Policy Changes

These policies applied to programs that started before February 1, 2020. Access the current policies here.

After admission to a Harvard Business School Online program but before enrollment (completed payment), prospective participants may opt to defer to a later program through the “My Dashboard” page. Deferring your start date may be made a maximum of four times. After the enrollment deadline passes, prospective participants will need to submit a new application to be considered for enrollment in a future cohort.

If you have been admitted to take CORe with the undergraduate credit option and wish to defer, or if you wish to switch to the undergraduate credit option from non-credit CORe, please write to us at hbsonlinesupport@hbs.edu.

Once you have enrolled and paid for a program, you may request a deferral by emailing hbsonlinesupport@hbs.edu. Your available options will depend on your program and the timing of your request:

CORe

Prior to the first day of CORe: Participants can defer to a later program by writing into hbsonlinesupport@hbs.edu.

Once CORe has started: Participants may be granted a deferral, contingent on the following guidelines:

• Deferral request must be submitted to hbsonlinesupport@hbs.edu within three weeks of the course start date
• Maximum of one deferral is allowed
• Deferral must be applied to one of the next three offerings of CORe
• Participant is not enrolled in CORe with the undergraduate credit option

If you deferred after the start of your CORe program, you will not be eligible to receive a refund at a later date.

Deferrals are not permitted if you enrolled in CORe through your employer (this does not include participants who get reimbursed by their employer).

Course Platform Certificate Programs

Prior to the first day of a course platform certificate program: Participants can defer to a later program by writing into hbsonlinesupport@hbs.edu.

Once the course platform certificate program has started: Participants will not be permitted to defer.

Deferrals are not permitted if you enrolled in a program through your employer (this does not include participants who get reimbursed by their employer).

CORe

A refund, minus a 10 percent processing fee, will be granted for CORe program participants if a withdrawal is requested within 10 days of start of course. A withdrawal, with no refund, will be granted if requested between day 11 and five weeks from start of course. In such a case, "WD" will appear on the transcript. Refunds will not be permitted for company-sponsored participants who enrolled in CORe through their employers (this does not include participants who applied as an individual and plan to get reimbursed by their employer). A withdrawal, with no refund, will be granted for company-sponsored employees if requested within five weeks from start of course. In such cases, "WD" will appear on the transcript. Participants who withdraw will be eligible to apply and pay to enroll in CORe again.

Course Platform Certificate Programs

A refund, minus a 10 percent processing fee capped at $250, will be granted if withdrawal is requested prior to the start of the course platform certificate program. No withdrawals or refunds are granted after the start of the program. Refunds will not be permitted for company-sponsored participants who enrolled through their employers. (This does not include participants who applied as an individual and plan to get reimbursed by their employer.)