Distance Education
If you are not able to travel to Cambridge this summer, another option for study at Harvard is available to you. Harvard Summer School offers, via the Internet, several distance education courses that are particularly well suited for high school students. These courses feature videos of campus course lectures, along with other course-related materials, which can be viewed by students anywhere in the world. While the format of each distance course varies, most have a bulletin board or chat room to foster dialogue among students and faculty.
Some courses have in-class exams, and distance students arrange to take these exams in absentia near their home in a proctored setting. Students choose a proctor who is a teacher, professor, or administrator in a secondary school, college, or testing center local to the student. More information about exams and proctors is available on the website.
High school students interested in enrolling as distance learners first apply to the program. Once accepted and registered for their distance course, they complete the same coursework as students on campus. The credits they earn via distance education are recorded on an official Harvard transcript and are transferable toward a future undergraduate degree at most colleges and universities.
For a list of this summer’s online course offerings, visit Distance Education on the Summer School website. Students considering distance learning should review the technical requirements, policies, and other information available there.