The Master of Liberal Arts, Mathematics for Teaching degree program is offered online with one course required on campus at Harvard University. Weekend options are available for the on-campus requirement.
Getting Started
Explore Admissions & Degree Requirements
Required Course Curriculum
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Online core and elective courses
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1 weekend or one 3-week summer course
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Capstone
12 Graduate Courses (48 credits)
The degree is customizable. As part of the program curriculum, you choose the math courses that meet your learning goals.
With online courses offered in both synchronous and asynchronous formats, you can participate in some courses on demand and others live for real-time engagement with faculty and peers.
Required Core & Elective Courses
- MATH 300 Mathematical Foundations for Teaching Secondary School Math
- 2 mathematical theory courses
- Calculus 1
- Calculus 2
- 4 math for teaching electives
- Precapstone
- Capstone
- Applied active learning elective (see on-campus requirement)
Learn how to search and register for courses.
Capstone
For the capstone track, you enroll in the following courses:
- Theory to Practice: Math for Teaching Precapstone
- Teaching Practice: Math for Teaching Capstone
In the precapstone, you will identify a significant learning problem grounded in your teaching practice. Once identified, you develop a research-informed instructional design proposal to address it. In the capstone, you will implement and study this instructional design through a pilot experience.
In both courses, you will work closely with your instructor and peers in a collaborative, classroom-based environment, engaging in structured feedback cycles, and contributing to the community of practitioner-researchers.
Capstone sequencing. You enroll in the precapstone and capstone courses in back-to-back semesters in your final academic year. The capstone is taken alone as your sole remaining degree requirement.
Optional Graduate Certificates
You can choose to concentrate your elective courses in a specific area to earn a graduate certificate.
Graduate Certificates:
Microcertificates:
On-Campus Experience
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Choose between the accelerated or standard on-campus experience.
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Learn and network in-person with your classmates.
Nearly all courses can be completed online; however, the degree includes a required on-campus experience at Harvard University where you’ll engage with fellow degree candidates in an immersive environment focused on designing and implementing purposeful, equity-centered instruction that promotes meaningful mathematics learning for all students. The experience is intentionally designed to mirror real classroom contexts.
Choose between two on-campus experience options:
- Accelerated on-campus option: MATH E-319 Reimagining Adaptive and Responsive Teaching in Secondary Mathematics Classrooms is offered as an online course with a required weekend on campus.
- Standard on-campus option: MATH S-329 Appraising and Reimagining Middle and High School Mathematics Education is offered in one three-week Harvard Summer School (HSS) session. This option is ideal for those who want a more traditional on-campus experience. HSS offers, for an additional fee, housing, meal plans, and a prolonged on-campus experience here at Harvard University. Learn more about campus life at Harvard.
International Students Who Need a Student Visa
To meet the on-campus requirement, you choose the standard on-campus option and study with us for three weeks in the summer. For more details, see International Student Study Options for important visa information.
Admissions
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Confirm your initial eligibility with a four-year bachelor’s degree or its foreign equivalent.
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Take two courses to earn your way in.
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In the semester of your second course, submit your application.
Below are our initial eligibility requirements and an overview of our unique admissions process to help get you started. Visit the Degree Program Admissions page for more details.
Initial Eligibility
- Prior to enrolling in any degree-applicable courses, you must possess a four-year regionally accredited U.S. 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.
Earn Your Way In: Courses for Admission
With our performance-based admission process, you begin by taking courses with us first. You’ll simply register — no application required — for the following two 4-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 to help ensure success in the program.
- MATH 300 Mathematical Foundations for Teaching Secondary School Math
- You have two attempts to earn the minimum grade of B in MATH 300 (a withdrawal grade counts as an attempt) and the course cannot be more than two years old at the time of application.
- One mathematical theory course
You need to perform well in the two courses earning a grade of B or higher without letting your overall Harvard cumulative GPA dip below 3.0.
The two courses don’t need to be taken in a particular order or in the same semester.
Applying to the Degree Program
During the semester of your second degree course, submit the official application to the program.
Don’t delay! You must prioritize the two 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 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 10 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 as outlined on the Graduate Program Admissions page.
The Office of Predegree Advising & Admissions makes all final determinations about program eligibility.
Searching and Registering for Courses
The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) offers degree courses all year round to accelerate degree completion. You can study in fall, January, and spring terms through Harvard Extension School (HES) and during the summer through Harvard Summer School (HSS). To find courses and register, use our Course Search and Registration platform.
Spring 2027 Term
Spring registration opens November 5.
You can enroll full or part time. After qualifying for admission, many of our degree candidates study part time, taking two courses per semester (fall/spring) and one in the January and summer sessions.
Most fall and spring courses meet once a week for two hours, while January and summer courses meet more frequently in a condensed format.
Completing Your Degree
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Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
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Complete your courses in five years.
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Earn your Harvard degree and enjoy Harvard Alumni Association benefits upon graduation.
Required GPA, Withdrawal Grades, and Repeat Courses
GPA. You need to earn a B or higher in each of the two 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 two withdrawal (WD) grades without them 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.
Courses Expire: You Need to Apply on Time and Finish Your Coursework in Under Five Years
Expired coursework. Courses over five years old at the point of admission will not count toward the degree. As stated above MATH 300 cannot be more than two years old at the time of application.
Five-year degree completion timeline. 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 two degree-applicable courses, regardless of whether or not you have been admitted to a degree program.
Don’t delay! Potential degree candidates must plan accordingly and apply to the program in a timely manner, or they risk losing degree credit for completed course work.
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).
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: Mathematics for Teaching. Degrees are awarded in November, February, and 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.
