Harvard Summer School offers a range of enriching study abroad opportunities—including cultural exploration, foreign language study, and scientific investigation—in diverse locations. By taking learning beyond the classroom, into the cobbled streets of medieval cities, the world-class laboratories and natural environments of remote locales, each program invites you to learn in a new context, in new ways, gaining perspectives that shape the way you engage with the world.
Cost and application. Programs span five to nine weeks. The costs range from $4,800 to $8,500, and for most programs this covers tuition, lodging, some meals, course materials, and scheduled excursions and extracurricular activities. The application deadline for most programs is March 3. See individual programs for complete details.
New programs may be added and existing programs occasionally change, so please check back periodically.
All programs are 8 credits and may be taken for undergraduate or graduate credit. Harvard College students earn credit for two half courses, and some programs may fulfill language citation, departmental, or Core credit requirements.
Harvard faculty members design each program’s curriculum, calling on their areas of expertise to create new learning experiences overseas.
In addition to multiple opportunities for foreign language immersion, Harvard summer programs offer specialized study in a variety of subjects, from an investigation of biodiversity in Borneo to archaeological fieldwork in Honduras and everything in between.
By living in a different culture, you can reach new understanding of your own society and values. You learn to appreciate the complex interactions across cultural borders and gain a network of friends abroad.
Each program is as demanding as it is rewarding, resulting from the commitment of Harvard faculty and, in some cases, collaboration with overseas scholars and universities. Unlike many study opportunities abroad, our programs are led exclusively by faculty, ensuring the same quality education students encounter on campus in Cambridge.
Study abroad exposes you to ways of living, learning, and interacting that differ from your own. Study abroad can involve mental, emotional, and physical challenges. You may find yourself navigating new cultural encounters; hiking up mountains or over cobblestones; pounding the pavement in urban caverns; and encountering new foods, different customs, and unfamiliar domestic patterns—and doing all of this in a new language. Before applying you should consider such challenges, familiarize yourself with your country of interest, and direct any questions to the program staff.