The Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences was founded on the premise that engineering and applied sciences are fundamentally both multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary and that a liberal arts education for all concentrators must also create literacy in science, engineering, and technology. We are rethinking and dramatically expanding the place of engineering in higher education and reimagining the role of engineers in society.
Key Facts
- Our goal is to provide all Harvard undergraduates with an understanding of technology, engineering design, and the application of scientific and mathematical knowledge that the next generation of leaders will require to navigate in an increasingly complex technological world.
- Harvard Paulson School concentrators experience a rigorous education of depth and breadth, combining a strong technical foundation in fundamental engineering and applied sciences with critical thinking, creativity, entrepreneurship, and a grounding in the liberal arts that allows them to understand the societal context of their technical work.
- The Harvard Paulson School’s curriculum includes active learning, engineering and design, and the use of the “flipped classroom” to integrate peer-based learning into courses.
- More than 5,000 Harvard College students took a Harvard Paulson School course in 2012-13.
- In the past five years, the number of undergraduate concentrators at the Harvard Paulson School has more than doubled.
- The number of incoming freshmen indicating an interest in engineering or computer science increased from 6 percent in 2006 to 15 percent in 2013.
- Women make up over 30% of engineering science concentrators.
- For the second year in a row, Computer Science 50, an introductory class, is the most popular class in Harvard College after Economics 10.