Frequently Asked Questions
Distance education courses
- Are all Extension School courses available via distance education?
- Can I take a distance education course entirely online, including exams?
- What do I need to be able to take a course online?
- Can I attend a class and watch the videos?
- When are videotaped lectures available for viewing?
- Are distance students able to participate in a class?
- Can I take a distance education course at my own pace?
- When are distance education courses offered during the year?
- How do I register for a distance education course?
- How much will it cost?
Academic credit, courses, and programs
- Where can I get more information about an individual course?
- Do students earn academic credit for distance education courses?
- Can I use online courses to complete Extension School program requirements?
- What does the transcript say?
- Can I use distance education courses towards programs at other schools?
- Who teaches distance education courses?
- Can I teach a distance education course?
Technical information
- Do I need to buy a video player to view the lectures?
- Which password do I need to view a lecture?
- How can I test if my computer can play the course videos?
- Why is the lecture audio low or inaudible?
- Can I view the lectures if my system is behind a firewall?
- I’ve downloaded Flash Player. Why can’t I see the videos?
- Why do I get error messages about congestion?
- I have a 56k modem. Can I watch a video?
- Where can I get more information about distance education?
Distance education courses
Are all Extension School courses available via distance education?
Not every course is available online. See the list of distance education courses.
Can I take a distance education course entirely online, including exams?
In the event that a course has a classroom exam, students whose primary residence is outside the 6 New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) need to make arrangements through Academic Services to have the exam proctored at a school local to them. Students residing in the New England area must take any in-class exam on campus as scheduled by the instructor. Any questions regarding this procedure can be referred to Academic Services at distance_exams@dcemail.harvard.edu.
What do I need to be able to take a course online?
You need to have access to a computer system that is capable of streaming the video lectures. See the system requirements for this information and links to necessary plug-ins. All students intending to take a course via distance education must first view a sample lecture to be sure their system is adequate before registering. It is important to determine this before classes start.
Can I attend a class and watch the videos?
In courses that are offered on campus and online, students may attend lectures in person or watch them online, and many enjoy the benefits of doing both. Some courses, however, are available only online.
When are videotaped lectures available for viewing?
Videotaped lectures are available for online viewing approximately 48 hours after the lecture takes place on campus. Once the link is posted, you can view the lecture video at any time. Lecture videos remain online for the duration of the semester and are taken down when classes end. Course videos are only available in online streaming format. Some classes have a live streaming option. See Viewing Instructions for more information.
Are distance students able to participate in a class?
Much of the communication between teaching staff and students takes place via e-mail and the course website, for local as well as distance students. The format of each course varies, but most courses have a bulletin board or chat room to foster dialogue among students and teaching staff. You can look at the course website to get a sense of how the course is run, or contact the instructor via e-mail with more specific questions.
Can I take a distance education course at my own pace?
Distance education and local students follow the same schedule of due dates for assignments and exams. The lag time between the actual lecture and the availability of the online video is taken into account when determining these dates. Specific details of course schedules are in individual course syllabi on course websites. Videos are not available after the end of the term.
When are distance education courses offered during the year?
Distance education courses are available during the fall and spring semesters; see the Extension School’s academic calendar for dates. In addition, Harvard Summer School offers several courses online.
How do I register for a distance education course?
See Registration for policies and procedures.
The cost for the classes is dependent on whether you are taking them for noncredit, undergraduate credit, or graduate credit. See individual course descriptions for more details.
Academic credit, courses, and programs
Where can I get more information about an individual course?
See course descriptions, including tuition and prerequisites, in Courses. More detailed information is available on individual course websites.
Do students earn academic credit for distance education courses?
Students taking courses via distance education choose a credit status, earn academic credit, and are graded in the same way as students attending on-campus. Information on which credit status is available for a course is in the individual course descriptions on the Extension School website.
Can I use online courses to complete Extension School program requirements?
You may use credits earned via distance education to complete some requirements for Extension School degree programs. See Applying Online Credits to a Degree.
The Extension School does not distinguish between on-campus and distance students; thus, the transcript does not specify if a course is completed via distance education or not.
Can I use distance education courses toward programs at other schools?
Acceptance of transfer credit is determined by the receiving school, so you should check there to see if the credit is acceptable before taking Extension School courses.
Who teaches distance education courses?
Extension School faculty includes Harvard instructors, instructors from other academic institutions, and industry professionals. Instructors and their affiliations are listed in course descriptions.
Can I teach a distance education course?
The Extension School accepts and evaluates proposals for courses each spring. If you are interested in teaching a course via distance education, mention this in your course proposal. For more information contact Mark Lax at mark_lax@harvard.edu.
Technical information
Do I need to buy video player to view the lectures?
The latest free versions of Flash and RealPlayer will play course videos.
Which password do I need to view a lecture?
You may log in to password-protected videos using your Harvard University ID number and PIN. See ID Numbers and PINs for more information.
How can I test if my computer can play the course videos?
There are many ways to test your ability to watch course videos on your computer. In addition to trying the sample videos available on this site, you can test a video on our Flash Video Tests page. Users with a technical background can test system performance using a network test tool available from the Internet2 website.
Why is the lecture audio low or inaudible?
Audio is controlled by 2 sources: the application displaying the lecture video and your computer’s controls. To adjust the volume of a lecture, first use the volume control on the application. If there is no noticeable difference, adjust the volume level in your system’s control panel. Be sure that your system is not set to “mute” and that you adjust any volume controls on headphones.
Can I view the lectures if my system is behind a firewall?
Some firewall administrators block all video streaming into their site. More commonly, problems related to firewalls are the result of configuration errors, either of the browser or the firewall itself. To determine if Flash videos are being blocked by a firewall, please go to our Flash Video Tests page and try test 9.
I’ve downloaded Flash Player. Why can’t I see the videos?
Most problems are the result of an out-of-date version of the Flash Player or difficulty with a proxy/firewall. First download a new copy of the latest version of the Flash Player and ensure it installs properly. Go to Adobe’s version test page to ensure Flash is properly installed. To determine if Flash videos are being blocked by a firewall, please go to our Flash Video Tests page and go to test 9.
Why do I get error messages about congestion?
Network congestion can cause poor or stopped playback. While this is a greater problem for slow connections, such as 56k modems, it can happen at any speed connection. If you are experiencing network congestion select the audio-only option on the Video Preference page.
I have a 56k modem. Can I watch a video?
With a 56K modem you should choose the audio-only option on the Video Preference page. You will hear but not see the instructor. The course slides will appear as well.
Where can I get more information about distance education?
If you are looking for information that isn’t available on this website or individual course websites, call (617) 495-4024 or send an e-mail to dce-distance-ed@harvard.edu.