While Extension School courses are open enrollment, degree programs are not. You must meet admission criteria, including grade and GPA requirements, and apply to earn the degree.
To apply to the program:
- Complete the 3 preadmission courses at Harvard.
- Meet all other admission criteria.
- Submit your application materials.
1. Complete the 3 preadmission courses at Harvard.
Earn a B or higher in 3 graduate-credit Harvard courses (12 credits) from the program curriculum. The courses can be taken at the Extension School or Summer School and count toward the degree upon admission.
- For the software engineering concentration: 1 of the courses must meet the theoretical/mathematical foundations requirement.
- For the digital media arts and instructional design concentration: 1 of the courses must meet the computational design requirement.
- For the other concentrations: you can take any 3 courses from the curriculum.
See the degree course search, which is the only accurate way to choose courses that count toward the degree.
Tip: you can take up to 4 courses a semester, but we recommend you take only 1 until you have a better sense of the workload and time commitment involved.
If you don’t meet the minimum GPA after completing 3 preadmission courses, speak with an admission advisor before registering for more courses. It may not be in your best interest to continue to register for courses in an attempt to raise your GPA.
You can also request via e-mail that an advisor calculate your pre-admission GPA and offer advice about future registration. Log in to online services, choose “Degree Program Admissions,” then “Pre-Admission GPA request.”
2. Meet all other admission criteria.
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Possess a regionally accredited bachelor’s degree or its foreign degree equivalent. Ordinarily 3-year foreign degrees are not equivalent. We highly recommend that you have your foreign undergraduate degree evaluated by the Center for Educational Documentation (CED), prior to registering for Extension School courses to ensure that you are eligible for the degree. CED’s general evaluation will confirm if your degree is equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree.
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Have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 in all degree courses already completed at Harvard Extension School or Summer School.
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Be in good academic and financial standing with Harvard University, with no disciplinary or administrative procedures pending.
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Demonstrate English language proficiency.
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Possess either solid experience in mathematics or programming using a modern object-oriented programming language.
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If you already hold a graduate degree, you may earn the degree provided the 2 degrees are in different fields.
3. Submit your application materials.
We admit students to the program 3 times a year. You should submit your application during the term you anticipate completing your third preadmission course and all other admission requirements.
Your 5-year deadline to complete the entire degree starts at the completion of the third degree course (i.e., any course that can count toward the degree). It is crucial you register for the preadmission courses as your first 3 courses and apply to the program as soon as possible.
See How to Apply for more information.
International students
The Extension School does not issue I-20s. But you may be able to earn the degree through online courses and Harvard Summer School on-campus courses. See Online Options and Residency Requirement.
Financial aid
Before you apply and are admitted, you can work with Student Financial Services to secure private funding to cover the cost of the first 3 courses required for admission. Learn about financial aid for nonadmitted students.
Once you apply and are admitted, you may be eligible for a number of loan and grant programs. Learn about financial aid for admitted candidates.
