A concentration within the College
Harvard says students choose a concentration, its word for a major. The pages read describe no separate application to Comparative Study of Religion.
Undergraduate · Harvard College
Harvard Comparative Study of Religion: big questions, rigorous reading, substantial essays
Harvard College admits students to the College, and Comparative Study of Religion is one of the concentrations they can choose once enrolled. Harvard describes it as taking up the biggest questions of human life in rigorous and critical ways, using social-scientific and humanistic methods, with essays a substantial part of the sophomore and junior tutorials. This guide makes no claim of a separate application.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Harvard says about Harvard Comparative Study of Religion
Taken from Harvard's Committee on the Study of Religion home page, Harvard College's Concentrations page and Application Requirements page, read on 1 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Harvard's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Big questions, rigorously
Harvard says the programme is unique in allowing students to take up the biggest questions in rigorous and critical ways.
Two kinds of method
The study of religion draws on both social-scientific and humanistic methods to interpret religious phenomena worldwide.
Essays in the tutorials
Harvard says essays are a substantial part of the requirements of the sophomore and junior tutorials.
Calculus is not an admission requirement
Harvard says it views math records holistically with no specific course required, and calculus is not required for admission.
The SAT or ACT is required
Harvard requires one of them; A-level and IB school reports carry predicted grades.
Official sources
- Harvard College: Concentrations (Liberal Arts & Sciences)college.harvard.edu
- Harvard Committee on the Study of Religionstudyofreligion.fas.harvard.edu
- Harvard College: Application Requirementscollege.harvard.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on Harvard's Committee on the Study of Religion home page, Harvard College's Concentrations page and Application Requirements page, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Harvard's course catalogue, the full requirement lists, fees, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The concentration
What the Comparative Study of Religion concentration teaches
Harvard's concentrations page says the concentration invites students to explore the most consequential questions about individual and communal human life: the significance of ritual and practice, differing conceptions of human nature and the divine, and how people understand meaning, suffering and death. It describes the study of religion as an interdisciplinary field drawing on social-scientific and humanistic methods, and says the programme stresses reading and interpreting texts, practices and societies, clear writing and knowledge of theories of religion and methods of study. Gateway courses span traditions, from Buddhist scriptures to Islam and politics.
Is it the right concentration?
Comparative Study of Religion beside Philosophy and History and Literature
Harvard lists these as separate concentrations, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
Study of Religion fits if
you want to interpret religious texts, practices and societies with social-scientific and humanistic methods.
Philosophy fits if
you want conceptual argument. Avandy's Harvard Philosophy guide covers it.
History and Literature fits if
you want primary-source tutorials joining history and literature. Harvard lists it as a separate concentration.
Admission and testing
A College application, an SAT or ACT, and predicted grades
Harvard requires the SAT or ACT, and accepts other results such as the IB or A levels only in exceptional cases when those tests are not accessible. Schools on the IB or A-level curriculum are expected to send predicted grades. Harvard says calculus is not required for admission and no specific math course is required. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Harvard's.
Which questions or traditions draw you?
Harvard lists gateway courses across several traditions.
Do you like writing essays?
Harvard says essays are a substantial part of the sophomore and junior tutorials.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT with your A levels or IB?
Harvard requires one of them for first-year applicants.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Harvard's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Harvard's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 1 November 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Harvard has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Harvard for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the Comparative Study of Religion entry on Harvard's concentrations page and the department page, and plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Harvard College or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Harvard College. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to Harvard Comparative Study of Religion?
The pages read describe admission to Harvard College. Students choose a concentration, Harvard's word for a major, once enrolled.
What methods does the concentration use?
Harvard says the study of religion draws on both social-scientific and humanistic methods to interpret religious phenomena worldwide.
Is the concentration about theology?
Harvard describes an academic, interdisciplinary study of religion with an emphasis on reading, writing and theories and methods of study; the pages read do not describe a confessional programme.
Do I need calculus before applying?
Harvard says calculus is not a requirement for admission and that no specific math course is required.
Do I need the SAT or ACT with A levels or the IB?
Harvard requires the SAT or ACT; IB or A-level results meet the requirement only in exceptional cases when those tests are not accessible.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Harvard's wording with no entry-year label. Check Harvard's pages again when Harvard publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Harvard Comparative Study of Religion
Tell us about the student's curriculum, the traditions and questions that interest them, their reading and writing, and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.