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Bachelor of Liberal Arts Degree Program

  • Program Format

    Online with 4 courses on campus

  • Transfer Credits

    Up to 64

  • Average Course Tuition

    $2,040

Graduates at Harvard Commencement

Complete your bachelor’s without disrupting your career.

This program is designed for working adults like you, who wish to earn a degree part time through a combination of online and on-campus courses.

Program Overview

Through the Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree you:

  • Build a well-rounded foundation in the liberal arts fields and focused subject areas, such as business, computer science, international relations, economics, and psychology.
  • Develop effective communication skills for academic and professional contexts.
  • Learn to think critically across a variety of subjects—fostering an informed, independent worldview.

Your Harvard Degree
Bachelor of Liberal Arts (ALB) in Extension Studies

Program Benefits

  • Map with a flag.

    Customizable path, stackable certificates, & experiential learning

  • Teacher speaking to class.

    Instructors who are academics and industry professionals at the top of their fields

  • Two people talking at a table.

    Personalized academic & career advising

  • Lightbulb in a hand.

    Entrepreneurial opportunities through the Harvard Innovation Labs

  • Texbook.

    Paid research options

  • Graduation cap and diploma.

    Harvard Alumni Association membership upon graduation

Customizable Course Curriculum

Our curriculum is flexible in pace and customizable by design. You can study part time, choosing courses that fit your schedule and align with your career goals.

In the program, you’ll experience the convenience of online learning and the immersive benefits of learning on campus. You can complete most of your courses online. For an immersive on-campus experience, you’ll complete 4 courses (16 credits) in person at Harvard.

To focus your studies, you will choose a concentration: humanities, science, or social sciences. You may further narrow your focus further by choosing a field of study or minor.

Admissions

The path to your degree begins before you apply to the program.

You first register for and complete 3 degree courses, earning at least a B in each. These foundational courses are investments in your studies. They count toward your degree and help ensure success in the program.

Getting Started

To get started, explore the curriculum, confirm your initial eligibility, and learn more about our unique “earn your way in” admissions process.

Stackable Pathways

In the bachelor’s degree program, you may decide to earn an undergraduate certificate along the way to your full degree. Options include certificates in:

  • Coding
  • Professional communications
  • Social justice
  • Web development

If you decide you want to continue on to earn a master’s degree at Harvard Extension School, explore our accelerated joint-degree path.

Our Community at a Glance

In the Bachelor of Liberal Arts Program, you join a diverse student community of adult learners with years of full-time work experience, providing an enriching learning environment.

Download: Undergraduate Degree Fact Sheet

  • 35

    Average Age

  • 2

    Average Courses Taken Each Semester

  • 63%

    Work Full Time

  • 97%

    Would Recommend the Program

  • 81%

    Degree Candidates with Transfer Credit

  • Most

    Earn Degree to Prepare for Graduate School

woman working on laption
Kevin Simmons, in a Harvard t-shirt, sits on a doorstep with his daughter on his knee.
Harvard Extension School has made my dream come true.
Kevin Lamar Simmons
Bachelor of Liberal Arts (ALB), Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in the field of Management, '22; Graduate Certificate in Strategic Management and Organizational Behavior

Cost and Financial Aid

Affordability is core to our mission. When compared to our continuing education peers, it’s a fraction of the cost.

Our Tuition (2022–23 rate) $2,040 per course*
Average Tuition of Peer Institutions $2,900 per course
Average Total Cost $32,640–$65,280

*Three of our recommended courses for admission cost $1,000 each.

After admission, you may qualify for financial aid. Typically, eligible students receive grant funds to cover a portion of tuition costs each term, in addition to federal financial aid options.

Building Community

“Everyone along the way has been really understanding of having to balance a professional life with an academic life — and they’ve been extremely helpful in terms of fostering my creativity, curiosity, and ability to develop new knowledge.”

– Daniel M., degree candidate

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