The Harvard Extension School, founded by Harvard University President A. Lawrence Lowell in 1909, is an academic program designed to serve the educational interests and needs of the greater Boston community. It has since grown into one of the largest continuing education programs in the world affiliated with a traditional research university, and attracts students globally as do the other divisions of Harvard. Since the school practices the policy of open enrollment, the majority of the student body is not pursuing a degree, but rather undertaking studies for professional or personal enrichment. Most courses meet at night to facilitate those with work schedules. The Extension School is part of the Division of Continuing Education, which itself is part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Degrees

The school currently awards the following credentials:

Undergraduate - associate in arts (A.A.) and bachelor of liberal arts (A.L.B.). Both are aimed primarily at adult learners who began college and did not complete their studies, or for those who have yet to commence coursework. Degree requirements are patterned after that of Harvard College as far as possible, however, students are awarded their degree within one of three areas: natural sciences, social sciences or humanities (e.g. A.L.B. Natural Sciences), as opposed to having a traditional major (or concentration) in the case of the College (e.g. A.B. Mathematics). In recent years, the option of adding a concentration to one’s primary field has been feasible in a limited number of areas (in which case the degree would read A.L.B. Natural Sciences, concentration in Biology). Up to half of the coursework for the A.A. or A.L.B. may come in the form of transfer credit for other institutions. However, the majority of courses must be taken with Harvard faculty. Degree Candidates may take two classes per semester from the College or Graduate School, with faculty recommendations and provided they maintain a 3.33 GPA. Admission requires a student to first establish themselves as capable of handling the curriculum by maintaining a ‘B’ average across core courses, followed by a formal admissions application. Unlike the admissions process to Harvard College, neither SAT scores nor class rank is considered as students are frequently many years removed from secondary school.

Graduate - Master of Liberal Arts (A.L.M.). Offered in traditional arts and sciences fields such as government and biology (e.g. A.L.M. History), with all fields requiring nine out of ten courses to be taught with Harvard faculty. A minimum of three courses must be “graduate seminars” closed to undergraduates, however, they are popular with students and most take as many as possible. While courses for the A.L.M. meet at a separate time, they are often exact replicates in terms of their syllabi of mixed undergraduate-graduate and sole graduate courses taught in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Students may exercise the option of taking up to four courses for their degree in the GSAS. Because of the rather traditional nature of the coursework for the degree, most students use it as a stepping stone to further graduate study at Harvard or elsewhere. Admission to the program requires a ‘B’ or better in a graduate proseminar, as well as two courses, one of which must be in the student’s field. A formal application is also required after establishing academic standing, with a 3.0 or better in one’s undergraduate studies generally being required for admittance. The latter policy was considered a sine qua non according to the program’s literature prior to the 2004-2005 academic year, but has hence been relaxed to allow the admissions committee more leeway in their decisions.

Professional - master of liberal arts in mathematics for teaching, master of liberal arts in information technology, master of liberal arts in biotechnology, master of liberal arts in environmental management, master of liberal arts in journalism, master of liberal arts in educational technologies, and master of liberal arts in museum studies. These professional masters programs largely follow the same procedures as admittance to the graduate A.L.M., however, the majority of the faculty are often adjuncts whose primary occupation may be unrelated to the University. For instance, the Journalism faculty is primarily made up of editors of major publications such as the Boston Globe and New York Times.

Certificates - management, applied sciences, environmental management, publishing and communications. Draw primarily on adjunct faculty and have a GPA requirement of a ‘B’ to be awarded the certificate upon completion of coursework.

Recent Headlines

The Crimson: Virtual Veritas Through hard work and commitment, Harvard Extension School students prove they can go the distance.

The Crimson: Extension Students Seek Ivy Degrees With lower costs, Extension School education appeals to a broad crowd.

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