This page contains content from the 2008–09 academic year. For current information, visit the Harvard Extension School website at www.extension.harvard.edu.
Residency Requirement
Distance Education
One of the advantages of being an Extension School degree candidate is becoming part of the larger Harvard community, connecting with Harvard faculty, and using the many resources available on campus, including one of the world’s largest academic libraries. As a result, we do not offer the degree entirely online; we offer a blended program.
You must be able to commit to one semester in residence, during which you would take at least one on-campus-only course. The residency requirement can be completed at any time during the program, including the summer at Harvard Summer School, where housing is provided for a fee.
Guidelines
- If you are in the mathematics and computation concentration, the digital media arts and sciences concentration, or the thesis track of the software engineering concentration, we recommend completing your residency after your master’s thesis has been approved. If you are in the information management systems concentration, we recommend you complete your residency while enrolled in the capstone course.
- If you plan to be in residence for only one semester, you must complete the residency approval form (download form) and schedule a meeting with Henry Leitner or Stephen Blinn during your semester in residence.
- International students with I-20 certificates must enroll full time during the residency semester (16 credits during the fall or spring term and 8 credits during Summer School).
Choosing Online Courses
See the degree course search to find online courses that count toward the degree. You should also confirm that your computer has the proper software and hardware to view the streaming video. See Distance Education for information about the technology.