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About Us

Whether you are looking to hone existing skills, learn new ones, or advance your career — we have programs that will meet your needs. Through Professional & Executive Development, part of the Harvard Division of Continuing Education (DCE), you have the opportunity to develop core business competencies — and become the leader you’ve always wanted to be.

Designed to accommodate a busy professional’s schedule, our intensive programs meet on Harvard’s campus for one to five days, or online in a range of formats. Our topics, ranging from Business Strategy and Leadership to Negotiation and Innovation, are designed to meet the needs of professionals from mid-level managers to senior leaders across a variety of industries and markets.

Return to your office refreshed and equipped with new strategies to be more successful in your role and organization.

Our History

Harvard Professional & Executive Development was established in 2011 to expand DCE’s reach beyond its primarily for-credit, semester-long market. The offerings were designed for business professionals seeking shorter programs that build strong leadership and management skills in just a few days while benefiting from the many opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing.

Harvard Professional & Executive Development now features more than 120 programs across six topic areas, including leadership, business, innovation, marketing, negotiation, and communication in online and on-campus formats. Our dedicated classroom space at One Brattle Square provides on-campus participants with the latest technology and furnishings, and breakout spaces designed to enhance professional learning and networking.

The mission of Harvard Professional & Executive Development is to meet the needs of professionals from the beginning to end of their careers. Our instructors and team members facilitate not just learning, but professional growth and the development of skills our participants need to meet their career goals while providing an exceptional Harvard learning experience.

Academic Experience

Harvard is located within the leading center of technology and innovation: Cambridge, Massachusetts. You will learn at one of the world’s finest academic institutions. There is no better place to invest in developing yourself.

Our programs are led by experts from a variety of arenas in the Boston and Harvard communities and beyond. You’ll engage with them in active classroom discussions, activities, and workshops.

You’ll also collaborate with a diverse set of peers to enrich your learning and your professional network. With participants coming from more than 115 different countries and all 50 states, and a variety of industries, you’ll encounter varied perspectives that can help you see your work in new ways.

We invite you to step outside of your everyday routine and challenge yourself. Here, you can reflect on your management or leadership style, and consider ways you can improve. You can learn how to reframe challenges and see them through a new lens.

Join us at Harvard, and build knowledge and tools to help you — and your organization — succeed.