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Online MBA Harvard Business School – Degree or Certificate?

College Vidya Team Dec 9, 2023 14.5K Reads

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Harvard Business School online is one of the top Ivy League colleges and a prestigious university that every student aspires to obtain a degree from. Many students want to seek an online MBA course from Harvard but at the moment it does not offer a full-time MBA degree in the online mode, although it offers a Management Graduate Programme in the blended online mode, in addition to a number of online and blended certification programmes related to business and management. 

This blog covers the entire details of the business management courses offered by Harvard in the online and online blended modes.

Does Harvard Business School Offer an Online MBA?

Although Harvard has started initiatives to extend online and blended educational facilities to students, at the present, it does not offer full-time MBA courses in online mode. So, students wanting to pursue a degree MBA course in online mode from Harvard should be wary of fraud or fake sources that guarantee or promise admission, as Harvard does not have any online MBA programs

However, if you are desirous of getting an educational qualification from the globally renowned university, you can seek one of the other online course options provided by Harvard:

  1. Harvard Online (HBX) offers fully online certification courses to individuals in areas related to business administration and management (e.g. business analytics, financial accounting, etc). These courses are of 6 to 8 weeks duration and can be pursued by any person above the age of 18 years conversant in English and wishing to grow one’s knowledge and scope in management. 
  2. Harvard Division for Continuing Education (DCE) offers Graduate Certificate Programmes to students in the fields of business communication, business economics, data analytics etc. These courses can be pursued by students in the online blended mode, as 70% of the course is completed online. 
  3. Harvard Division for Continuing Education (DCE) also offers a Graduate Degree Programme in fields like finance and management which help students to grow their knowledge base and experience in fields related to business and management. These courses are offered in the blended online mode, with 70% of course completion occurring online, along with a few campus classes. Upon completion of this course, the student will be awarded with a degree certificate. 

These courses, although not the equivalent of an online MBA degree, have been designed with similar academic comprehensiveness and focus areas, which will enable the students pursuing them to expand their existing knowledge base and business management skills and be better equipped to excel in the world of business management.

Also Read | Top Online MBA Colleges In India

Are the Online Certificate MBA Courses from Harvard Worth It?

If you are wondering if it is worth it to pursue a management degree or a certification course in the online mode from  Harvard, and if it is actually of use for career development, here are some of the reasons which make the Harvard degrees worth it. 

Why Choose the Online Courses from Harvard

  • Highly Relevant Specializations

Although not offering a full-time online MBA, the Graduate Degree  Programme in Management and the online certification courses by HBX and DCE provide specializations in very relevant and highly demanded areas of business administration and management such as Corporate Finance, Business Analytics, Financial Accounting, Strategy Execution etc.

  • Prestigious Qualification

Added to that is the valuable and prestigious addition of a qualification and certification from the Harvard School of Business (HBX or DCE), which definitely provides you with an additional advantage and edge in professional ventures. 

  • Innovative Online Support 

The university extends the support of high-quality education to students, crossing the boundaries of states and nations with the help of innovative virtual learning facilities combined with personalized support and feedback to students. The university also offers the option to students to choose the time slots for course completion and taking examinations, allowing greater flexibility, especially useful for working professionals. 

  • Hassle-free Enrollment

Another striking feature of the certification courses offered by Harvard University are that the admission and enrollment to the courses are extremely easy and hassle-free. No separate application fee is required for applying to these courses and a student is eligible to apply if they are above 18 years of age and conversant in English. The university confirms the admission of the applicant in a period of 7 days. This means that interested candidates can very easily enroll themselves and pursue the certification courses from HBX and DCE. 

  • Financial Aid

Students enrolling themselves in the degree courses can also avail financial aid in the form of grant funds for payment of tuition fee by students, which enables students to afford the costs of higher education. 

Online Management Courses Offered by Harvard University in Business Management

online business management courses at harvard

#1 Online Business Certificate Courses from Harvard Business School Online (HBX)

The HBX offers courses in the fields of business, management, strategizing, financing etc.which are valued and demanded in business administration sectors. These courses are offered to students completely in the online mode and need to be completed in a period of 6 to 8 weeks. Students, freshers, working professionals or any other candidate interested in the fields of business management and above 18 years of age can pursue this course.

These courses are designed to provide students with easy access to learning principles and lectures virtually while letting them gain more practical insights and insights through interactive capstone assignments, group discussions on case studies etc. 

The details of these courses are provided below: 

Course Online Business Certificate Course
Offered By Harvard Business School Online (HBX) 
Course Type Certification Course
Course Duration 6 to 8 Weeks (30-60 Hours Depending on Course)
Mode of Delivery Online 
Course Structure  3 to 6 Modules and a Project/Assignment/Case Study
Specializations
  • Credential Of Readiness (Business Analytics + Economics for Managers + Finance Accounting) 
  • Business Analytics
  • Economics for Managers
  • Financial Accounting
  • Management  Essentials
  • Organizational Leadership
  • Strategy Execution
  • Disruptive Strategy
  • Entrepreneurship Essentials 
  • Negotiation Mastery
  • Business Strategy
  • Strategy Execution 
  • Global Business
  • Leading with Finance
  • Global Business etc
Course Fee
  • $1750 (INR 1,38,740.88) for Full Course
  • $2250 for CORe Course
Eligibility Criteria
  • Candidate Must be above 18 Years of Age
  • Candidate must be Proficient in English
Qualification Criteria 
  • Student must complete the course within the time period of 6 to 8 weeks depending on the specialization 
  • Students must meet all the deadlines 

In addition, students can further benefit by combining or taking consecutive courses in an 18 months period to avail additional certifications:

Credential of Readiness (CORe) On completing Business Analytics + Economics for Managers +  Financial Accounting Simultaneously followed by a Final exam 
Certificate of Specialization On Completion of 3 Courses in a Specialization within 18 Months 

#2 Graduate Certificate Programmes  from Harvard Division of Continuing Education

 These courses are offered by the Harvard DCE which is specifically dedicated to providing distance and online blended education to students in a variety of disciplines. Harvard DCE offers a number of certification programmes in business and management to students and working professionals. This course is provided to students in the blended mode with both online and on-campus options.

So although the majority of the course is completed online, around 30% of course completion takes place on campus. Students can choose from a list of various useful courses and cover the course over a period of 3 years in a flexible format. The university provides the facility of choosing and appearing for the examinations flexibly to students. There is no application procedure and students can start pursuing the course right away. To qualify, the student needs to complete 4 courses within a period of 3 years.

The course details are provided below: 

Course Graduate Certificate Programme 
Offered By Harvard Division for Continuing Education
Course Type Certification Course
Course Duration Completing 4 Courses within 3 years
Mode of Delivery Online (70%) + In-Campus (30%) 
Specializations
  • Business Communication 
  • Business Economics
  • Corporate Finance
  • Data Analytics
  • Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  • Marketing Management and Digital Strategy
  • Non-Profit Management 
  • Principles of Finance
  • Project Management 
  • Strategic Management etc
Course Fee
  • $ 12,400 for 4 Courses ($ 3100/Per Course): INR 9,83,084.40
Eligibility Criteria Does Not Require Application
Qualification Criteria  The student must complete 4 courses in 3 Years to obtain the Certificate 

#3 Graduate Degree Programme by Harvard Division for Continuing Education

The Harvard DCE also offers a graduation degree in management to students in the online blended mode. Students can seek admission to this course based on their performance in  3 specific courses in Harvard Extension.

This course involves the students completing 12 courses (average of 1-2 Courses per semester) after which they are awarded a degree: ‘Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Extension Studies, field: Management’. The mode of delivery is blended, with about 70% of course completion occurring virtually and with a limited number of on-campus classes. 

The course details have been provided below: 

Course Graduate Degree Programme in Management  
Offered By Harvard Division for Continuing Education (DCE) 
Course Type Degree Course
Course Duration 12 Courses 
Mode of Delivery Blended: Online (70%) + Offline (30%)
Course Structure  12 Courses
Course Fee
  • $ 37,200 for Full Course, i.e. 12 courses ($ 3100/ Course) i.e. INR 29,39,376.60
Eligibility Criteria
  • Candidate must Successfully Complete 3 Courses from Harvard Extension to be Eligible for the Course 
Qualification Criteria 
  • Students must complete 12 Courses within Deadlines to obtain the degree. 

About Harvard Online and Extension School

Harvard online Business School extended its educational finesse to offer courses, certifications and degrees to students in the online form, called Harvard Business School Online (HBX) in 2014. The Harvard Division of Continuing Education (DCE) is another venture of HBS to offer students, working professionals and others interested in pursuing educational courses and programmes across a variety of disciplines. Both these ventures enable students and professionals residing in various nations to get access to elite educational support as well as a chance to get qualified from a well-known and globally acclaimed university. 

The courses offered at  Harvard Online and Harvard DCE include courses in subject areas such as business management, leadership, finance, business strategizing, arts, life sciences, psychology, technology etc. The learning pedagogy involves an innovative virtual learning support, along with personalised feedback and support, flexibility in completion of course and taking examinations along with the academic guidance from the world-class faculty of Harvard. 

Online MBA Universities To Offer Online Degree Course In India

Online Distance Universities in India

Students wishing to complete an online MBA degree course from India in either the online, distance or blended mode can consider the following accredited universities: 

Top Online Universities in India
University Location Approvals and Recognitions
MMU Maulana Online Haryana UGC-DEB, AICTE, NAAC A++, NIRF, AIU
Bharathiar University Distance Education Tamil Nadu UGC-DEB, NAAC (Rated ‘A’), NIRF
Tamil Nadu Open University Tamil Nadu UGC-DEB, NCTE, RCI
Alagappa University Distance Education Tamil Nadu UGC-DEB, NAAC (Rated A+), NIRF
University of Mysore Online Karnataka UGC-DEB, AICTE, AIU, NAAC (Rated ‘A’, NIRF)
BITS Pilani WILP Pilani NAAC (A)
Jain Online University Bangalore UGC-DEB, AICTE, NAAC A+, NIRF
Online Manipal Jaipur UGC, NAAC (A+), ACU
LPU Online Phagwara, Punjab UGC, ACU, NIRF
Karnataka State Open University Mysore UGC-DEB
Annamalai University Distance Education Tamil Nadu Is it valid?
Andhra University Distance Education Andhra Pradesh UGC-DEB, AICTE, NAAC
Madurai Kamaraj University Distance Education Tamil Nadu UGC-DEB, NAAC
University of Mumbai Distance Education Maharashtra UGC-DEB, NAAC A
Kashmir University Distance Education Jammu and Kashmir UGC-DEB, NAAC
Vidyasagar University Distance Education West Bengal UGC-DEB, NAAC
Shivaji University Distance Education Maharashtra UGC-DEB, NAAC, NIRF
Subharti University Distance Education Uttar Pradesh UGC-DEB, NAAC A+, AICTE
Kerala University Distance Education Kerala UGC-DEB, NAAC A, AICTE
Mangalore University Distance Education Karnataka UGC-DEB, NAAC, AICTE
Madras University Distance Education Tamil Nadu UGC-DEB

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

No, as of now, Harvard University does not offer an online MBA degree. But it offers a number of online certificate courses and degree programmes in management.

Harvard University does not have any online MBA.  No, the certificate as well as degree programmes in management are paid, although there is no separate application fee that the students need to pay. 
 

The entire course fee for the Business Certificate Courses at Harvard Online is $ 1750, except for the CORe course for which the fee is $ 2250.

The Graduate Programme in Management is a blended programme, in which about 70% of the course is completed virtually and the rest of the course completion takes place in person at the university.
 

The candidate needs to be above 18 years of age and well-conversant in English to be eligible to apply for the course.

Harvard University does not offer a full-time MBA in online mode at present.

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