Harvard Extension School is pleased to announce new certificates, courses, and degree program updates for the 2025–26 academic year. These updates reflect our dedication to meeting our students’ needs and keeping pace with the evolving demands of the workforce and the world.
“At Harvard Extension School, we are deeply committed to ensuring our curriculum evolves with the world around us,” says Suzanne Spreadbury, dean of academic programs. “We regularly assess and update our programs to reflect emerging trends, evolving industries, and the real-world demands our students will face. Our goal is to equip learners with the knowledge to better understand our shared human experience as well as the practical skills and insights that today’s employers are actively seeking.”
New Graduate Certificates
We’re launching two new online graduate certificates, each of which can be stacked toward a master’s degree.
Managing for Climate Change
Gain the skills to lead sustainability initiatives and adapt organizational strategies in response to climate challenges.
Stackable to:
Positive Psychology and Well-Being
Explore the science of human flourishing and how it can be applied in personal, educational, and professional settings.
Stackable to:
New Microcertificates
HES is introducing three 2-course microcertificates, designed to provide fast, focused expertise in high-demand areas.
AI in Business
Gain the knowledge and skills to integrate AI into day-to-day business operations and strategic decision-making.
Stackable to:
AI in Marketing
Learn how to leverage artificial intelligence to enhance creative processes and campaign efficiency.
Stackable to:
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Learn to manage and analyze spatial data, derive actionable insights, and communicate complex geographic information across various industries.
Stackable to:
Open-Enrollment Courses
With more than 750 courses offered across the fall and spring terms, HES continues to expand its dynamic curriculum. Several new courses that speak to today’s most pressing issues and conversations include:
- Artificial Intelligence Goes to the Movies: American Science Fiction Cinema and Television
- Journalism Under Authoritarian Regimes
- Loneliness: Why It Matters and What to Do About It
- Leading and Managing in Today’s Multigenerational Workplace
- International Trade and Tariff Economics
- Agreeing to Disagree: How to Discuss, Debate, and Make Your Voice Heard in a Polarized Age
- Ballots, Borders, Billionaires: Populism and Political Economics in Eastern Europe
- The Science of Happiness — one of Harvard College’s most popular courses, now available through HES!
New Capstone Options for Master’s Degree Candidates
Several master’s degree programs are introducing new capstone options. These structured, two-course sequences foster collaboration with instructors and peers on the planning and execution of a capstone project.
Meta-Analysis Capstone for Biology and Biotechnology Fields
The new meta-analysis capstone option features foundational preparation, development of research questions, and the execution of a systematic review and meta-analysis. The two-course sequence will be taught by Rhanderson Cardoso, assistant professor of medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Learn more about:
Museum Studies Capstone
The museum studies program will now require 12 courses and culminate in a capstone. Students can choose from five concentrations, including exhibition design and museum education.
Learn more about the museum studies capstone experience.
Journalism Capstone
The new journalism capstone guides students through the process of story development and execution, including identifying sources, conducting interviews, collecting data, and workshopping drafts.
Learn more about the journalism capstone experience.
Psychology Capstone
A new capstone topic — Positive Psychology — will be offered in 2025-26. The two-course sequence will be taught by Dr. Deborah Phillips, a member of Dr. Ellen Langer’s Mindfulness Research Lab at Harvard.
Learn more about the psychology capstone and thesis tracks.
Sustainability and Global Development Practice Capstone
A new case studies capstone option will be available to students in these programs. Students will learn to choose appropriate methodologies, manage scope and scale, conduct research, and organize and analyze results.
Learn more about:
Ready to Start Your Own Path at Harvard Extension School?
Begin with a single course, or explore our academic programs, including undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates.
