Our History
In the spirit of democratic education and community responsibility that swept the nation at the turn of the last century, Harvard President A. Lawrence Lowell founded the academic evening program of University Extension to serve the "many people in our community."
For nearly 100 years, the Harvard Extension School has opened the doors of one of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning to working adults in the Boston area, and today it extends around the globe. Harvard Extension School is in the business of making educational dreams come true for many adults who initially think an Ivy League liberal arts education is not an option.
As an Extension School undergraduate degree candidate you take courses in historic Harvard Yard with many Harvard instructors. You have access to campus libraries, museums, athletic facilities, and many academic and career services. On Commencement Day, alongside the University’s entire graduating class, you earn your Harvard degree, joining the ranks of the worldwide Harvard alumni.
Our graduates go on to successful careers in the professional world as well as graduate studies at top-ranked programs throughout the country, including the Harvard schools of Arts and Sciences, Divinity, Law, and Education.
Thus, you can feel secure in the knowledge that you're receiving a Harvard-caliber education because the Harvard Extension School is just that—an extension of the best higher education has to offer.
I've taught in Harvard College for several years, and I have found the students at the Extension School to be every bit as motivated and often more challenging and exciting to teach.
Robert Neugeboren, PhD, Lecturer on Social Studies, Harvard University