harvard university phd in computer science

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Harvard University PhD in Computer Science

Computer Science is a concentration offered under the computer science major at Harvard University. We’ve pulled together some essential information you should know about the doctor’s degree program in computer science, including how many students graduate each year, the ethnic diversity of these students, and more.

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• Graduate Cost
• Online Learning
• Student Diversity

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AS in Computer Science

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Learn the front-end design and back-end development skills employers look for in full stack software developers with this online bachelor's degree in computer science from Southern New Hampshire University.

BS in Computer Science - Software Engineering

With a software engineering degree, you'll learn the fundamental concepts and principles – a systematic approach used to develop software on time, on budget and within specifications – throughout your online college classes at SNHU.

How Much Does a Doctorate in Computer Science from Harvard Cost?

Harvard graduate tuition and fees.

Part-time graduates at Harvard paid an average of $1,545 per credit hour in 2019-2020. This tuition was the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. The following table shows the average full-time tuition and fees for graduate student.

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MS in Information Technology - Software Application Development

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Does Harvard Offer an Online PhD in Computer Science?

Harvard does not offer an online option for its computer science doctor’s degree program at this time. To see if the school offers distance learning options in other areas, visit the Harvard Online Learning page.

Harvard Doctorate Student Diversity for Computer Science

Male-to-female ratio.

About 9.1% of the students who received their PhD in computer science in 2019-2020 were women. This is less than the nationwide number of 19.1%.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

Of those graduates who received a doctor’s degree in computer science at Harvard in 2019-2020, 9.1% were racial-ethnic minorities*. This is about the same as the nationwide number of 10%.

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies .

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Computer Science Master’s Degree Program

Develop advanced technical skills and knowledge to solve real-world challenges.

Online Courses

11 out of 12 total courses

On-Campus Experience

One 3-week summer course

$3,220 per course

Program Overview

The demand for skilled computer scientists is predicted to grow by 21% in the coming years, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. A graduate degree in computer science equips you to stay ahead of the curve and meet the computing challenges of today and tomorrow.

In our rigorous master’s degree program, you’ll focus on advanced computer science theories and applications. Learning from expert faculty from Harvard and industry, you’ll acquire the skills to design, develop, and maintain complex computer and software systems.

Program Benefits

Customizable online curriculum that can be completed part time

Expert instruction from Harvard faculty and industry professionals

Personalized academic and career advising

Real-world capstone experience with industry partners

Entrepreneurial opportunities through Harvard Innovation Labs

Harvard Alumni Association membership upon graduation

Customizable Course Curriculum

Our curriculum is flexible in pace and customizable by design. You can study part time, choosing courses that fit your schedule and align with your professional goals. In the program, you’ll experience the convenience of online learning and the immersive benefits of learning in person.

As you work through the 12-course program, you’ll take core courses in essential computer science topics like data structure, algorithms, and programming languages.

You’ll choose elective courses in topics that interest you most, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, software engineering, or cloud computing.

Learning is hands-on. Classes feature collaborative activities like online discussions and group projects. Through your capstone project, you will have the opportunity to work innovatively and creatively, applying the skills you’ve gained to a real-world challenge.

11 Online Courses

• Primarily asynchronous
• Fall, spring, January session, and summer options

Prepare for your capstone project in a 3-week precapstone course in the summer.

Capstone Project

Collaborate with peers and an industry partner on a project that addresses a real-world challenge.

The path to your degree begins before you apply to the program.

First, you’ll register for and complete 2 required courses, earning at least a B in each. These courses provide a foundation in the principles of computer science, programming languages, and data structures. They are also an investment in your studies, counting toward your degree.

Getting Started

We invite you to explore degree requirements, confirm your initial eligibility, and learn more about our unique “earn your way in” admissions process.

A Faculty of Computer Science Experts

Studying at Harvard Extension School means learning from the world’s best. Our computer science instructors are renowned experts in their field and bring a genuine passion for teaching, with students giving our faculty an average rating of 4.6 out of 5.

Rebecca Nesson

Dean for Academic Programs and Associate Senior Lecturer on Computer Science, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Henry H. Leitner

Senior Lecturer on Computer Science, Harvard University

David J. Malan

Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice of Computer Science, Harvard University

Career Outcomes

Graduates of our Computer Science Master’s Program are well-prepared for careers in computer science, software engineering, software development, systems, or software architecture.

Potential job titles include:

• Computer Scientist
• Software Engineer
• Software Developer
• Systems Architect
• Software Architect

Career Advising and Mentorship

Whatever your career goals, we’re here to support you. Harvard’s Mignone Center for Career Success offers career advising, employment opportunities, Harvard alumni mentor connections, and career fairs like the Harvard Startup Career Fair and the Data Analytics, Science, and Technology Fair held on campus.

Your Harvard University Degree

Upon successful completion of the required curriculum, you will earn the Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Extension Studies, Field: Computer Science.

Expand Your Connections: the Harvard Alumni Network

As a graduate, you’ll become a member of the worldwide Harvard Alumni Association (400,000+ members) and Harvard Extension Alumni Association (29,000+ members).

Tuition & Financial Aid

Affordability is core to our mission. When compared to our continuing education peers, it’s a fraction of the cost.

After admission, you may qualify for financial aid . Typically, eligible students receive grant funds to cover a portion of tuition costs each term, in addition to federal financial aid options.

Coffee Chat: All About Technology Programs at HES

Are you interested in learning more about technology graduate degree programs at Harvard Extension School? Attendees joined us for an informational webinar where they had the opportunity to connect with the program director, academic advisor, and alumni.

How long will it take to earn the computer science master’s degree?

Program length is ordinarily anywhere between 2 and 5 years. It depends on your preferred pace and the number of courses you want to take each semester.

For an accelerated journey, we offer year round study, where you can take courses in fall, January, spring, and summer.

While we don’t require you to register for a certain number of courses each semester, you cannot take longer than 5 years to complete the degree.

How do I know if the computer science graduate program is right for me?

Harvard Extension School does not require any specific skills prior to applying, but because this is an advanced degree, it is helpful to have an undergraduate degree in computer science, mathematics, or a related field, as well as some work experience in a technical field. Proficiency in programming languages — Java, Python, C++ — is recommended, and you should possess excellent problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and critical thinking abilities.

How will the computer science graduate program help me improve my career?

A graduate degree in computer science could accelerate your career in several ways — most notably in increased earning potential due to your advanced skills and knowledge. According to recent numbers from Payscale, an individual with a bachelor’s degree in computer science makes an average base salary of $72,000/year. In contrast, a professional with a master’s degree in computer science makes an average base salary of $101,000/year.

Related Programs

• Cybersecurity Master’s Degree Program

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

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Computer Science Library Research Guide

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How to search for Harvard dissertations

• DASH , Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard, is the university's central, open-access repository for the scholarly output of faculty and the broader research community at Harvard.  Most Ph.D. dissertations submitted from  March 2012 forward  are available online in DASH.
• Check HOLLIS, the Library Catalog, and refine your results by using the   Advanced Search   and limiting Resource  Type   to Dissertations
• Search the database  ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global Don't hesitate to  Ask a Librarian  for assistance.

How to search for Non-Harvard dissertations

Library Database:

• ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global

Free Resources:

• Many  universities  provide full-text access to their dissertations via a digital repository.  If you know the title of a particular dissertation or thesis, try doing a Google search.  

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Computer Science Courses

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CS50: Introduction to Computer Science

An introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming.

CS50's Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python

Learn to use machine learning in Python in this introductory course on artificial intelligence.

CS50's Understanding Technology

This is CS50’s introduction to technology for students who don’t (yet!) consider themselves computer persons.

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A gentle introduction to programming that prepares you for subsequent courses in coding.

CS50's Computer Science for Business Professionals

This is CS50’s introduction to computer science for business professionals.

CS50's Web Programming with Python and JavaScript

This course picks up where CS50 leaves off, diving more deeply into the design and implementation of web apps with Python, JavaScript, and SQL using frameworks like Django, React, and Bootstrap.

CS50 for Lawyers

This course is a variant of Harvard University's introduction to computer science, CS50, designed especially for lawyers (and law students).

Computer Science for Lawyers

Gain a deep understanding of the legal ramifications of clients’ technological decisions and policies.

Using Python for Research

Take your introductory knowledge of Python programming to the next level and learn how to use Python 3 for your research.

CS50's Introduction to Cybersecurity

Learn how to protect your own data, devices, and systems from today's threats.

CS50's Introduction to Databases with SQL

Learn how to create, read, update, and delete data with relational databases.

Computational Science and Engineering

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Computational Science and Engineering​ is an area of study within the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Prospective students apply through Harvard Griffin GSAS; in the online application, select  “Engineering and Applied Sciences” as your program choice and select "SM ME Computational Science and Engineering​" in the Area of Study menu.

Computation is the third leg of science and, along with theory and experiment, allows researchers to address the major challenges at the frontier of natural and social science and all engineering fields. The Computational Science and Engineering master’s program gives students experience with mathematical techniques for modeling and simulation of complex systems and parallel programming, as well as collaborative software development. The program’s core curriculum is supplemented by elective courses and research opportunities that encompass faculty and courses from all areas of Harvard.

The program especially focuses on hands-on research projects. In many of the program’s courses, you will demonstrate your mastery of the material covered in the course by applying those methods in a final project. You will have a deeper research experience by completing a master’s thesis on a computational project under faculty supervision or through the Capstone Project course—in which teams of students work on real-world projects sourced from industry partners, such as working with Spotify on recommender systems and with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority on optimum bus scheduling.

Graduates of the program have taken key positions at large technology companies, major financial institutions, and emerging startups. Others have gone on to doctoral studies in computer science, applied math, and other disciplines.

Standardized Tests

GRE General:  Not Accepted

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

Data Science Education

Interested in pursuing a degree in data science? Learn more about data science undergraduate and graduate programs offered at Harvard .

Undergraduate Programs

Available courses for undergraduates.

At Harvard College, interest in computer science and statistics has dramatically grown over the past decade. The Statistics department and the Computer Science area within the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences currently serve as the nexus of data science education at the undergraduate level.

Students seeking a technical foundation in data science may consider computer science courses  and  statistics courses .

Data Science Track for Government Concentrators

Harvard Faculty of Arts & Sciences

Graduate Programs

Master’s degree programs in data science.

At Harvard University, data science education for graduate students is a rapidly growing field. A growing community of data scientists, research scientists, and methodologists is developing in several key academic areas on campus: Engineering/Statistics, Medicine, and Public Health.

Master of Biomedical Informatics Program

Harvard Medical School

Master of Science in Data Science

Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Master of Science in Health Data Science

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

PhD Programs in Data Science

Phd in bioinformatics and integrative genomics, secondary field in data science.

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Human-Computer Interaction at Harvard SEAS

Welcome to hci at harvard seas.

Human-Computer Interaction is multi-disciplinary area that focuses on building and studying interactive technology. We build on knowledge and techniques from social sciences to understand human cognition, perception and behavior. We build on knowledge and tools from computer science to design and implement novel systems. 

You can learn more by taking HCI-related courses or getting involved in research .

You can also visit us on Twitter to learn more about the goings on at Harvard HCI.

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New-ish course: cs 96: (sociotechnical) system design projects.

This small, project-focused course tackles a different challenge each time it is offered. We have not yet finalized the topic for this fall, but we will definitely go after a societal problem that requires a sociotechnical solution, i.e., a solution that involves both a technical and a human component. There will be plenty opportunities to use our Computer Science skills, but we will need plenty of other expertise as well. 

See course web site for more...

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Launch of pioneering ph.d. program bolsters harvard’s leadership in quantum science and engineering.

Field expected to usher in era of super-fast computing and innovation across a range of fields

Leah Burrows

SEAS Communications

Researchers used atomic-size defects in diamonds to detect and measure magnetic fields generated by spin waves.

Images courtesy of Second Bay Studios/Harvard SEAS

In the middle of the 20th century, mathematicians, physicists, and engineers at Harvard began work that would lay the foundations for a new field of study, the applications of which would change the world in ways unimaginable at the time. These pioneering computer scientists helped develop the theory and technology that would usher in the digital age.

Harvard is once again taking a leading role in a scientific and technological revolution — this time in the field of quantum science and engineering. Today, the University launched one of the world’s first Ph.D. programs in the subject, providing the foundational education for the next generation of innovators and leaders who will transform quantum science and engineering into next-level systems, devices, and applications.

The new degree is the latest step in the University’s commitment to moving forward as both a leader in research and an innovator in teaching in the field of quantum science and engineering. Harvard launched the Harvard Quantum Initiative in 2018 to foster and grow this new scientific community. And additional future plans call for the creation of a quantum hub on campus to help further integrate efforts and encourage collaboration.

“This is a pivotal time for quantum science and engineering at Harvard,” said President Larry Bacow. “With institutional collaborators including MIT and industry partners, and the support of generous donors, we are making extraordinary progress in discovery and innovation. Our faculty and students are driving progress that will reshape our world through quantum computing, networking, cryptography, materials, and sensing, as well as emerging areas of promise that will yield advances none of us can yet imagine.”

“This cross disciplinary Ph.D. program will prepare our students to become the leaders and innovators in the emerging field of quantum science and engineering,” said Emma Dench, dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. “Harvard’s interdisciplinary strength and intellectual resources make it the perfect place for them to develop their ideas, grow as scholars, and make discoveries that will change the world.”

At the nexus of physics, chemistry, computer science, and electrical engineering, quantum science and technology promises to profoundly change the way we acquire, process, and communicate information. Imagine a computer that could sequence a person’s genome in a matter of seconds or an un-hackable communications system that could make data breaches a thing of the past. Quantum technology will usher in game-changing innovations in health care, infrastructure, security, drug development, climate-change prediction, machine learning, financial services, and more.

Researchers excited and detected spin waves in a quantum Hall ferromagnet, spending them through the insulating material like waves in a pond.

The University is building partnerships with government agencies and national laboratories to advance quantum technologies and educate the next generation of quantum scientists. Harvard researchers will play a major role in the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Quantum Information Science (QIS) Research Centers, aimed at bolstering the nation’s global competitiveness and security. As part of the centers, Harvard researchers will:

• develop and study the next generation of quantum materials that are resilient, controllable, and scalable;
• use quantum-sensing techniques to explore the exotic properties of quantum materials for applications in numerous quantum technologies;
• construct a quantum simulator out of ultra-cold molecules to attack important problems in materials development and test the performance of new types of quantum computation;
• develop topological quantum materials for manipulating, transferring, and storing information for quantum computers and sensors;
• investigate how quantum computers can meaningfully speed up answers to real-world scientific problems and create new tools to quantify this advantage and performance.

In partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the Harvard University Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) has helped develop curriculum and educator activities that will help K‒12 students engage with quantum information science. CIQM is also collaborating with the Learning Center for the Deaf to create quantum science terms in American Sign Language .

“Breakthrough research happens when you create the right community of scholars around the right ideas at the right time,” said Claudine Gay, the Edgerley Family Dean of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences. “The Harvard Quantum Initiative builds on Harvard’s historic strength in the core disciplines of quantum science by drawing together cross-cutting faculty talent into a community committed to thinking broadly and boldly about the many problems where quantum innovations may offer a solution. This new approach to quantum science will open the way for new partnerships to advance the field, but perhaps even more importantly, it promises to make Harvard the training ground for the next generation of breakthrough scientists who could change the way we live and work.”

“Harvard’s missions are to excel at education and research, and these are closely related,” said John Doyle, the Henry B. Silsbee Professor of Physics and co-director of HQI. “Being at — and sometimes defining — the frontier of research keeps our education vibrant and meaningful to students. We aim to teach a broad range of students to think about the physical world in this new, quantum way as this is crucial to creating a strong community of future leaders in science and engineering. Tight focus on both research and teaching in quantum will develop Harvard into the leading institution in this area and keep the country at the forefront of this critical area of knowledge.”

Quantum at Harvard: ‘A game-changing’ moment

A conversation with SEAS Dean Frank Doyle, John A. and Elizabeth S. Armstrong Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Science Division Dean Christopher Stubbs, Samuel C. Moncher Professor of Physics and of Astronomy.

Transcript:

Doyle: We’re at a game changing point in science and technology. We’re poised to enable translation breakthroughs in our applications of that understanding to broadly stated information science, so networking, signal processing, encryption, communications, computing and simulation.

Stubbs: What we’re talking about, looking to the future, exploits the really spooky parts of quantum mechanics, about the relationship of information in spatially separated systems and trying to harness that technologically and bringing it to bear on problems in networking, computing, and sensing systems.

I think we’re learning more about the way the world works every day, and we’re interested here at Harvard in knitting that understanding together across different traditionally separated fields and pulling together an integrated effort that pulls together, computer science, electrical engineering, physics systems engineering, and tries to use these to build new tools to make life better for everybody.

Doyle: Chris, I completely agree, and I would say that one thing, I recognize deeply as the dean on the engineering side is that foundations are critical to achieving success in the domain of innovation or translation, whatever the application space might be. We have to have that core body of knowledge supporting and enabling really a continuum from basic science through applied science, ultimately to engineering. I would also point to the fact that we are modestly scaled compared to some of our peers, which I think empowers us with agility and nimbleness that allows us to quickly assemble the teams that cross the spectrum of these disciplines that we need to harness, and that’s a real strength here at Harvard as well.

Stubbs: I would say we’re making significant institutional investments in this enterprise. We’ve identified a building, working in partnership across the university, that’s going to be put to use for this activity, with new labs, new teaching labs. We will fill that space with colleagues that we intend to bring to campus to strengthen our faculty in this domain. We’re building a strong and vibrant educational program. And I think an important element to include here is that we see this as a way to reach all the way into applications at scale, and we’re building partnerships with industrial partners, ranging from startups-sized companies to major national corporations that are going to have the ability to bring these ideas to bear at scale and impact people’s lives in a positive way.

Doyle: I would say that this opportunity has tremendous potential across a wide array of fields and applications, from more traditional engineering fields like communications, cybersecurity, network science, but across an even broader array of fields including finance (thinking about the new kinds of algorithms that are going to power the future of things like trading and stress testing the market); precision medicine; the quantum principles that we’re going to be able to leverage in devices that will now interrogate at unprecedented scale — spatial and temporal — to bring information back that we can act upon. So it’s virtually a limitless horizon of application opportunities out there.

Stubbs: We’re fortunate in the Boston area to have another university down the road, whose initials are MIT, with which, in particular in this technical domain, we have strong existing partnerships among the faculty. We view this as moving forward arm-in-arm with sister institutions in this region to establish Boston as one of the premier centers in the nation for both innovation, education, and application of this new technology.

Doyle: Our faculties partnering across Harvard and MIT have been doing this for literally decades. So there’s an incredible organic foundation that has been laid in the Greater Cambridge, Greater Boston space that we’re now turning an inflection point to accelerate that activity.

The field of quantum really opens up some exciting partnership opportunities, which we’re exploring with great passion. The notion that the continuum from the university and basic research and applied research, through to getting products in the market, through getting operational networks, operational systems is one that truly is a continuum. So there has to be integrated partnerships, where we invite partners in the private sector in to be embedded on the campus to learn from the researchers in our labs, where we embed our faculty out in the private sector in national labs to learn about the cutting edge applications that need to drive and fuel the research taking place back on the campus. So I really view this as a wonderful new opportunity to rethink the nature of how the private sector and the academy partner to enable the ultimate translation into products, technologies that are going to benefit mankind.

Edited for length.

The University’s location within the Greater Boston ecosystem of innovation and discovery is one of its greatest strengths.

A recent collaboration between Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and University quantum physicists resulted in a proof-of-concept algorithm to dramatically speed up the analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance (NNMR) readings to identify biomarkers of specific diseases and disorders, reducing the process from days to just minutes.

A multidisciplinary team of electrical engineers and physicists from Harvard and MIT are building the infrastructure for tomorrow’s quantum internet , including quantum repeaters, quantum memory storage, and quantum networking nodes, and developing the key technologies to connect quantum processors over local and global scales.

“We are moving forward arm in arm with sister institutions in this region, most notably MIT, to establish Boston as one of the premier centers in the nation for both education and developing technologies that we anticipate will have significant impact on society,” said Christopher Stubbs, science division dean and Samuel C. Moncher Professor of Physics and of Astronomy.

  “We are excited to see the ever-growing opportunities for collaboration in quantum science and engineering at Harvard, in the Boston community, and beyond,” said Evelyn L. Hu, the Tarr-Coyne Professor of Electrical Engineering and Applied Science at SEAS and co-director of the Harvard Quantum Initiative. “Harvard is committed to sustaining that growth and fostering a strong community of students, faculty, and inventors, both locally and nationwide.”

Fiber-optical networks, the backbone of the internet, rely on high-fidelity information conversion from electrical to the optical domain. The researchers combined the best optical material with innovative nanofabrication and design approaches, to realize, energy-efficient, high-speed, low-loss, electro-optic converters for quantum and classical communications.

“Building a vibrant community and ecosystem is essential for bringing the benefits of quantum research to different fields of science and society,” said Mikhail Lukin, George Vasmer Leverett Professor of Physics and co-director of HQI. “Quantum at Harvard aims to integrate unique strengths of university research groups, government labs, established companies, and startups to not only advance foundational quantum science and engineering but also to build and to enable broad access to practical quantum systems.”

To facilitate those collaborations, the University is finalizing plans for the comprehensive renovation of an existing campus building into a new quantum hub — a shared resource for the quantum community with instructional and research labs, seminar and workshop spaces, meeting spaces for students and faculty, and space for visiting researchers and collaborators. The quantum headquarters will integrate the educational, research, and translational aspects of the diverse field of quantum science and engineering in an architecturally cohesive way.

This critical element of Harvard’s quantum strategy was made possible by a generous gift from Stacey L. and David E. Goel ’93 and gifts from several other alumni who stepped forward to support HQI. David Goel, co-founder and managing general partner of Waltham, Mass.-based Matrix Capital Management Co. and one of Harvard’s most ardent supporters, said his gift was inspired both by recognizing Harvard’s “intellectual dynamism and leadership in quantum” and a sense of the utmost urgency to pursue opportunities in this field. “Our existing technologies are reaching the limit of their capacity and cannot drive the innovation we need for the future, specifically in areas like semiconductors, technology, and the life sciences. Quantum is an enabler, providing a multiplier effect on a logarithmic scale. It is a catalyst that drives the kinds of scientific revolutions and epoch-making paradigm shifts.”

Electrodes stretch diamond strings to increase the frequency of atomic vibrations to which an electron is sensitive, just like tightening a guitar string increases the frequency or pitch of the string. The tension quiets a qubit’s environment and improves memory from tens to several hundred nanoseconds, enough time to do many operations on a quantum chip.

Goel credits the academic leaders and their “commitment to ensuring that Harvard’s community will be at the forefront of the science that is already changing the world.”

The University is also building partnerships with industry partners, ranging from startups to major national corporations, that are preparing to bring quantum technologies to the public.

“An incredible foundation has been laid in quantum at Harvard, and we are now at an inflection point to accelerate that activity and build on the momentum that has already made Harvard a leader in the field,” said Frank Doyle, SEAS dean and John A. and Elizabeth S. Armstrong Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “Research happening right now in Harvard labs is significantly advancing our understanding of quantum science and engineering and positioning us to make breathtaking new discoveries and industry-leading translation breakthroughs.”

To enable opportunities to move from basic to applied research to translating ideas into products, Doyle described a vision for “integrated partnerships where we invite partners from the private sector to be embedded on the campus to learn from the researchers in our labs and where our faculty connect to the private sector and national labs to learn about the cutting-edge applications, as well as help translate of basic research into useful tools for society.”

  “We are at the early stages of a technological transformation, similar or maybe even grander than the excitement and the promise that came with the birth of computer science — and Harvard is at the forefront,” Stubbs said.

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Professional Certificate in Computer Science for Artificial Intelligence

Professional certificate series.

Join Harvard Online in this series of CS50 courses taught by renowned faculty to solve important real-world problems and future-proof your career.

What You'll Learn

The demand for expertise in AI and machine learning is growing rapidly. By enabling new technologies like self-driving cars and recommendation systems or improving old ones like medical diagnostics and search engines, AI is transforming how we live, work, and play. This series will enable you to take the first steps toward understanding programming fundamentals so you can solve important real-world problems and future-proof your career.

This professional certificate series combines CS50’s legendary Introduction to Computer Science course with a new program that takes a deep dive into the concepts and algorithms at the foundation of modern artificial intelligence. This series will lead you through the most popular undergraduate course at Harvard, where you’ll learn the common programming languages, then carries that foundation through CS50’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python. Through hands-on projects, you’ll gain exposure to the theory behind graph search algorithms, classification, optimization, reinforcement learning, and other topics in artificial intelligence.

By course’s end, students emerge with experience in libraries for machine learning as well as knowledge of artificial intelligence principles that enable them to design intelligent systems of their own. Enroll now to gain expertise in one of the fastest-growing domains of computer science from the creators of one of the most popular computer science courses ever.

After completing the Professional Certificate in Computer Science for Artificial Intelligence, learners will understand:

• A broad and robust understanding of computer science and programming
• Graph search algorithms
• Reinforcement learning
• Machine learning
• Artificial intelligence principles
• How to design intelligent systems
• How to use AI in Python programs

Job Outlook

• Employment of software developers is projected to grow 24% from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. (source: Occupational Outlook Handbook)
• The median pay for software developers in the U.S. in 2018 was $105,590 per year. (source: Occupational Outlook Handbook)

Series Courses

Cs50: introduction to computer science.

An introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming.

CS50's Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python

Join Harvard University Professor David J. Malan in this introductory online course on artificial intelligence to learn how to use machine learning in Python.

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Cs50's web programming with python and javascript.

Join Harvard Professor David J. Malan in this online course to dive more deeply into the design and implementation of web apps with Python, JavaScript, and SQL.

Introduction to Data Science with Python

Join Harvard University Professor Pavlos Protopapas, in this online course to learn how to use Python to harness and analyze data.

CS50's Introduction to Game Development

Join Harvard Professor David J. Malan in this online course to learn about the development of 2D and 3D interactive games like Super Mario Bros., Pokémon, and more.