Designed solely for students who’ve completed the MITx MicroMasters in Supply Chain Management, this degree pathway offers a core curriculum of information management systems. Your courses strategically complement the in-depth training in supply chain theory, ensuring you have the breadth and perspective to be an industry leader.
Required Courses
In this pathway, Harvard Extension School will credit four courses (16 credits) toward the information management systems program for earning the MITx MicroMasters Program in Supply Chain Management. To earn the master’s degree, you complete the following eight courses (32 credits).
8 Graduate Courses
Courses can be completed online or on campus, with the capstone course on campus.
Core
- 1 web principles course
- 1 cloud communications course
- 1 cloud computing course
- 1 security and risk management course
- 1 database management course
- 1 business analytics course
- 1 elective
- EXPO 34 is an elective option
- 1 capstone project course (on campus)
The Harvard On-Campus Experience
Many courses can be taken online, but the degree requires a Harvard campus experience. You come to Cambridge for at least one course—the capstone—which offers you in-person access to faculty, campus resources, and the academic community.
Accelerated on-campus path: if you have limited flexibility, you can typically fulfill the requirement in one weekend (fall or spring only).
International Students Who Need a Student Visa
To meet the on-campus requirement, you complete the capstone over the summer. You can easily request an I-20 for the F-1 student visa through Harvard Summer School’s seven-week session for the capstone. For more details, see International Student Study Options for important visa information.
Admissions and Getting Started
Earn Your Way In
After you’ve earned the MicroMasters Program credential in Supply Chain Management, you begin the admission process by simply registering—no application needed—for one of the following graduate-level courses:
- 1 cloud communications or database management course
Grade requirements: You must complete the course with a grade of B or higher, without letting your overall Harvard cumulative GPA dip below 3.0.
Writing skills test: You also need to pass our online test of critical reading and writing skills or complete the program elective EXPO 34 Business Rhetoric with a grade of B or higher. Tip: Take the test right away, in your first semester at Harvard.
Eligibility: Prior to beginning this pathway, which starts with your first MITx course, you need to possess a four-year, regionally accredited US bachelor’s degree or its foreign equivalent. You cannot already have or be in the process of earning a master’s degree in information management systems or related field.
Submitting Your Application
During the semester that you are completing either the cloud communications or database management course, submit the official application to the program.
Don’t delay! It is critical to prioritize the degree course required for admission and apply before completing subsequent courses.
Eligible students who submit a complete and timely application will have 7 more courses after admission to earn the degree.
For more details about eligibility, the application process, and application fees, visit Admissions.
MicroMasters Program Admission Pathway Policy
The MITx MicroMasters Program credential in Supply Chain Management must be earned prior to enrolling in any degree-applicable courses at Harvard. Further, the credential cannot be more than three years old at the time of application. Credit is only granted for the entire MicroMasters Program; Harvard credit will not be awarded for individual courses.
For more details about Harvard Extension School degree program eligibility and the application process, visit Admissions. If you have questions about the MicroMasters Program, contact MITx directly.
Cost and Financial Aid
Affordability is core to our mission. You’ll find our tuition comparable to tuition at public universities. And when compared to our continuing education peers, it’s a fraction of the cost.| Our Tuition (2022–23 rate) | $3,100 per course |
| Average Tuition of Peer Institutions | $5,476 per course |
| Average Total Cost | $24,800 |
To Complete Your Degree
Required GPA, Withdrawal Grades, and Repeat Courses
GPA. You need to earn a B or higher in both cloud communications and database management and a B– or higher in all other courses. In addition, your cumulative GPA cannot dip below 3.0.
Withdrawal Grades. You are allowed to receive one withdrawal (WD) grade without it affecting your GPA. Any additional WD grades count as zero in your cumulative GPA. 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.
Finish Your Coursework in Five Years
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 one degree-applicable course at Harvard, whether or not you have been admitted to the program. Harvard courses over five years old at the point of admission will not count toward the degree.
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.
Graduate with Your Harvard Degree
When you have fulfilled all degree requirements, you will earn your Harvard University degree: Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Extension Studies, Field: Information Management Systems. Degrees are awarded in November, March, or May, with the annual Harvard Commencement ceremony in May.
Degree Candidate Exclusive Benefits
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.
