Harvard University

Education School Overview

U.S. News Rankings

Ranking score and category

Rank Category Name #2 Best Education Schools

Specialties Locked in Curriculum and instruction #3 in Education administration & supervision #2 in Education policy Locked in Educational psychology #10 in Higher education administration Locked in Secondary teacher education

Education School Overview

The Harvard Graduate School of Education stresses usable knowledge—whether students hope to teach, create policy, or research. In just one year, students can earn a master’s degree in one of 13 areas, such as Mind, Brain and Education and International Education Policy. Doctoral degrees typically take three years to complete, and, for a break from the Massachusetts winters, Ph.D. students can elect to spend a semester or two studying at the UC—Berkeley Graduate School of Education.

The school has programs committed to helping the nation’s struggling schools, like WIDE World, a series of online training courses for teachers, and the Change Leadership Group, which examines routes of systemic improvement for schools and districts. The Doctor of Education Leadership program, which readies graduate students to spearhead reform, is tuition free. Students looking for extracurricular opportunities can partake in programs such as Project Zero, a study of the effects of art on learning, and can work in research hubs like the Center on the Developing Child.

Another perk of attending graduate school at Harvard: students can enroll in courses at the university’s other schools, including the highly ranked John F. Kennedy School of Government and Business School, as well as in courses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Select students may be able to enroll part time, though some degrees require a full-time commitment. There is no evening degree option. Alumni of HGSE include school administrators like Mount Holyoke College President Joanne V. Creighton; government officials such as Tom Payzant, the former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education; and entrepreneurs including Twitter cocreator Dom Sagolla.

Admissions

Application deadline	December 14
Application fee	$85
Director of admissions	Maria Curcio

Academics

Full-time faculty	52
Student-faculty ratio	5.4:1 - High

Student Body

Enrollment (full-time)	877
Gender distribution (full-time)

Cost

Tuition
Full-time: $35,568 per year Part-time: $17,784 per year
Required fees	$2,954 per year

Teacher Preparation

Students who took an assessment to become a certified or licensed teacher during 2009-2010

52

* Education School Overview details based on 2010 data