Certificate and Non-Degree Requirements

Your statement should be your own original work and may not be written, in part or in whole, by a third party. It should be double-spaced and no more than 1,000 words.

In your statement, please address the following question:

• How has your experience in the HGSE Ed.M. program motivated you or influenced you to pursue the graduate certificate in quantitative research methods? What skills or knowledge do you hope to gain in this second year of graduate study, and how do you see the certificate fitting into your longer-term career goals?

The length and format of your résumé or C.V. is up to your discretion.

One letter of recommendation from an HGSE faculty member is required.
 

• No standardized testing is required.
• Application fee is waived.
   

You are required to upload transcripts from each postsecondary institution that you have attended showing all undergraduate and graduate work (including non-degree classes) in the Academics section of the application.

At this stage of the application process, you may upload unofficial or student copies. All transcripts should show courses completed, grades received, duration of study, and degree or diploma received, if applicable.

Please keep in mind that you will need to provide official transcripts (and translations, if applicable) for verification, should you be admitted. HGSE reserves the right to withdraw an admissions offer if there is a discrepancy between the uploaded version and the official original transcript and/or the official translation.

The HGSE Admissions team will work with the Registrar's Office to obtain your HGSE transcripts on your behalf.

• Tuition is $25,000 for the full program.
• The Graduate Certificate is not eligible for federal or institutional financial aid.
• Participants are encouraged to explore employer sponsorship or external funding opportunities. 
   

We have included below the information about our Virtual Information Sessions for the Graduate Certificate in Education: Quantitative Research Methods Program. Both sessions will feature faculty members who will describe the structure of this program and answer your questions.

Graduate Certificate in Education: Quantitative Research Methods: Information Session #1
Friday, May 1, 2026 at 10–11 a.m. EDT

Register to attend.

Graduate Certificate in Education: Quantitative Research Methods: Information Session #2
Monday, May 18, 2026 at 4–5 p.m. EDT

Register to attend.

Your statement should be your own original work and may not be written, in part or in whole, by a third party. It should be double-spaced and no more than 1,500 words. 

In your statement, please address the following questions:  

• How has your experience in the HDE - School Counseling Strand, Prevention Science & Practice, or Risk and Prevention master's program motivated you or influenced you to pursue the C.A.S.? What skills or knowledge do you hope to gain in this second year of graduate study? 
• Given the importance of cultural humility in the field of counseling, please talk about where you are on your own journey in learning and incorporating this into your work. How have you grown in your personal awareness and/or understanding of cultural humility? Please share an example of a time when you exercised cultural humility this year; give us a sense of what happened, how you engaged, and what you learned.  
   

The length and format of your résumé or C.V. is up to your discretion.

Current HDE applicants: 

• One recommendation from a supervisor from an HDE practicum placement. (In the recommendation section, be sure to indicate the "Type" as "Recommendation for C.A.S. application.")

HDE/PSP/R&P alumni applicants: 

• Two letters of recommendation. 
  • One must be from the supervisor of your practicum placement during your time as an HDE/PSP/R&P student. 
  • The other should be written by an individual who has supervised you in a professional capacity since graduation from HGSE.
     

Current students will be able to use the transcripts and (and GRE test scores, if desired), they submitted in conjunction with their Ed.M. application; they will be asked to authorize the Admissions Office access to these records on the application form. The admissions committee may also reference applicants' fall semester practicum evaluations during the review process.

All offers of admissions to the C.A.S. are conditional and contingent upon an additional admissions review held in April of the year of acceptance, as admission to C.A.S. is contingent on successful completion of the Ed.M. degree and fieldwork performance during year one of the program.  

Alumni are asked to authorize the Admissions Office access to their HGSE transcript on the application form. Additionally, alumni who graduated after the class of 2013 do not need to resubmit non-HGSE transcripts unless new courses were taken, or a new degree program was completed.  

Alumni who graduated before 2013 must resubmit transcript(s) from each non-HGSE postsecondary institution attended; they should be uploaded in the Academics section of the application. 

Please note that the admissions committee may reference applicant's PSP Ed.M. practicum evaluations and site supervisor feedback during the review process. The committee also reserves the right to review the student's original application to the HDE/PSP/R&P program.

• GRE scores are optional
• Application fee is waived

Applicants must provide a one-page statement detailing how the course(s) you wish to take specifically relates to your current professional responsibilities or academic work.

The length and format of your résumé or C.V. is up to your discretion.

• Professional educators: This letter should be from a supervisor familiar with your work.
• College or university faculty: You do not need to submit a recommendation.
• Doctoral students: This letter should be from an academic adviser familiar with your plan of study and research interests.

Applicants whose native language is not English and whose bachelor's degree is not from a college or university where English is the sole language of instruction are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS exam. You are exempt from this requirement if you have earned a bachelor's degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction. Additionally, you must have completed at least 3 years of full-time enrollment at the institution, otherwise, TOEFL/IELTS scores are required. Scores must be from a test administered no earlier than July 1, 2022 for 2024-2025 enrollment. In addition, Harvard University does not provide student visas to Special Students.

Official and unopened transcript(s) from each postsecondary institution attended (including institutions from which course credits transferred) showing all courses and grades. These must be sent directly to the HGSE Admissions Office and received by the application deadline.

You must submit your $85 application fee using a Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. The application fee is nonrefundable.