Employment Opportunities for US citizens and permanent residents

GSD students have the option to pursue employment while they are in school.  However the availability of jobs can vary based on the individual student's situation. Many employers, though certainly not all, prefer to hire students who have received Federal Work-Study (for US citizens or permanent residents) as part of their financial assistance because it subsidizes the hourly pay rate.
Work-study job opportunities are often posted on the Student Announce listserv as well as on the Harvard University Student Employment Office jobs database.

Career Services posts available jobs on CREATE; open positions at the GSD are often emailed through the Student Announce listserv. Wherever you find job listings, be sure to note whether the job requires work-study or not.
All students should ask about any employment restrictions before accepting a job.

US students who have been awarded Federal Work-Study and are ready to sign up for their job(s) should visit the Work-Study Information page for more details.

Employment Opportunities for International Students

International students do not have access to a financial aid based work award program, but employment opportunities may still be available.

If you are interested in working while in attendance you should review the employment information and restrictions on the Harvard International Office website.

Similar to student seeking work study employment, international students should review the Student Announce listserv, the Harvard University Student Employment Office, and the CREATE website. As long as a position is not specifically slated as work study only you should be able to apply.

There are two additional employment benefits for F-1 status students:

• Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a benefit for F-1 students to work off-campus in a field directly related to their major area of study
• Curricular Practical Training (CPT)  is a type of employment authorization allowing employment that is related to the student's major field of study and is also an integral part of an established curriculum

Individual Tax Payer Identification Number (ITIN)

As an international student you might need to apply for an Individual Tax Payer Identification Number (ITIN). The ITIN is required for international students who do not have a Social Security Number (SSN) but are receiving grants, fellowships and scholarships from Harvard.  Please visit the Harvard International Office (HIO) for more information.

GSD Student Payroll

Students holding remote jobs at the GSD who will continue to work remotely, please see below the process for submitting your weekly time sheets. All electronically submitted forms must be in a PDF file to ensure Finance has legible and correctly formatted files for payroll records. It is imperative that you complete and submit your time each week worked. Should you have any questions regarding this process, please contact your payroll coordinator directly (list of payroll coordinators by department is below).

Download a Work-Study Timesheet. Download a Non-Work Study Timesheet.

• Scan the completed time sheet
• Email the time sheet to your supervisor for approval. If the person who approves your time also submits your weekly hours, you have completed the remote submission process.
• For those of you whose supervisor is not your payroll coordinator, please follow the following instructions:
  • Option 1: Supervisor sends the signed time sheet back to student( PDF file) and student sends it to payroll coordinator
  • Option 2: Supervisor sends the email directly to the payroll coordinator with the word approved in the subject line of the email

If you do not have access to printers and/or scanners, please send an email to your supervisor detailing the daily hours worked, date, time in and out and total hours worked for the week. Once your supervisor approves the email, please forward the approval email to the payroll coordinator. The payroll coordinator will enter the approved time.

For students planning to start a new job and that includes work remotely: You must obtain a New Hire Form if you have not done so already.

• E-mail your payroll coordinator copying your supervisor, letting them know that you will start a new job. You will receive a hire form and any additional paperwork if needed.
• Complete the form, scan it and send it to your supervisor (in a PDF file).
• Have your supervisor sign it (either electronically or hard copy) and send it back to you.
• Once you receive completed and signed form, please e-mail it to your payroll coordinator.

Direct Deposit/Paper Checks: If you have not signed up for direct deposit, now is a good time to do so. You can sign up directly through via PeopleSoft: Main Menu>Self Service>My Pay>Direct Deposit. Instructions and other information for setting up direct deposit are available on the Harvard's Student Employment Office website. Please note, activation of direct deposit can take a couple weeks, so it is very important that your address in PeopleSoft is your most current address. If you are currently registered as a Harvard student, you can update your address in your my.harvard.edu account

Payroll Coordinators by Department:

• Student Services – Ryanne Hammerl
• Career Services – Anne Creamer
• Fab Lab – Iris Ayala
• Library – Linda Gregory
• CRG – Iris Ayala
• Building Services – Dalya Al Mharib
• Exhibition – Tina O’Brien
• Office of Urbanization – Christina Burkot
• Green Cities and Buildings – Bob Marino
• Academic Programs – Pilar Raynor; Include Daniela Miclea
• Dean’s Office – Pilar Raynor Jordan
• Loeb Fellows – Arin Gregorian; Include Daniela Miclea

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How much of my work-study award is remaining/available for use?

A. You can calculate how much of your work-study award remains by subtracting your total earnings for the academic year (starting in July and ending in May) from the initial amount awarded.

Q. I forget how much my work-study award was to begin with. How do I find this information?

A. Ask the Financial Aid Office for more details.

Q. How do I find out how much work-study I have already used?

A. You should be able to look up your earnings to date by logging into the PeopleSoft system. If you are unable to utilize PeopleSoft,please contact your payroll coordinator.

Q. Can I request more work-study funds?

A. You can inquire as to the status of work-study increases by contacting the Financial Aid Office . We normally review our work-study budget in February to determine whether increases will be available for the remainder of the academic year.

Q. I have a work-study position, how do I fill out the Work-Study Referral card?

A. The Work-Study Referral Card is available on the Harvard Student Employment Office site.  Ask your payroll coordinator if you need further guidance.