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HBS History

Printed versions of all HBS Doctoral theses are available for use in Baker Library Special Collections and Archives.

Written by HBS Doctoral students in their final years at HBS, these original works typically include presentation, analysis, and evaluation of unique data yielding significant, relevant, and independent research conclusions in major fields of study. Focus areas include managerial performance; economic, behavioral, psychological and administrative theory; formulating, executing, and evaluating strategy; the use of economic analysis and statistical methods for dealing effectively with management problems; and applied business fields such as capital markets, financial institutions, corporate finance, experimental and behavioral economics, business strategy and industrial organization. Research themes include innovation, entrepreneurship, organizational learning, and networks.

Printed copies of HBS Doctoral theses are available for use in Baker Library Special Collections and Archives.  

Electronic versions are available through the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database (HarvardKey required).

Since 2015, electronic copies are also available through DASH , Harvard's open access repository. 

This Collection is Part of:

The HBS Archives include the records of Harvard Business School from its founding in 1908 to the present day. The archives are a rich resource to learn about subjects such as:  the development of the case method, changes in curriculum, the intersection of the School and innovations in business, and the global impact of Harvard Business School.

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Start with  HOLLIS  (HarvardKey login required for some full text, including theses & dissertations)

• Those presented for graduate degrees 
• Bowdoin prize essays 
• Undergraduate honors theses

How do you know if it's available online? 

• “View Online” button links out to full text.
• If there's no "View Online" button, the work probably has not been digitized.

What Harvard theses and dissertations can you expect to find online in full text? How do you get to them?

• Follow the links in HOLLIS.
• Not a Harvard affiliate? log in through the library of your academic institution OR
• you can usually purchase directly from  ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Express.  
• undergraduates are not required to submit theses or prizewinning papers to DASH
• Harvard Extension School ALM theses 2012-2016 were not entered into DASH. 
• Under certain circumstances dissertations may be embargoed by the author; DASH may be the only place this information is given.

If the work hasn't been digitized:

You can order PDFs or photocopies of most Harvard theses and dissertations (unless they're available through the Proquest database linked above) from 1873 through November 2011 (and ALM theses to 2016) 

• See our Reproduction Requests page to register
• When you submit the online order form, Imaging Services staff will reply with cost and delivery information.
• Questions about the online ordering process or pricing? Contact Imaging Services staff directly for additional information at 617/495-3995  or [email protected] (M-F, 9-5 Eastern) ​

For Extension School ALM theses  check out our  Library Guide for Harvard Extension School theses page

Want to view a dissertation or thesis at the library? Check with the archival collection location listed in HOLLIS.

Wondering what dissertations and theses have been submitted in the recent past?  Use DASH .

For more on undergraduate theses and dissertations, see our " How can I locate a Harvard undergraduate thesis?" FAQ.

Looking for non-Harvard theses & dissertations? See our "How can I find theses and dissertations?"  FAQ.

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Harvard University Digital Accessibility Policy

Think of yourself as a member of a jury, listening to a lawyer who is presenting an opening argument. You'll want to know very soon whether the lawyer believes the accused to be guilty or not guilty, and how the lawyer plans to convince you. Readers of academic essays are like jury members: before they have read too far, they want to know what the essay argues as well as how the writer plans to make the argument. After reading your thesis statement, the reader should think, "This essay is going to try to convince me of something. I'm not convinced yet, but I'm interested to see how I might be."

An effective thesis cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." A thesis is not a topic; nor is it a fact; nor is it an opinion. "Reasons for the fall of communism" is a topic. "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" is a fact known by educated people. "The fall of communism is the best thing that ever happened in Europe" is an opinion. (Superlatives like "the best" almost always lead to trouble. It's impossible to weigh every "thing" that ever happened in Europe. And what about the fall of Hitler? Couldn't that be "the best thing"?)

A good thesis has two parts. It should tell what you plan to argue, and it should "telegraph" how you plan to argue—that is, what particular support for your claim is going where in your essay.

Steps in Constructing a Thesis

First, analyze your primary sources.  Look for tension, interest, ambiguity, controversy, and/or complication. Does the author contradict himself or herself? Is a point made and later reversed? What are the deeper implications of the author's argument? Figuring out the why to one or more of these questions, or to related questions, will put you on the path to developing a working thesis. (Without the why, you probably have only come up with an observation—that there are, for instance, many different metaphors in such-and-such a poem—which is not a thesis.)

Once you have a working thesis, write it down.  There is nothing as frustrating as hitting on a great idea for a thesis, then forgetting it when you lose concentration. And by writing down your thesis you will be forced to think of it clearly, logically, and concisely. You probably will not be able to write out a final-draft version of your thesis the first time you try, but you'll get yourself on the right track by writing down what you have.

Keep your thesis prominent in your introduction.  A good, standard place for your thesis statement is at the end of an introductory paragraph, especially in shorter (5-15 page) essays. Readers are used to finding theses there, so they automatically pay more attention when they read the last sentence of your introduction. Although this is not required in all academic essays, it is a good rule of thumb.

Anticipate the counterarguments.  Once you have a working thesis, you should think about what might be said against it. This will help you to refine your thesis, and it will also make you think of the arguments that you'll need to refute later on in your essay. (Every argument has a counterargument. If yours doesn't, then it's not an argument—it may be a fact, or an opinion, but it is not an argument.)

This statement is on its way to being a thesis. However, it is too easy to imagine possible counterarguments. For example, a political observer might believe that Dukakis lost because he suffered from a "soft-on-crime" image. If you complicate your thesis by anticipating the counterargument, you'll strengthen your argument, as shown in the sentence below.

Some Caveats and Some Examples

A thesis is never a question.  Readers of academic essays expect to have questions discussed, explored, or even answered. A question ("Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe?") is not an argument, and without an argument, a thesis is dead in the water.

A thesis is never a list.  "For political, economic, social and cultural reasons, communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" does a good job of "telegraphing" the reader what to expect in the essay—a section about political reasons, a section about economic reasons, a section about social reasons, and a section about cultural reasons. However, political, economic, social and cultural reasons are pretty much the only possible reasons why communism could collapse. This sentence lacks tension and doesn't advance an argument. Everyone knows that politics, economics, and culture are important.

A thesis should never be vague, combative or confrontational.  An ineffective thesis would be, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because communism is evil." This is hard to argue (evil from whose perspective? what does evil mean?) and it is likely to mark you as moralistic and judgmental rather than rational and thorough. It also may spark a defensive reaction from readers sympathetic to communism. If readers strongly disagree with you right off the bat, they may stop reading.

An effective thesis has a definable, arguable claim.  "While cultural forces contributed to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the disintegration of economies played the key role in driving its decline" is an effective thesis sentence that "telegraphs," so that the reader expects the essay to have a section about cultural forces and another about the disintegration of economies. This thesis makes a definite, arguable claim: that the disintegration of economies played a more important role than cultural forces in defeating communism in Eastern Europe. The reader would react to this statement by thinking, "Perhaps what the author says is true, but I am not convinced. I want to read further to see how the author argues this claim."

A thesis should be as clear and specific as possible.  Avoid overused, general terms and abstractions. For example, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because of the ruling elite's inability to address the economic concerns of the people" is more powerful than "Communism collapsed due to societal discontent."

Copyright 1999, Maxine Rodburg and The Tutors of the Writing Center at Harvard University

HLS Dissertations, Theses, and JD Papers

S.j.d. dissertations, ll.m. papers, ll.m. theses, j.d. papers, submitting your paper to an online collection, other sources for student papers beyond harvard, getting help, introduction.

This is a guide to finding Harvard Law School (“HLS”) student-authored works held by the Library and in online collections. This guide covers HLS S.J.D Dissertations, LL.M. papers, J.D. third-year papers, seminar papers, and prize papers.

There have been changes in the HLS degree requirements for written work. The library’s collection practices and catalog descriptions for these works has varied. Please note that there are gaps in the library’s collection and for J.D. papers, few of these works are being collected any longer.

If we have an S.J.D. dissertation or LL.M. thesis, we have two copies. One is kept in the general collection and one in the Red Set, an archival collection of works authored by HLS affiliates. If we have a J.D. paper, we have only one copy, kept in the Red Set. Red Set copies are last resort copies available only by advance appointment in Historical and Special Collections .

Some papers have not been processed by library staff. If HOLLIS indicates a paper is “ordered-received” please use this form to have library processing completed.

The HLS Doctor of Juridical Science (“S.J.D.”) program began in 1910.  The library collection of these works is not comprehensive. Exceptions are usually due to scholars’ requests to withhold Library deposit. 

• HLS S.J.D. Dissertations in HOLLIS To refine these search results by topic or faculty advisor, or limit by date, click Add a New Line.
• Hein’s Legal Theses and Dissertations Microfiche Mic K556.H45x Drawers 947-949 This microfiche set includes legal theses and dissertations from HLS and other premier law schools. It currently includes about 300 HLS dissertations and theses.
• Hein's Legal Theses and Dissertations Contents List This content list is in order by school only, not by date, subject or author. It references microfiche numbers within the set housed in the Microforms room on the entry level of the library, drawers 947-949. The fiche are a different color for each institution.
• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses @ Harvard University (Harvard login) Copy this search syntax: dg(S.J.D.) You will find about 130 SJD Dissertations dated from 1972 to 2004. They are not available in full text.
• DASH Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard Sponsored by Harvard University’s Office for Scholarly Communication, DASH is an open repository for research papers by members of the Harvard community. There are currently about 600 HLS student papers included. Unfortunately it is not possible to search by type of paper or degree awarded.

The Master of Laws (“LL.M.”) degree has been awarded since 1923. Originally, the degree required completion of a major research paper, akin to a thesis. Since 1993, most students have the option of writing the LL.M. "short paper."  This is a 25-page (or longer) paper advised by a faculty supervisor or completed in conjunction with a seminar.  Fewer LL.M. candidates continue to write the more extensive "long-paper." LL.M. candidates holding J.D.s from the U.S. must write the long paper.

• HLS Written Work Requirements for LL.M. Degree The current explanation of the LL.M. written work requirement for the master of laws.

The library generally holds HLS LL.M. long papers and short papers. In recent years, we require author release in order to do so. In HOLLIS, no distinction is made between types of written work created in satisfaction of the LL.M. degree; all are described as LL.M. thesis. Though we describe them as thesis, the law school refers to them solely as papers or in earlier years, essays. HOLLIS records indicate the number of pages, so at the record level, it is possible to distinguish long papers.

• HLS LL.M. Papers in HOLLIS To refine these search results by topic, faculty advisor, seminar or date, click Add a New Line.

HLS LL.M. Papers are sometimes available in DASH and Hein's Legal Dissertations and Theses. See descriptions above .

The HLS J.D. written work requirement has changed over time. The degree formerly required a substantial research paper comparable in scope to a law review article written under faculty supervision, the "third year paper." Since 2008, J.D. students have the option of using two shorter works instead.

Of all those written, the library holds relatively few third-year papers. They were not actively collected but accepted by submission from faculty advisors who deemed a paper worthy of institutional retention. The papers are described in HOLLIS as third year papers, seminar papers, and student papers. Sometimes this distinction was valid, but not always. The faculty deposit tradition more or less ended in 2006, though the possibility of deposit still exists. 

• J.D. Written Work Requirement
• Faculty Deposit of Student Papers with the Library

HLS Third Year Papers in HOLLIS

To refine these search results by topic, faculty advisor, seminar or date, click Add a New Line.

• HLS Student Papers Some third-year papers and LL.M. papers were described in HOLLIS simply as student papers. To refine these search results, click "Add a New Line" and add topic, faculty advisor, or course title.
• HLS Seminar Papers Note that these include legal research pathfinders produced for the Advanced Legal Research course when taught by Virginia Wise.

Prize Papers

HLS has many endowed prizes for student papers and essays. There are currently 16 different writing prizes. See this complete descriptive list with links to lists of winners from 2009 to present. Note that there is not always a winner each year for each award. Prize winners are announced each year in the commencement pamphlet.

The Library has not specifically collected prize papers over the years but has added copies when possible. The HOLLIS record for the paper will usually indicate its status as a prize paper. The most recent prize paper was added to the collection in 2006.

Addison Brown Prize Animal Law & Policy Program Writing Prize Victor Brudney Prize Davis Polk Legal Profession Paper Prize Roger Fisher and Frank E.A. Sander Prize Yong K. Kim ’95 Memorial Prize Islamic Legal Studies Program Prize on Islamic Law Laylin Prize LGBTQ Writing Prize Mancini Prize Irving Oberman Memorial Awards John M. Olin Prize in Law and Economics Project on the Foundations of Private Law Prize Sidney I. Roberts Prize Fund Klemens von Klemperer Prize Stephen L. Werner Prize

• Harvard Law School Prize Essays (1850-1868) A historical collection of handwritten prize essays covering the range of topics covered at that time. See this finding aid for a collection description.

The following information about online repositories is not a recommendation or endorsement to participate.

• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses HLS is not an institutional participant to this collection. If you are interested in submitting your work, refer to these instructions and note that there is a fee required, which varies depending on the format of submission.
• EBSCO Open Dissertations Relatively new, this is an open repository of metadata for dissertations. It is an outgrowth of the index American Doctoral Dissertations. The aim is to cover 1933 to present and, for modern works, to link to full text available in institutional repositories. Harvard is not one of the institutional participants.
• DASH Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard

Sponsored by Harvard University’s Office for Scholarly Communication, this is an open repository for research papers by members of the Harvard community. See more information about the project. 

Some HLS students have submitted their degree paper to DASH.  If you would like to submit your paper, you may use this authorization form  or contact June Casey , Librarian for Open Access Initiatives and Scholarly Communication at Harvard Law School.

• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (Harvard Login) Covers dissertations and masters' theses from North American graduate schools and many worldwide. Provides full text for many since the 1990s and has descriptive data for older works.
• NDLTD Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations Union Catalog Worldwide in scope, NDLTD contains millions of records of electronic theses and dissertations from the early 1900s to the present.
• Law Commons of the Digital Commons Network The Law Commons has dissertations and theses, as well as many other types of scholarly research such as book chapters and conference proceedings. They aim to collect free, full-text scholarly work from hundreds of academic institutions worldwide.
• EBSCO Open Dissertations Doctoral dissertations from many institutions. Free, open repository.
• Dissertations from Center for Research Libraries Dissertations found in this resource are available to the Harvard University Community through Interlibrary Loan.
• British Library EThOS Dissertation source from the British Library listing doctoral theses awarded in the UK. Some available for immediate download and some others may be requested for scanning.
• BASE from Bielefeld University Library Index of the open repositoris of most academic institutions. Includes many types of documents including doctoral and masters theses.

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• Last Updated: Sep 12, 2023 10:46 AM
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Harvard University Digital Accessibility Policy

• Harvard Business School →
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PhD Programs

• Accounting & Management
• Business Economics
• Health Policy (Management)
• Organizational Behavior
• Technology & Operations Management

Students in our PhD programs are encouraged from day one to think of this experience as their first job in business academia—a training ground for a challenging and rewarding career generating rigorous, relevant research that influences practice.

Our doctoral students work with faculty and access resources throughout HBS and Harvard University. The PhD program curriculum requires coursework at HBS and other Harvard discipline departments, and with HBS and Harvard faculty on advisory committees. Faculty throughout Harvard guide the programs through their participation on advisory committees.

How do I know which program is right for me?

There are many paths, but we are one HBS. Our PhD students draw on diverse personal and professional backgrounds to pursue an ever-expanding range of research topics. Explore more here about each program’s requirements & curriculum, read student profiles for each discipline as well as student research , and placement information.

The PhD in Business Administration grounds students in the disciplinary theories and research methods that form the foundation of an academic career. Jointly administered by HBS and GSAS, the program has five areas of study: Accounting and Management , Management , Marketing , Strategy , and Technology and Operations Management . All areas of study involve roughly two years of coursework culminating in a field exam. The remaining years of the program are spent conducting independent research, working on co-authored publications, and writing the dissertation. Students join these programs from a wide range of backgrounds, from consulting to engineering. Many applicants possess liberal arts degrees, as there is not a requirement to possess a business degree before joining the program

The PhD in Business Economics provides students the opportunity to study in both Harvard’s world-class Economics Department and Harvard Business School. Throughout the program, coursework includes exploration of microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, probability and statistics, and econometrics. While some students join the Business Economics program directly from undergraduate or masters programs, others have worked in economic consulting firms or as research assistants at universities or intergovernmental organizations.

The PhD program in Health Policy (Management) is rooted in data-driven research on the managerial, operational, and strategic issues facing a wide range of organizations. Coursework includes the study of microeconomic theory, management, research methods, and statistics. The backgrounds of students in this program are quite varied, with some coming from public health or the healthcare industry, while others arrive at the program with a background in disciplinary research

The PhD program in Organizational Behavior offers two tracks: either a micro or macro approach. In the micro track, students focus on the study of interpersonal relationships within organizations and the effects that groups have on individuals. Students in the macro track use sociological methods to examine organizations, groups, and markets as a whole, including topics such as the influence of individuals on organizational change, or the relationship between social missions and financial objectives. Jointly administered by HBS and GSAS, the program includes core disciplinary training in sociology or psychology, as well as additional coursework in organizational behavior.

Accounting & Management  

Business economics  , health policy (management)  , management  , marketing  , organizational behavior  , strategy  , technology & operations management  .

2023 Peter Rice Prize: Sujie Park’s “Material Alchemy”

by Sujie Park (MArch I ’23) — Recipient of the Peter Rice Prize. The history…

Andrew Witt and Martin Bechthold , Faculty Advisors

Spring 2023

2023 Urban Planning Thesis Prize: Michael Zajakowski Uhll’s “Our History is our Resource:” Historic Narrative as Urban Planning Strategy in Chicago’s Pullman Neighborhood

by Michael Zajakowski Uhll (MUP ’23) — Recipient of the Urban Planning Thesis Prize. How…

Rachel Meltzer , Faculty Advisor

2023 James Templeton Kelley Prize: Jacqueline Wong’s “An Intrinsic Model for a Non-Neutral Plural National School”

by Jacqueline Wong (MArch I ’23) — Recipient of the James Templeton Kelley Prize, Master…

Sergio Lopez-Pineiro, Faculty Advisor

2023 Urban Design Thesis Prize: Saad Boujane’s “Dwellings, Paths, Places: Configurative Habitat in Casablanca, Morocco “

by Saad Boujane (MAUD ’23) — Recipient of the Urban Design Thesis Prize. The Modernist…

Peter Rowe , Faculty Advisor

2023 Landscape Architecture AP Thesis Prize and 2023 Digital Design Prize: Sonia Sobrino Ralston’s “Uncommon Knowledge: Practices and Protocols for Environmental Information”

by Sonia Sobrino Ralston (MLA I AP ’23) — Recipient of the Landscape Architecture AP…

Rosalea Monacella , Faculty Advisor

2023 Design Studies Thesis Prize: Alaa Suliman Eltayeb Mohamed Hamid’s Ghostopia: Interrogating Colonial Legacies and A Manifesto for The Modernized Nile

by Alaa Suliman Eltayeb Mohamed Hamid (MDes ’23) — Recipient of the Design Studies Thesis…

Montserrat Bonvehi Rosich, Faculty Advisor

2023 Landscape Architecture Thesis Prize: Kevin Robishaw’s Manatees and Margaritas: Toward a Strange New Paradise

by Kevin Robishaw (MLA I ’23) — Recipient of the Landscape Architecture Thesis Prize.

Craig Douglas , Faculty Advisor

2023 Outstanding Design Engineering Project Award: Rebecca Brand and Caroline Fong’s Jua: Cultivating Digital Knowledge Networks for Smallholder Farmers

by Rebecca Brand (MDE ’23) and…

Jock Herron , Faculty Advisor

2023 James Templeton Kelley Prize: Deok Kyu Chung’s “Boundaries of Everyday: walls to voids, voids to solids, solids to walls”

by Deok Kyu Chung (MArch II ’23) — Recipient of the James Templeton Kelley Prize,…

Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu, Faculty Advisors

2023 Landscape Architecture AP Thesis Prize: Celina Abba and Enrique Cavelier’s Plantation Futures: Foregrounding Lost Narratives

by Celina Abba (MLA I AP ’23) and Enrique…

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"I love the way the course is structured with real-world examples and the critical thinking sessions. It forces us to reflect upon what is happening around us. People who have an interest in cybersecurity, as well as those that would like to gain more general knowledge, would greatly benefit from this course."

Anand Narayan Account Executive, Lenovo Canada

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Carlos E. Sapene Chief Executive Officer

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Admitted Degree Candidate Privileges

Prioritize your courses for admission to become a candidate in a Harvard Extension School degree program as soon as possible!

As an admitted degree candidate, you’ll have access to exclusive benefits that can expand and deepen your Harvard experience and support your personal and professional development.

Harvard Extension School Opportunities

Upon your admission, the Bachelor of Liberal Arts (ALB) and Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) academic advising team will support you until graduation. In addition, graduate students pursuing thesis projects and student-directed capstones are assigned a research advisor to help design scholarly independent projects.

To meet and schedule a time with your advisor, log in to MyDCE , choose “ALB/ALM Community” to access the Degree Candidate portal. Have a quick question? Email them via the portal as well.

Also on the Degree Candidate portal, you’ll find your most up-to-date academic progress reports, which track your remaining degree requirements, GPA, and mandatory 5-year-degree-completion deadline (ALM candidates only).

Priority Registration

Admitted degree candidates have the advantage of enrolling in classes before the general population. See the  calendar  for dates.

Payment Plans

Admitted degree candidates may be eligible to enroll in an interest-free payment plan for fall, spring, and summer tuition. Plans are offered per semester and payments are made in four installments. Plan enrollment is open from the first day of course registration through the course change deadline, for a $40 enrollment fee. Course registration that occurs outside the regular enrollment periods for the semester, such as thesis courses, are not eligible for payment plans. See  payment options , Payment Plans for detailed information.

Reduced Harvard Summer School Tuition Pricing

Admitted degree candidates pay the Harvard Extension School tuition rate for undergraduate and graduate credit in Harvard Summer School courses. This includes three- and seven-week courses as well as on-campus and online courses and represents a significant cost savings. Study abroad and noncredit courses are not eligible for the tuition discount. All you need to do is register for a Harvard Summer School course as usual, and the reduced pricing will be automatically applied during the final step of the process. 

Student Research

You can work as a research assistant for an instructor through the  Faculty Aide Program .

Convocation

Each fall, Convocation is held to honor the achievements of recently admitted degree candidates and welcome them to our vibrant community. This inspiring ceremony marks the beginning of their academic pursuits just as gloriously as Commencement punctuates its conclusion. Degree candidates admitted between August of the previous calendar year and June of the current calendar year are sent invitations by the School requesting their attendance.

Strengthen connections with Harvard Extension School degree candidates and alumni who share similar academic experiences and career interests and goals to yours!

• As an admitted degree candidate, you’re eligible to join the Harvard Extension Degree Candidates and Alumni LinkedIn group, as well as the LinkedIn group that corresponds to your degree program. These exclusive forums allow you to take part in discussions and expand your network in areas that are relevant to your life as a professional as well as a student at Harvard. 
• Membership is open to alumni and active degree candidates in good academic standing. Candidates should visit the ALB/ALM Community in MyDCE for more information.

Harvard Extension Student Association

The Harvard Extension Student Association (HESA) is the umbrella organization for all student groups at the Extension School. Degree candidates are voting members of HESA. Visit the  HESA website  for more information.

All Ivy Environmental and Sustainable Development Career Fair

The annual All Ivy Environmental and Sustainable Development Career Fair, hosted at Columbia University (typically in late February or early March), provides admitted degree candidates and alumni with an opportunity to meet with representatives from organizations in the private, non-profit and public sectors across a multitude of industries. In previous years, the  Harvard Extension Student Environmental Club  (HESEC) has organized bus transportation (ticket purchase required) to New York City for degree candidates residing in the Boston area who wish to travel to the career fair together as a group. Registration for the fair is completed separately via the  All Ivy Career Fair website  where additional information can be found.

New England Museum Association

The Harvard Extension School’s Museum Studies Program is a member of the New England Museum Association (NEMA), which allows all degree candidates to become individual members through it. Enjoy access to discounts on the annual conference, webinars, and workshops; NEMA’s online resource library and publications; their Professional Affinity Groups and informal networking opportunities; and free admission to some regional NEMA member museums. Contact Kathy Jones, Museum Studies Program Director, for more information.

Harvard University Opportunities

Linkedin learning.

LinkedIn Learning provides degree candidates with over 15,000 on-demand courses on computer software, business skills, and creative skills from industry experts.

To access LinkedIn Learning :  Click the Login button and enter your HarvardKey. Once your eligibility is confirmed, you’ll be automatically logged into LinkedIn Learning and given the option of connecting your account to a LinkedIn profile.

ID Card Privileges

You are eligible for a  Harvard University photo ID card  that grants you access to benefits like the  Harvard libraries  and  Harvard museums .

University-wide policy requires you to pick-up your ID card in person. Please visit the Announcements page on Campus Services’s website for pick-up locations and hours.

Microsoft Office

Your program benefits include access to Microsoft Office, OneDrive, and SharePoint. You can access these tools at office.com . Select “Sign in”, then “Sign-in options”, “Sign in to an organization”, and finally input “harvard.edu” as the organization domain. From there, you will be prompted for your HarvardKey credentials.

If your HarvardKey login address is a non-Harvard email address, you must use <NetID>@harvard.edu as your login address with your HarvardKey password.  Don’t know your assigned NetID? Visit Find your NetID .

If you continue to have difficulties accessing O365, contact [email protected] .

Harvard University Online Directory

Your name, school affiliation, and e-mail address is automatically included in the public and internal Harvard University online directories. In the internal directory, your ID card photo also displays. You can request that your information be removed from the directory or only viewable by the Harvard community. To request a change, submit the  privacy level selection form  to the Harvard Extension School Registrar’s Office.

Career Services

The Mignone Center for Career Success at Harvard University provides extensive career resources to admitted degree candidates. Visit  Career Services  to learn more about how the office can help you.

Academic Resource Center

The Academic Resource Center (ARC) at Harvard University provides subject-matter peer tutoring and individual academic coaching to a limited number of admitted degree candidates and Premedical Program participants on a referral basis. For more information, talk to your academic advisor or refer to the ARC Information sheet .

Innovation Lab

The Harvard i-lab is the central component of the Harvard Innovation Labs , a cross-disciplinary ecosystem for the Harvard community to explore innovation and entrepreneurship. It consists of the Student i-lab Membership for current degree-seeking Harvard students, the Life Lab, a wet lab for student- and faculty-led life science ventures, and Launch Lab X GEO for alumni-founded ventures in the pre-seed to seed stage. The Student i-lab Membership provides advising and subject-matter experts to help Harvard students move their startup ideas forward.

Harvard Extension admitted degree candidates in ALB and ALM programs and PMP students can participate in the Student i-lab Membership community in fall and spring semesters if they currently hold a minimum 4-credit course registration status. Membership is by application only. Apply at the beginning of the term to take advantage of orientation, mentorship, and funding opportunities for your venture idea. Or, you may apply later in the semester using the rolling admission cycle for membership. Please visit the Student i-lab Membership page for more information and to apply. Please reach out to the Career and Academic Resource Center if you have any questions.

Culture Lab

The Harvard Culture Lab Innovation Fund awards grants to Harvard students, staff, faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and academic personnel to pursue ideas that seek to strengthen Harvard’s capacity to advance a culture of belonging. Proposals should aim to focus on having a direct connection to the Harvard community and influence the University’s trajectory towards sustainable inclusive excellence.

Full-time admitted ALB and ALM degree students are eligible to apply. Admitted degree candidates whose current registration status is less than full-time may apply if a member of their team is a full-time admitted degree candidate – at Harvard Extension School or another school within Harvard University. You can learn more about the program – including deadlines, grant guidelines, and FAQs – on the Harvard Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion & Belonging website .

Athletics, Dining, and Student Employment

You can purchase discount  athletics  privileges, open a  Crimson Cash  debit account, and dine in the  various cafes on campus . 

Harvard Off-Campus Housing

Harvard University Housing has engaged Off Campus Partners to create an  apartment rental listing for Harvard University Affiliates . On the site you can view maps, photos, and more. You are invited to post a listing for a small fee or search the site for free. There is also a free roommate matching section. 

Study Spaces and Collaboration

The  Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center  offers comfortable and convivial gathering spaces for Harvard University students, faculty, academic personnel, staff, and visitors. While three floors are open to the general public, ​ Harvard affiliates  have the option to reserve additional space.

In addition, the Harvard Library website offers the  Find a Space  tool that allows you to search for group study rooms; shows the availability of amenities like printers and scanners; and lists food and drink policies for the spaces.

Presidential Public Service Fellowship Program

The Harvard University President’s Office, with the generous support of an anonymous donor, has established the  Presidential Public Service Fellowship Program  to provide funding to students interested in pursuing public service work during the summer. Deadlines are in early February.

Office for the Arts at Harvard

The  Office for the Arts  at Harvard (OFA) supports student engagement in the arts and integrates the arts into University life. Through its programs and services, the OFA teaches and mentors, fosters student art making, connects students to accomplished artists, commissions new work, and partners with local, national, and international constituencies. The OFA enables students to explore an art form in depth and to work directly with professional artists in a wide range of classes, workshops, and apprenticeships. The OFA also sponsors Arts First, a weekend of artistic celebration each May.

Phillips Brooks House Association

Phillips Brooks House Association  is a student-run public service organization at Harvard University consisting of nearly 80 program committees and more than 1,800 student volunteers, and serves close to 10,000 clients in the Cambridge and Boston area.

To volunteer, attend the PBHA open house that is ordinarily held during the first of week of classes each fall and spring term.

Institute of Politics Forum

This Harvard Kennedy School institute hosts the  JFK Jr. Forum , the premier arena for political speech, discussion, and debate. The forum regularly hosts heads of state and leaders in politics, government, business, labor, and the media. Be sure to sign up for e-mails so you won’t miss an important event at the forum.

Writers at Work

The  Harvard Writers at Work lecture series  focuses on the ways that writing, by those at Harvard, connects academic and professional work and the broader public. The series is co-sponsored by many University entities, including the Harvard Extension School Journalism Graduate Program.

The Harvard Chaplains

The University’s interfaith coalition of chaplains,  Harvard Chaplains , offers on campus services and guidance for members of many world religions.

Office of Student Life

The Office of Student Life is the place to explore  student organizations . While some organizations are limited to Harvard College students, others are open to members of the entire Harvard Community. Once you find an organization that interests you, email the contact person to inquire if Extension School degree candidates can participate. Degree candidates have enjoyed participating in the Harvard Chorus, ballroom dancing, and much more.

Harvard Graduate and Professional Student Government

The  HGSG  is the official student government for all graduate and professional schools of Harvard University. If you are a master’s degree candidate, we encourage you to get involved.

Beyond Graduation

Harvard extension alumni association.

Alumni can attend the many events sponsored by the Harvard Extension Alumni Association (HEAA). For information about upcoming events, see the  HEAA website .

Harvard Alumni Association

Alumni of the Harvard Extension School also have access to the benefits of the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA). The HAA is the official alumni association of Harvard University, and it sponsors events, continuing education opportunities, and activities around the world. To find out more, visit the  HAA website .

Access to Other Harvard University Schools’ Student Services

Harvard Extension School makes no claim that as a Harvard Extension School undergraduate or graduate degree candidate you have full access to all Harvard College or Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) students services. Each of the 12 schools that compose the University—Harvard Extension School being one of them—is distinct from the other, with its own academic programs, reporting structures, and funding, among other attributes. These conditions justifiably permit each school to extend student services to other University populations at their discretion.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

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Harvard Grad Students Charged Following Confrontation at October Pro-Palestine Protest

Two Harvard graduate students are facing criminal charges and up to 200 days in jail following their involvement in a confrontation with an Israeli student at a pro-Palestine protest at the Harvard Business School in October.

Elom Tettey-Tamaklo — a student at the Harvard Divinity School — and Ibrahim I. Bharmal — a student jointly enrolled at Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School — were each charged with two misdemeanors last week for assault and battery, and violating the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act. The students face up to 100 days in jail for each misdemeanor charge.

Tettey-Tamaklo — an organizer with Grad Students 4 Palestine — and Bharmal were involved in a confrontation with a student at an Oct. 18 “die-in” protest at HBS.

A video of the incident went viral , in which Tettey-Tamaklo and Bharmal are seen approaching a man identified as an Israeli student by various news outlets. They then escorted the man out of the protest after he attempted to film the faces of protesters, blocking his camera with their security vests and keffiyehs.

Neither Tettey-Tamaklo nor Barhmal responded to requests for comment on the charges.

Following the publication of the video on X, a platform formerly known as Twitter, various Harvard alumni, including Bill A. Ackman ’88, penned two open letters criticizing the Harvard administration for failing to combat an alleged increase of antisemitism on campus.

The letters – one of which was co-authored by HBS alumnus Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) — were published in early November, two months before former University President Claudine Gay resigned after criticism of the University’s response to the Hamas attack on Israel.

In April, Rep. Elise M. Stefanik ’06 (R-N.Y.) sent a letter to University leadership accusing Harvard of delaying “justice” for students involved in the confrontation. She accused the University of stalling an FBI investigation into the incident, which was launched days after the confrontation occurred.

Harvard University spokesperson Jason A. Newton declined to comment on the decision to charge students for their involvement in the confrontation.

Tettey-Tamaklo was indefinitely relieved from his position as a Harvard College proctor due to his actions at the protest. Bharmal, who was originally set to graduate from HLS in May, is now set to matriculate from both HLS and HKS in 2025.

— Staff writer Sally E. Edwards can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @sallyedwards04 or on Threads @sally_edwards06 .

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Graduate Profile: Crow Stacy, MDiv '24

Favorite Class or Professor 

There are two professors that have made an immense impact on me.  

Dr. Catherine Brekus, my thesis advisor, who I also took three classes under. Being under her tutelage and mentorship has been an incredible honor and privilege. I deeply admire her as an ""old school"" academic who was strict and held me to a high standard, but was also encouraging, compassionate, and facilitated scholarly growth in me that I never imagined would have been possible. Dr. Brekus is both an incredible scholar and a wonderful human being who is an indispensable good to not only Harvard, but her community and country. The working and professional relationship I had with her was superb, and she truly is in a league of her own as a historian.  

Dr. Gina Zurlo, who I believe is one of the greatest rising stars in academia, had a class about women in world Christianity that changed me not only professionally, but personally. She facilitated a class where so many intellectually invigorating discussions were had, and one where everyone became close and very friendly with one another. I loved stopping by her office during office hours just to have conversations, as well as cooking meals and baked goods for her and my classmates in that class. Because of Dr. Zurlo and that class, I walked away not only learning about a myriad of women's issues as they relate to Christianity across the globe, but I even changed a few of my own views as well. I will forever be grateful for having her as a professor. These are two incredible women I owe so much to, and praise be to God for having had the privilege and opportunity to work with and learn from both of them. 

Message of Thanks  

Firstly, I would like to thank Virgen de Guadalupe, for being the greatest Mother I could ever have asked for, who has help me close, loved me, and remembered every tear I've cried. As she said to Juan Diego, ""No tengas miedo. ¿No estoy yo aquí, que soy tu Madre?"" 

I want to express gratitude for my friends and classmates who have been patient with me, and everyone who's given me the privilege of baking or cooking for them. Cooking for someone is how I show love, and I sincerely am overjoyed to have been able to feed and treat so many people to meals and baked goods made with so much love.  

Community is a vital aspect of the human experience, and my friends here have been so loving, gentle, compassionate, and patient. The HDS community has helped me grow and made me a better person, strengthened my faith, and were patient with me as I improved on my shortcomings and had bad days, showing me the beauty of grace. 

What I Hope to Be Remembered By 

I hope to be remembered as a whole person, both the good and bad aspects of myself. I see myself as a flawed and troubled person who always tries to live the values of boundless compassion and unconditional forgiveness, which are the guiding virtues of my day-to-day life. I want to be remembered as someone who made people feel as if they mattered, because they do. I regularly prayed for and cooked for my classmates, and often gave a listening ear if they needed, no matter who they were or how close I was to them, because love and compassion should always be unconditional. 

I also want to be remembered for my vociferous opposition to capital punishment, and I pray without ceasing that there will come a day where this country, the United States, no longer executes people.  

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Mission Control

Hi, this is Dan Morrell, host of Skydeck.

By the time Peter Platzer (MBA 2002) was a teenager, he knew he wanted to be a physicist—and he was fascinated by space, eagerly engrossed in space-time diagrams and Einstein's special relativity. Those interests led to degrees from the Technical University of Vienna and even some opportunities to work on projects at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

But his life plans took a sharp turn on a Tuscany hillside one afternoon during a summer astrophysics program, where a professor recounted how a colleague's career was completely derailed when the rocket carrying his experimental instrument exploded at launch. Platzer decided to put his dream on hold and pivoted to a career in technology consulting. He never lost hold of his boyhood dream, though, and today he's the founder and CEO of Spire , a global provider of space-based data, analytics, and space services.Making good on those long-term goals, Platzer says, was the result of building a very specific mission for himself while he was at HBS: "To lead, inspire, and create the business of space for the benefit of all."

In this episode of Skydeck , Platzer and I talk about how he built that mission, how it culminated in the founding of Spire, and what advice he'd give to anyone who is still searching for their own mission.

DM: When you come to HBS, you go through this process of building a mission for yourself. What spurred that movement? Why did you sit down and say, I need to figure out a purpose here.

PP: So, I have always been someone that, driven by this question about who am I and where are we going? Why are we here as a species, as people? So that thought process about who we are, what we are meant to do, is something that I have been, in various forms, following since being a teenager.

I had a very inspirational preacher in our community, very open, ecumenic, always forcing us to ask the difficult questions about life. And also recognizing that some questions you can't ask because there is no answer to them. And HBS was a fantastic environment to take just an extra time out, given that they don't give us anything to read or cases to do and, legitimately bored in school anyway, right? And think about, okay, what is my mission? And there's a fabulous book written by Laurie Beth Jones, which is called The Path . And it takes you through a process of discovery. And in the end, you come out with a very simple, three-element statement that is a mission statement for your life. Not for your job, not for your spiritual journey, not for your family. It is for your life. And that’s the process that I went through in the first year or so when I was at HBS.

DM: Take me through that process. What did you reflect on and were you surprised by the result?

PP: The process starts with really getting in context of what is your asset? So one of the first exercises is okay, there are four elements that many cultures talk about: fire, wind, water, earth —which one is you? And so, you start off by saying, okay, earth for me is, and then you write all the elements that make up earth. And water is for me. And then you're like, I am this element, right? And so that's one element. And then they say, okay, reflect upon your growing up environment—your parents, your siblings, your teachers, your friends. What did they tell you that you're really good at? What gifts have they given to you growing up? What gifts that they had offered have you taken? And what gifts have you not taken? What were their dreams that they lived or didn't live? And which one of their dreams did you make your own or didn’t make your own? Who told you something about yourself that stayed with you for a very long period of time?

And so, you really reflect, you start with reflecting just on yourself and then you reflect on the environment that you grew up in. And they have a few other exercises around that. And so, you really spent a substantial amount of time just collecting data and associations and thoughts from your history.

DM: When Platzer graduated from HBS in 2003, the post–dotcom bust job market was far from welcoming. His dream would, once again, have to be deferred. Instead, Platzer applied his quantitative background at a hedge fund and in other investment management roles. In 2009, though, while at an event at NASA Ames campus in Silicon Valley, Platzer saw his opening. Sitting in the front row, he listened as famed space entrepreneur and futurist, Peter Diamandis, spoke about how certain technologies have linear trajectories and others have exponential trajectories. And space technologies, Diamandis argued, were definitely on an exponential trajectory. The moment had arrived, Platzer knew. The time to make good on his mission was now. After a bit more research, Platzer left Wall Street and set out to build Spire.

DM: Talk about how that mission statement finally culminated in the founding of your company.

PP: So, I then felt, okay, the time is right now, but it is a different industry. Like I wasn't an aerospace engineer, I was just a physicist, right? And I had an MBA from Harvard. And so, I'd be like, okay, what is the most efficient way for me to learn everything about the space industry?

And so, I researched various programs across the world and least not because of the conversations with Peter D[iamandis] knew about the university in France in Strasbourg, and went into a master's program, which was just 12 months. And the program was set up (so) that you'd have to learn everything. You had to learn space policy. You had to learn space business, space finance, space engineering, sensors. You had to learn every single subject about the space industry. And then you had to do a mini thesis, like a research project, that you had to write. And then yes, we had to find a job as well. And that's what I did.

So, I moved as a 42 year old. I sold part of my calculator collection to pay for my rent in the halfway dorm in France. I bought myself a bicycle for 50 euros and I bicycled to university and sat with everyone half my age. And learned about space policy and quaternions and everything in between.

DM: What was it like to go back to school at 43? Here you are. You have a very good career, right? You could have done any multitude of things. You could have coasted. But you said, no, I'm going to do this hard thing and I'm going to go back to school. Talk to me about that decision.

PP: It was fascinating. I have to tell you, because everyone around me was like freaking out a little bit. I had friends, I remember, you know, Paul, he's like, oh, Peter, I want to sit down with you. And so we sit down in New York, we had a beer, and he's normally like a very gregarious, he's a Russian guy, he worked in finance as well, and he's normally very gregarious. [He’s] like very somber, a bit more like Dostoyevsky. "I'm a little, I'm a little bit concerned." I was so confident. It could not have felt any more right.

It's really hard to explain other than, I just knew it was the right moment, the right thing for me. It just felt right in every single cell of my body.

DM: But Peter, do you think that was in part because you had spent so much time defining this mission so purposefully?

PP: A hundred percent. You know what Michelangelo says, like the difficulty in doing the David is not figuring out what to do,you just take away the stuff that doesn't belong. And I think that's a little bit was like this mission statement for my life, right? I had spent truly decades chipping away that internal feeling of what it is that I want to do. And so, it became clearer and clearer, so that when it was there and it was in sync with the, with the universe, pun intended, from a timing perspective that you didn't have doubt. It just felt right.

But I agree with you, what helped that certainty was all the countless hours and years spent tuning in, shaping it, looking at it, writing it down, making it clear, sitting with it. Does it feel right? The statement now is like easy and simple, but the first one was not that. I took some time to sift for the 400 words, and I don't know, something doesn't feel right. So it is a process. It's not something that you do and then it gives you that certainty. It was the culmination of a lot of work that gave that certainty in that moment.

DM: Peter, it sounds like it helped you obviously make hard decisions or what seemed like hard decisions externally. How did having that mission help in the founding of the company?

PP: I think there's like a couple of elements there, right? One of them is analytical work. I did a piece of research that uncovered or discovered the equivalence to Moore's law from the computer industry in the space industry. And I had full understanding of how Moore's law, 2x performance every two years, had driven the computer industry and the internet and all the transformation that happened there.

So, I had a blueprint of how disruptive innovation, so to speak, looks like. And then I had gone to a school, where they do talk about this, and they have probably the most famous guy in the world to talk about disruptive innovation—teaches there. And so, I then discovered the same thing, in space, it's 10x every five years, which is about 60 percent faster than Moore's law. But other than that, it's the same thing. I had a blueprint that I could compare it to, like, I knew how the world is going to look like. I was a quantitative investment manager beforehand, so I was used to calculating something and predicting how the world will look like—and put hundreds of millions of dollars behind it. So, when I made a prediction based on my analysis of how the work would look like in five years and in 10 years with 10x and a hundred X performance. I had the arrogance or the confidence, depending on how you want to look at it, to trust that and bet truly my life on it.

And that's what I did. I predicted where capabilities will be, and then I used my consulting and my HBS background to say okay, we understand the technology, we know it's going to be disruptive. Here's where the world is going to think it's going to go. I interviewed about a hundred people from the space industry and asked them what they think is going to happen; here’s what we predict. And the delta between that exponential capability and that linear prediction of the rest of the world, that's a business opportunity. And then we said, now we need a business model. What kind of business problems are we going to solve where this technology is the single best solution? We made a prediction and then we said okay, but now we need a business model and we built a business model, and that's then how we started the company.

DM: And Peter, these are all core concepts and core strategies. At a practical level, what did this company look like in the garage?

PP: Okay, I'm gonna paint you the picture: San Francisco, grungy garage, and it is so grungy that we were not the only company, and it was a hardware incubator. There was a specialty coffee maker on one end, right? So, you walk in there, you have like coffee there. It's like brewing. There was a hamburger-making robot behind us. So, you had the smell of hamburgers, right? You had a specialty guitar in the back end. And then in the front, you had us building satellites. The entrance was a garage door that couldn't really close. The car that was standing there was like the single most beat-up Toyota Corolla, in white, that you can imagine, which was our phone booth.We also had a former bank safe, like walls like this as our phone booth. And after one person almost suffocated in there, we actually figured out that you can't close the door with a person inside because there's no circulation and you die, so you put like a brick in there. And we had a sex toy–making shop on top.

DM: Classic American entrepreneur story. Talk about where Spire's at now.

PP: Spire today runs the world's largest multipurpose constellation. We track every spot on Earth over 100 times a day. All of the world's maritime aviation and weather activity is tracked and predicted based on the data that it comes off of.

And the two driving forces that we had identified back then, climate change and global security, continue to drive massive demand for our product. We have had a compound annual growth rate over the last seven years of our revenue of 118%.

DM: I asked that question because it would seem that you've achieved this mission. You have achieved this mission that you set out as a young man to do, right? Do you feel that's true? And if so, how does it still energize you?

PP: For me, it feels I have done most of a first step of a journey, which is reaching to a place beyond the horizon for me. Space has the incredible power to impact every single person on planet Earth. The data that we have today is impacting about a billion people by the accuracy of the weather forecast that they had.

We have customers in 65 countries, but there are 192—and there are 8 billion people. So the power of space is that it is truly relevant for everyone on planet Earth. And at a tiny company of a hundred-plus million in revenue, a few hundred people in the company, we don't have the impact that our technology and our products could have on humanity in tech, climate change, and global security. So there's much more that we have to give, we have to help humanity with, than what we have done so far.

DM: Peter, you were blessed in some ways to know at a young age what you wanted to do, right? That's not the case for everybody. What advice would you give to people who are still in search of their mission?

PP: I think keep searching. I think that's the important part.You're 100 percent correct. It's important for me to say like, I know I was very fortunate to know at 13 that you want to be a physicist, that's really very lucky. But the key part is just stay on that search, spend the uncomfortable time trying to figure out what, really, you're made of, in terms of what is meaningful to you. And realize when is it a rat race or a race that you’re running for someone else. And when is it a walk of your life, that you are doing, because it is your life. And you get to do something every single moment that gives you the sense of, I am doing what I'm supposed to be doing, what I'm meant to be doing, what I want to be doing right now, this very moment. Not because I want to do something tomorrow or in 10 years, but because it is meant to be done, by me, right now, in this moment.

Skydeck is the Harvard Business School alumni podcast featuring interviews and insights from across the world of business. It’s produced by the External Relations Department at HBS. Our audio engineer is Craig McDonald.

It is available on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your favorite podcasts. And If you could take a moment to rate and review us, we’d be grateful.

For more information, or to find archived episodes, visit alumni.hbs.edu/skydeck .

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