Harvard Division of Continuing Education Proposes Renaming Division, Restructuring Graduate Degrees

Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education proposed sweeping reforms, including consolidating its four academic units under a new name and restructuring its graduate degrees, DCE Dean Nancy J. Coleman announced Tuesday.

The proposal, which requires the approval of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the University’s governing boards, would bring the Harvard Extension School, Harvard Summer School, Harvard Professional & Executive Development, and Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement together under one umbrella: the Harvard School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

The proposal would also introduce two graduate degree titles in place of the current Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies — a Master of Liberal Studies for liberal arts programs and a Master of Professional Studies for applied and professional programs. Though Coleman did not specify a timeline for University review, she wrote that if approved, the proposal would take effect April 6, 2027.

The proposal comes after a yearslong effort to rebrand the DCE’s programs. The FAS considered a similar plan in 2009, but postponed voting for months before ultimately tabling the issue. Student groups — including the Extension Studies Removal Initiative — and DCE deans have advocated for changes to the division’s name since at least 2007.

Coleman wrote in her Tuesday email to affiliates that the proposal aims to better communicate to employers and bring DCE in line with peer institutions.

“What will remain is our steadfast commitment to our earn-your-way-in admissions pathway, rigorous grading standards, access, world class pedagogy, commitment to ed tech innovation, and alignment with FAS as the foundation of everything we do,” Coleman wrote. “This proposal makes the identity around that excellence as clear as the education itself.”

The proposal did not include changes to the Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies, though Coleman wrote that the undergraduate program is undergoing a separate review.

The division served more than 16,800 learners from more than 120 countries in 2025, with over 1,200 and over 130

Founded by former Harvard Extension Student Association President Kody Christiansen in 2020, the ESRI has advocated to remove “Extension Studies” from degrees awarded by the DCE, arguing that the designation creates confusion for employers and fails to reflect students’ academic concentrations.

Former HESA President Emina Dedić-Pađen, who led the initiative during her 2023–24 term, said the inclusion of “Extension Studies” left many students feeling like “second class citizens.”

Under Dedić-Pađen, ESRI redoubled its efforts, organizing an on-campus student rally in 2023 and sending more than 10,000 postcards to the FAS, Board of Overseers, and the Harvard Corporation urging them to update degree names.

HESA was recognized as an official student government body in May 2025. Then-HESA President Jessica Brooks said the shift improved communication between the body and administration.

Brooks said Coleman’s advocacy played a similarly important role in alleviating student concerns.

“We felt comfortable advocating and letting students know that yes, for sure she is working on this, and again, that came a lot from the relationship building,” said Brooks.

Dedić-Pađen said that while the proposed changes are a step in the right direction, it will remain important to ensure HES undergraduates are considered in decision-making.

Current HESA President Nathan Rogers wrote in a statement to The Crimson that he was “excited” by Coleman’s announcement, but acknowledged that any changes would have to go through multiple levels of review.

Coleman wrote in her Tuesday email that the proposal had “just” been presented to the FAS, and that, if approved by the faculty, it would move to the Board of Overseers and the Corporation.

—Staff writer Subah Sumaiiyat can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X at @ssumaiiyat_ and Signal at ssumaiiyat.14.