harvard extension thesis process

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Guide to the ALM Capstone Project

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What is a Capstone?

Capstones are final courses that draw upon your entire ALM scholarly training to produce a faculty- or student-directed academic research project worthy of a Harvard degree.

Student-directed capstones require you to come up with a topic and make a case to your research advisor as to why the topic is worthy of investigation. The project represents your academic passion and professional interest. Once the topic is approved, you craft a capstone proposal--a research plan--where you outline the topic, share the background reading you've done to understand the topic, and state the research design and methods.

Faculty-directed capstones are semester-long academic seminars lead by an instructor, who brings together all the key learning outcomes of the field of study in a structured syllabus. The instructor may present a list of topics from which you can choose or you may work on the same project as other students. You could work in a team or on your own.

Prework. Most capstones require you to participate in either a noncredit capstone proposal tutorial or a 4-credit, graded precapstone course the semester right before capstone registration (no earlier). The guided prework in either the tutorial or course sets the foundation for academically strong capstones.

The following ALM fields require student-directed capstones:

• Global Development Practice
• Journalism  *
• Museum Studies
• Sustainability

* All fields require the Capstone Proposal Tutorial, except Journalism.

The following ALM fields require faculty-directed capstones:

• Anthropology
• Biotechnology  
• Creative Writing and Literature
• Data Science
• Digital Media Design
• Government  
• International Relations
• Math for Teaching  
• Information Management Systems  
• Software Engineering  

How do I choose between a thesis and a capstone?

Some programs have the option to pursue either the thesis or capstone track., a thesis is the more appropriate choice if:.

• You want to earn a PhD or other advanced degree later on
• You want the experience of writing for a publication
• You want to work individually with a Research Advisor and Thesis Director
• You are more self-directed, are good at managing projects with little supervision, and have a clear direction for your work
• You have a project that requires more time (9-12 months) to pursue than can be done in a single class

The Capstone route is the more appropriate choice if:

• You want to focus on a smaller-scale project that highlights your technical skills to a current or future employer
• You want to work with a client or supervisor on a real-world project that can address a pressing business need
• You want more input on your project from fellow students and other instructors;  you prefer to work in a community instead of alone
• You want more structure to your project, including more internal milestones and due dates

For more information about the ALM Thesis option in the various programs that offer it, please see the Thesis Process  page on the Extension School Website. 

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Ariane Liazos, PhD

Alm program, harvard extension school.

Crafting the Thesis Proposal

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We're harvard with a twist ., standardized tests required for admission, more about admission.

Believe you’re more than test scores and past grades? So do we. Admission to HES is based primarily on your ability to successfully complete 1-3 of our degree courses, depending on your field and admission pathway. 

of 13 degree-granting schools at Harvard University

More about harvard extension.

Harvard Extension School offers part-time degree programs that don’t interfere with full-time employment. Although we prioritize flexibility, we don’t compromise on the quality you'd expect from a Harvard education.

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HES students are motivated parents, scientists, executives, educators—all working professionals hoping to advance or change careers while balancing life’s responsibilities. They choose Harvard because they want the best that continuing education has to offer. Just like you.

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More about distance education.

We've redefined the online classroom to be grounded in live, interactive experiences. You’ll take classes in person and online, but with an average class size of 31 you’ll get the individual attention you deserve.

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More about courses.

With a variety of course formats, over 20 graduate fields, undergraduate fields of study and minors that span the liberal arts, and stackable credentials, you can conveniently fulfill your professional needs, academic goals, and personal interests.

Earn a degree in your own space at your own pace.

We're designed for students to be challenged in the classroom, not getting to it. 

Who said online courses can't be just as interactive as in-person courses? Our approach to online learning fosters the human connection achieved in the 20% of our courses that have an in-person, on-campus option.

Using Zoom, students from around the globe join an instructor in a live classroom. Students participate in thoughtful discussion with their peers and engage with their instructor in real time.

Many students and faculty find this environment just as intimate as a physical classroom. But we also realize that our students are busy working adults, which means joining a live online or in-person course might not be possible. Our solution: a variety of course formats . You have the flexibility to attend class in-person, live online or on-demand . Live online students join the physical class through Zoom displayed on large monitors and seamlessly interact with students in the classroom. On-demand students watch professionally recorded classes on their own schedule and interact through online discussion tools.

Here's a glimpse of Harvard Extension Live Interactive eXperience (HELIX).

Students in our online courses gave a 4.5 rating out of 5 to the following statement:.

“The course provided opportunities for me to connect with my fellow classmates.” 

Discover the breadth of our course offerings by exploring our  Course Catalog , where you can filter and search by online or in-person course formats. 

When we say part time, we mean it. 

Most of our students enroll in 1-2 courses per semester to ensure they have the time to balance school, careers, and other life commitments. , alb average number of courses per semester, courses-per-semester-alb.jpg.

ALM Average Number of Courses per Semester

Courses-per-semester-alm.jpg.

Most  ALB  degree candidates complete their degree within  2-6 years . ALM   degree candidates complete their programs within  2-5 years .

We make it personal.

At harvard extension school, we want our students to feel that they have an academic co-pilot from their first course through graduation. , even before becoming an admitted degree candidate, you can receive advising through the office of predegree advising & admissions. with your goals in mind, our advisors can assist you in efficiently achieving admission. while every student's advising needs are different, advising at this stage may include course selection assistance or application process guidance. read more about our advising services . .

“My experience at HES was overwhelmingly helpful for my personal and educational development because it is an approachable program with vast resources. I felt accepted and encouraged on and off campus. Professors empowered me to explore abilities I was unaware of until I joined their classrooms. Students, inspired by professors, were collaborative and excited to engage with each other. The spirit of the program was uplifting and ever-evolving during a harsh, fearful time in our world. I am incredibly grateful for its existence.”

Joslyn | Recent ALB graduate

After you're admitted, you'll be assigned a personal academic advisor who will help you map out long-term goals and identify academic opportunities to augment them. Graduate students are also assigned a research advisor to help with their independent research projects. 

Our faculty are educators, practitioners, and scholars. 

Although their research and professional experience differ, harvard extension school faculty share a passion for preparing and educating hes students to tackle the challenges of a rapidly changing global society..

You'll take courses taught by faculty from many of the schools at Harvard and also other top-tier institutions like MIT, Princeton, and University of Cambridge, England, as well as leading industry experts. 

~70% faculty with doctoral degrees

4.6 average faculty rating on a scale of 1 to 5, here’s what hes students have to say about our faculty:.

“The faculty bridge textbook concepts to real-world events and situations, allowing the student to fully grasp the subject in scope. With their professional and academic expertise, they are able to prepare great studying materials tailored for professionals. I have greatly enjoyed everything that Harvard Extension School has to offer.”

“The curriculum is strong and the delivery formats are excellent for a working professional. In addition, the faculty are experts in their fields; their dedication to students' learning is palpable.”

“I have been deeply touched by the classroom experience so far: from taking classes with faculty who are experts in their respective domains to brilliant classmates who bring empirical and anecdotal evidence to the classroom based on their lived experiences, it has been nothing short of an exceptional experience.”

Broaden your skillset without breaking the bank.

Our tuition is comparable to other primarily online degree programs and less when compared to those at peer institutions.   , financial aid, upon admission, us citizens and eligible non-citizens who demonstrate sufficient financial need generally receive hes-supported grant funds to cover a portion of their tuition costs each term in addition to conventional federal financial aid options..

Visit the Financial Aid page  to learn more about this process. 

Why students choose HES

Our students are above average., graduation rates are tied to return on investment. ours are high. discuss., alb graduation rate vs. national average, albgradrate.jpg.

Average ALM Graduation Rate

“I feel so encouraged to continue my studies with HES after three excellent classes. The professors are exceptional, fellow students are incredibly supportive, and the underlying philosophies and values upheld across the HES community create a safe environment for learning, exploration, and growth.” 

Learn more, fast.

Take a minute to learn more about our current degree candidates and recent alumni..

Click on your program of interest below.

• Undergraduate
• Graduate: Anthropology
• Graduate: Biology
• Graduate: Biotechnology
• Graduate: Creative Writing and Literature
• Graduate: Data Science
• Graduate: Digital Media Design
• Graduate: English
• Graduate: Finance
• Graduate: Global Development Practice
• Graduate: Government
• Graduate: History
• Graduate: Industrial-Organizational Psychology
• Graduate: International Relations
• Graduate: Journalism
• Graduate: Management
• Graduate: Math for Teaching
• Graduate: Museum Studies
• Graduate: Psychology
• Graduate: Religion
• Graduate: Sustainability
• Graduate: Systems Engineering

Data pertain to academic year 2022-23 unless otherwise noted on the Fast Facts document.

In an effort to present the most accurate and meaningful data possible, Fast Facts sheets are not created for a new field of study until a significant amount of time has passed and a truly representative cohort of students has been admitted into and graduates from it, which is why some fields may not be represented above.

For even more information about alumni graduate schools and employment success, check out our Career and Academic Resource Center (CARC) .  

Need more information and some inspiration?

 check out highlights from an event made for and shaped by students who are newer to the harvard community..

There are many perks to admission at HES. 

As an hes degree candidate, you have access to special options and privileges. the  degree candidate benefits and opportunities  page lists them, but here are a few things you can look forward to: .

• Career and graduate school resources, events and workshops, and individual career advising through the  The Mignone Center for Career Success  
• Access to the Harvard i-lab to incubate a new venture (for students who meet the current course registration requirement) – Visit the i-lab challenge winners page to view the pitches of the two HES student who won grand prizes in 2021!
• Paid research opportunities alongside Harvard faculty through our  Faculty Aide Program
• Graduate certificate  options while earning the ALM degree
• Programmatic partnerships with Harvard Business School Online, Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Education, and MIT
• Leadership opportunities in the Harvard Extension School Student Association upon admission
• Membership in the  Harvard Extension School Alumni Association  and  Harvard University Alumni Association

Graduate students culminate their experience with a thesis or capstone project. 

Sample thesis titles ↓, sample capstone titles ↓, back to the top.

Harvard University Theses, Dissertations, and Prize Papers

The Harvard University Archives ’ collection of theses, dissertations, and prize papers document the wide range of academic research undertaken by Harvard students over the course of the University’s history.

Beyond their value as pieces of original research, these collections document the history of American higher education, chronicling both the growth of Harvard as a major research institution as well as the development of numerous academic fields. They are also an important source of biographical information, offering insight into the academic careers of the authors.

Spanning from the ‘theses and quaestiones’ of the 17th and 18th centuries to the current yearly output of student research, they include both the first Harvard Ph.D. dissertation (by William Byerly, Ph.D . 1873) and the dissertation of the first woman to earn a doctorate from Harvard ( Lorna Myrtle Hodgkinson , Ed.D. 1922).

Other highlights include:

• The collection of Mathematical theses, 1782-1839
• The 1895 Ph.D. dissertation of W.E.B. Du Bois, The suppression of the African slave trade in the United States, 1638-1871
• Ph.D. dissertations of astronomer Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (Ph.D. 1925) and physicist John Hasbrouck Van Vleck (Ph.D. 1922)
• Undergraduate honors theses of novelist John Updike (A.B. 1954), filmmaker Terrence Malick (A.B. 1966),  and U.S. poet laureate Tracy Smith (A.B. 1994)
• Undergraduate prize papers and dissertations of philosophers Ralph Waldo Emerson (A.B. 1821), George Santayana (Ph.D. 1889), and W.V. Quine (Ph.D. 1932)
• Undergraduate honors theses of U.S. President John F. Kennedy (A.B. 1940) and Chief Justice John Roberts (A.B. 1976)

What does a prize-winning thesis look like?

If you're a Harvard undergraduate writing your own thesis, it can be helpful to review recent prize-winning theses. The Harvard University Archives has made available for digital lending all of the Thomas Hoopes Prize winners from the 2019-2021 academic years.

Accessing These Materials

How to access materials at the Harvard University Archives

How to find and request dissertations, in person or virtually

How to find and request undergraduate honors theses

How to find and request Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize papers

How to find and request Bowdoin Prize papers

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Harvard faculty personal and professional archives, harvard student life collections: arts, sports, politics and social life, access materials at the harvard university archives.

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Preparing for a senior thesis.

Every year, a little over half of Harvard’s senior class chooses to pursue a senior thesis. While the senior thesis looks a little different from field to field, one thing remains the same: completion of a senior thesis is a serious and challenging endeavor that requires the student to make a genuine intellectual contribution to their field of interest.

The senior thesis is a significant task for students to undertake, but there is a variety of support resources available here at Harvard to ensure that seniors can make the best of their senior thesis experience.

Wandering the library stacks at Widener.

I do most of my research in Widener Library. Hannah Martinez

As a rising senior in the History department, I am planning on pursuing a senior thesis on the history and use of the SAT in college admissions, and I am using the following support systems and resources to research and write my thesis:

• Staff at the History department. Every student within the department is assigned an academic advisor, who is a graduate student studying History at Harvard and knows the support available within the department. My academic advisor has helped me throughout the thesis process by connecting me with potential faculty members to advise my thesis and pick classes with a lighter course load so I can focus on completing my thesis. The Director of Undergraduate Studies in History (the History DUS) has also been pivotal in making sure that I attended a lot of information sessions about what the thesis looks like and how much of a commitment it is.
• History faculty at Harvard! All of my professors in History have been incredibly helpful in teaching me how to write like a historian, how to use primary sources in my essays, and how to undertake a serious research project over the course of a semester. Of course, while the thesis will require me to go far beyond what I’ve ever done before, I feel prepared to take on such a task because of the unwavering support from the History faculty. My mentor, Emma Rothschild, is one of the members of the faculty who has been invaluable in encouraging me to go as far as I am able.
• And last but certainly not least: funding. Funding, whether in term-time of the summer before senior year, is crucial towards making the senior thesis possible. Harvard’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships is dedicated to connecting Harvard students to funding sources across the university so they can pursue their research and get paid for it. This summer, I received a grant from the university of almost $2,000 so I am able to travel to libraries, buy books, and potentially take time off of work and do my research. Without such a grant, it would be incredibly difficult for me to do enough research so I can write a thesis this upcoming fall.

As you can see, there are multiple avenues for support and resources here at Harvard so your senior thesis is as easy as possible. While the senior thesis is still a challenging project that will take up a lot of time, Harvard’s resources make it possible for senior students to do their very best in all of their theses. I’m excited to start writing this fall!

Hannah Class of '23 Alumni

Hello! My name is Hannah, and I am a rising senior at Harvard concentrating in History from southeast Los Angeles County.

Student Voices

How the mellon mays undergraduate fellowship propelled my love of archives into academic aspirations.

Beginning my senior thesis: A personal commitment to community and justice

Amy Class of '23 Alumni

Exploring Research at Harvard: Social Studies Edition

Olga Class of '22 Alumni

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