Frequently Asked Questions

We offer self-paced programs (with weekly deadlines) on the HBS Online course platform.

Our platform features short, highly produced videos of HBS faculty and guest business experts, interactive graphs and exercises, cold calls to keep you engaged, and opportunities to contribute to a vibrant online community.

No, all of our programs are 100 percent online, and available to participants regardless of their location.

There are no formal class times. All learning happens online, so participants are able to complete the course on their own time at their own pace. That said, there are certain deadlines that must be met on a weekly basis with the goal of keeping the majority of the group focused on the same topics to maximize social interactions.

Please take a look at our course catalog which compares details on each of our current course offerings.

Our courses have been developed by some of the most renowned Harvard faculty and guest experts. Although professors and guest experts will not have direct, real-time interactions with learners, you will hear from them via short videos that explain key concepts and guide you through cases, exercises, and other interactive learning elements to create a highly engaging educational experience. In addition, we encourage you to collaborate with your peers to find answers to any questions you may have.

We appreciate your understanding that HBS Online faculty and guest experts featured in our courses are not available to communicate with learners directly or participate in learner-organized events. However, you may visit the HBS Online Business Insights Blog and HBS Online Facebook page for information about upcoming conferences and webinars featuring faculty, or join the HBS Online Community to build your network and connect with other business professionals in your area.

We expect to offer our courses in additional languages in the future but, at this time, HBS Online can only be provided in English.

For all courses on the course platform, new modules will be released on a regular schedule. You will set your own daily or weekly schedule and adjust it as necessary, but you’ll need to complete modules within a pre-set timeframe as there are critical elements that require the cohort to progress at a similar rate.

Because HBS Online expects all students to participate fully to help create an active ecosystem of engaged learners, you cannot audit our courses.

Your program fee covers all course materials. All of the materials for our courses are accessed on the course platform.

You will not be required to purchase anything else or pay any additional fees for our programs or any associated final exams. If you request a transcript from HBS Online for the Credential of Readiness (CORe) program, you are required to pay National Student Clearinghouse a small fee (~$5) to receive your transcript.

In our courses, you will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the rest of the course (and, for CORe, as you prepare for the final exam). Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

In our self-paced programs on the course platform, you will receive an email on the first day of your program with a link to log in.

Courses on our course platform are designed to work on an internet-connected desktop or notebook computer running either the Chrome or Firefox browser. Tablet computers and smartphones are not supported for programs on the course platform at this time. A broadband internet connection is highly recommended to access the rich media in the program.

The course platform allows you to engage with the content and watch the course videos with bandwidth of at least 750 Kbps download speed. At this speed, you may experience video buffering and some slowness. Videos can be viewed in HD, or "high" quality with a minimum recommended bandwidth of 2 Mbps download speed. Your browser performance will also affect your experience on the platform. To avoid browser-based issues and to ensure the best experience, we recommend that you update your browser to its latest version.

All programs require the completion of a brief application. The applications vary slightly from program to program, but all ask for some personal background information. You can apply for and enroll in programs here. If you are new to HBS Online, you will be required to set up an account before starting an application for the program of your choice.

Our easy online application is free, and no special documentation is required. All applicants must be at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the program.

After submitting your application, you should receive an email confirmation from HBS Online. If you do not receive this email, please check your junk email folders and double-check your account to make sure the application was successfully submitted.

Updates to your application and enrollment status will be shown on your Dashboard. We confirm enrollment eligibility within one week of your application.

As an HBS Online participant, you join the HBS Online community; however, you will not be considered an HBS student. To become an HBS student, you must be enrolled in our MBA, executive education, or doctoral programs. When you earn your certificate or credential, you will not be considered an HBS alum. We offer ongoing learning opportunities and additional benefits, however, for individuals who have successfully completed HBS Online programs.

If you elect the undergraduate credit option for the Credential of Readiness (CORe) program, you will be enrolled at Harvard Extension School (January or September CORe cohorts) or Harvard Summer School (May CORe cohort) and eligible for student privileges like a Harvard University ID number (to access online library resources), free career and academic webinars, a Harvard Gmail account, and education tax credit and loan deferments.

By electing to enroll in the undergraduate credit option of the Credential of Readiness (CORe) program, participants can earn eight undergraduate credits from Harvard Extension School (January or September CORe cohorts) or Harvard Summer School (May CORe cohort).

At this time, it is not possible to earn academic credit for any other HBS Online programs.

Upon successful completion of an HBS Online program, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion or, in the case of CORe participants, a Credential of Readiness from Harvard Business School Online.

Certificates and credentials are delivered by mail to your home address after your final grade has been processed.

Once you've earned your Certificate of Completion or Credential of Readiness, list it on your resume along with the date of completion like this:

Credential of Readiness (CORe)

Harvard Business School Online
CORe: Credential of Readiness, [Grade]
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your credential on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [the year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; CORe Credential of Readiness
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: "Pass," "Pass with Honors," or "Pass with High Honors" as applicable
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

Certificate Programs

Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in [Course Name]
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [the year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in [Course Name]
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: “Complete”
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For program descriptions for LinkedIn, please refer to the course-specific FAQs.

No, Harvard Business School Online offers business certificate programs.

Learning Tracks enable participants to take three courses within a specific subject area to gain deeper insights and expertise. If all three courses are completed successfully, learners will earn a Certificate of Specialization.

HBS Online is currently offering a Learning Track in Leadership and Management and Strategy.

For each course you successfully finish within a Learning Track, you’ll earn a Certificate of Completion for that course. Once you’ve completed three courses within a Track, you’ll receive a Certificate of Specialization in your selected subject area. The Certificate of Specialization is available both as a digital and printed document.

Learning Tracks consist of three online courses within a specific subject area. Individual courses range anywhere from four to eight weeks and typically require four to nine hours of work per week. Participants can complete the work on their own time while meeting weekly course deadlines.

No. You have to enroll in each course individually. If you successfully complete all three courses within 18 months, you’ll earn a Certificate of Specialization.

To earn a Certificate of Specialization, learners must successfully complete three courses from their selected Learning Track within 18 months.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework for each program in a thoughtful and timely manner. They must meet each week’s course module deadlines and fully answer the questions posed therein. In addition to module and assignment completion, learners should offer feedback on others’ reflections and contribute to conversations on the course platform. Participants who fail to complete each course’s requirements will not receive a Certificate of Completion, or Certificate of Specialization, and will be ineligible to retake the course.

Yes. If you’ve successfully completed one or two courses within a Learning Track as of May 2021, you have 18 months to complete the remaining courses in the Track from the start of your next course. If you’ve successfully completed three courses from either the Leadership and Management or Strategy Learning Track as of May 2021, you’ll automatically earn a Certificate of Specialization.

If you’ve successfully completed all three courses within a Learning Track as of May 2021 and haven’t been notified about your Certificate of Specialization, please contact us at hbsonlinesupport@hbs.edu.

Yes. If you’re a new HBS Online learner, you’ll pay full price for your first course and then receive a 30-percent past participant discount off your second and third course.

Learning Tracks are restricted to 18 months to provide you with a rigorous learning experience while also offering enough flexibility to take each course when it aligns best with your schedule. Learning Tracks are designed to help you build deep expertise, so the timeframe enables you to keep the course material fresh while you immerse yourself in the Track.

Learning Tracks and CORe are two separate offerings. However, some courses taken as part of CORe may count toward a Certificate of Specialization in a given Learning Track.

Once you’ve successfully completed three courses within a Learning Track and have earned your Certificate of Specialization, list it on your resume like this:

Harvard Business School Online
Certificate of Specialization in [Subject Area]
Successfully completed [List Three Courses Taken]
[Completion Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you completed the Learning Track]
Degree: Other; Certificate of Specialization in [Subject Area]
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: "Complete"
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

Your Program Fee represents the tuition for your Harvard Business School Online course. There are no additional fees charged, or included in the Program Fee, to take an HBS Online program.

At this time, tuition assistance is available for the Credential of Readiness (CORe) program, as well as Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, and Financial Accounting certificate programs. To view the financial aid options available for these programs, please refer to the Payment & Financial Aid page.

We accept payments via credit card, eCheck, Western Union, and (when available) bank loan. Some candidates may qualify for scholarships or financial aid, which will be credited against the Program Fee once eligibility is determined. Please refer to the Payment & Financial Aid page for further information.

We also allow you to split your payment across 2 separate credit card transactions or send a payment link email to another person on your behalf. If splitting your payment into 2 transactions, a minimum payment of $350 is required for the first transaction.

In all cases, net Program Fees must be paid in full (in US Dollars) to complete registration.

While we require payment in full before your course’s enrollment deadline, it is possible to split the payment across 2 separate credit card transactions. If splitting your payment into 2 transactions, a minimum payment of $350 is required for the first transaction. Instructions for doing so are presented at checkout.

Yes, at checkout, it is possible to forward your payment to another person via email. Regardless of who submits payment, HBS Online must receive full payment for your course prior to the enrollment deadline.

HBS Online is not an eligible institution for tax credits, so you will not receive a 1098-T form. However, if you elect to enroll in the undergraduate credit option of the Credential of Readiness (CORe) program and apply those credits at an eligible home institution, you may receive a 1098-T form from that institution.

Your program fee covers all course materials. All of the materials for our self-paced programs on the course platform are accessed on the course platform. Preparatory materials for our real-time programs on Live are also shared via the course platform.

You will not be required to purchase anything else or pay any additional fees for our programs or any associated final exams. If you request a transcript from HBS Online, you are required to pay National Student Clearinghouse a small fee (~$5) to receive your transcript.

Please review the Program Policies page for details on options for refunds and deferrals. If your employer has contracted with HBS Online for participation in a program, or if you elect to enroll in the undergraduate credit option of the Credential of Readiness (CORe) program, note that policies for these options may differ.

Effective May 7, 2021, a 30% discount is available for HBS Online participants who have enrolled in at least 1 prior qualifying HBS Online program. Restrictions apply. Please review the Program Policies page for more discount details.

Discounts are automatically applied to the Program Fee upon time of payment. Offer terms are subject to change.

Organizations that enter into an official agreement with HBS Online determine the employees they would like to participate in a course or program. Unlike our enrollment process for individuals, no application is required and no selection criteria will be applied by HBS Online.

HBS Online will provide you with periodic progress reports letting you know exactly how each participant is faring in the course. These reports have useful data on progress and quiz scores (if applicable), and will highlight participants who may need further assistance.

HBS Online has a Program Delivery team tasked with ensuring you stay informed and supported throughout your experience. You will have access to a dedicated email address through which you can request changes to your cohort, ask for information, get advice on how to answer participant inquiries, and anything else you may need help with.

Your participants will have access to a number of services to help them succeed. HBS Online provides ongoing email communications before, during, and after the course to keep learners informed and on track for completion. We have a global Support Team, which is available via email 24/7 to resolve any technical or course-related issues participants may face.

HBS Online also manages an optional cohort Facebook group, and, for those who earn their certificate, private LinkedIn and Facebook groups for ongoing networking with a global community of past HBS Online learners.

HBS Online agreements—which can cover multiple courses/cohorts—will require the following:

• Identification of a primary contact and a billing contact
• Company address
• Number of participants (contract commitment)
• Timing of cohort(s)
• Additional participant/withdraw/refund policy
• Invoicing and payment terms
• Information on use of name and logo
• Privacy policy for team-based Disruptive Strategy

HBS Online agreements are based on a universal, standard template. Redlining, edits, or additional/modified provisions are generally not allowed. Contract terms are generally up to one calendar year and are governed by US/Massachusetts law.

In general, once consensus has been reached on course planning, agreements can be drafted and reviewed in approximately two to four weeks. Requests for non-standard terms or modifications will extend contract review time.

Once your contract is finalized, you will be introduced to a member of the Program Delivery team. Your Program Delivery Manager will walk you through the onboarding and participant registration process. Your delivery manager will also be the central point of contact for any questions or concerns you have before, during, and after your program experience.

All learners can reach our global, 24/7 Support Team at hbsonlinesupport@hbs.edu. This team handles all technical and course-related inquiries participants may have throughout the program.

Your Program Delivery Manager is a separate, specialized resource dedicated to helping you through your course experience.

Final Reports

HBS Online will provide you with a final progress report at the end of the program. Once the final deadline has passed, the HBS Online team begins evaluations to decide which participants are eligible for a credential (CORe) or certificate of completion (certificate programs). Participants can expect to receive final decisions 30 to 60 days after the end of the program.

Credentials/Certificates

For those participants deemed eligible, credentials and certificates are mailed to the mailing address provided during course registration. Only hard copies of these documents are provided. HBS Online does not provide electronic versions.

Feedback

Once a program has finished, you will be invited to provide feedback on your course experience to a member of the HBS Online team. Participants also provide general feedback throughout their course experience, and this information is available at your request.

Access to Materials

Participants will have access to course materials for an additional 60 days following the final deadline in a program. Certificate-holders will be invited to join a private LinkedIn group of all past HBS Online completers, and all learners will automatically be subscribed to ongoing updates from HBS Online.

Grades

For CORe participants, grades are posted approximately 45 to 60 days after the last day of the exam period. For example, if the last day of the exam window is April 20th, the grades will be posted no later than June 20th.

After the final deadline or final exam of a course, our team spends several weeks reviewing all participant coursework. Once this is review is complete, you’ll be notified of your final eligibility via email. Certificates and credentials are then dispatched via United States Postal Service (USPS) First Class Mail and may take eight weeks or more to arrive at their destination. No tracking information is available for certificate shipments.

All certificates are shipped via United States Postal Service (USPS) First Class Mail and may take six weeks or more to arrive at your address once dispatched; shipment tracking is not available.

If you wish to purchase tracked shipment via United Parcel Service (UPS), you may do so after being contacted by our vendor, the Michael Sutter Company.

Beginning in 2020, all certificate-eligible participants may download a free PDF copy of their certificate. These digital certificates will become available in the weeks following the final deadline of your course.

Our team understands that many participants may reside in countries whose local postal service is still impacted by COVID-19. If you live in a country whose postal service isn’t yet operational, or unable to receive USPS shipments, you will not be able to successfully enter your mailing address for your free certificate shipment until USPS service resumes. We encourage you to download your digital certificate.

If you wish to purchase shipment via United Parcel Service (UPS), you may do so through our certificate vendor, the Michael Sutter Company.

If your certificate was dispatched more than eight weeks ago, please contact support to request a reshipment of your certificate.

If you need proof of participation for employment or reimbursement purposes, you may download a Course Verification Form directly at any time from the course dashboard.

Once you've earned your Certificate of Completion or Credential of Readiness, list it on your resume along with the date of completion like this:

Credential of Readiness (CORe)

Harvard Business School Online
CORe: Credential of Readiness, [Grade]
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your credential on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [the year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Credential of Readiness
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: "Pass," "Pass with Honors," or "Pass with High Honors" as applicable
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

Certificate Programs

Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in [Course Name]
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [the year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in [Course Name]
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: “Complete”
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For program descriptions for LinkedIn, please refer to the course-specific FAQs.

While all HBS Online certificates have a similar format, you’ll notice certain differences between each certificate, especially for courses run in conjunction with Harvard Online and the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Your course completion status is not impacted by possessing a physical copy of your certificate. If you’ve successfully completed an HBS Online course, we encourage you to list this accomplishment on your resume and LinkedIn profile. Your completion status can also be verified by downloading the Course Verification Form.

Credential of Readiness (CORe)

Harvard Business School Online
CORe: Credential of Readiness, [Grade]
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your credential on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [the year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Credential of Readiness
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: "Pass," "Pass with Honors," or "Pass with High Honors" as applicable
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

Certificate Programs

Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in [Course Name]
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [the year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in [Course Name]
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: “Complete”
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For program descriptions for LinkedIn, please refer to the course-specific FAQs.

We understand the significance of receiving your HBS Online certificate and know it’s disappointing to have to wait for its arrival. HBS Online does not provide refunds in the event a participant is unable to receive their free certificate shipment via United States Postal Service (USPS).

Your HBX certificate is absolutely still valid.

No. We are not reissuing certificates. The certificate you earned as part of HBX is still valid. That said, your LinkedIn profile will automatically change to Harvard Business School Online, as long you chose the pre-set HBX credential when you originally added it to your profile. If you didn’t choose that option, you may manually update your LinkedIn profile and/or resume to reflect the new Harvard Business School Online name.

No. We are not issuing free PDFs for participants with an HBX certificate.

CORe is offered with multiple durations of study—ranging from 10-week cohorts to extended 17-week cohorts. However, the course content and program requirements are identical regardless of the program length. Our goal in offering different program lengths is to give learners different options to balance the program’s rigors with their particular lifestyle and responsibilities.

The median time required to complete the program is approximately 150 hours, though this learning time varies widely. Some participants spend more time on the platform to enhance their understanding of course concepts and share insights with peers. This time includes all coursework on the platform, including written reflections and quizzes, as well as engagement with peers. This does not include review work outside the platform or preparing for and taking the three-hour CORe final exam.

In the standard versions of CORe—10-week and 12-week cohorts—you should be prepared to spend more time per week on the program. Although we have smoothed out the workload as evenly as possible, you should expect that some weeks will require more work than others.

During the January, May, and September CORe cohorts, we offer an undergraduate credit option through the Harvard Extension School. When you start your application, you can select whether you are seeking admission for the for-credit or non-credit option of CORe. The course content, deadlines, and grading process are all the same whether you choose to enroll in the undergraduate credit ($3,680 / $3,760 starting September 2020) or credential-only ($2,250) version of CORe.

By enrolling in the undergraduate credit option of CORe, you will be enrolled at Harvard Extension School (January or September CORe cohorts) or Harvard Summer School (May CORe cohort) and eligible for student privileges like a Harvard University ID number (to access online library resources), free career and academic webinars, a Harvard Gmail account, and education tax credit and loan deferments.

Upon successful completion of CORe, undergraduate credit option participants will earn eight undergraduate credits from Harvard Extension School (January or September CORe cohorts) or Harvard Summer School (May CORe cohort). Harvard Extension School and Harvard Summer School are fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges—the same accreditation as all other schools at Harvard. Harvard transfer credit is accepted by institutions around the world, but it is always up to the accepting university to determine transferability. Successful undergraduate credit option participants will also receive a Credential of Readiness certificate from Harvard Business School Online, and an official transcript will be made available to verify your mastery of the program’s content.

The Harvard Extension School graduate program in the field of management or finance offers an accelerated admission pathway for students who pass CORe (in the for-credit or non-credit offering).

Financial aid and financing options available for CORe program participants also vary depending on whether participants have elected the undergraduate credit option or have enrolled in the non-credit version of the program. More information is available on the Payment & Financial Aid page.

CORe participants may be eligible for financial aid based on demonstrated financial need. To receive financial aid, you will be asked to provide supporting documentation. Please refer to our Payment & Financial Aid page.

Successful completion of CORe will help you prepare for an MBA program. While applicants to the MBA Program at HBS will have an opportunity to inform the Admissions Board of non-degree preparatory coursework (including CORe), this is one of many application elements and will be considered in the larger context of a holistic selection process.

The Harvard Extension School graduate program in the field of management or finance offers an accelerated admission pathway for students who pass CORe (in the for-credit or non-credit offering).

Please refer to our Policies page.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program and prepare for the final exam. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program. At the end of each course module, you will be able to download a PDF summary of the module’s key takeaways. At the end of the program, you will receive a PDF compilation of all of the module summary documents.

Once you've earned your Credential of Readiness, list it on your resume along with the date of completion like this:

Harvard Business School Online
CORe: Credential of Readiness, [Grade]
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your credential on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; CORe Credential of Readiness
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: "Pass," "Pass with Honors" or "Pass with High Honors" as applicable
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

Description: CORe (Credential of Readiness) is a 150-hour certificate program on the fundamentals of business from Harvard Business School. CORe is comprised of three courses—Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, and Financial Accounting—developed by leading Harvard Business School faculty and delivered in an active learning environment based on the HBS signature case-based learning model.

Course participation is a critical element of the CORe program. Students are expected not only to learn, but to contribute to their peers' learning. Participation takes one of two forms: "required course participation" and "enhanced course participation."

At HBS Online, we believe that learning is enhanced not only when you learn from your peers but also when you help your peers understand and apply course concepts. Enhanced participation involves going beyond required participation, by completing elements that further contribute to classmates' learning in CORe. For example, thoughtfully asking and answering questions, sharing particularly interesting or creative observations, and participating in weekly assignments. We expect a basic level of engagement by everyone on each of these enhanced participation elements.

"Knowledge check" questions and interactive exercises are present throughout each of the courses. They were created to serve as opportunities for you to practice, test, and refine your understanding of the course material and, as such, do not "count" toward your course grade. Of course, we expect you to approach this element of participation with the same degree of care as you do other parts of the course participation. In addition, it is in your own interest to complete these questions thoroughly since some of them are good indicators of the types of questions to expect on module quizzes or the final exam.

Other elements of "required participation" (e.g., reflections, cold calls, shared reflections, etc.) do impact your final course grades and should be completed with care.

HBS Online provides the following grades for CORe: Pass with High Honors, Pass with Honors, Pass, and Fail.

We cannot draw equivalencies between our grading scale and an A-F grading scale. If you are an organization that requires proof of satisfactory completion to process reimbursements, any employee who earns a Pass (or higher) has met our requirements of mastery and should be considered eligible for reimbursement.

Upon completion of the course, if you are asked for official verification of your completion of CORe by an employer or institution, you may order an official HBS Online transcript at any time via My Dashboard. For security, the transcripts should only be sent directly to an institution or employer, and they expire after 30 days. This transcript represents your official academic record with HBS Online and is delivered electronically only over secure PDF. If you request a transcript, you are required to pay National Student Clearinghouse a small fee (~$5) to receive your transcript.

The CORe final exam is a three-hour, multiple-choice, closed book assessment created by HBS faculty and delivered via the HBS Online course platform. The exam is offered to participants after successful completion of the program during defined time periods following the last module deadline.

Note: Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the current mode of delivery is subject to change. More details about exam delivery will be shared at the beginning of each cohort.

For more information, visit our CORe Final Exam page.

The CORe final exam is a three-hour, multiple-choice, closed book assessment created by HBS faculty and delivered via the HBS Online course platform. The exam is offered to participants after successful completion of the program during defined time periods following the last module deadline.

Note: Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the current mode of delivery is subject to change. More details about exam delivery will be shared at the beginning of each cohort.

For more information, visit our CORe Final Exam page.

The exam window generally opens one to two weeks after the last module deadline. The final exam window for each cohort is open for two weeks. A passing exam score on all three courses (Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, and Financial Accounting) is required in order to earn the CORe credential.

Note: Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the current mode of delivery is subject to change. More details about exam delivery will be shared at the beginning of each cohort.

For more information, visit our CORe Final Exam page.

Participants in Alternative Investments are eligible for a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School Online.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure participants proceed through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect you to offer feedback on others’ reflections and contribute to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Alternative Investments. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

At the end of each course module, you will be able to download a PDF summary highlighting key concepts and formulas used throughout the course. At the end of the program, you will receive a PDF compilation of all of the module summary documents. We hope the module summary documents will serve as a helpful resource after you finish the course.

Once you've earned your Certificate of Completion, list it on your resume along with the date of completion:

Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in Alternative Investments
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Alternative Investments
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: "Complete"
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

Description:
Alternative Investments is a 5-week, 30-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. Alternative Investments teaches students how to speak the language of alternative investments, identity the defining elements of private equity, private debt, hedge funds, and real estate, assess potential investment opportunities, and understand the skills and strategies necessary for investing in alternatives. The program was developed by leading Harvard Business School faculty and is delivered in an active learning environment based on the HBS signature case-based learning model.

Participants should have completed an undergraduate-level introductory finance course or equivalent at some point during their education and possess a basic understanding of capital markets, portfolio theory, and risk and return.

CFA Institute (including the Chartered Financial Analyst and Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement programs) allows its members the ability to self-determine and self-report continuing education credits earned from external sources. CFA Institute members are encouraged to self-document such credits in their online Professional Learning tracker.

No previous background in statistics or programming is required for this course.

Yes! This course is particularly good for those who aren’t data scientists or economists, but who would like to understand how these methods can be used to create social impact.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure participants proceed through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect you to offer feedback on others’ reflections and contribute to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Big Data for Social Good. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

For more information on grading, please refer to the Policies Page.

Once you've earned your Certificate of Completion, list it on your resume along with the date of completion:

Harvard Online
Certificate in Big Data for Social Good
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Big Data for Social Good
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: Complete
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

Big Data for Social Good encourages learners to think critically about important social questions such as education policy, upward income mobility, and racial disparities, and helps them understand how statistical methods, economic approaches, and big data can not only answer these questions but also impact policies that lead to improved outcomes and greater economic opportunity around the world.

In addition to being a standalone certificate program, Business Analytics is also one component course of the Credential of Readiness (CORe) program, which also includes Economics for Managers and Financial Accounting. Designed for those interested in learning business fundamentals more broadly, CORe program participants progress through the three courses in tandem, and the program concludes with an in-person final exam.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s deadline to complete a module of the course and fully answering questions posed therein, including satisfactory performance on the quizzes at the end of each module (earning an average score of 50% or greater). This helps ensure your cohort proceeds through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. A module is composed of a series of teaching elements (such as faculty videos, simulations, reflections, or quizzes) designed to impart the learnings of the course. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect participation in the social learning elements of the course by offering feedback on others’ reflections and contributing to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on individual course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Business Analytics–participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

For more information on grading, please refer to the Policies Page.

Business Analytics participants may be eligible for financial aid based on demonstrated financial need. To receive financial aid, you will be asked to provide supporting documentation. Please refer to our Payment & Financial Aid page.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program. At the end of each course module, you will be able to download a PDF summary of the module’s key takeaways. At the end of the program, you will receive a PDF compilation of all of the module summary documents.

Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in Business Analytics
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Business Analytics
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: Complete
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

Business Analytics is an 8-week, 40-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. Business Analytics introduces quantitative methods used to analyze data and make better management decisions. Participants hone their understanding of key concepts, managerial judgment, and ability to apply course concepts to real business problems. Business Analytics was developed by leading Harvard Business School faculty and is delivered in an active learning environment based on the HBS signature case-based learning method.

HBS Online Business Analytics and the Harvard Business Analytics Program are completely separate programs.

HBS Online Business Analytics consists of approximately 40 hours of material delivered entirely online through the HBS Online course platform over an eight-week period. The fee for this program is $1,600, and financial aid is available for qualified applicants.

The Harvard Business Analytics Program is an online certificate program offered through a collaboration between Harvard Business School, the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The program consists of six core courses, two seminars, and two in-person immersions, and can be completed in as little as nine months. The total tuition for the Harvard Business Analytics Program is $50,000.

These three courses cover different topics related to data and analytics and do so in different ways.

Business Analytics teaches participants to apply basic statistics to real business problems and includes hands-on practice implementing analyses in Excel. The course covers descriptive statistics, sampling and estimation, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis. The course is intended for individuals at all stages of their careers who would like to strengthen their analytical skills, including college students and recent graduates without a background in statistics, those considering an MBA or other graduate program, or professionals seeking data literacy.

Data Science Principles introduces key concepts in data science—such as prediction, causality, visualization, data wrangling, privacy, and ethics—but does so without coding or mathematical application. The course is intended for organizational leaders and managers to be prepared to act on data analysis and to decide whether data science applications are appropriate tools for their businesses or organizations. The course is also well suited for business operations specialists to understand the building blocks of basic data visualization.

Data Science for Business moves beyond the spreadsheet and provides a hands-on approach for demystifying the data science ecosystem and making you a more conscientious consumer of information. Starting with the questions you need to ask when using data for decision-making, this course will help you know when to trust your data and how to interpret the results. By the end of the course, you should understand how to create a data-driven framework for your organization or yourself; develop hypotheses and insights from visualization; identify data mistakes or missing components; and, speak the language of data science across themes such as forecasting, linear regressions, and machine learning to better lead your team to long-term success. You will learn how to create a compelling story that uses proven, collected data to make core business decisions, and explore coding environments such as R and visualization software.

No mathematics or programming experience is required for this course. Data Privacy and Technology is designed for a general audience and is unique in its framing of privacy issues as a composite ethical, business, technology, and societal concern. Although specific techniques for how to anonymize data are explored, the course focuses more on theories of privacy and how to think critically about privacy issues from multiple angles: exploring policy, cultural, and societal impacts. There are no coding exercises in the course. Assignments include reflection exercises, where learners consider their own attitudes and experiences related to privacy, and critical-thinking exercises that put the learner in the role of a decision-maker in real-life scenarios.

Once you've earned your Certificate of Completion, list it on your resume along with the date of completion:

Harvard Online
Certificate in Data Privacy and Technology
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:
School: Harvard Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Data Privacy and Technology
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: Complete
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

Data Privacy and Technology is a Harvard Online course that encourages learners to think critically about the trade-offs and challenges presented by the ever-changing role of technology. Learners explore legal and ethical implications of one’s personal data, the risks and rewards of data collection and surveillance, and the needs for policy, advocacy, and privacy monitoring.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure participants proceed through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect you to offer feedback on others’ reflections and contribute to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Data Privacy and Technology. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

For more information on grading, please refer to the Policies Page.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

Data Science Principles focuses on the conceptual level. No mathematics or programming experience are required.

Yes! This course is particularly good for those who aren’t data scientists, but who need to work with them as managers, decision-makers, or colleagues.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure participants proceed through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect you to offer feedback on others’ reflections and contribute to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Data Science Principles. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

For more information on grading, please refer to the Policies Page.

These three courses cover different topics related to data and analytics and do so in different ways.

Business Analytics teaches participants to apply basic statistics to real business problems and includes hands-on practice implementing analyses in Excel. The course covers descriptive statistics, sampling and estimation, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis. The course is intended for individuals at all stages of their careers who would like to strengthen their analytical skills, including college students and recent graduates without a background in statistics, those considering an MBA or other graduate program, or professionals seeking data literacy.

Data Science Principles introduces key concepts in data science—such as prediction, causality, visualization, data wrangling, privacy, and ethics—but does so without coding or mathematical application. The course is intended for organizational leaders and managers to be prepared to act on data analysis and to decide whether data science applications are appropriate tools for their businesses or organizations. The course is also well suited for business operations specialists to understand the building blocks of basic data visualization.

Data Science for Business moves beyond the spreadsheet and provides a hands-on approach for demystifying the data science ecosystem and making you a more conscientious consumer of information. Starting with the questions you need to ask when using data for decision-making, this course will help you know when to trust your data and how to interpret the results. By the end of the course, you should understand how to create a data-driven framework for your organization or yourself; develop hypotheses and insights from visualization; identify data mistakes or missing components; and, speak the language of data science across themes such as forecasting, linear regressions, and machine learning to better lead your team to long-term success. You will learn how to create a compelling story that uses proven, collected data to make core business decisions, and explore coding environments such as R and visualization software.

Once you've earned your Certificate of Completion, list it on your resume along with the date of completion:

Harvard Online
Certificate in Data Science Principles
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Data Science Principles
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: Complete
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

Data Science Principles is an online course that allows you to gain a familiarity with the fundamental concepts and use of data science, including prediction, causality, data wrangling, privacy, and ethics.

We are committed to helping our learners meet their personal and professional goals. Through research and comments from past participants, we found that Data Science Principles more accurately reflects the course learning outcomes — helping you identify concepts and principles that you can immediately apply in your workplace and daily life.

Absolutely! Data Science Principles contains the very same content and experience as Data Science Ready. All that has changed is the name. If you would like to update your LinkedIn profile or resume to reflect the new name, you can simply change the course name to “Data Science Principles”

Data Science for Business focuses primarily on concepts, but a basic understanding of algebra and statistics will be helpful. For example understanding the mean, or the difference between ordinal and continuous variables will be relevant.

Yes! This course is particularly good for those who aren’t data scientists, but who need to work with them as managers, decision-makers, or colleagues.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure participants proceed through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect you to offer feedback on others’ reflections and contribute to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Data Science for Business. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

For more information on grading, please refer to the Policies Page.

These three courses cover different topics related to data and analytics and do so in different ways.

Business Analytics teaches participants to apply basic statistics to real business problems and includes hands-on practice implementing analyses in Excel. The course covers descriptive statistics, sampling and estimation, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis. The course is intended for individuals at all stages of their careers who would like to strengthen their analytical skills, including college students and recent graduates without a background in statistics, those considering an MBA or other graduate program, or professionals seeking data literacy.

Data Science Principles introduces key concepts in data science—such as prediction, causality, visualization, data wrangling, privacy, and ethics—but does so without coding or mathematical application. The course is intended for organizational leaders and managers to be prepared to act on data analysis and to decide whether data science applications are appropriate tools for their businesses or organizations. The course is also well suited for business operations specialists to understand the building blocks of basic data visualization.

Data Science for Business moves beyond the spreadsheet and provides a hands-on approach for demystifying the data science ecosystem and making you a more conscientious consumer of information. Starting with the questions you need to ask when using data for decision-making, this course will help you know when to trust your data and how to interpret the results. By the end of the course, you should understand how to create a data-driven framework for your organization or yourself; develop hypotheses and insights from visualization; identify data mistakes or missing components; and, speak the language of data science across themes such as forecasting, linear regressions, and machine learning to better lead your team to long-term success. You will learn how to create a compelling story that uses proven, collected data to make core business decisions, and explore coding environments such as R and visualization software.

Once you've earned your Certificate of Completion, list it on your resume along with the date of completion:

Harvard Online
Certificate in Data Science for Business
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Data Science for Business
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: Complete
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

Data Science for Business is an online course that focuses on data-driven frameworks for decision-making and includes developing insights from visualizations, identifying data mistakes or missing components, and speaking the language of data science across themes such as forecasting, linear regressions, and machine learning.

Participants in Disruptive Strategy are eligible for a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School Online.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure your cohort proceeds through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect participation in the social learning elements of the course by offering feedback on others’ reflections and contributing to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Disruptive Strategy. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

At the end of each course module, you will be able to download a PDF summary highlighting key concepts introduced in the course. At the end of the program, you will receive a PDF compilation of all of the module summary documents. We hope the module summary documents will serve as a helpful resource after you finish the course.

Once you've earned your Certificate of Completion, list it on your resume along with the date of completion:

Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in Disruptive Strategy with Clayton Christensen
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Disruptive Strategy with Clayton Christensen
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: "Complete"
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

Description:
Disruptive Strategy with Clayton Christensen is a 6-week, 30-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. Disruptive Strategy helps students become fluent in disruption theory and gain confidence in articulating complex viewpoints, apply strategic frameworks to assess new opportunities and potential threats, and acquire techniques for executive-level strategy formulation and team management. The program was developed by leading Harvard Business School faculty and is delivered in an active learning environment based on the HBS signature case-based learning model.

Harvard Business School Online is saddened by the loss of acclaimed teacher, scholar, and innovator Clayton Christensen. Professor Christensen’s online Disruptive Strategy course has engaged thousands of learners and will continue to reach individuals worldwide. HBS Online worked closely with Professor Christensen on the development of the course and is honored to deliver Disruptive Strategy as part of his legacy.

In addition to being a standalone certificate program, Economics for Managers is also one component course of the Credential of Readiness (CORe) program, which also includes Business Analytics and Financial Accounting. Designed for those interested in learning business fundamentals more broadly, CORe program participants progress through the three courses in tandem, and the program concludes with an in-person final exam.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein, including satisfactory performance on the quizzes at the end of each module (earning an average score of 50% or greater). This helps ensure your cohort proceeds through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. A module is composed of a series of teaching elements (such as faculty videos, simulations, reflections, or quizzes) designed to impart the learnings of the course. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect participation in the social learning elements of the course by offering feedback on others’ reflections and contributing to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on individual course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Economics for Managers. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

For more information on grading, please refer to the Policies Page.

Economics for Managers participants may be eligible for financial aid based on demonstrated financial need. To receive financial aid, you will be asked to provide supporting documentation. Please refer to our Payment & Financial Aid page.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program. At the end of each course module, you will be able to download a PDF summary of the module’s key takeaways. At the end of the program, you will receive a PDF compilation of all of the module summary documents.

Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in Economics for Managers
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Economics for Managers
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: Complete
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

Economics for Managers is an 8-week, 60-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. Economics for Managers dives into fundamental economic principles like supply and demand, cost, markets, competition and differentiation. Participants gain the knowledge and skills needed to craft successful business strategy. Economics for Managers was developed by leading Harvard Business School faculty and is delivered in an active learning environment based on the HBS signature case-based learning method.

These lessons only offer a small portion of select HBS Online courses. Participants who take this free offering are NOT eligible for an HBS Online Certificate of Completion.

If you are interested in taking a full certificate course, you will need to apply, register, and pay for that specific course.

Due to overwhelming demand, we had to close the application window. We were not able to offer a space to those who did not fully complete the enrollment process. We, unfortunately, cannot reopen registration and will no longer be letting additional participants into the free Business Lessons. We apologize for this inconvenience.

We will not be reopening the application for the free Business Lessons. Our platform and support processes are not currently built for the demand and while we hoped to offer this content to all interested, we must balance that with our commitment to delivering an optimal learning experience for everyone on our platform.

You will not receive a certificate by taking these free business lessons. You will instead have the opportunity to explore core business concepts and gain new skills, while experiencing HBS Online’s social, interactive learning model.

Yes. You will not be able to skip a lesson if you decide to register for the full course.

These free, featured lessons teach core business concepts that can help you, your team, or organization achieve success.

You will not be eligible for a past participant discount by completing one of these free business lessons.

We wanted to provide a free, helpful resource for all those who are interested in gaining new skills, while still honoring the hard work, dedication, and cost our 70,000 online learners have put into earning an HBS Online certificate or credential.

We do have a variety of other resources that can help you navigate through the coronavirus pandemic, including an e-book, articles, and a 15-minute lesson about how to lead in turbulent times. You can find those resources on HBS Online’s Business Insights Blog.

Participants in Entrepreneurship Essentials are eligible for a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School Online.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure your cohort proceeds through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect participation in the social learning elements of the course by offering feedback on others’ reflections and contributing to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Entrepreneurship Essentials. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in Entrepreneurship Essentials
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Entrepreneurship Essentials
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: "Complete"
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:
Entrepreneurship Essentials is a 4-week, 30-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. Entrepreneurship Essentials introduces participants to the entrepreneurial journey from finding an idea to gaining traction in the marketplace to raising capital for a venture. Participants learn an overarching framework—People, Opportunity, Context, Deal—to evaluate opportunities, manage start-ups, and finance ventures.

This course also introduces participants to the idea that entrepreneurs run structured experiments to validate ideas and refine business strategy. Participants work through real-world challenges faced by entrepreneurs across a variety of industries, and come away with tangible tools and techniques that they can apply to their own entrepreneurial journeys.

In addition to being a standalone certificate program, Financial Accounting is also one component course of the Credential of Readiness (CORe) program, which also includes Economics for Managers and Business Analytics. Designed for those interested in learning business fundamentals more broadly, CORe program participants progress through the three courses in tandem, and the program concludes with an in-person final exam.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein, including satisfactory performance on the quizzes at the end of each module (earning an average score of 50% or greater). This helps ensure your cohort proceeds through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. A module is composed of a series of teaching elements (such as faculty videos, simulations, reflections, or quizzes) designed to impart the learnings of the course. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect participation in the social learning elements of the course by offering feedback on others’ reflections and contributing to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on individual course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Financial Accounting. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

For more information on grading, please refer to the Policies Page.

Financial Accounting participants may be eligible for financial aid based on demonstrated financial need. To receive financial aid, you will be asked to provide supporting documentation. Please refer to our Payment & Financial Aid page.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program. At the end of each course module, you will be able to download a PDF summary of the module’s key takeaways. At the end of the program, you will receive a PDF compilation of all of the module summary documents.

Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in Financial Accounting
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Financial Accounting
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: Complete
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

Financial Accounting is an 8-week, 60-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. This course teaches the fundamentals of financial accounting from the ground up. Participants learn how to prepare and interpret financial statements—the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement—and calculate and interpret critical ratios. The course concludes with an introduction to forecasting and valuation. Financial Accounting was developed by leading Harvard Business School faculty and is delivered in an active learning environment based on the HBS signature case-based learning method.

A finance or accounting background is not necessary.

Yes. Most of the course requires no legal knowledge. In a few places, the material will use legal settings and knowledge to motivate or situate the concepts the course teaches, but the course should still be generally accessible without in-depth legal education.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure participants proceed through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect you to offer feedback on others’ reflections and contribute to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Financial Analysis and Valuation for Lawyers. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

For more information on grading, please refer to the Policies Page.

This course situates financial accounting, financial analysis, finance and valuation in legal settings, illustrating how the material can help lawyers make or advise on legal decisions. It is designed to make those topics relevant to law students and lawyers. It is not a substitute for financial accounting or finance as separate courses if students want in-depth knowledge on those topics.

Once you've earned your Certificate of Completion, list it on your resume along with the date of completion:

Harvard Online
Certificate in Financial Analysis and Valuation for Lawyers
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Financial Analysis and Valuation for Lawyers
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: Complete
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

Financial Analysis and Valuation for Lawyers is an online course designed to help you navigate your organization or client’s financial goals while increasing profitability and minimizing risks. Through examples of business valuations and presentations from real-world practitioners, this course helps legal professionals interpret financial data, make a business case, and know what types of experts can help support your argument.

Participants in Global Business are eligible for a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School Online.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure participants proceed through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect you to offer feedback on others’ reflections and contribute to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Global Business. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in Global Business
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Global Business
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: Complete
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

Global Business is a 4-week, 24-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. Global Business provides a grounding in the economic, political, and social factors driving global change to help participants assess opportunities, manage risk, and create and capture value for their organization. The program was developed by leading Harvard Business School faculty and is delivered in an active learning environment based on the HBS signature case-based learning model.

Health Care Economics is an introductory course that focuses on how basic economic principles affect health care spending. No prerequisite knowledge of economics is required, but a basic understanding of algebra and familiarity with reading charts and graphs will be helpful.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure participants proceed through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect you to offer feedback on others’ reflections and contribute to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Health Care Economics. Participation will be evaluated as complete or not complete.

For more information on grading, please refer to the Policies Page.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

At the end of the course, you will be able to download a PDF summary highlighting key concepts that were introduced throughout the course. We hope the summary document will serve as a helpful resource after you finish the course.

Once you've earned your Certificate of Completion, list it on your resume along with the date of completion:

Harvard Online
Certificate in Health Care Economics
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Health Care Economics
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: Complete
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

Health Care Economics is an online course that allows you to explore how fundamental economic forces shape health care, and the ways that changing policies can influence the decisions made by patients, providers, and other industry leaders.

Medical professionals who complete the course are eligible for 19.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ through Harvard Medical School. Upon successful completion of the course, participants will have access to register and claim their credits through the Harvard Medical School’s continuing education platform.

Leadership Principles begins with a two-week prework period in which you’ll be asked to complete a self-assessment and invite colleagues, such as managers, peers, and direct reports, to complete a survey rating you on dimensions of emotional and social intelligence. The prework will take approximately one hour of your time and roughly 30 minutes for each colleague who participates. Your colleagues’ ratings will be kept confidential and anonymous.

The goal of this 360° assessment—and one of Leadership Principles’ primary learning objectives—is to help you gain greater self-awareness and insight into how peers and direct reports experience you along certain dimensions and how to adjust behavior along those dimensions for desired outcomes.

The 360° assessment is called the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI), and it is administered by Korn Ferry. The assessment provides insight into core interpersonal competencies that can be observed and assessed by others, and has been taken by more than 160,000 executives. These competencies can be developed and enhanced with practice, coaching, and feedback.

Upon successful completion of the prework—which requires obtaining ratings from at least two colleagues in addition to the self-assessment—you’ll receive a detailed report that provides insight into your emotional intelligence and how you’re perceived by others. Emotional intelligence is a central theme of the Leadership Principles course, and successfully completing the prework will greatly enhance your knowledge of both the course materials and your personal leadership.

Upon enrolling in Leadership Principles, we will provide more information on the prework process.

The two-week prework period begins on the first day of the course. You don’t need to do anything to prepare prior to then, but you may wish to begin thinking about which colleagues you’ll ask to participate in the assessment. When you log in for the first time, you will be provided with the prework instructions.

The course begins with a two-week prework period in which you’ll be asked to complete a self-assessment and invite colleagues to rate you on dimensions of emotional and social intelligence. The prework will take approximately one hour of your time and roughly 30 minutes for each colleague who participates.

The course content is delivered over a four-week period after the prework concludes. You should expect to spend approximately seven to nine hours per week on the course content during the last four weeks of the program.

Participants in Leadership Principles are eligible for a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School Online.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure participants proceed through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect you to offer feedback on others’ reflections and contribute to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Leadership Principles. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

At several points in Leadership Principles, you'll be presented with scenarios and asked to video record yourself reacting to various leadership challenges. These exercises have been developed to let you step into the shoes of decision-makers, gain insight into your leadership style, and practice techniques taught in the course. In these exercises, you'll have an opportunity to watch and reflect on your approach. For some of these exercises, you'll also participate in peer assessment, which will enable you to see how two fellow learners approached the same challenge and how two others viewed your leadership style. You can record yourself on a phone, computer, or other video recording device and will be asked to upload the video to the course.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

Once you've earned your Certificate of Completion, list it on your resume along with the date of completion:

Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in Leadership Principles
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Leadership Principles
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: Complete
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

Leadership Principles is a 6-week, 25-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. Leadership Principles is designed to help individuals thrive as leaders, unleash the capabilities of others, and cultivate high-performing teams. This course leverages self-assessments, 360° feedback from colleagues, and the perspectives of fellow learners to enable participants to build greater self-awareness and enhance the versatility of their leadership style and approach. The program was developed by leading Harvard Business School faculty and is delivered in an active learning environment based on the HBS signature case-based learning model.

Participants in Leading with Finance are eligible for a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School Online.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure your cohort proceeds through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect participation in the social learning elements of the course by offering feedback on others’ reflections and contributing to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Leading with Finance. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

At the end of each course module, you will be able to download a PDF summary highlighting key concepts and accounting and financial formulas used throughout the course. At the end of the program, you will receive a PDF compilation of all of the module summary documents. We hope the module summary documents will serve as a helpful resource after you finish the course.

Once you've earned your Certificate of Completion, list it on your resume along with the date of completion:

Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in Leading with Finance
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program
Degree: Other; Certificate in Leading with Finance
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: "Complete"
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

Description:
Leading with Finance is a 6-week, 40-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. Leading with Finance helps students understand key financial levers that drive financial performance, examine how the capital markets work, develop a toolkit for making smart financial decisions, and gain the confidence to clearly communicate those decisions to both internal and external stakeholders. The program was developed by leading Harvard Business School faculty and is delivered in an active learning environment based on the HBS signature case-based learning model.

Participants in Management Essentials are eligible for a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School Online.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions. This helps ensure your group proceeds through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect participation in the social learning elements of the course by offering feedback on others’ reflections and contributing to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Management Essentials. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

At the end of the program, you will receive a PDF summary highlighting the key concepts introduced in the course.

Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in Management Essentials
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Management Essentials
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: "Complete"
Activities and Societies: Leave blank
Description:
Management Essentials is an 8-week, 35-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. Management Essentials takes a distinctive, hands-on approach to management. Participants in this course learn to identify, understand, design, and shape critical organizational and managerial processes as a means of getting the work done.

The course focuses on four of the most essential processes for managers: decision-making, implementation, learning, and change. Participants work through real-world challenges faced by managers across a variety of industries, and come away with tangible tools and techniques that they can readily apply in their organizations to create higher quality, more efficient work.

Participants in Negotiation Mastery are eligible for a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School Online.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure your cohort proceeds through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect participation in the social learning elements of the course by offering feedback on others’ reflections and contributing to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Negotiation Mastery. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

Your workbook will be your personalized resource in which you capture key insights as you progress through the course. Your workbook will also be the basis for your Capstone assignment for the course, which includes several short essay questions that will help you reflect on what you’ve learned throughout the course, and consider how you will implement your new skills in future negotiations.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

At the end of each course module, you will be able to download a PDF summary highlighting key concepts and techniques. At the end of the program, you will receive a PDF compilation of all of the module summary documents. In addition, you will also receive a personalized workbook that tracks your own performance, your lessons learned, and the feedback you received from fellow students. Together, we hope the module summary documents and workbook will be powerful resources to support your negotiation success in the months and years after you finish the course.

In preparation for each negotiation, participants receive a role assignment, view a video that sets the stage, and confidential instructions on their role. To experience a full simulation, with a partner, participants are required to pass a readiness assessment—a short simple quiz intended to check that they know their role and are all set for the negotiation. Participants have two chances to pass the quiz.

Participants who do not pass the quiz will not be paired and will instead go through a modified standalone experience. They will read transcripts of the negotiation and provide coaching about how they would handle certain key decision points.

Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in Negotiation Mastery
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Negotiation Mastery
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: "Complete"
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:
Negotiation Mastery is an 8-week, 40-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. Negotiation Mastery prepares students to close deals that might otherwise be dead-locked, maximize value creation in agreements, and resolve differences before they escalate into costly conflicts. The program provides both an analytical toolkit and interpersonal techniques for dealing effectively with different bargaining styles and tactics. Negotiation Mastery was developed by leading Harvard Business School faculty and is delivered in an active learning environment based on the HBS signature case-based learning model.

Participants in Organizational Leadership are eligible for a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School Online.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner, including the Learning Path Tool assessment. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure participants proceed through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect you to offer feedback on others’ reflections and contribute to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Organizational Leadership. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

The Learning Path Tool (LPT) is a 360-degree assessment developed at Harvard Business School to provide leaders with insights into key areas of competence essential for effective leadership. At the beginning of Organizational Leadership, you’ll be asked to complete a self-assessment and solicit feedback from colleagues, such as direct reports, clients, or managers, for the assessment. Upon successful completion of the LPT—which requires obtaining ratings from at least two colleagues (and ideally at least six)—you will receive a detailed report that provides insight into your leadership and how others experience you. Timely completion of the Learning Path Tool is required for course completion.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

At the end of each course module, you will be able to download a PDF summary highlighting key concepts used throughout the course. At the end of the program, you will receive a PDF compilation of all of the module summary documents. We hope the module summary documents will serve as a helpful resource after you finish the course.

Harvard Business School Online

Certificate in Organizational Leadership

[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Organizational Leadership
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: "Complete"
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

Organizational Leadership is a 7-week, 40-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. Organizational Leadership equips experienced team leaders with the skills, strategies, and tools to set and communicate direction, influence through other managers, generate organizational alignment, drive innovation, and engineer change.

The program was developed by leading Harvard Business School faculty and is delivered in an active learning environment based on the HBS signature case-based learning model.

Participants in Strategy Execution are eligible for a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School Online.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure participants proceed through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect you to offer feedback on others’ reflections and contribute to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Strategy Execution. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

At the end of each course module, you will be able to download a PDF summary highlighting key concepts used throughout the course. At the end of the program, you will receive a PDF compilation of all of the module summary documents. We hope the module summary documents will serve as a helpful resource after you finish the course.

Once you've earned your Certificate of Completion, list it on your resume along with the date of completion:

Harvard Business School Online

Certificate in Strategy Execution

[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Strategy Execution
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: "Complete"
Activities and Societies: Leave blank
Description:

Strategy Execution is an 8-week, 45-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. Strategy Execution equips current and aspiring managers with the tools, skills, and frameworks to allocate resources, measure performance, manage risk, and successfully implement strategy.

The program was developed by leading Harvard Business School faculty and is delivered in an active learning environment based on the HBS signature case-based learning model.

Starting in May 2021, Strategy Execution will become an 8-week experience so participants can get the most out of the rich content and peer engagement opportunities. For the May 2021 cohort only, participants will have the option to complete the course in either the original 6-week timeframe or the new extended 8-week experience. Course content will remain the same in either format. If you have questions, please contact us at hbsonlinesupport@hbs.edu

Participants in Sustainable Business Strategy are eligible for a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School Online.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure your cohort proceeds through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect participation in the social learning elements of the course by offering feedback on others’ reflections and contributing to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Sustainable Business Strategy. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

At the end of each course module, you will be able to download a PDF summary highlighting key concepts introduced in the course. At the end of the program, you will receive a PDF compilation of all of the module summary documents. We hope the module summary documents will serve as a helpful resource after you finish the course.

Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in Sustainable Business Strategy
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Sustainable Business Strategy
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: "Complete"
Activities and Societies: Leave blank
Description:
Sustainable Business Strategy is a 3-week, 15-20 hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. Sustainable Business Strategy provides participants with the knowledge and tools to become a purpose-driven business leader. This course explores different business models that companies use to drive change and explains why purpose driven businesses are in the best position to tackle the world’s biggest problems. Participants learn how to influence management and other key stakeholders on the competitive advantages of being a purpose-driven firm, and how to make a difference by integrating values into strategy without sacrificing profit.

The program was developed by leading Harvard Business School faculty and is delivered in an active learning environment based on the HBS signature case-based learning model.

Participants will be organized into small teams at the start of the course. These teams will be called upon throughout the course to participate in more personal discussions around specific topics. Team assignments will not be graded, but they are expected to be completed.