To earn the master’s degree, meet the following requirements.
Take the required courses for your concentration.
- Ecosystems: 9 courses and a thesis (40 credits) or 11 courses and a capstone course (48 credits)
- Sustainability: 9 courses and a thesis (40 credits) or 11 courses and a capstone course (48 credits)
See full concentration requirements.
Take at least 1 on-campus-only course.
See the guidelines for the residency requirement.
Take all courses for graduate credit.
All courses must be taken at Harvard for graduate credit. You take most courses at Harvard Extension School. You also have the options to study at Harvard Summer School and to take a maximum of 2 courses as a Special Student through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. See Academic Standing and Enrollment.
Earn a B− or higher in each course and maintain a 3.0 GPA.
Note that a B or higher grade is required in the 3 preadmission courses.
Complete all requirements within 5 years of the date of admission.
If your application is delayed, the 5-year timeframe begins on the date of completion of the third degree course (i.e., any course that can count toward the degree). If you are unable to complete the degree within 5 years, you are retired from the program.
Selecting courses
To see how current course offerings fulfill requirements, use the degree course search.
