Biology Degree Requirements

• BIOS 200 Proseminar: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Biology
• 4 biology courses
• 1 biology on-campus elective (weekend options available; see on-campus experience)
• 1 biology seminar
• 1 statistics course
• 1 biology general elective
  • EXPO 42c Writing in the Sciences is an elective option
• BIOS 497 Crafting the Thesis Proposal in Biology Tutorial

Tip: Seminars offer small-class discussions as well as ample opportunities to connect with faculty and peers while engaging in research. We encourage you to complete multiple seminars.

Learn how to search and register for courses.

The thesis is a 9-month independent research project on a topic in biology where you work in consultation with a thesis director.

You enroll in BIOS 499AB ALM in Biology Thesis (8 credits).

Recent Thesis Topics:

• Deciphering the Downstream Signaling Pathway of CD33 in Human Microglia
• Whole Genome Sequencing to Examine Amplification of Drug Resistance During Treatment of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
• Effects of Reversal of TP73 DNA Hypermethylation on TP53 Signaling Axis and Tumor Progression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
• Exploring Genetic Compensation Amongst Four KAZALD Paralogs in Axolotl Limb Regeneration

You can choose to concentrate your degree to earn a Topics in Biomedical Science Graduate Certificate along the way.

This can be an ideal option if you plan to apply to medical school after earning your biology degree. In addition to the certificate, the program offers premedical advising. Visit Premedical Program Advising, under Degree Candidate Academic Opportunities.

Eight of the above courses (32 credits) need to be taught by instructors with the Harvard instructor designation. The thesis course is ordinarily taught by a Harvard instructor.

If you work in a lab outside of Harvard University and wish to pursue your thesis research there, then you will need to complete the 32-credit Harvard instructor requirement prior to thesis registration by choosing Harvard instructor taught core, non-thesis requirements.

To meet the on-campus requirement, you choose the standard on-campus option and study with us in the summer. You can easily request an I-20 for the F-1 student visa for Harvard Summer School’s 3-week session. If you want to study for 7-weeks, you can do that as well, but you’ll need to register for two on-campus courses (8-credits). For more details, see International Student Study Options for important visa information.

While your research question will be developed in consultation with your Harvard Extension School (HES) research advisor, you will be responsible for finding a lab in your home country. HES cannot sign institutional agreements.

Come to Cambridge for Convocation (fall) to celebrate your hard-earned admission, Harvard career fairs offered throughout the year, HES alumni networking events (here at Harvard and around the world), and, of course, Harvard University Commencement (May).

• Prior to enrolling in any degree-applicable courses, you must possess a 4-year regionally accredited US bachelor’s degree or its foreign equivalent. Foreign bachelor’s degrees must be evaluated for equivalency.
• If English is your second language, you’ll need to prove English proficiency before registering for a course. We have multiple proficiency options.

To begin the admission process, you simply register — no application required — for the following three, four-credit, graduate-level degree courses (available online).

These prerequisite courses count toward your degree once you’re admitted; they are not additional courses. They are investments in your studies and help ensure success in the program.

• BIOS 200 Proseminar: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Biology
  • Before registering, you’ll need to pass our online test of critical reading and writing skills or earn a B or higher in EXPO 42c Writing in the Sciences.
  • You have 2 attempts to earn the minimum grade of B in the proseminar (a withdrawal grade counts as an attempt). The proseminar cannot be more than 2 years old at the time of application.
• 1 biology course
• 1 biology, statistics, or elective (e.g., EXPO 42c) course

Learn how to search and register for courses.

While the 3 courses don’t need to be taken in a particular order or in the same semester, we recommend that you start with the proseminar (or the prerequisite EXPO 42c). All 3 courses must be completed with a grade of B or higher, without letting your overall Harvard cumulative GPA dip below 3.0.

During the semester of your third degree course, submit the official application to the program.

Don’t delay! You must prioritize the three degree courses for admission and apply before completing subsequent courses. By doing so, you’ll:

• Avoid the loss of credit due to expired course work or changes to admission and degree requirements.
• Ensure your enrollment in critical and timely degree-candidate-only courses.
• Avoid the delayed application fee.
• Gain access to exclusive benefits.

Eligible students who submit a complete and timely application will have nine more courses after admission to earn the degree. Applicants can register for courses in the upcoming semester before they receive their grades and while they await their admission decision.

Prospective ALM students can expect acceptance into the program by meeting all the eligibility and academic requirements detailed on this page, submitting a complete application, and having no academic standing or conduct concerns.

GPA. You need to earn a B or higher in each of the 3 degree courses required for admission and a B– or higher in each of the subsequent courses. In addition, your cumulative GPA cannot dip below 3.0.

Withdrawal Grades. You are allowed to receive 2 withdrawal (WD) grades without them affecting your GPA. Any additional WD grades count as zero in your cumulative GPA. Please note that a WD grade from a two-credit course will count as 1 of your 2 allowed WD grades. See Academic Standing.

Repeat Courses. We advise you to review the ALM program’s strict policies about repeating courses. Generally speaking, you may not repeat a course to improve your GPA or to fulfill a degree requirement (if the minimum grade was not initially achieved). Nor can you repeat a course for graduate credit that you’ve previously completed at Harvard Extension School or Harvard Summer School at the undergraduate level.

Courses over five years old at the point of admission will not count toward the degree. As stated above, the proseminar cannot be more than two years old at the time of application.

Further, you have five years to complete your degree requirements. The five-year timeline begins at the end of the term in which you complete any three degree-applicable courses, regardless of whether or not you have been admitted to a degree program.

Potential degree candidates must plan accordingly and submit their applications to comply with the five-year course expiration policy or they risk losing degree credit for completed course work. Additionally, admission eligibility will be jeopardized if, at the point of application to the program, the five-year degree completion policy cannot be satisfied (i.e., too many courses to complete in the time remaining).

When you have fulfilled all degree requirements, you will earn your Harvard University degree: Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Extension Studies, Field: Biology. Degrees are awarded in November, February, and May, with the annual Harvard Commencement ceremony in May.

When you become an officially admitted degree candidate, you have access to a rich variety of exclusive benefits to support your academic journey. To learn more, visit degree candidate academic opportunities and privileges.