Course scheduling is managed through the Registrar’s Office.

Required Curriculum

Academic courses in the first year of the MBA Program are prescribed by the faculty. A student is registered for RC courses automatically upon enrollment at the start of the RC Fall Term and then again upon enrollment at the start of the RC Spring Term. In the RC year, students may not register for electives in the EC Program, or any other Harvard University program.

Elective Curriculum

Academic options in the second year of the MBA Program include a wide range of elective courses, cross-registration opportunities, and field-based learning opportunities aligned with classroom experiences, immersive approaches, or pursued as independent projects. There are more than 100 different course options, with many offered in multiple sections. Students can customize their schedule based on their interests and goals.

The following topics all relate to the Elective Curriculum (EC). Students in Joint Degree programs may have different requirements in their EC. There are several course types available:

Type of Course Credits Sessions Other
Short Courses 1.5 credits 14* sessions in one quarter Exam or paper
Long Courses 3.0 credits 28* sessions in two quarters; weekly two-hour sessions in two quarters Exam or paper;
If the course has a project focus, some sessions may be set aside for presentations or teamwork.
Intensive Courses 3.0 credits 14 sessions with meetings twice daily in one quarter Exam or paper/project
Field Courses 3.0 credits 14 sessions in early quarter or may hold several meetings across term Project
Immersive Field Courses 3.0 credits Several on-campus meetings during Fall term; additional registration information required in September; January travel Program fee & travel costs (see details on financial aid eligibility in course description)
Independent Projects Non-classroom credit; 1.5, 3, 4.5, or 6 credits. Maximum of 9 non-classroom credits in total toward the 30 total credits in the year. Work with a team or on your own with a faculty supervisor Registration takes place at the start of each term and is not part of EC Preregistration.
Non-MBA Courses See Cross-Registration

*In Spring 2025, there are 27 sessions with 14 in Q3 and 13 in Q4.

Immersive Field Courses (IFC)

IFCs require a firm commitment and carry a financial obligation. Financial aid is available in the form of a student loan, a need-based HBS scholarship, or a combination of both depending on individual circumstances. The Add/Drop process at the start of the term is the mechanism for any IFC enrollment changes. After that point, the course fee is non-refundable. The 3 credits earned for an IFC may be counted towards the fall or spring credit requirements.

Total Credit Requirements

Below is a breakdown of the credit requirements for the EC year. Each student is responsible for ensuring that their course registration meets all requirements.

  • 30 credits are required in the EC year
  • 15 credits are required per term*

*Exceptions to the 15 credits/term policy will be considered on a case-by-case basis in cases where there are extenuating circumstances (e.g. the arrival of a child or other serious health concerns). Please email the Registrar's Office (ectoolkit@hbs.edu) for consideration.

Classroom Credit Requirements

A minimum of 3 HBS classroom credits are required per term in the EC year. Classroom credits refer to courses that meet in-person in an HBS classroom environment. Immersive Field Courses (IFC) do not apply to the HBS classroom credit requirement.

Balance of X and Y Schedule

No more than 10.5 credits on one schedule (X or Y) can be taken in each term. This does not include classes that meet weekly.

Independent Projects (IP) and Online Learning IPs

  • 9 credits may be taken as IP credits over the course of the year with no more than 6 credits in one term. IPs earn non-classroom credit.
  • As part of the 9 total credits of IPs, 6 of those credits may be through Online Learning IPs. Online Learning IPs earn non-classroom credit.

Cross-registration

6 credits of approved cross-registration courses can be taken towards the MBA degree.

Applying for Extra Credit

Students interested in adding a course for extra credit up to the limit of 18 credits per term must apply by a specific deadline. Applications for extra credit will be processed in the order in which they are received, after all MBA students have registered for the necessary number of credits for the term. If the course requested is available, then the student will see the addition on Canvas by the first day of the second week of classes. X/Y balance applies with extra credit courses; still no more than 10.5 credits on X or Y days. Courses taken for additional credit above the degree requirements, whether by application or through Add/Drop processing, are treated the same way as any other courses as it relates to course registration, determination of academic difficulty and academic honors, and any other academic and program policies.

EC Course Registration Process

There are two EC course registration processes each year, with the process for Fall and January Term courses starting in April of the RC year, and the process for Spring Term starting in November of the EC year. The EC course registration process involves four key phases as outlined below:

  • Preregistration: learn about courses and rank course preferences for the upcoming term.
  • Follow-Up Window: adjust rankings for refined course offerings before assignment algorithm is run.
  • Learn EC Results: courses are assigned and schedules released; all schedule adjustments from this point forward are processed during Add/Drop.
  • Add/Drop: request schedule changes during the first week of the term.

Auditing

Audit enrollment is rare in the HBS Learning Model and does not result in course credit. Each faculty member may decide whether to accept auditors and how auditors will participate in the course. If a student has received faculty approval to enroll as an auditor, the approval must be forwarded to the Registrar’s Office. The request must include the course title and section number. Audit requests will be processed in the week following Add/Drop. Any addition of auditors to a course will be based on physical seat availability in the classroom. Please Note: Auditors are not guaranteed course materials due to inventory constraints. Please understand that case packets are provided for auditors only if supply allows; special orders cannot be placed for auditors and textbooks are not provided.

Late Course Drop Policy

The Add/Drop process in the registration tool at the start of each term is the mechanism for students to finalize course registration for the term and to make course changes due to schedule and content preferences. However, due to cross-registration deadlines at other schools and independent project plans that may require a different timeline, these types of course registration changes will be accommodated during the two weeks following the Add/Drop process and at midterm for 1.5 credit courses. Final deadlines for course registration changes for the 2024 - 2025 academic year are:

Fall 2024:

  • Friday, September 20, 2024: Full-term and Quarter 1 half courses
  • Friday, November 1, 2024: Quarter 2 half courses

Spring 2025:

  • Friday, February 14, 2025: Full-term and Quarter 3 half courses
  • Friday, March 28, 2025: Quarter 4 half courses

Any course change requests received after these deadlines will be considered on a case-by-case basis by petition to the EC Faculty Chair; the petition should note any extenuating circumstances. Courses dropped after these deadlines will result in a W (withdrawal) notation on the transcript. A maximum of two late course drops per academic year will be permitted.