A concentration is Harvard's word for a major
Harvard says students choose a concentration at the College, and can add a secondary concentration or design a special concentration.
Undergraduate · Harvard College
Harvard Computer Science or Engineering Sciences: concentrations chosen after admission
At Harvard College students choose a concentration, which is what Harvard calls a major, and the pages read describe a single Common Application to the College rather than a separate decision for a proposed concentration. Computer Science and Engineering Sciences are both concentrations in Engineering & Applied Sciences: Computer Science is a B.A. concentration, Engineering Sciences offers a B.A. and a B.S. For an A-level or IB applicant the useful questions are what each concentration expects in mathematics and programming, how Harvard describes its testing requirement, and that A-level and IB results appear only among the results that can meet the requirement in exceptional cases.
Official information · read 31 October 2026, no entry-year label
What Harvard says about Harvard CS and Engineering Sciences
Taken from Harvard College's Concentrations, First-Year Applicants and Application Requirements pages, read on 31 October 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.
Computer Science is a B.A. concentration
Harvard lists Computer Science as a B.A. in Engineering & Applied Sciences, with mathematics expected to the level of Linear Algebra 21b and Statistics 110.
Engineering Sciences offers a B.A. and a B.S.
Harvard lists Engineering Sciences with both degrees and says the programme educates future leaders in engineering innovations.
SAT or ACT is required
Harvard says it requires the submission of standardized testing, SAT or ACT. In exceptional cases when the tests are not accessible, other results, including IB and A-level actual or predicted results, can meet the requirement.
Five short-answer questions
Applicants use the Common Application and answer five required Harvard short-answer questions of 150 words each.
Official sources
- Harvard College: Concentrationscollege.harvard.edu
- Harvard College: First-Year Applicantscollege.harvard.edu
Read on 31 October 2026 on Harvard College's Concentrations, First-Year Applicants and Application Requirements pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Harvard's SEAS pages and the full concentration requirements, Harvard's English-proficiency details, deadlines and financial aid were not read, and the pages read describe no separate decision for a concentration and are not stated.
How admission works
You apply to the College, then choose a concentration
Harvard's application pages describe the Common Application and the Harvard questions, with no separate decision for a proposed concentration, and its concentration pages describe students choosing a concentration. This guide therefore does not present Computer Science or Engineering Sciences as application tracks. Harvard also says students can choose a secondary concentration or design a special concentration, so the first-year choice of subjects is not a commitment to one.
Computer Science or Engineering Sciences
Two Engineering & Applied Sciences concentrations
Computer Science, according to Harvard, is about tools and technology and about understanding and engaging with the world, with ties to economics, law, biology, physics, statistics, mathematics and linguistics. Its introductory course CS 50 is open to all, with no prerequisites, and CS 32 offers another entry point. It ordinarily requires linear algebra and probability. Engineering Sciences, listed with B.A. and B.S. degrees, educates future leaders in engineering innovations to apply to local and global problems and to make informed decisions in a societal context.
Computer Science if
computation and algorithms are the centre of your interest and you want the broad range of applications Harvard describes.
Engineering Sciences if
you want an engineering education with a choice of B.A. or B.S. and an emphasis on innovation in a societal context.
Either way
Both are chosen after admission. Harvard's pages do not give a separate admission decision for either.
Testing and qualifications
SAT or ACT required; A-level and IB results only in exceptional cases
Harvard says it requires SAT or ACT scores. It lists actual or predicted IB scores and GCSE or A-level results among the results that can meet the requirement in exceptional cases when the tests are not accessible. The pages read do not say that A-level or IB results replace the tests in general, and this guide states no score. Applicants also answer five 150-word questions on the Common Application.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Harvard's.
Can you accept choosing the concentration later?
Harvard admits to the College, not to a concentration.
Is your mathematics ready for linear algebra and probability?
Computer Science ordinarily expects them.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT?
Harvard requires them, with exceptions only where the tests are not accessible.
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 concentration structure, the mathematics expectations and the SAT or ACT requirement: read 31 October 2026 with no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Harvard has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, English-proficiency requirements and financial aid: not stated here
This guide has not read them. Check Harvard for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Plan mathematics and programming, read the two concentration pages and plan the SAT or ACT.
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. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Do I apply to Harvard Engineering or Computer Science?
The pages read describe one Common Application to Harvard College and a concentration chosen at the College.
What is the difference between Computer Science and Engineering Sciences?
Computer Science is a B.A. concentration; Engineering Sciences offers a B.A. and a B.S. Both sit in Engineering & Applied Sciences.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Harvard says it requires them; other results can meet the requirement only in exceptional cases when the tests are not accessible.
Do I need programming experience?
CS 50 is open to all with no prerequisites, according to Harvard.
Can I change concentration?
This guide does not state rules for changing; check Harvard's pages.
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 CS and Engineering Sciences
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their mathematics, their programming experience and which concentration they might choose after arriving, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.