As we welcome participants back to the HBS campus, we want to assure you that the
health, safety, and well-being of our HBS community remains our top priority. The
number of COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts is low and continues to decline due to the
state's high vaccination rate. We are closely monitoring health and safety protocols
as provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the State of Massachusetts,
and Harvard University, and we will continue to make adjustments as the public health
situation changes.
Please bookmark this page, which provides the latest details you need in preparing
to come to campus and staying on campus. It is important to note that all HBS Executive
Education participants are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior
to coming to campus.
If you are enrolled in any of the impacted programs listed below, please watch your inbox for important emails from the Program Team
and HBS Executive Education. We'll work closely with you to provide a range of program
options and helpful resources.
If you are enrolled in any of the impacted programs listed below, please watch your inbox for important emails from the Program Team
and HBS Executive Education. We'll work closely with you to provide a range of program
options and helpful resources.
For information about specific programs, please refer to the specific program webpage
using our program finder or view our full program schedule.
All HBS Executive Education participants are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to coming to campus, meaning that at least two weeks have passed since receiving the final dose of a vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or World Health Organization (WHO), which currently includes Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, AstraZeneca, SII/Covishield, BIBP/Sinopharm, and Sinovac/CoronaVac.
As with existing requirements for other vaccines, exceptions may be provided only for medical or religious reasons. Please note that if an exemption is granted, participants may be subject to additional requirements, such as more frequent testing.
All Executive Education participants will be required to complete an attestation form prior to the program, confirming that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Further details regarding our Terms of Agreement, which includes a vaccination attestation form, will be shared via email closer to the program start date. While we will not require proof in the form of a vaccination card, in the event that a participant is identified as being exposed to COVID-19 through public health contact tracing efforts, they must agree to share proof of vaccination with Harvard University Health Services.
In order to reach the high levels of vaccination needed to protect our community,
Harvard University is requiring all community members who will have any on-campus presence to be vaccinated. This includes faculty, staff, and students.
To participate in an ExEd program on the HBS campus, the vaccine must be approved by the FDA or WHO. Please note that we cannot make a medical recommendation as to whether you should get a second, different vaccine to satisfy our vaccine requirement. This would need to be determined by a medical professional.
No quarantine is required for entering Massachusetts from outside of the U.S. for fully vaccinated individuals. Please review the requirements for travelers arriving to the U.S. from abroad. In addition, you are advised to confirm requirements for your place of origin and your specific airline. Note also that travel restrictions into the U.S. remain in place from specific countries.
As travel regulations vary greatly and are updated frequently, we encourage you to stay abreast of all travel requirements that will apply to your personal travel plans. Given the backlog that many countries are experiencing, we encourage you to consult with your nearest U.S. Embassy. While HBS is not able to influence the visa or NIE process for executive education programs, we can provide a letter with additional program information that you can include with your documentation.
We recommend a B1/B2 visa for travel to the U.S. for an executive education program. Since participants are not considered full-time students, they do not qualify for a student visa and, therefore, may not qualify for the NIE. Given how rapidly travel guidelines are changing, we recommend that you contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate with all visa and NIE questions and to confirm your qualification.
Self-administered testing will be required and HBS will provide tests at no charge. Details will be provided approximately two (2) weeks prior to the program or module start date.
Harvard University Health Services will manage any incidents of positive testing and or close contact tracing. Isolation period due to a positive test for COVID-19 is generally 10 days in length. Quarantine period due to identification of being a close contact of someone who tests positive is generally 10-14 days in length (note, at this time, if you are vaccinated and remain asymptomatic, you do not have to quarantine).
Masks/facial coverings are required indoors on the HBS campus for all individuals, except when in your private bedroom or when actively eating/drinking in a designated dining area. Upon arrival to your room on campus, you will be provided with an information sheet that outlines the current COVID-19 protocols and information.
Our dining services and catering provider closely monitors and adheres to the CDC and WHO safety recommendations. All dining associates and managers have been trained in the latest protocols for cleaning, protection, and food safety. There will be opportunity for a variety of food options, including some that are individually packaged.
Executive education residence halls feature individual bedrooms, each with a private bathroom. Bedrooms are disinfected per CDC-recommended standards between occupancy. Housekeeping service is available for daily cleaning and restocking as needed.
Air filters have been upgraded in all areas possible to meet or exceed CDC, State of Massachusetts, and American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards. HEPA filters have been deployed at various locations on campus as well. In all cases, ventilation and air flow have been increased as much as feasible without affecting the thermal comfort of occupants, in line with the standards noted above.
High-touch surfaces at HBS—including classrooms—are disinfected each night per CDC-recommended standards. Some high-traffic spaces are disinfected several times per day, including: service counters, door handles, restroom facilities, handrails, and elevators.
Sanitizing wipes and touchless hand sanitizer dispensers are available to enable self-sanitizing as needed. It is important that everyone in our community follow guidelines for handwashing (regularly, for 20 seconds with soap and water), using hand sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable.
Rescheduled Programs, Cancellations, Transfers, and Refunds
No in-person programs will be held through Tuesday, August 31, 2021. Programs currently scheduled to run Wednesday, September 1, 2021 or later are being evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
If you are admitted to a program that starts on or after Wednesday, September 1, 2021, you will be notified at least three weeks in advance if the decision is made to change the program to a virtual format or cancel the program.
If you have been admitted to a program that HBS cancels or changes the dates or format, we will contact you with available options. These may include transferring to the next session of the program or transferring to a different program. You will have the option to receive a full refund of any paid tuition if you are not transferring to another program. Refunds are made to the original form of payment. You may re-apply to future sessions of the program once dates have been set. If you elect to transfer to the next session or to a new program, standard payment terms will apply.
If you transfer to the next program session, any paid tuition is transferred as well. Payment secures your seat in the program. If you prefer to obtain a refund now, you may cancel from the program and re-apply to the program when you are ready. The new application would be reviewed by the Admissions Committee as part of the standard review process. If you are admitted, standard payment terms will apply.
Each program is being considered on a case by case basis. Many programs that cannot be held in-person will be offered virtually instead. We will be in touch with you by email if a new session of your cancelled in-person program is scheduled to take place either virtually or on campus. You can also explore our full portfolio of virtual programs.
If the new program fee is higher, you will be invoiced for the difference. If the new program fee is lower, a refund for the difference will be issued.
HBS will refund tuition fees only—not travel fees or other expenses incurred. Many airlines have waived cancellation fees. It may be helpful to share emails you have received from your Program Director or from HBS Executive Education regarding a cancelled program with the airline when requesting an airfare refund.
Yes, generally admissions decisions during this period will take up to 60 days (up from 30).
Program Updates
No in-person programs will be held through Tuesday, August 31, 2021. Programs currently
scheduled to run Wednesday, September 1, 2021 or later are being evaluated on a case-by-case
basis.
All HBS Executive Education participants are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to coming to campus, meaning that at least two weeks have passed since receiving the final dose of a vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or World Health Organization (WHO), which currently includes Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, AstraZeneca, SII/Covishield, BIBP/Sinopharm, and Sinovac/CoronaVac.
As with existing requirements for other vaccines, exceptions may be provided only for medical or religious reasons. Please note that if an exemption is granted, participants may be subject to additional requirements, such as more frequent testing.
All Executive Education participants will be required to complete an attestation form prior to the program, confirming that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Further details regarding our Terms of Agreement, which includes a vaccination attestation form, will be shared via email closer to the program start date. While we will not require proof in the form of a vaccination card, in the event that a participant is identified as being exposed to COVID-19 through public health contact tracing efforts, they must agree to share proof of vaccination with Harvard University Health Services.
In order to reach the high levels of vaccination needed to protect our community,
Harvard University is requiring all community members who will have any on-campus presence to be vaccinated. This includes faculty, staff, and students.
To participate in an ExEd program on the HBS campus, the vaccine must be approved by the FDA or WHO. Please note that we cannot make a medical recommendation as to whether you should get a second, different vaccine to satisfy our vaccine requirement. This would need to be determined by a medical professional.
No quarantine is required for entering Massachusetts from outside of the U.S. for fully vaccinated individuals. Please review the requirements for travelers arriving to the U.S. from abroad. In addition, you are advised to confirm requirements for your place of origin and your specific airline. Note also that travel restrictions into the U.S. remain in place from specific countries.
As travel regulations vary greatly and are updated frequently, we encourage you to stay abreast of all travel requirements that will apply to your personal travel plans. Given the backlog that many countries are experiencing, we encourage you to consult with your nearest U.S. Embassy. While HBS is not able to influence the visa or NIE process for executive education programs, we can provide a letter with additional program information that you can include with your documentation.
We recommend a B1/B2 visa for travel to the U.S. for an executive education program. Since participants are not considered full-time students, they do not qualify for a student visa and, therefore, may not qualify for the NIE. Given how rapidly travel guidelines are changing, we recommend that you contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate with all visa and NIE questions and to confirm your qualification.
Self-administered testing will be required and HBS will provide tests at no charge. Details will be provided approximately two (2) weeks prior to the program or module start date.
Harvard University Health Services will manage any incidents of positive testing and or close contact tracing. Isolation period due to a positive test for COVID-19 is generally 10 days in length. Quarantine period due to identification of being a close contact of someone who tests positive is generally 10-14 days in length (note, at this time, if you are vaccinated and remain asymptomatic, you do not have to quarantine).
Masks/facial coverings are required indoors on the HBS campus for all individuals, except when in your private bedroom or when actively eating/drinking in a designated dining area. Upon arrival to your room on campus, you will be provided with an information sheet that outlines the current COVID-19 protocols and information.
Our dining services and catering provider closely monitors and adheres to the CDC and WHO safety recommendations. All dining associates and managers have been trained in the latest protocols for cleaning, protection, and food safety. There will be opportunity for a variety of food options, including some that are individually packaged.
Executive education residence halls feature individual bedrooms, each with a private bathroom. Bedrooms are disinfected per CDC-recommended standards between occupancy. Housekeeping service is available for daily cleaning and restocking as needed.
Air filters have been upgraded in all areas possible to meet or exceed CDC, State of Massachusetts, and American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards. HEPA filters have been deployed at various locations on campus as well. In all cases, ventilation and air flow have been increased as much as feasible without affecting the thermal comfort of occupants, in line with the standards noted above.
High-touch surfaces at HBS—including classrooms—are disinfected each night per CDC-recommended standards. Some high-traffic spaces are disinfected several times per day, including: service counters, door handles, restroom facilities, handrails, and elevators.
Sanitizing wipes and touchless hand sanitizer dispensers are available to enable self-sanitizing as needed. It is important that everyone in our community follow guidelines for handwashing (regularly, for 20 seconds with soap and water), using hand sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable.
Rescheduled Programs, Cancellations, Transfers, and Refunds
No in-person programs will be held through Tuesday, August 31, 2021. Programs currently scheduled to run Wednesday, September 1, 2021 or later are being evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
If you are admitted to a program that starts on or after Wednesday, September 1, 2021, you will be notified at least three weeks in advance if the decision is made to change the program to a virtual format or cancel the program.
If you have been admitted to a program that HBS cancels or changes the dates or format, we will contact you with available options. These may include transferring to the next session of the program or transferring to a different program. You will have the option to receive a full refund of any paid tuition if you are not transferring to another program. Refunds are made to the original form of payment. You may re-apply to future sessions of the program once dates have been set. If you elect to transfer to the next session or to a new program, standard payment terms will apply.
If you transfer to the next program session, any paid tuition is transferred as well. Payment secures your seat in the program. If you prefer to obtain a refund now, you may cancel from the program and re-apply to the program when you are ready. The new application would be reviewed by the Admissions Committee as part of the standard review process. If you are admitted, standard payment terms will apply.
Each program is being considered on a case by case basis. Many programs that cannot be held in-person will be offered virtually instead. We will be in touch with you by email if a new session of your cancelled in-person program is scheduled to take place either virtually or on campus. You can also explore our full portfolio of virtual programs.
If the new program fee is higher, you will be invoiced for the difference. If the new program fee is lower, a refund for the difference will be issued.
HBS will refund tuition fees only—not travel fees or other expenses incurred. Many airlines have waived cancellation fees. It may be helpful to share emails you have received from your Program Director or from HBS Executive Education regarding a cancelled program with the airline when requesting an airfare refund.
Yes, generally admissions decisions during this period will take up to 60 days (up from 30).
Program Updates
No in-person programs will be held through Tuesday, August 31, 2021. Programs currently
scheduled to run Wednesday, September 1, 2021 or later are being evaluated on a case-by-case
basis.
