Sustainability Master’s Degree Requirements

• ENVR 101 Proseminar: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Sustainability and Global Development (watch a video spotlight)
• ENVR 210 Quantitative Research in Sustainability (watch the course preview video)
• 6 sustainability electives
  • Choose electives to support professional goals or earn one of the following graduate certificates:
    • Corporate Sustainability and Innovation
    • Environmental Policy and International Development
    • Managing for Climate Change
    • Natural Resource Management and Sustainable Ecosystems
    • Sustainable City and Communities
    • Sustainable Food Systems
  • EXPO 42b Writing in the Social Sciences is an elective option.

Learn how to search and register for courses

The thesis is a 9-month independent research project where you work one-on-one in a tutorial setting with a thesis director. It is an opportunity to work independently on a research project that contributes to the scholarly literature in the field of sustainability.

You enroll in the following additional courses:

• 1 applied research course
• ENVR 496 Crafting the Thesis Proposal in Sustainability course (3-week on-campus course; see on-campus experience)
• ENVR 499AB ALM Thesis in Sustainability (8 credits)

The precapstone/capstone is a two-course, two-semester sequence where you work closely with your instructor and peers in a classroom setting. You receive as well as give expert advice and support, creating a collaborative research environment.

Additional courses for the capstone track include:

• 2 sustainability electives
• Precapstone
• Capstone (on campus one weekend or three weeks; see on-campus experience)

There are three capstone topic choices:

1. Case Studies

• You begin with ENVR 597c Sustainability and Global Development Practice Case Study Precapstone, where you learn how to select a case topic and format, choose methodologies, and manage scope and scale.
• Then in ENVR 599c Sustainability and Global Development Practice Case Study Capstone, you execute your case study project while learning best practices in conducting research, organizing and analyzing results, and writing.

2. Consulting

• You begin with ENVR 597a Consulting for Sustainability Solutions Precapstone, where you’ll learn critical issues in developing a client, a project charter, mastering methods, and executing research. You’ll also identify a partner organization.
• Then in ENVR 599a Consulting for Sustainability Solutions Capstone, you work closely with your client to develop a Sustainable Action Plan (SAP) to support the partner’s sustainability efforts.

3. Innovation

• You begin with ENVR 597b Innovation in Sustainability and Global Development Practice Precapstone, where you draft a sustainable startup business plan for investors or a plan to assess a local innovation ecosystem for a client.
• Then in ENVR 599b Innovation in Sustainability and Global Development Practice Capstone, you deliver an innovative new product development plan or sustainable business plan focused on reducing operating costs, minimizing the environmental footprint, and improving sustainability practices.

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.

Capstone topics are subject to change.

To meet the on-campus requirement, you choose the standard on-campus option and study with us in the summer. For more details, see International Student Study Options for important visa information.

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 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.

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 and help ensure success in the program.

• ENVR 101 Proseminar: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Sustainability and Development Practice
  • Before registering in ENVR 101 you need to pass our online test of critical reading and writing skills or earn a B or higher in EXPO 42b Writing in the Social Sciences (counts as an elective).
  • The proseminar cannot be more than two years old at the time of application.
• ENVR 210 Quantitative Research in Sustainability

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.

You have two attempts to earn the minimum grade of B in both ENVR 101 and ENVR 210 (a withdrawal grade counts as an attempt).

The two courses don’t need to be taken in a particular order or in the same semester and both are available for registration in our fall or spring semesters.

Learn how to search and register for courses.

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.

We offer one alternative pathway to admission:

MITx MicroMasters® Credential Admissions Pathway

If you have earned the MITx MicroMasters credential, you may apply the credential toward admission and complete 1 additional course at the Extension School. Learn more about the MicroMasters pathway.

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.

MITx MicroMasters®

GPA. You need to earn a B or higher in the proseminar course required for admission (ENVR 101) as well as Quantitative Research in Sustainability (ENVR 210) 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 1 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.

Expired coursework. Courses over 5 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.

Five-year degree completion timeline. Further, you have 5 years to complete your degree requirements. The 5-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 5-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: Sustainability. 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.