Harvard Extension School

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 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, HES was commissioned to extend education, equivalent in academic rigor to traditional Harvard programs, to non-traditional and part-time students, as well as lifelong learners. Under the supervision of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences, 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.

Degrees earned through the Harvard Extension School are formally conferred by Harvard University under the authority of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. They include the Bachelor of Liberal Arts (ALB) and Master of Liberal Arts (ALM). Harvard Extension School degree recipients are Harvard alumni.