Harvard Extension School

Harvard Extension School
MottoVeritas
Motto in English
"Truth"
TypePrivate extension school
Established1910; 114 years ago (1910)[1]
Parent institution
Harvard University
DeanNancy Coleman[2]
Undergraduates795[3]
Postgraduates3,100[3]
Location
Cambridge
,
Massachusetts
,
United States
CampusUrban
Websiteextension.harvard.edu

Harvard Extension School (HES) is the continuing education School of Harvard University, a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1910, it is one of the oldest liberal arts and continuing education schools in the United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences, HES offers both part-time, open-enrollment courses, as well as selective undergraduate (ALB) and graduate (ALM) degrees primarily for nontraditional students. Academic certificates and a post-baccalaureate pre-medical certificate are also offered.

Established by then-university President A. Lawrence Lowell,[4][5] HES was commissioned to extend[6] education, equivalent in academic rigor to traditional Harvard programs, to non-traditional and part-time students, as well as lifelong learners.[7][8] Under the supervision of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences,[9] HES offers over 900 courses spanning various liberal arts and professional disciplines, offered in on-campus, online, and hybrid formats. These courses are generally available to both its matriculated students and to the general public.

For matriculation, HES places significant weight on an applicant's academic transcript at Harvard rather than previous academic work. According to Harvard's current guidelines, students are required to achieve a minimum 3.0 GPA in degree-credit coursework in order to matriculate. Once this academic criterion is met, applicants must submit a formal application, which is subsequently reviewed by a committee. Matriculated students have additional benefits such as convocation, graduation, cross-registration, teaching assistant, faculty research aid, and supervised senior thesis or research paper; they also, as students of Harvard University, have access to the full resources and the broader academic environment of Harvard.[10]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference gates was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Nancy Coleman - Dean of the Division of Continuing Education". Harvard University. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference factbook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Shinagel, Michael (2016), Holocaust Survivor to Harvard Dean: Memoirs of a Refugee’s Progress, ISBN 9781524509590
  5. ^ Minahan, John (2001), The Music of Time, ISBN 9780595200733
  6. ^ "How Far Will Harvard Extend?". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference sampler was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference century was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "What is the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences". Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  10. ^ "Admitted Degree privileges". Retrieved June 22, 2023.