Program Policies
Get more information on our learning requirements, accommodations, changing your program status (selecting a later course, withdrawals, refunds, deferrals), exceptions standards, and discounts.
Get more information on our learning requirements, accommodations, changing your program status (selecting a later course, withdrawals, refunds, deferrals), exceptions standards, and discounts.
Have questions about our policies on learning requirements, accommodations, changing your program status (selecting a later course, withdrawals, refunds, deferrals), exceptions standards, or discounts? Start here!
The following Program Policies apply if a participant enrolls in any Harvard Business School Online (“HBS Online”) Program. HBS Online offers online courses, programs or other offerings in specific areas of study or on particular topics (each, a “Program”). When enrolling in a Program, participants accept and agree to be legally bound by the Program Policies. If you do not understand or do not wish to be bound by the Program Policies, do not enroll in any Programs. As a reminder, HBS Online Services are at all times subject to the HBS Online Terms of Use.
To earn a Certificate of Completion in an HBS Online Program, participants must meet all the following requirements:
Participants who fail to complete the Program requirements will not receive a Certificate of Completion and will not be eligible to retake the Program.
To earn a Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB), participants must complete the following requirements:
CORe grades are provided for the entirety of the CORe Program and at the individual course level. For a full explanation of CORe grading information and overview, please visit the CORe grading webpage.
Please note: by enrolling in Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, or Financial Accounting as individual certificate Programs, participants will be ineligible to enroll in CORe. Participants must enroll in the CORe Program.
CORe Program grades are assigned on the following scale:
CORe Course grades are based on the following three components, with the approximate weighing of each component:
Each module, including associated quizzes, must be completed by the stated deadline. If a participant does not complete a module by the deadline, they must still work through the materials and complete the quiz; however, their score will be recorded as a zero for that module.
All CORe modules and quizzes must be completed for a participant to be eligible to take the CORe final exam. Participants who do not complete all quizzes will not receive a passing grade.
HBS Online does not allow participants who fail to complete CORe or fail CORe to take it again. Participants concerned about their ability to complete the Program are encouraged to defer or withdraw and reapply to a future cohort. By enrolling in CORe, participants will be ineligible to enroll in Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, or Financial Accounting as individual certificate Programs.
To earn a Credential of Digitial Innovation and Strategy, participants must complete the following requirements:
HBS Online understands unexpected life events happen. As a result, HBS Online may make exceptions to the deadline, deferral, enrollment, and withdrawal policies on a case-by-case basis for an extreme life circumstance.
Extreme life circumstances include, but are not limited to:
As noted in the Certificate of Completion Requirements section, participants are required to complete all coursework by the required deadlines within each Program. However, HBS Online may make exceptions to course deadlines on a case-by-case basis.
HBS Online will not consider exceptions for events such as vacations, conflicting professional obligations, time zone changes, time zone miscalculations, or local technical issues. If a participant knows they are or will be in an area with limited internet connectivity, they are expected to plan to meet the course deadlines.
Early and active communication is essential for HBS Online to help support participants during their life events. Participants are expected to make every reasonable effort to reach out to HBS Online by logging into their account and opening a support case within the support portal within 2 weeks of their life event. Regardless of circumstances, no exception requests submitted more than 60 days after the final deadline of the course will be considered. To the extent possible, participants are expected to continue their coursework while any exception request is under review.
Participants who are currently enrolled in a Program and wish to submit an exception request may refer to the relevant reference pages for exceptions requests for additional information.
Participants who disagree with a decision made for an exception, accommodation, or any decision rendered by HBS Online can submit a formal appeal. The appeals process allows participants to submit more information or documentation to provide additional context in support of overturning the decision rendered by HBS Online. Appeals are reviewed by an appeals committee at HBS Online. Appeals decisions are considered final, only one appeal will be accepted per decision, exception, or accommodations determination.
Participants who are currently enrolled in a Program and wish to submit an appeal may refer to the relevant reference appeals pages for additional information.
When communicating with HBS Online, please understand that the nature of online learning means that messages to HBS Online may not be read immediately, and that HBS Online is not able to respond to personal emergency situations. If you are in distress or are experiencing a personal emergency, please reach out to local resources or to emergency responders in your area.
HBS Online welcomes participants of all backgrounds and abilities. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), a person is considered to have a disability if that individual (1) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; (2) has a record of having such an impairment; or (3) is regarded as having such an impairment.
What are accommodations?
Accommodations are adjustments and modifications that provide participants with disabilities equal access to courses and Programs. However, accommodations do not guarantee an outcome or a level of achievement. Accommodations also do not apply to non-disability related circumstances such as work conflicts, vacations, or family commitments.
What is the accommodations request process?
Participants are responsible for disclosing their need for accommodations in each Program by completing an Online Accommodations Request Form as early as possible. Individualized accommodations are then determined through a collaborative process that takes into account self-reports, available supporting documentation, and academic requirements of the specific course. Requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If a participant is unsure if accommodations apply to them, HBS Online is happy to answer questions using the email below. This request process only applies to HBS Online Program offerings.
Please Note: Early and active communication is required because late notification may result in a delay or inability to fulfill a request.
What type of supporting documentation is accepted?
The HBS Online Accommodations team will review any relevant supporting documentation. Supporting documentation should be in English or include a notarized English translation. However, if any supporting documentation needs to be translated by HBS Online from another language to English, please allow the Accommodations team an additional 5 business days to complete the translation process before the Accommodations team can review the accommodations request. Please also remove any social security numbers or other unrelated sensitive information.
The following are general documentation guidelines for your reference:
Who do I contact?
To initiate a request or to inquire about the process, please reach out to hbsonlineaccommodations@hbs.edu. Please do NOT send supporting documentation or medical records via email. HBS Online will provide instructions on how to submit documentation securely.
Full payment is required to complete enrollment. If a participant has multiple failed payment attempts with a credit or debit card their account will be locked and they will not be able to continue with enrollment. Please note HBS Online does not provide refunds for the purpose of changing a participant’s payment method.
The cost of each Program (the "Program Fee") grants access to the content for each course Program from the first day of the Program until 60 days after the final Program deadline.
After enrolling in a Program, participants may request a withdrawal with refund up until 24 hours after the start of the Program. Please note, this is 24 hours after the course materials become available, not after the participant logs in. We encourage all Participants to log in to their Program as soon as it starts to confirm it will be a good fit for their learning needs. To request a withdrawal with refund, log in to your account and select “Change Program Status” for the relevant Program.
If a participant withdraws more than 24 hours after the start of the Program, or if a participant is found to be in violation of the Agreements or any other Harvard Business School Online or Program-specific policy, the participant will not be issued a refund unless Harvard Business School Online elects to do so.
Stopping payment on a credit/debit card or other payment methods is not a valid means of withdrawing from a Program. If a participant stops payment without following the HBS Online process for withdrawal, the participant will remain responsible for paying the Program Fee and may be rendered ineligible to participate in future HBS Online programs.
For On-Demand Programs, once a participant's payment is successfully processed, an email granting access to the course content will be sent within 2 hours. Participants will also see access granted on their account dashboard. The full duration of access is indicated on their account dashboard. Access to the course begins the moment Program access is granted, not at first login to the Program.
For On-Demand Programs, all partial payments will be automatically refunded if the participant does not complete enrollment within 45 days after the initial partial payment. Full payment is required to complete enrollment. If a participant has multiple failed payment attempts with a credit or debit card, their account will be locked, and they will not be able to continue with enrollment. Please note, HBS Online does not provide refunds for the purpose of changing a participant’s payment method.
After enrolling in an On-Demand Program, participants may request a withdrawal with refund up until 24 hours after receiving access to the Program. Please note, this is 24 hours after the course materials become available, not after the participant logs in. We encourage all Participants to log in to their Program as soon as access is available to confirm it will be a good fit for their learning needs. To request a withdrawal with refund, log in to your account and select “Change Program Status” for the relevant Program.
Please note, each Program Fee includes a nonrefundable $100 processing fee. If a participant requests a withdrawal with refund, HBS Online will issue a refund to the original payment method used during enrollment, minus the $100 processing fee.
If a participant withdraws more than 24 hours after being provided to access an On-Demand Program, or if a participant is found to be in violation of the Agreements or any other Harvard Business School Online or Program-specific policy, the participant will not be issued a refund unless Harvard Business School Online elects to do so.
Stopping payment on a credit/debit card or other payment methods is not a valid means of withdrawing from an On-Demand Program. If a participant stops payment without following the HBS Online process for withdrawal, the participant will remain responsible for paying the Program Fee and may be rendered ineligible to participate in future HBS Online programs.
Participants in a Corporate Learning Program means any participant who is enrolled in a company-sponsored Program and enrolled in a Program through their employer, educational, or sponsoring entity. Full payment, if payment by the participant is required, is due at the time of enrollment. If a Participant has multiple failed payment attempts with a credit or debit card their account will be locked and they will not be able to continue with enrollment. Please note, HBS Online does not provide refunds for the purpose of changing a participant’s payment method.
After enrolling in a Program, prior to the start of the Program, and at the request of the employer or sponsoring entity, a participant may be withdrawn from the Program, which will result in the participant being refunded their original payment method. The participant may only be withdrawn from the Program if the request is made prior to the start of the Program.
Please note, each Program Fee includes a nonrefundable $100 processing fee. If a Participant is withdrawn with refund, HBS Online will issue a refund to the original payment method used during enrollment, minus the $100 processing fee.
This Section is effective for Programs that start after February 1, 2020. Access the previous policies here.
HBS Online understands a Participant’s plans to join an HBS Online Program may change. Therefore, depending on the Program, HBS Online offers the opportunity for Participants to make changes to their enrollment, such as deferring their enrollment, dropping a term, and/or withdrawing from the Program. Please note, additional policies apply to participants who are company-sponsored and enrolled in a Corporate Learning Program through their employer or sponsoring entity.
Participants may request an enrollment deferral at any time before their Program starts, and up to one week after the start of their Program. Note that participants will need to start the Program over after deferring—no work completed will transfer to the later offering.
Participants must defer to one of the next open offerings of the Program in which they are enrolled. A list of upcoming offerings may be found on the Program’s page on our website.
Participants may only defer once. If a participant has previously deferred, they will not be eligible for an additional deferral or a refund. For this reason, please consider requesting a refund if the Program has not started and you are uncertain about joining a later offering.
Once a participant has requested a withdrawal with refund, HBS Online will return funds to the payment method used during enrollment, minus a $100 nonrefundable processing fee.
If you withdraw more than 24 hours after the start of the Program, or if you are found to be in violation of the Agreements or any other Harvard Business School Online or Program-specific policy, you will not be issued a refund unless Harvard Business School Online elects to do so.
Please be advised, if the original payment was by Western Union, refunds will be paid by check and mailed via the United States Postal Service (USPS).
Participants may request a withdrawal without refund only if they have completed less than half of the Program. Withdrawal from a Program without refund, if the participant has completed less than half of the Program will allow the participant to reenroll in the same Program, at a later time – such reenrollment will require payment of the full cost of the Program. If the participant has completed more than half the Program, the participant is not permitted to withdraw from the Program. The participant must either complete the Program or if they are unable to complete the Program, they will not receive their certificate of completion. Such participants are not eligible to reenroll in the Program at any time.
If a participant is unable to complete a given term of CLIMB, but wishes to remain enrolled in the CLIMB Program, they may drop a term at any time. To change your Program status, please contact the HBS Online Support Team and select “Enrollment”. Participants who drop a term outside the 24 hours from the start of the term period or outside of our Exception Policy for extreme life events will not receive a refund of their term fee.
If a participant elects to drop the first term of the Program, they must reapply to CLIMB before reenrolling. For all other terms, participants may return to the Program when the relevant term is next offered. Participants must complete the CLIMB Program within two years of completing their first term.
Enrollment completed for upcoming terms may be refunded up until 24 hours after the term start date in the event of a Program withdrawal. Learners who withdraw from CLIMB may be eligible to reapply and reenroll to the Program at a later date.
Participants in a Corporate Learning Program means any participant who is enrolled in a company-sponsored Program and enrolled in a Program through their employer, educational, or sponsoring entity. Such Participants may not defer, withdraw, drop a term, or receive a refund except upon the direct request from their employer or sponsoring entity. If such a participant wishes to defer, withdraw, drop a term, or receive a refund, the participant must contact the appropriate representative at their employer or sponsoring entity and the employer or sponsoring entity will inform HBS Online. Please note, participants enrolled in CLIMB via a Corporate Learning Program are not permitted to defer or drop a term after the CLIMB Program has started, even upon a direct request from their employer. CLIMB Participants enrolled via a Corporate Learning Program may only withdraw or defer from the CLIMB Program prior to the start of the first CLIMB Term.
If a participant in a Corporate Learning Program pays the Program Fees, or pays a portion of the Program Fees, any change to the participant’s enrollment status is still subject to the request of the employer or sponsoring entity. Prior to the start of a Program, and at the request of the employer or sponsoring entity, the participant may be withdrawn from the Program, which will result in the participant being refunded their original payment method.
Please note, these restrictions do not apply to individual Participants individually enrolled, independent of an employer or educational sponsorship, who completed their enrollment, paid for the Program themselves, and plan to request employer reimbursement, or sent their employer the third-party payment link during the enrollment process— these participants are still eligible for deferrals and refunds in this case.
At HBS Online, part of our mission is to make our courses available to all who are committed to an engaging learning experience in a community of like-minded learners. Throughout the course, Participants will be asked to apply what they are learning to their own professional and personal experiences. Participants are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity for reflection and to be candid about the questions and challenges they face. To foster a rich dialogue, some of participants’ contributions within a Program will be shared with other participants in their cohort. Participants are encouraged to use discretion in the type of information they choose to share; please do not share any proprietary or confidential information that you may wish to keep private. In the event participants wish to reflect upon a situation that is sensitive in nature, please use your best judgment in disguising the exact details. Note that not all submissions are publicly shared; those that are private reflections will be marked as such.
All participants are required to abide by the HBS Community Values and HBS Online Honor Code.
Engaging with The Community
During the course, Participants will learn with and from a global community of their peers. Participants will be expected to actively engage with their peers by commenting on their ideas and writing thoughtful responses to questions posed in the course. HBS Online Programs are only available in English. To understand the course materials, respond to questions, and participate effectively, all learners must be proficient in English.
Motivation and Commitment
HBS Online’s Programs are designed for motivated and committed learners. HBS Online expects participants to keep pace with their peers in the course, to ensure the social and group elements of the course are as relevant and beneficial to their learning as possible.
From time to time, HBS Online may provide a discount code to enroll in a Program. Please be advised that the discount may be considered taxable scholarship income; see IRS Publication 970 (Tax Benefits for Education) or consult with your own tax advisor. Individuals who are nonresident aliens for U.S. tax purposes are ineligible for a discount for any course they take while present in the U.S.
Participants who have enrolled in at least one qualifying Harvard Business School Online Program, from the list below, are eligible to enroll in subsequent qualifying program(s) at 30% off the current program cost, regardless of completion or certificate status of the first purchased Program. Past Participant Pricing is NOT valid for the first purchased Program. Participants are only eligible to receive the Past Participant Pricing after the withdrawal deadline (24 hours after the start of a program*) has passed for their first purchased Program. Participants enrolled in HBS Online Free Business Lessons or Programs that are part of a corporate learning package are NOT eligible to receive this discount.
Past Participant Pricing is automatically applied to the Program Fee upon time of payment. Past Participant Pricing is not available after submitting payment, so if you think you are eligible for Past Participant Pricing upon enrollment, please review this Past Participant Pricing policy in detail before you submit any payment.
At this time, Past Participant Pricing is 30% off the Program Fee and only applies to the Programs listed below. Past Participant Pricing terms are subject to change, and any changes have immediate and retroactive effect.
Past Participant Pricing is only eligible for Program enrollments on or after May 7, 2021, and is not retroactively available. Past Participant Pricing may not be combined with other scholarships, financial aid, or other offers.
Only one instance of Past Participant Pricing may be used per order.
Participants deferring from Past Participant Pricing eligible cohorts to non-eligible cohorts will not retain the benefit of the Past Participant Pricing for the non-eligible cohort. Deferrals are subject to the standard program policies.
The Past Participating Pricing benefit cannot be exchanged for cash and it may not be transferred or sold. Past Participant Pricing is void where prohibited by law.
Past Participant Pricing terms and conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
*Please note, this is 24 hours after the program materials become available, not after you log in.