This page contains content from the 2007–08 academic year. For current information, visit the Harvard Extension School website at www.extension.harvard.edu.
Help/FAQs
About the Extension School Degree
- Is this really Harvard?
- Can I transfer Extension School course credits toward a degree at Harvard College?
- Who are Extension School students?
- What does the diploma look like?
- Is the undergraduate program right for me?
- Can I get an undergraduate degree online?
- Will the undergraduate degree get me into graduate school?
- Will the undergraduate degree get me a job?
- I’m an international student. Can I come to Harvard Extension School to earn my undergraduate degree?
Admissions
- Why are the admission requirements so different from those of Harvard College?
- I’ve taken a similar course to EXPO E-25 at another school. Do I still need to take EXPO E-25 as one of my first three courses?
- When should I apply to the program?
- My native language is not English. What do I need to know about the program?
Student Services
- What Harvard Extension School student services are available?
- Do I get an ID card?
- What Harvard University student services are available?
- Can I live on campus?
About the Extension School Degree
Is this really Harvard?
Harvard Extension School is one of the 12 degree-granting schools at Harvard University: Business, Dental Medicine, Design, Divinity, Education, Extension, Government, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard College, Law, Medicine, and Public Health. Of these 12 schools, only Harvard College and Harvard Extension School offer undergraduate degrees. See About the Program for more information.
Can I transfer Extension School course credits toward a degree at Harvard College?
No. Harvard Extension School and Harvard College are separate schools at the University. The Extension School is designed for the working adult population whose academic needs differ from students in the traditional college program. However, admitted degree candidates in the Extension School can take courses at Harvard College through the Special Student Program, and their Harvard College course credits count toward their Extension degrees.
Who are Extension School students?
Extension School students range in age from 18 to 90, but the majority of candidates for the ALB are around 30, have completed about one and a half years of previous college work, and have a considerable amount of life and work experience.
What does the diploma look like?
The degree that you earn is either the Associate in Arts (AA) or the Bachelor of Liberal Arts (ALB) in Extension Studies from Harvard University.
Is the undergraduate program right for me?
The Harvard Extension School is sufficiently flexible to be the “right” program for people of all ages, academic backgrounds, and current life circumstances. Accelerated home-schooled students join the program as a more rigorous alternative to high school. Traditional-aged college students join because they want an affordable and academically centered (rather than socially centered) undergraduate experience. Working professionals join the program to advance in their current careers, make a career change, or apply to graduate school. All of our students come to enrich their intellectual lives.
Can I get an undergraduate degree online?
Not entirely. See Undergraduate Distance Education for more information.
Will the undergraduate degree get me into graduate school?
Many of our graduates continue their education in master’s and doctoral programs here at Harvard, throughout the country, and around the globe. The liberal arts curriculum helps develop the discipline-specific background knowledge and the writing, research, critical thinking, and presentations skills needed for graduate work.
Will the undergraduate degree get me a job?
Through the liberal arts curriculum you can develop the professional skills that most employers are looking for, including computer and quantitative literacy, problem solving agility, critical thinking, persuasive oral and written expression, the ability to work with others cooperatively, cross-culture understanding, and foreign language facility. In addition, you can take up to four graduate-level professional courses from any of our professional degree or certificate programs and apply those credits toward your undergraduate degree and earn a professional citation, thus complementing your liberal arts coursework with specific courses in, for example, accounting, marketing, finance, or museum studies. Moreover, our career counseling services, including the OCS referral option can help students find their dream jobs. Our graduates find that their degree enables them to advance within their current profession or change careers.
I’m an international student. Can I come to Harvard Extension School to earn my undergraduate degree?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. We cannot provide 1-20 certificates for the F-1 student visa because students must take three courses prior to being admitted to our program and this precludes students from meeting student visa requirements. For information about taking a combination of online and on-campus courses, see Undergraduate Distance Education.
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Admissions
Why are the admission requirements so different from those of Harvard College?
Given that 30 is the average age of our students, SAT scores and high school grades are not relevant predictors of success. Your ability to do honors-level work at Harvard is the most relevant predictor. While the admission requirements are less restrictive than a traditional Ivy League program, the course work at Harvard Extension School is intellectually rigorous. As one student wrote in her application, "The course was challenging, so I asked the instructor if I belonged. He said, ’If you can do the work, you belong.’ He made me realize that here I would be accepted by who I am now and what I can do as a student."
I’ve taken a course similar to EXPO E-25 at another school. Do I still need to take EXPO E-25 as one of my first three courses?
Yes. This requirement must be completed at Harvard. See Enrolling in EXPO for more information, including details about the placement test.
When should I apply to the program?
You should apply during the semester that you anticipate completing the three required courses for admission. See Application Procedures for the application and deadlines.
My native language is not English. What do I need to know about the program?
There are two important things you should know. To enroll in the prerequisite courses for admission you must either send a TOEFL score of 250 or higher to the Registrar’s Office or take two placement tests: the English language placement test and the test of critical reading and writing skills. Second, to be admitted to the undergraduate degree program you must take the TOEFL and earn a score of 250 or higher. The scores must be sent to the Undergraduate Office. Taking the English language placement test at Harvard Extension School is not a substitute for taking the TOEFL and earning the required score.
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Student Services
What Harvard Extension School student services are available?
Harvard Extension School students have access to numerous resources, and admitted degree candidates can take advantage of many special options and curriculum choices. Advising and pre-degree advising is also available.
What Harvard University student services are available?
Once admitted to the degree program, registered undergraduate degree candidates are issued a Harvard ID card that allows them access to many Harvard facilities and resources. See ID Cards and Privileges for more information. Undergraduate degree candidates can use—on a limited basis and by referral—the services of the Bureau of Study Counsel (BSC) and Office of Career Services (OCS). Also, for a fee, health insurance, including dental, is available to candidates through campus University Health Services. Our graduates become full members of the Harvard Alumni Association.
Do I get an ID card?
Yes, as a registered degree, certificate, or diploma candidate, you receive an Extension School photo ID card. You can use it to
- access Harvard libraries and other campus resources.
- purchase athletic privileges at the Athletic Department Ticket Office; see the athletics website.
- open a Crimson Cash debit account.
- check listings at the Harvard Real Estate Housing Office, 7 Holyoke Street.
Can I live on campus?
Harvard Extension School is designed for a commuting student population, so it does not provide housing. Prospective degree candidates registered in their prerequisite courses can access listings of apartments and houses available for rent in Cambridge and the surrounding area by visiting the Harvard Real Estate Housing Office. The office, which has listings of apartments, houses, and condos for rent or sale; opportunities to work in exchange for rent; local real estate agents; and roommates. The office also provides Cambridge maps, public transportation information for Cambridge and surrounding areas, and the Harvard Off-Campus Housing Guide. The office does not reply to mail or telephone inquiries regarding available housing; students must go in person to 7 Holyoke Street. The office is open 9 am to 5 pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday; and 10 am to 5 pm on Tuesday.
If you are moving to the Boston area for the degree program, see Moving to Massachusetts. Harvard Summer School does provide housing.
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