FAQ
General FAQ
10 Questions
Unless otherwise noted, all Harvard Online courses are in English.
As a Harvard Online participant, you join the Harvard Online community; however, you will not be considered a Harvard student. When you earn your certificate or credential, you will not be considered a Harvard alum.
No. All of our courses are 100 percent online and available to participants regardless of their location.
Harvard is authorized to offer distance education under the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), an agreement that allows institutions of higher education in Massachusetts to offer distance education to students residing in other states that participate in SARA. For information about SARA-related student complaint processes for distance education students, please see this letter.
There are no formal class times. All learning happens online, asynchronously, so participants are able to complete the course on their own time, at their own pace. However, for some Harvard Online courses as well as those offered through GetSmarter, certain deadlines must be met on a scheduled weekly basis with the goal of keeping the group focused on the same topic to maximize social interactions.
Once you've earned a Certificate, list it on your resume along with the date of completion like this:
List your credential on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:
Certificate Programs
Harvard Online
Certificate in [Course Name]
[Cohort Start Month and Year]
List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:
School: Harvard Online
Dates Attended: [the year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in [Course Name]
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: “Complete”
Activities and Societies: Leave blank
If you’ve already started or completed your course, no action is needed.
If you applied to a course but haven’t yet enrolled and wish to change your start date, you’ll need to begin a new enrollment for the preferred date. For further questions, please email harvardonline@harvard.edu.
If you’ve enrolled in a course that hasn’t yet started and you’d like to defer to a future session, please note that deferrals are not available if the future session is hosted on the new enrollment platform. For further support, visit our support portal.
Our courses have been developed by some of the most renowned Harvard faculty and leading experts. Although professors will not have direct, real-time interactions with learners, you will hear from them via short videos that explain key concepts and guide you through cases, exercises, and other interactive learning elements to create a highly engaging educational experience. In addition, we encourage you to collaborate with your peers to find answers to any questions you may have.
We appreciate your understanding that Harvard Online faculty and guest experts featured in our courses are not available to communicate with learners directly or participate in learner-organized events.
We’re removing the application requirement for many courses to make it easier for you to start learning right away. The course content and certificate of completion will remain the same. By early 2026, select Harvard Online courses listed below will no longer require an application.
Here is the full list of affected courses:
During the transition, some cohorts will still require an application. When selecting your preferred start date on a course page, you’ll see either an “Apply Now” or “Enroll Now” button, depending on whether an application is required.
Unless otherwise noted, your program fee covers all required course materials. All of the required materials for our courses are accessed on the course platform.
For Past Participants
02 Questions
We hope you enjoyed your Harvard Online course! Take these next steps to continue on your learning journey:
Connect with the Harvard Online Community
Stay up-to-date with Harvard Online news and celebrate together! Join the global community of Harvard Online learners through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Let Harvard Online celebrate you! Share your story about your Harvard Online experience and what it’s meant for your career by submitting a written or video testimonial.
Choose Your Next Course
Harvard Online courses and series offer a variety of ways to accelerate your professional development. Gain deeper insights by completing your next course! View our full course catalog.
Congratulations on completing your Harvard Online Certificate Course! We have created a Past Participant Guide for each course. You can find your Past Participant Guide by following the links below:
- Data Science Principles Past Participant Guide
- Data Privacy and Technology Past Participant Guide
- Open Innovation Past Participant Guide
- Digital Health Past Participant Guide
- Health Care Economics Past Participant Guide
- Reducing Racial Disparities in Health Care Past Participant Guide
- Financial Analysis and Valuation for Lawyers Past Participant Guide
- Strategy Execution for Public Leadership Past Participant Guide
Course Payment and Policies
08 Questions
We offer discounts for Harvard Online courses offered on the Harvard Online and HBS Online platforms. Please view detailed information on our past-participant discounts and other discount opportunities and policies at this link.
The Harvard Online, edX, and HBS Online learning platforms offer accessibility accommodations. View more information using the links below:
Each learning platform has its own policies, please review them using the links below:
- Click here for course policies related to our courses on the edX platform.
- Click here for course policies related to our courses on the GetSmarter platform.
- Click here for course policies related to our courses on the HBS Online platform.
Harvard is authorized to offer distance education under the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), an agreement that allows institutions of higher education in Massachusetts to offer distance education to students residing in other states that participate in SARA. For information about SARA-related student complaint processes for distance education students, please see this letter.
Information on financial aid, payment, and refunds for edX courses is available at this link.
Information on payment and pricing is available at this link.
Harvard Online accepts the following types of payments:
- Credit and debit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and AMEX)
- Wire transfers
The net course fees including any discounts plus any applicable digital services taxes for certain countries, must be paid in full (in US Dollars) to complete registration and enroll in the courses. Participants submitting payment via wire transfer must ensure that funds are received and processed no later than 6 calendar days prior to the wave start date. This timeframe is necessary to allow sufficient time for account creation and to ensure seamless access to the course materials.
Payment Types: HBS Online accepts payments via credit card, wire transfer, Western Union, and (when available) bank loan.
Splitting Your Payment: HBS Online also allows you to split your payment across 2 separate credit card transactions or send a payment link email to another person on your behalf. If splitting your payment into 2 transactions, a minimum payment of $350 is required for the first transaction.
In all cases, net Program Fees must be paid in full (in US Dollars) to complete registration.
Course Platforms
13 Questions
We offer self-paced programs on the edX platform. You can work through the course on your own schedule. For audit learners, you will have access to the course materials from your enrollment date for the length of the course advertised on the enrollment page. For Verified Track learners working towards a certificate, you will need to successfully complete the course before the course close date in order to qualify for the certificate.
You can find more information on edX courses here.
We offer online courses on the GetSmarter platform. Learners complete course work that is broken up into weekly modules.
Each weekly module may include interactive video lectures, module notes, practice quizzes, presentations, assignment briefs, and/or additional web resources.
Learners will also have access to a Success Advisor from GetSmarter for any administrative or technical assistance. You can find more answers to frequently asked questions on GetSmarter courses here.
We offer self-paced programs on the HBS Online course platform.
The HBS Online platform features short videos of Harvard faculty and leading experts, interactive graphs and exercises, and opportunities to contribute to a vibrant online community.
We offer self-paced programs and on-demand courses on the Harvard Online platform.
The Harvard Online platform features short videos of Harvard faculty and leading experts, interactive graphs and exercises, and opportunities to contribute to a vibrant online community.
Learners enrolled in a verified track on edX must first agree to the edX Honor Code when accessing the first graded assignment of their course. By agreeing to the honor code and using edX.org, learners are agreeing to be legally bound by the agreements and the terms of services of edX.
You can find more information on the edX Honor Code here.
The edX Help Center has a large collection of articles that may provide the answer you are seeking. The help center also has many articles that can guide you on your learning journey.
You can also contact edX by creating a support ticket.
For questions and assistance with GetSmarter courses, you can contact GetSmarter through their contact page.
Your certificate is absolutely still valid. You do not need to change how it’s presented on your resume or LinkedIn.
Please review the edX technical requirement FAQ here.
Certain Courses may require additional software and resources, and these are communicated to students prior to registering for those courses. All students, irrespective of operating system or device, require the following in order to access course content:
- MS Office
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- A stable internet connection
Please review the HBS Online technical requirement FAQ here.
Harvard Online courses are delivered through the Harvard Online, HBS Online, edX, and GetSmarter learning platforms.
You can now find all Harvard Online courses on this website. While some courses are still delivered via HBS Online’s course platform, Harvard Online courses have been moved to a new website due to their interdisciplinary nature.
HBS Online will continue to focus on delivering business-focused certificate courses, while the Harvard Online website offers programs that combine faculty and disciplines from across the university—from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to Harvard Medical School and beyond.
For Organizations
07 Questions
Harvard Online agreements are based on a universal, standard template. Redlining, edits, or additional/modified provisions are generally not allowed. Contract terms are generally up to one calendar year and are governed by United States/Massachusetts law.
Visit our For Organizations page to learn more.
In general, once consensus has been reached on course planning, agreements can be drafted and reviewed in approximately two to four weeks. Requests for non-standard terms or modifications will extend contract review time. A signed contract is required before enrollment can begin.
Organizations that enter into an official agreement with Harvard Online determine the employees they would like to participate in a course or program. Applications are not required of individuals within organizational groups and no selection criteria will be applied by Harvard Online.
Harvard Online will provide the organization with periodic progress reports detailing exactly how each participant is faring in the course. These reports have useful data on progress and quiz scores (if applicable), and will highlight participants who may need further assistance.
Harvard Online has a Program Services team tasked with ensuring each organization stays informed and supported throughout the experience. Each organization will have access to a dedicated email address through which change requests, information, advice on how to answer participant inquiries, and anything else that may be requested.
Organization participants will have access to a number of services to help them succeed. Harvard Online provides ongoing email communications before, during, and after the course to keep learners informed and on track for completion. We have a support team, which is available via email to resolve any technical or course-related issues participants may face.
Once your contract is finalized, you will receive communication from the Program Services team. Your Program Services Manager will walk you through the onboarding and participant registration process. Your delivery manager will also be the central point of contact for any questions or concerns you have before, during, and after your program experience.
All learners can reach our global, 24/7 Support Team at hbsonlinesupport@hbs.edu. This team handles all technical and course-related inquiries participants may have throughout the program.
Each organization has a Program Services Manager dedicated to helping each organization through the course experience.
Final Reports
Harvard Online will provide you with a final progress report at the end of the program. Once the final deadline has passed, the Harvard Online team begins evaluations to decide which participants are eligible for a certificate of completion. Participants can expect to receive final decisions 30 to 60 days after the end of the program.
Credentials/Certificates
For those participants deemed eligible, credentials and certificates are mailed to the mailing address provided during course registration. Hard copies and electronic versions of certificates are sent to all participants who qualify.
Access to Materials
Participants will have access to course materials for an additional 60 days following the final deadline in a program. All learners will automatically be subscribed to ongoing updates from Harvard Online.
Harvard Online agreements—which can cover multiple courses/cohorts for the span of one calendar year—will require the following:
- Identification of a primary contact and a billing contact
- Company address
- Number of participants (contract commitment)
- Timing of cohort(s)
The agreement also includes relevant details about the following:
- Additional participant/withdraw/refund policy
- Invoicing and payment terms
- Information on use of name and logo