Computer and Email Accounts
Once you’ve registered for courses and know your Harvard ID number, you should claim your HarvardKey. HarvardKey is Harvard’s unified online user credential, uniquely identifying you to Harvard IT applications and services such as the MyDCE student portal and Canvas course site. Your HarvardKey lets you open a Harvard Gmail account (Google Apps For Harvard) which provides access to Google Apps for Harvard and a Harvard Student Zoom account.
- To receive Extension School communications via your Harvard Gmail account, update your contact information in MyDCE.
Important Information Regarding Your Gmail Account
Gmail accounts are optional and remain active for the duration of the current term as long as you remain registered in at least one course (with the exception of active admitted degree and premedical candidates, whose accounts remain active for the duration of the program). After a grace period of 40 days, Gmail accounts are closed and contents purged, unless you have already registered for a course in the next term. Gmail accounts are not eligible for extension. A g.harvard.edu email can be reactivated after course registration.
Please note that if you have already claimed a HarvardKey using a non-Harvard domain email address, when you claim a Gmail account, your HarvardKey Login Name will be replaced by your new Google email.
Example: student@abc.com will be replaced with netID@g.harvard.edu.
The HarvardKey Login Name does not need to be a working email address.
Technical Support
DCE Online Support
If you need help addressing issues with video and web-conference courses, or with computer/software troubleshooting, contact the Online Support Office at (617) 998-8571 Monday to Thursday, 10 am to 11 pm; Friday and Sunday, 10 am to 8 pm and Saturdays 10 am to 6 pm. All times are Eastern Time. You can also send an email message to academictechnology@dce.harvard.edu which will create a ticket.
53 Church Street Computer Facility
The 53 Church Street Computer Facility also provides technical support for the Extension School community. The computer labs at the 53 Church Street Computer Facility offer a wide variety of computer resources and free printing to registered students.
The facility is open and staffed by support consultants 100 hours per week. Check the Computer Facility schedule for detailed hours or call (617) 495-5485.
HUIT Support Center
Harvard University Information Technology (HUIT) is a primary provider of IT services to the Harvard community.
For computer support via phone or email, please contact HUIT at (617) 495-7777 or email ithelp@harvard.edu.
For in-person assistance or one-to-one personal computer support, please visit the HUIT Walk-In Support Center in the basement of the Science Center or schedule an appointment.
Check the HUIT Support Center hours.
HUIT also provides information on academic pricing available to members of the Harvard community for computer product purchases. See Computers and Software on the HUIT help portal for detailed information.
