FAQs

• Select a program offering and select the date of your desired program from the drop down menu on the program page. Please be sure to check that you have selected the correct dates and program format.
• Click the “Register Today” button and a new tab will open on the the program page within our registration portal.
• Click the “Add To Cart” Button and you will be prompted to either log in or create a new account. Once an account has been created you will be prompted to check out.
• In the shopping cart, you may add in any applicable discount codes, then click “Continue to Check Out”. You will be brought to the payment portal to complete secure payment via credit card or e-check.
• Once payment is complete you will be sent a registration confirmation, and Canvas invitation via email. Any important information for your upcoming program will be located on this program Canvas page.

Please see each specific program page for its cost. Program fees vary whether it is online or on-campus, but our programs start at $2,600.

The On-Campus Program Fee Covers:

• Instruction
• All program materials
• Full breakfast
• Full lunch
• Coffee and snack breaks
• Cocktail and Networking reception
• Certificate of Participation

The Online Program Fee Covers:

• Instruction
• All digital program materials
• Digital Certificate of Participation

You may cancel free of charge until 14 days prior to the start of the program.  If you paid via credit card you may cancel directly through the registration portal. For all other cancellation requests, please write to ExecDev@DCE.Harvard.edu.

If you need to cancel within the 14 days of the program start, you may either choose to apply your tuition to any future program within one year, or be assessed a 50% cancellation fee. If you do not cancel and do not attend the program, you forfeit the entire payment. 

To apply your tuition to a future program, that has space available, please write to ExecDev@DCE.Harvard.edu to request an electronic voucher.

Participants may not cancel after a program begins.

Please note for all the above we require you email us as written confirmation is mandatory for processing this request.  We will respond in 1–2 business days as we closely monitor emails.

Harvard Professional & Executive Development is part of the Harvard Division of Continuing Education and the University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. It adheres to the policies outlined on the DCE Community Life page. If participants have any complaints regarding programs, instructors, or staff, they should contact ExecDev@dce.harvard.edu for assistance.

The quickest way to secure your seat in the program is to pay online with a credit card. Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis, and your seat is not confirmed until your tuition has been received in full.

Credit cards or e-checks are the preferred form of payment. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express are accepted at the time of registration.

If online payment is not an option for you, we can provide you with a tuition invoice after you create a participant profile in our registration portal. Once you have completed this step, please email us at ExecDev@DCE.Harvard.edu to request an official invoice. Please note we require you email us as written confirmation is mandatory for processing this request.  We will respond in 1–2 business days as we closely monitor emails.

Payment by wire transfer is also accepted, however the processing of a wire transfer must be initiated at least eight weeks prior to the start of the program. Therefore, we highly recommend that you pay first with a credit card in order to ensure your seat in the program and then, if possible, seek reimbursement from your employer. When your wire transfer or check has been received and applied to your account, you will receive a registration confirmation email. Please note that since many programs do fill quickly, often forming a waitlist, it is possible that the program may fill before your payment is received.

Since programs often fill quickly, we recommend completing payment online whenever possible. Often participants pay with their personal credit cards and later seek reimbursement directly from their employer in order to ensure a seat in the program.

We offer the following discounts, but please note that discounts cannot be combined.

Individuals attending more than one program: You pay full price for the first program registration and receive a 10% discount on any additional programs. To take advantage of this discount, please email ExecDev@DCE.Harvard.edu for further instructions.

Groups from the same organization: Groups of two to three individuals from the same organization receive a 6% discount. For groups of four or more individuals, a 10% discount is extended to all participants. 

To take advantage of the group discount, please email ExecDev@DCE.Harvard.edu for further instructions. For all the above we require you email us as written confirmation is mandatory for processing this request.  We will respond in 1–2 business days as we closely monitor emails.

Please note: We do not allow more than six participants from one organization in a single program. This is to encourage diversity of industry and experience in the classroom.

Bulk discounts and exclusive offerings: If your organization wants to send more than 20 individuals to our programs, please email, kathryn_wight@harvard.edu for additional discount opportunities. If you are interested in a program that is specifically for your team, see our exclusive offerings.

Harvard Professional & Executive Development programs are non-credit, non-degree programs; therefore, are not eligible for Federal Student Aid.

Harvard Employees: Harvard Professional Executive Development programs are not covered by Harvard’s Tuition Assistance Plan (TAP).

Proficiency in written and spoken English is required for participation in all Professional & Executive Development programs. While we do not require proof of your English language proficiency, we do expect that you are fluent in English in order to fully understand and participate in program activities. Our programs are designed for individuals who are very comfortable reading, speaking, and listening to English and who can actively participate in team projects, presentations, and discussions conducted in English.

Prospective participants must have a bachelor’s degree or, for those lacking a bachelor’s degree, must demonstrate compelling professional experience and be at least 18 years old. See individual program pages for additional prerequisites.

Each program description also has a section titled Who Should Enroll, which may be helpful in determining whether a program appropriately fits your background and interests.

Harvard Professional & Executive Development may refuse registration to anyone who has been required to withdraw from another Harvard school or course.

For on-campus programs

You must be covered individually with comprehensive health insurance for major medical emergencies and hospitalization. Check with your organization’s health insurance carrier before your arrival to ensure that you have adequate coverage. Harvard Professional & Executive Development is not responsible for medical fees incurred during your stay.

Please contact our Accessibility Services Office if you have questions about accommodations for documented disabilities, permanent or temporary injuries, as well as chronic conditions.

Each of our programs is taught by Harvard-affiliated industry experts who develop their content exclusively for Harvard Professional & Executive Development. We regularly incorporate feedback from participant evaluations into future offerings, and content is routinely updated as best practices evolve.

The schedule, format, and delivery of all our programs is carefully designed by a dedicated team of education professionals in the Harvard Division of Continuing Education to foster human connection and achieve optimal learning outcomes for all regardless of attending online or in-person.

You will receive one Certificate of Participation upon completion of, active participation in, and full attendance during a program (on-campus or online). Grades are not assigned, and the programs do not count toward a degree. Harvard Professional & Executive Development programs do not appear on official Division of Continuing Education transcripts.

Programs may be added or canceled throughout the year. If a program is canceled, Harvard Professional & Executive Development will refund the program tuition in full but are  not responsible for travel, accommodations, or other expenses incurred by the participant.

Inclement Weather Cancellations 

Harvard Professional & Executive Development programs are rarely canceled because of inclement weather. If they are canceled, a notice is posted on the homepage the day of cancellations. Participants are notified by email. 

You may also refer to the following for announcements:

Harvard Professional & Executive Development: (617) 998-8500

If Cambridge institutes an emergency parking ban during a winter storm, a notice will appear on the City of Cambridge website.

If a registered participant cancels from the program for any reason, we will reach out to waitlisted participants in order of registration. If a space opens up that we can offer to you, we will reach out to ask if you are still interested in attending and request that you pay the program tuition with a credit card.

The chances of being offered a seat off of the waitlist are unpredictable, but often not very high. We recommend looking at our other program offerings and registering for an alternative program. You will remain on the waitlist for your first choice program, and please be assured that we will still reach out to you immediately in the event that a seat becomes available.

In order to protect the privacy of our participants and the intellectual property of our presenters, on-campus and online programs will not be recorded by Harvard for participant purposes, nor can sessions be recorded by participants with their personal devices unless directed by the instructor.

Our offices and classrooms are based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. All programs, online and on-campus, will take place in Eastern Time Zone. Please plan your attendance and any necessary travel accordingly.

Harvard Professional & Executive Development deals directly with individual participants. We do not partner with agents to book groups of participants, or offer any commission for referring participants to our programs.

Any agency offering services to clients vis-a-vis Harvard University may only serve to assist applicants in the process of completing registration forms, and may not in any way represent itself as an agency of Harvard University. All registrations and payments must come from the individual participants or their organizations.

Harvard University has been approved by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education to operate its distance education programs under the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), a voluntary agreement among member states, districts and territories that establishes national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education.

Participant Complaint Procedures for Online Students

Participants enrolled in online courses at the Harvard Division of Continuing Education (DCE) who are residents of states other than Massachusetts, and when such state is a SARA participating state, may submit complaints regarding their courses in accordance with the following school-specific complaint procedures:

1. Students must first attempt to resolve their complaint by working with the course instructor or program delivery coordinator.
2. If participants are unable to resolve their complaint with the instructor, participants are encouraged to share their complaint with DCE by writing to ExecDev@dce.Harvard.edu. Complaints should include relevant identifying course information, a detailed description of the complaint or inquiry, and an account of any actions already taken to resolve the matter. Efforts will be made to determine the appropriate course of action, and the participant will be notified within 10 days following the receipt of a complaint.
3. If the attempt to resolve the complaint via these internal school processes fails, participants enrolled in online courses may exercise further complaint processes as detailed on the Harvard University State Authorization of Distance Education site.

Harvard University will not in any way retaliate against an individual who reports a perceived violation of Harvard policy, state, federal, or local law. Further, Harvard will not tolerate retaliation by any employee or participant.

According to US State Department guidelines, visitors may use the B-1 visa for brief stays, usually less than six months, to participate in scientific, educational, professional, or business conventions, conferences, or seminars, or to undertake independent research. See the Harvard International Office’s B visa guidelines.

For the most current visa information, check the US Department of State website periodically. Consult the US embassy or consulate in your country to determine the appropriate visa category and necessary documentation. We recommend that you list “professional development” rather than “school” or “study” as your reason for coming to the United States.

Once you have registered and paid in full, you may request a letter of participation for visa purposes. Requests may take up to ten business days to process. To make your request, email ExecDev@DCE.Harvard.edu. Please note we require you email us as written confirmation is mandatory for processing this request.  We will respond in 1–2 business days as we closely monitor emails.

If you are currently a resident in Ukraine, please contact us at ExecDev@DCE.Harvard.edu about enrollment.

To ensure the safety and well-being of our entire campus community, Massachusetts law requires that educational visitors are immunized against common contagious illnesses. Please ensure your immunizations are up to date prior to arrival on campus.

You can review Harvard’s latest COVID-19 news, updates, and vaccine requirements on Harvard.edu.

• Check-in and breakfast begin at 8 a.m. and our programs start at 8:30 a.m.
• Participants get a one-hour lunch break and short breaks in the morning and afternoon.
• On the first day, participants will have an opportunity to join a networking reception that runs from 4:15 p.m. until 5 p.m.
• The final day of the program will end at 4:30 p.m.

Participants dress in varying levels of formality, but as a general guideline we suggest wearing office or business casual attire. The weather is often unpredictable in Massachusetts, so make sure to check the weather ahead of time. You may also want to bring a sweater or jacket/blazer to accommodate for potential variations in room temperatures.