Yes. ALM graduates are Harvard alumni and alumnae, and the program of study is in every way as challenging as that of graduate degree programs in other Harvard schools.

Does the diploma say Extension School?

The diploma reads UNIVERSITAS HARVARDIANA; then, after the graduate’s name comes Magistri in Artibus Liberalibus Studiorum Prolatorum (Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies).

How can I present the ALM on my résumé?

Harvard University offers the following degrees in Extension Studies:

Associate in Arts
Bachelor of Liberal Arts
Master of Liberal Arts

It is acceptable, therefore, to list the ALM degree on your résumé in the following manner:

Harvard University, Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies, concentration in history

Unacceptable: Harvard University, MA in History

What can one do with this degree?

Many students use it as a stepping stone to doctoral programs, law school, and medical school. Others use the degree to fortify their credentials and advance their careers in fields such as government and biotechnology. Experienced secondary school teachers can gain recertification by earning this degree. Some graduates have gained part-time, adjunct teaching appointments in community colleges and universities. Persons in some branches of the military may become commissioned officers after earning a master’s. Many graduates become professional researchers. Still other students use the degree to help them make a midlife career change (for example, going from bond trading to teaching history in a private secondary school). One of the most compelling reasons for pursuing an ALM degree is personal enrichment—studying a new area for its own sake, simply because it’s a subject you've always wanted to explore in more depth.

What percentage of ALM graduates pursue advanced graduate study?

Approximately 10 percent of our graduates apply to PhD programs, law schools, and medical schools.

What are some of the schools to which ALM graduates have been admitted for advanced graduate study?

ALM alumni have gone on to doctoral programs or other advanced degree programs at the following institutions:

Antioch New England Graduate School	Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona
Arizona State University	University College Dublin
Boston College	University of California-Davis
Boston University	University of California-Riverside
Brandeis University	University of Chicago
Brown University	University of Delaware
Columbia University	University of Denver
Drake University	University of Florida
Fielding Institute	University of Georgia
Harvard Business School	University of Illinois-Chicago
Harvard Divinity School	University of Maryland
Harvard Graduate School of Education	University of Massachusetts Medical School
Harvard Law School	University of Michigan
Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences	University of Minnesota
Indiana University	University of Montreal
Johns Hopkins University	University of New Hampshire
Lesley University	University of North Texas
Kings College, London	University of Pennsylvania
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	University of Pittsburgh
Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology	University of Rhode Island
McGill University	University of Southern California
New York University	University of Texas
Northeastern University	University of Vienna
Pacifica Graduate Institute	University of Virginia
Salve Regina University	University of Wisconsin
State University of New York at Albany	University of Wyoming
State University of New York at Binghamton	Virginia Tech
Suffolk University	Wake Forest University
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology	Wayne State University
Temple University Dental School	Wright Institute
Tufts Medical School	Yale University
Tufts University	York University of Toronto
Union Institute

Is the ALM a “back door” into other graduate schools at Harvard?

No. You will have the advantage of testing the waters in rigorous courses taught by Harvard professors, but the degree does not guarantee admission into any other Harvard program.

Can I earn the ALM online?

Not entirely. We offer a blended program, with the option of taking some of your courses online. However, we believe strongly in the value of the on-campus experience at Harvard, interacting with faculty and peers both in and outside of class, utilizing the university’s vast library and museum holdings, and taking advantage of its many other resources that are available only to members of the Harvard community. All of these contribute to the unique learning experience that the ALM offers.

How many distance education courses can I take?

A maximum of five distance courses may be counted toward the degree. Many fields have no distance education courses offered yet; others have several. Proseminars and seminars are not offered online.

How quickly can I earn an ALM degree?

Two years is the minimum. Three years is the average. The five-year program was designed to enable working adults to take one course per semester (after completing the first three required for admission), then spend one year developing the thesis proposal and a final year writing the thesis. Many students take the full five years to complete the degree, especially if they have other commitments to manage.

Can I get an I-20 for a student visa?

No.

Do you require a specific undergraduate grade point average?

No.

Admission

What exactly are the admission requirements?

Three classes with a grade of B or higher and a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.

What are the first three classes needed for admission?

The proseminar appropriate to your chosen field of study (BIOS E-200, SSCI E-100a or E-100b, or HUMA E-100), then two other courses that will fulfill degree requirements. One of these two courses must be in the intended field of concentration. In each of these three classes, you must earn a grade of B or higher.

Can I register online?

Yes, via online services with credit card payment. Also see Registration for more information or to download a registration form.

Why do you recommend the proseminar as one of the first three ALM courses?

The proseminar is designed to give students a solid grounding in the diverse methods appropriate to the development of graduate-level research projects, presented in an academic style appropriate to each particular discipline--skills that can be applied in all of your coursework but that prepare you especially for undertaking the thesis later in your candidacy.

What if I am closed out of the proseminar when I register for it and cannot take it until the following semester, as my fourth or fifth course?

This happens sometimes. But you should enroll in it as soon as possible so that you will be well prepared for the research and writing assignments in your remaining classes and so that you won't have to delay your application to the ALM program.

If I do not receive a B or above in the first three classes, am I excluded from ever applying to the program?

No, you can continue to take courses until you raise your grade point average to the required minimum of 3.0; then you will be eligible to apply. However, if you find that you are having difficulty earning a 3.0 average, you may need to consider whether this is the right program for you.

If I do not receive a B in the proseminar, am I allowed to retake it?

Yes, but only once more. Students will be denied admission to the program if they fail to earn a grade of B after twice enrolling in the course. Those who remain in the course after the half-tuition refund period ends must count that as one of their attempts to pass the proseminar.

I want to enroll in the proseminar next semester, but I know that I’ll have to miss at least four classes. Can I negotiate this with the instructor?

No. You are setting yourself up to fail if you proceed with the course, knowing that you’ll miss a number of classes. Attendance in the proseminar is mandatory. There is no substitution for the vital information directly presented each week or the interactive learning experience that derives from peer and instructor discussion. If you know you will miss several classes, you should plan to take the proseminar another semester.

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Degree Credit and Requirements

Can I earn the degree in a field of concentration not shown on the list of ALM fields on the website (such as media studies or physics)?

No.

Do you accept transfer credit from other universities?

No. Only courses taken at Harvard Extension School, the Harvard Summer School, or the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences will count toward the degree.

Why must we take two electives?

The ALM is a liberal arts degree; hence it was designed to allow students to consider their principal field of study from a somewhat broader perspective, thus enriching and deepening their understanding of the chosen field. Students should carefully consider their academic goals and research interests and use the electives to illuminate these.

I'm interested in many different subjects. Can I take a variety of courses and earn a master’s degree in general studies?

No.

Can I combine two different concentrations, such as English and American literature and history, and graduate with a double major?

No. You should consider which field you most wish to study, then use your electives to enable you to take an interdisciplinary approach to that field. For example, if you are principally interested in English and American literature, you can choose two history electives to study the social and political milieu of the writers on whom you wish to focus.

Can I receive credit for work experience or life experience?

No.

I'd like to plan all of my coursework in advance for the entire time I intend to be here. Is that possible?

Unfortunately, no. Faculty submit their course proposals for a single year at a time; therefore, we cannot know what they wish to teach two or three years from now. If you see courses offered that you would like to take, don’t delay enrolling in them, for they may not be offered again.

I need to raise my grade point average, and I have a heavy work schedule right now. Can you direct me to courses that are easier than others?

No, we can't. But you can choose a list of courses that interest you and will count toward the degree, then check each instructor’s online syllabus to determine how much reading and how many writing assignments and exams will be required.

What’s the difference between a lecture course and a seminar?

In a lecture course, the instructor does most of the lecturing and may or may not include time for class discussion. Such classes may have 35 to 200 students, including graduate students, undergraduates, and noncredit registrants. In a seminar, the students are largely responsible for the content of each class, providing considerable discussion, weekly oral reports, and at the end of the course, more extensive term paper presentations. The instructor’s role is chiefly to guide and comment on the discussion, provide background information, and to make the various assignments. Seminars are smaller courses, usually limited to 15 to 19 students, all of whom will be graduate students.

Is a seminar the same as a proseminar?

No. Both are limited-enrollment courses, but the proseminar is the introduction to graduate studies required for ALM admission.

Are there certain requirements or rules for which it is absolutely hopeless to petition for an exception?

Yes—several:

Asking to count a non-ALM course toward the degree

Eight required Harvard instructors

Number of required field courses

Number of required elective courses

Removal of WDs from your transcript

Forgiving more than two WDs or noncompletion grades

Removal of nonpassing grades from your transcript

Field seminar

Nonfield seminar or writing-intensive course

Taking a proseminar a third time, after not having passed it with a B or better on two previous attempts

Asking for an exception before one is an admitted degree candidate

Are there certain exceptions to the rules for which one might successfully petition?

Course exceptions—that is, courses outside the field of concentration, which, because of the course content, readings, and writing assignments—might be allowed to count toward the field of concentration. The chief criterion is whether the principal emphasis and method of the course bear a direct relationship to the field of concentration, not a merely tangential or peripheral connection. The fact that the topic of the course is interesting to the student is not a sufficient criterion. (For example, HIST E-1607/W The American Revolution has the word “governments” in the course description; yet the course is principally a history course, not a government course, as the full description and syllabus demonstrate. Therefore, it cannot count as a field course for a government concentrator. However, ENGL E-129 Shakespeare After All: The Later Plays could reasonably count as a field course in both English and American literature and language and dramatic arts by virtue of its being a literature course that focuses on works written for the stage.

Can I take classes in the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences as an ALM candidate?

Yes, once you are an admitted degree candidate, you may apply to the Special Student Office, Room 350 at the Holyoke Center, 1350 Massachusetts Avenue, for special student status. See Special Student Status.

Can I take Extension School courses and then transfer to GSAS?

No. Taking Extension School courses, or being admitted to the ALM Program, does not imply admission to GSAS. GSAS does not accept transfer credit from the Extension School. Students interested in GSAS admission must apply there directly.

Can I transfer Extension School courses toward degrees at other universities?

Harvard Extension School is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges; however, each university has its own transfer credit policy. Check with the school to which you want to transfer credit.

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Thesis Project

I've written a thesis in a prior degree program. Can I take additional courses in lieu of writing a thesis?

No.

I'm probably going to be transferred out of the Boston area before I write my thesis. Is it possible to complete the proposal and thesis away from here? Must I fly back and forth to meet with my thesis director?

Students may work on the proposal and thesis in absentia. However, they will need access to a major research library. It is not necessary to fly back to Cambridge for multiple meetings with the thesis director; transactions can occur through e-mail, telephone conferences, faxes, and regular mail. The thesis director may request that the student meet with him or her in person at least once.

I've finished three courses and would like to begin my thesis now. Is that possible?

You can certainly begin to think about a thesis topic that interests you, but candidates are not allowed to begin actively working on or to submit the thesis proposal until after they have completed a minimum of six ALM courses. A certain amount of coursework is necessary before a candidate will be sufficiently knowledgeable in the field of concentration and have had adequate experience with graduate-level writing and research, at the standard expected here, to successfully commence work on the thesis project. However, you are free to contact your research advisor and ask a few preliminary questions about a possible topic at any time (Dean Schopf for candidates in the humanities, Dr. Morris for those in biological sciences, Dr. Spetter for those in behavioral sciences, and Dr. Ostrowski for those in social sciences).

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Student Resources

When and how do I get my ID?

Once you are admitted to the degree program, go to the first floor at 51 Brattle Street and have your photo taken. We will mail your ID to you, usually within a week.

Can I use the Harvard libraries while I am taking my first three classes, even though I'm not yet an admitted degree candidate with an ID card?

Yes, but you will have to go to the privileges desk in Widener Library and pay $100 for a special borrower’s card, which will be valid for one semester. While many journals and collections exist as e-resources and are available to all students, other do not and require library access. If you are a science or psychology student, you can use your current course registration form to gain entrance to Cabot Science Library and to Countway Medical School Library where you may read journals and other published materials but not check them out.

Can I use the Harvard libraries once I am an admitted degree candidate?

All Extension School students can use Grossman Library, a reserve reading and study library in Sever Hall. Degree and certificate candidates receive Harvard Extension School photo ID cards. These cards provide borrowing privileges at many Harvard University libraries.

Is financial aid available?

Financial aid is available for admitted degree, certificate, and health careers candidates only. See the Financial Aid section.

Is housing available?

The Extension School does not provide student housing. Degree and certificate candidates with photo ID cards can check listings at the Harvard Real Estate Housing Office.

Does the Extension School offer courses in the summer?

No, but the Harvard Summer School offers courses that may count toward Extension School degrees and certificates. The Summer School website is available in February. To determine whether a summer course will fulfill degree or certificate requirements, contact a program advisor or use the degree course search.

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Harvard University Extension School

Master of Liberal Arts

See Also

Programs Contacts and FAQs

Contact the Program

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Admission

Degree Credit and Requirements

Thesis Project

Student Resources

General Questions

Admission

Degree Credit and Requirements

Thesis Project

Student Resources