A concentration within the College
Harvard says students choose a concentration, its word for a major. The pages read describe no separate application to History and Literature.
Undergraduate · Harvard College
Harvard History and Literature: tutorials every semester and a senior thesis
Harvard College admits students to the College, and History and Literature is one of the concentrations they can choose once enrolled. Harvard calls it its oldest concentration, an honors programme built on small-group and one-on-one tutorials, with a tutorial each semester from sophomore spring to senior spring and a choice of one of seven fields. This guide makes no claim of a separate application to History and Literature.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Harvard says about Harvard History and Literature
Taken from Harvard's History & Literature concentration 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.
Harvard's oldest concentration
Harvard describes it as an interdisciplinary humanities programme with small-group and one-on-one tutorials.
A tutorial each semester
Concentrators take an interdisciplinary, student-centred tutorial each semester from sophomore spring to senior spring.
One of seven fields
Concentrators choose one of seven fields of study so that their plan has coherence and depth.
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 History & Literature: concentration pagehistlit.fas.harvard.edu
- Harvard College: Application Requirementscollege.harvard.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on Harvard's History & Literature concentration 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 History and Literature concentration teaches
Harvard's concentrations page calls History and Literature its oldest concentration, an interdisciplinary humanities programme in which students work in small-group and one-on-one tutorials and take courses from a variety of departments. It is an honors concentration that builds the skills to write a senior thesis, with rigorous training in reading and analysing primary and secondary sources and advice on original research. The concentration's own page says tutorials run each semester from sophomore spring to senior spring and that students choose one of seven fields of study.
Is it the right concentration?
History and Literature beside Comparative Literature and Anthropology
Harvard lists these as separate concentrations, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
History and Literature fits if
you want primary-source tutorials joining history, literature and culture, and a thesis.
Comparative Literature fits if
you want literature across languages and media. Harvard lists it as a separate concentration.
Anthropology fits if
you want to study societies through archaeology or ethnography. 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.
Do you want tutorials every semester?
Harvard says tutorials run from sophomore spring to senior spring.
Do you have a field in mind?
Students choose one of seven fields of study.
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 History and Literature 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 History and Literature?
The pages read describe admission to Harvard College. Students choose a concentration, Harvard's word for a major, once enrolled.
How does History and Literature teach?
Through small-group and one-on-one tutorials, with a tutorial each semester from sophomore spring to senior spring, plus courses from a variety of departments.
Is there a thesis?
Harvard describes History and Literature as an honors concentration that helps students build the skills to write a thesis in their senior year.
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 History and Literature
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their reading across history and literature, their interest in tutorials 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.