Degrees are awarded three times per year:
- November (if you finish your requirements in a summer term*)
- February (if you finish your requirements in a fall term*)
- May (if you finish your requirements in a January session or spring term*)
*To remain in compliance with federal reporting guidelines, you are required to graduate when you have met all degree requirements. For example, if you finish in summer, you cannot graduate in February or May; you must graduate in November.
The University-wide commencement ceremony is held once a year in May. If you are a November or February graduate, you participate in the following May’s ceremony, after your degree has been awarded.
You participate in the commencement ceremony of your graduation year only. You cannot defer commencement attendance to a future date.
For information about the Class of 2024 Commencement Ceremony, please visit the HES 2024 Commencement page.
Intent to Graduate
As you near the completion of the program, you must complete the Intent to Graduate form. The form is located in the degree candidate portal, which is available via MyDCE. When you are in MyDCE, follow the link to “ALB/ALM Community.” The Intent to Graduate form is located under the “Commonly Used Forms” tab.
Submit the online form according to the following mandatory schedule:
- For November graduation, by June 1
- For February graduation, by August 1
- For May graduation, by November 1
To graduate and participate in May Commencement, you need to fulfill all degree requirements (no makeup or extension grades pending) and be in good academic standing with no disciplinary or administrative procedures pending, including being on a limited-time suspension. Finally, you must be in good financial standing with Harvard University with no outstanding tuition bills or fees.
Potential candidates: Only degree candidates can submit the Intent to Graduate form. Potential candidates need to be aware of the Intent to Graduate form deadlines and plan their application to the program accordingly. Lack of proper planning or delayed admission may postpone an anticipated graduation date.
Learn more about available honors and prizes.
Electronic Degree Confirmation
For degrees (and certificates) awarded after November 1, 2020, Harvard University offers Certified Electronic Diplomas and Certificates (CeDiploma® and CeCertificate®). These official, secure, and verifiable PDFs, distinct from traditional transcripts, feature a unique 12-digit Certified Electronic Document Identifier (CeDiD) for immediate validation, facilitating easy sharing and verification by employers and licensing agencies. Upon printing, a retrieval link is sent to the email you have on file with the Harvard Extension School.
To request a new link, use the CeCredential Trust site with your officially recognized email; if you no longer have access to this email, send a note to Academic_Advising@Extension.Harvard.edu for instructions on how to update your email address.
For more details, visit the Certified Electronic Credentials at Harvard webpage.
Degree Name
The following degrees are awarded by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), Harvard University:
- Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies cum laude or Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies
- Cumulative GPA, area of concentration, field of study, minors, certificates, prizes, and academic awards are displayed on your Harvard transcript.
- Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies
- All FAS master’s degree diplomas are printed in Latin and fields are not displayed. Fields of study, cumulative GPAs, certificates, prizes, and academic awards appear on your Harvard transcript.
On your résumé, the degree name may be listed as either:
- Bachelor [or Master] of Liberal Arts, Harvard University Extension School.
- Include field of study, minor, and degree honors when applicable.
- Bachelor [or Master] of Liberal Arts, Extension Studies, Harvard University.
- Include field of study, minor, and degree honors when applicable.