The Loeb Fellowship at Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) is accepting applications for its 2027–28 Fellowship year, offering mid-career practitioners an opportunity to spend a year in residence at Harvard while developing their professional skills, exploring new ideas and preparing for the next stage of their careers.
The fellowship is designed for experienced professionals whose work contributes to improving the built and natural environment. Applications are encouraged from practitioners working across fields including urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, public art, journalism, development, policymaking, civic leadership and community development.
Applications for the 2027–28 Fellowship are currently open, with the main application deadline set for January 5, 2027.
About the Harvard Loeb Fellowship
The Loeb Fellowship is a year-long residential program for professionals who are already established in their careers and are seeking time for reflection, learning, experimentation and professional renewal.
Rather than functioning as an academic degree program, the fellowship is intended specifically for practitioners. Fellows step away from significant professional responsibilities and develop an individual work plan with support from Loeb Fellowship staff.
The program provides an opportunity to engage with the Harvard GSD community, interact with faculty and students, audit courses and make use of resources available across Harvard University and MIT.
A typical Loeb Fellowship class has an average age of approximately 42, reflecting the program’s emphasis on professionals who have accumulated substantial experience while still having significant time to contribute to their fields.
Who Can Apply?
The fellowship is intended for mid-career professionals with at least eight years of experience in their field.
Potential applicants may include:
- Urban designers
- Architects
- Landscape architects
- Urban planners
- Public artists
- Journalists
- Developers
- Policymakers
- Civic leaders
- Community development leaders
- Other practitioners working to improve the built or natural environment
Applicants do not need to be designers or architects. The fellowship has a broad definition of practitioners whose work has social impact and contributes to improving places where people live, work and interact.
Professionals from unconventional career paths are also encouraged to apply. A completed higher-education degree is not required, and the program places considerable emphasis on professional accomplishments, creativity, motivation, leadership and a demonstrated commitment to helping others succeed.
International Applicants Are Eligible
The Loeb Fellowship is open to applicants from around the world. U.S. citizenship is not required, and international candidates are specifically encouraged to apply.
Selected international Fellows must obtain the appropriate J-1 visa and therefore need to be eligible for the visa at the time of selection.
This makes the fellowship potentially relevant to experienced practitioners from the Global South and other regions who have demonstrated a strong record of professional impact in the built or natural environment.
What Does the Fellowship Involve?
Loeb Fellows are expected to spend the fellowship year in the Cambridge area while classes are in session and participate actively in the program.
Fellows must:
- Step away from significant employment and professional responsibilities during the fellowship year.
- Audit at least one GSD course per semester.
- Participate in fellowship programs and activities.
- Take part in weekly seminars with the curator.
- Attend weekly dinners with invited guests.
- Participate in fall and spring study tours, retreats and other activities.
- Engage with Harvard students and faculty.
- Develop and work toward an individual professional work plan.
The fellowship is structured around renewal, reflection and professional development, allowing Fellows to examine their previous work, expand their capabilities and consider new approaches to creating social and environmental impact.
Loeb/ArtLab Fellowship
Artists whose practices align with the Loeb Fellowship can also be considered for the Loeb/ArtLab Fellowship, a joint initiative between the Loeb Fellowship and Harvard ArtLab.
The joint fellowship is designed for innovative practicing artists whose work focuses on improving the built and natural environment. In addition to the broader Loeb Fellowship experience, selected artists receive access to studio space at the ArtLab building, research support and networking opportunities through the ArtLab community.
Application Requirements
Candidates applying for the 2027–28 fellowship must complete an online application through SlideRoom.
The required application materials include:
- Completed online application
- Professional résumé
- Three letters of recommendation
Applicants may also submit optional supplemental materials, which the program strongly encourages. These can include up to five examples demonstrating their work, such as articles, books, videos, lectures, visual representations or a professional portfolio.
The résumé should include dates of employment and, where applicable, details of educational degrees and the institutions where they were earned.
Academic transcripts are not required, and applicants are not required to hold a university degree.
Letters of Recommendation
Applicants must provide contact information for three professional associates who can speak substantively about their work and accomplishments.
Suitable recommenders may include colleagues, clients, collaborators and other people who have direct knowledge of the applicant’s professional practice.
Letters of recommendation are due seven days after the main application deadline, meaning recommendations for the 2027–28 fellowship are due on January 12, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Applicants are encouraged to contact their recommenders early and ensure they understand that the recommendation request will be sent through SlideRoom.
Application Deadline
Applications for the 2027–28 Harvard Loeb Fellowship are due on Tuesday, January 5, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
Letters of recommendation are due seven days later, on Tuesday, January 12, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
There is no application fee for the Loeb Fellowship.
Selection Process
A selection committee consisting of Harvard GSD faculty members, Loeb Fellowship alumni, outside practitioners and the program curator reviews applications.
Approximately 20 applicants are expected to be shortlisted by the end of February. Applicants will be informed of their status by mid-March.
Shortlisted candidates may participate in up to three interviews before the final selection. The committee is expected to select up to 10 Fellows, with selected candidates notified by the end of April.
Opportunity to Connect With Loeb Alumni
The fellowship also provides prospective applicants with an optional opportunity to speak informally with Loeb alumni about the program and their experiences.
This initiative is particularly intended to help potential candidates who do not already have connections to Harvard GSD or the Loeb Fellowship. Participation is not required and does not influence the admissions process.
Candidates planning to apply for the 2027–28 class who wish to participate should request an alumni connection by November 30, 2026.
How to Apply
Interested professionals should carefully review the official eligibility requirements, application instructions and FAQs before submitting an application.
Applications are submitted online through the Loeb Fellowship’s SlideRoom application system. Candidates should prepare their résumé, three professional references and any relevant supplemental materials before beginning the application.
