Harvard University Online Courses and Programs

by Amy Belmonte

Harvard University Online Courses and Programs at a Glance:

  • Harvard University was established in 1636
  • Harvard has 13 schools, one of which is the Harvard Extension School, which has been offering continuing education to students for nearly a century
  • Through the Harvard University Extension School Online, over 600 courses are available to students covering more than 65 fields of study
  • In addition to Harvard online courses, the extension school also offers evening classes on-campus in Harvard Square
  • Completion of courses through can be credited towards your undergraduate or graduate degree
  • Regionally accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges

About Harvard University Online Courses and Programs

Have Ivy League dreams, but real-world responsibilities? Why not enroll in one of the Harvard online courses or programs being taught by world-class faculty who are scholars at the top of their respective fields? Although Harvard’s venture into the world of e-learning is at a more measured pace than other universities, that doesn’t mean that students should not take advantages of Harvard’s current online offerings.

Harvard University Extension School, aka “Harvard Online” is, of course, part of Harvard University. It is one of the few Ivy League schools to jump on the “online university” bandwagon, but as with most of the Ivy League schools, they are taking it one step at a time. At this time, Harvard University does not offer a complete degree online. You may, however, earn a complete degree through the Harvard Extension School by taking a combination of online courses with some classroom attendance. There are, however, two graduate-level online certificate programs available: Applied Sciences and Environmental Management. Alternately, you can simply take a few classes in a subject that interests you such as accounting or linguistics.

Here is a brief list of online degree programs offered via the Harvard Extension School. Keep in mind that not all courses may be offered entirely online, and some are designed for on-campus evening classes for working adults in the Cambridge, MA area.

Harvard University Extension School Programs:

Undergraduate Programs

  • Associate in Arts
  • Bachelor in Liberal Arts

Graduate Programs

  • Master of Liberal Arts (specialize in one of 15 fields)
  • Biotechnology: Master’s degree
  • Educational Technologies: Master’s degree
  • Environmental Management: Master’s degree or certificate (certificate can be completed online)
  • Information Technology: Master’s degree or certificate (certificate can be completed online)
  • Journalism and Publishing: Master’s degree or certificate
  • Management: Master’s degree or certificate
  • Mathematics for Teaching: Master’s degree
  • Museum Studies: Master’s degree

Additional Harvard Online Programs or Extension School Programs

  • In the Health Careers Program, you can take premedical courses, secure medical school application sponsorship, and earn a diploma.
  • The Institute for English Language Programs offers noncredit courses for students interested in studying English as a second language

There is one thing to keep in mind as well, regarding examinations for online courses. Some courses may require you to attend an exam on-campus. For those who are out of the general area of the school (and by area, I mean not in New England), you may be able to have the exam proctored at a local school. Arrangements for these types of exams can be done through Harvard’s Academic Services department.

About Tuition and Financial Aid

Unlike a majority of schools, Harvard University charges by the course, versus by the credit hour. A single course may cost anywhere from $800 to $1,975 for undergraduate or graduate 4-credit courses. For those of us who aren’t mathematicians, that’s comes out to about $200 to $493.75 per credit hour. That is very competitive to many online colleges, but obviously attending college at one of Harvard’s prestigious schools gives you the honor of being a student at “Hah-vahd”.

Harvard University still has a way to go before their online program becomes fully independent, but they are still emerging as one of the leading Ivy League schools to offer distance learning.

Source: Harvard Extension School Online