Resident Fellows
The Resident Fellows program at Harvard Divinity School provides an opportunity to engage in sabbatical study. The program is open to religious leaders, including clergy, laypeople, monastics, and executives or administrators, who wish to be in residence at the School while on leave from their regular duties.
Fellows may be in residence for an academic year, which starts in the last week of August and ends in the first week of May, or for a Harvard semester, which includes approximately thirteen weeks of classes, two weeks of reading period, and two weeks of examinations (see the HDS academic calendar). Resident Fellows are free to pursue their own programs of reflection and study by enrolling in courses at the Divinity School and in the wider University within its professional Schools (fellows are limited to one course outside HDS per semester).
Resident Fellows are non-degree students and abide by the guidelines in the Handbook for Students. International Resident Fellows must meet all requirements for a student visa and register at the Harvard International Office before registering for classes.
Resident Fellows are provided with many opportunities to learn, reflect, and converse with students at the Divinity School, and are welcome to join faculty, students, and staff every Tuesday for fellowship and conversation at Community Tea. They may also participate in the worship life of the community by preaching, leading worship, singing in the choir, or working on one of the special theme programs. Resident Fellows are encouraged to enter into the academic and social life of the school as fully as their goals permit.
Resident Fellows receive a waiver of half the tuition charges for their semester in residence. During the 2025–26 academic year, Resident Fellows pay tuition of $15,540 for a year or $7,770 for a semester in residence, plus all applicable fees.
Applicants should submit the Resident Fellowship application. Applications are due March 31 for the following academic year. Fellows will be notified of the status of their application no later than May 1.
For further information, please email the Office of Ministry Studies at ministrystudies@hds.harvard.edu or call 1-617-496-5711.