................................................ ...........................58 Economics ............................................................. .....................................................................................................................60 Electrical Engineering ................................................................................................................................................................62 Engineering Sciences .................................................................................................................................................................64 English ........................................................................................................................................................................................66 Environmental Science and Public Policy (ESPP)......................................................................................................................68 Folklore and Mythology ....................................................................................................................................................... .....70 Germanic Languages and Literatures (GLL) .............................................................................................................................72 Government ................................................................................................................................................................................74 History ........................................................................................................................................................................................76 History and Literature ............................................................................................................................................................. ...78 History and Science ....................................................................................................................................................................80 History of Art and Architecture (HAA) ......................................................................................................................................82 Human