
0
standardized tests required for admission
More About Admission
Think you’re more than a score? We do too. Our admissions process is democratic and transparent. Mainly, you demonstrate your academic ability by successfully completing 1-3 degree courses with honors grades before applying.
1
of 13 degree-granting schools at Harvard University
More about Harvard Extension
Harvard Extension is the only school at the University that offers part-time degree programs that don’t interfere with full-time employment. Although we prioritize flexibility, we don’t compromise on the quality you'd expect from a Harvard education.
35
average age of an HES degree candidate
More about degree candidates
HES students are motivated parents, scientists, executives, educators—all working professionals hoping to advance or change careers while balancing life’s responsibilities. They choose Harvard because they want the best that continuing education has to offer. Just like you.
110
years we've been distance education trailblazers
More about distance education
We've redefined the online classroom to be grounded in live, interactive experiences. You’ll take classes in person and online, but with an average class size of 31 you’ll get the individual attention you deserve.
1,000+
courses from which to choose
More about courses
By 2022, 42% of workplace skills will have changed and no less than 54% of employees will require significant re-skilling or up-skilling. With 70% of our courses offered online and 20+ degree fields, you can conveniently meet your professional needs and feed your academic interests.
Learn More
Earn a degree in your own space at your own pace.
Who said online courses can't be just as interactive as in-person courses? Our approach to online learning fosters connection without sacrificing flexibility, and you can complete a large portion of your degree from the comfort of your home or office.
Using Zoom, students from around the globe join an instructor in a live classroom. Students participate in thoughtful discussion with their peers and engage with their instructor in real time.
Many students and faculty find this environment just as intimate as a physical classroom. But we also realize that our students are busy working adults, which means joining a live online or in-person course might not be possible. Our solution: a variety of course formats. You have the flexibility to attend class in-person, live online or on-demand. Live online students join the physical class through Zoom displayed on large monitors and seamlessly interact with students in the classroom. On-demand students watch professionally recorded classes on their own schedule and interact through online discussion tools.
Here's a glimpse of Harvard Extension Live Interactive eXperience (HELIX).
And while ordinarily 70% of our course offerings are online, students gave a 4.3 rating out of 5 to the following statement:
“The course provided opportunities for me to connect with my fellow classmates.”
Discover the breadth of our 1,000+ course offerings by exploring our Course Catalog, where you can filter and search by online or in-person course formats.
When we say part-time, we mean it.
Most of our students enroll in 1-2 courses per semester to ensure they have the time to balance school, careers, and other life commitments.
ALB Average Number of Courses per Semester
ALM Average Number of Courses per Semester
On average, it takes an ALB candidate 6 years to earn their degree.
On average, it takes an ALM candidate 4 years to earn their degree.
We make it personal.
At Harvard Extension School, we want our students to feel that they have an academic co-pilot from their first course through graduation.
Even before becoming an admitted degree candidate, you can receive pre-degree advising through the Office of Predegree Advising & Admissions. With your goals in mind, HES Predegree & Admissions Advisors are here to assist you in achieving admission in an efficient manner. While every student's advising needs are different, pre-degree advising might include course selection or discussing the application process. Start by connecting with an advisor through our Virtual Office Hours.
"I felt grateful someone was engaged and concerned with my progress, aware of the milestones that I needed to hit and requirements I had to cover. It was also very helpful to have the continuity of an assigned adviser and the possibility of a developing relationship so we could work together on resolving individual difficulties. The continuity of concern was very helpful, as well as the sense of someone in the school actually hanging in there with me, rooting for me over time, to succeed!"
Margaret | Recent ALB graduate
After you're admitted, you'll be assigned a personal academic advisor who will help you map out long-term goals and identify academic opportunities to augment them. Graduate students are also assigned a research advisor to help with their independent research projects.
Our faculty are educators, practitioners, and scholars.
Although their research and professional experience differ, Harvard Extension School faculty share a passion for preparing and educating HES students to tackle the challenges of a rapidly changing global society.
You'll take courses taught by faculty from many of the schools at Harvard and also other top-tier institutions like MIT, Princeton, and University of Cambridge, England, as well as leading industry experts.
~70%
of faculty hold doctoral degrees
4.6
average faculty rating on a scale of
1 to 5
Broaden your skillset without breaking the bank.
Our tuition is comparable to other online degree programs and when compared to peer institutions, it's a fraction of the cost.
HES Undergraduate Tuition per Course
(2020-2021 Academic Year)
|
Peer Institutions' Average Undergraduate Tuition per Course |
---|---|
$1,880 |
$2,738 |
HES Graduate Tuition per Course
(2020-2021 Academic Year)
|
Peer Institutions' Average Graduate Tuition per Course |
---|---|
$2,900 |
$5,476 |
Financial Aid
Upon successful admission, otherwise eligible US citizens and eligible non-citizens who demonstrate sufficient financial need generally receive HES-supported grant funds to cover a portion of their tuition costs each term, in addition to conventional federal financial aid options.
Visit the Financial Aid page to learn more about this process.
Why students choose HES.
Our students are above average.
HES graduation rates are high, and graduation rates are tied to return on investment. You do the math.
ALB Graduation Rate vs. National Average
Average ALM Graduation Rate
84%
"My three years at Harvard Extension School can be summed up into 3 words: rebirth, refinement, and redemption. To pursue a graduate degree and kick off my career change has breathed new life into me as a person. When I received my Bachelor's degree 3 years ago, I was lost during that time without any direction of what I wanted to do professionally. I am blessed to have discovered it, as well as to have developed the skills, knowledge, and credentials needed to succeed in the real world. I will be searching for my first full-time job after graduation and I have hope for what I can contribute and accomplish moving forward. Thank you HES. You have changed my life."
Learn more, fast.
Our Fast Facts sheets provide a quick demographic overview of the students pursuing our most popular degree fields, name some of the companies that employ our graduates, and highlight just a few of the job titles held by recent alumni.
Click on your program of interest below to learn more in a minute.
- Graduate: Finance
- Graduate: Global Development Practice
- Graduate: Government
- Graduate: History
- Graduate: Industrial-Organizational Psychology
- Graduate: Information Management Systems
- Graduate: International Relations
Data pertains to academic year 2019-20 unless otherwise noted on Fast Facts sheet.
For even more information about alumni graduate schools and employment success,
check out our Career and Academic Resource Center (CARC).
Need more information and some inspiration?
Check out highlights from an event made for and shaped by students who are newer to the Harvard community.
There are many perks to being an HES degree candidate.
As an HES degree candidate, you have access to special options and privileges. The Degree Candidate Benefits and Opportunities page lists them but here are a few things you can look forward to:
-
Career and graduate school resources, events and workshops, and individual career advising through the Office of Career Services
-
Access to the Harvard i-lab to incubate a new venture (for students who meet the current course registration requirement) – Visit the i-lab challenge winners page to view the pitches of the two HES student who won grand prizes in 2021!
-
Paid research opportunities alongside Harvard faculty through our Faculty Aide Program
-
Graduate certificate option while earning the ALM degree
-
Programmatic partnerships with Harvard Business School Online, Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Education, and MIT
-
Leadership opportunities in the Harvard Extension School Student Association upon admission
-
Membership to the Harvard Extension School Alumni Association and Harvard Alumni Association
Graduate students culminate their experience with a thesis or capstone project.
Thesis
Sample Thesis Titles
Sample Thesis Titles By Field |
|
---|---|
Anthropology & Archaeology
|
Biology
|
Bioengineering & Nanotechnology
|
Biotechnology
|
Creative Writing & Literature
|
Dramatic Arts
|
English
|
Government
|
History
|
International Relations
|
Mathematics for Teaching
|
Psychology
|
Software Engineering
|
Sustainability
|
Religion
|
Capstone
Sample Capstone Titles
Sample Capstone Titles By Field |
|
---|---|
Biotechnology
|
Development Practice
|
Digital Media Design
|
English
|
Government
|
History
|
International Relations
|
Journalism
|
Museum Studies
|
Psychology
|
Religion
|
Sustainability
|