Frequently Asked Questions

To apply to any of our certificate programs, you should have already earned a graduate (terminal) degree. Candidates should ideally hold an MD, PhD, MBBS, DMD, DDS, PharmD, DNP, or equivalent. Candidates with a master’s degree in a health care-related discipline will be considered. 

Our programs vary in duration. Our certificate and custom programs may run 6, 9, or 12 months.

We offer in-person and online certificate programs. Please visit your program page for specific information about format.  

To successfully complete a program, learners must participate in all 3 program workshops, successfully complete all assignments and assessments, attend at least 75% of live webinars, and successfully complete the capstone project. Some programs may have additional requirements.

Students who successfully complete all educational and attendance requirements for a program and who have fully paid their program fee will be awarded a Certificate from Harvard Medical School Postgraduate Medical Education. Some programs are eligible for associate membership in the Harvard Alumni Association. Check program pages for more details.

In most cases, credits cannot be applied from certificate programs to a degree program. For all programs, we can offer a statement on the approximate number of hours required to complete program requirements. Some of our certificate programs offer continuing education credits upon completion of the course. Please see individual program pages to learn which programs offer this. 

Yes, our programs admit qualified applicants from all over the world. We proudly have alumni from more than 100 countries globally. 

Students are responsible for obtaining the necessary travel documents to attend the mandatory in-person program workshops.

Yes, strong English proficiency is required to effectively participate in our programs. Programs will be taught in English, including all assigned reading materials and activities. Candidates who do not speak English as their primary language are encouraged to document English language proficiency on their CVs. Candidates may be asked to participate in a brief interview with the Program Director (or a designee) who will assess English proficiency.

Approximately two weeks prior to the start of the program, you will receive access to the learning management system, which includes a program schedule and any pre-work requirements for the program.

Admission to our programs is selective and based on differing qualifications required by each program. These requirements could include degrees earned, research experience, teaching responsibilities, writing samples, etc. All programs require a letter of reference from a department, division head, director, chair, or supervisor. Additionally, for all programs, participants must be fluent in the English language to effectively participate in the learning experience. 
 

Please check the admissions tab on the program page for a breakdown of each program’s specific requirements.

Each program has its own deadline, which can be found on the program page. For most programs, there is both an early application deadline and final application deadline. Applicants who want to apply for program fee assistance or want to be eligible for early application pricing should apply by the early application deadline.

The final application deadline is the date by which all application materials, including any required documents like the letter of recommendation, must be received for the application to be reviewed in this enrollment cycle. 

Although you may consider applying to more than one program, we encourage applicants to focus on applying to one program at a time. If you need assistance in understanding which program is right for you, please contact our admissions team: learn@hms.harvard.edu.

Applications are reviewed only after we have received all required documents. Most applicants will receive an admissions decision within 4 to 6 weeks of receipt, depending on the volume of applications received to the program. All complete applications that have been submitted by the application deadline will be reviewed and an admissions decision will be posted prior to enrollment deposit deadlines.

We strongly recommend booking refundable travel and accommodation. You may book travel at any point after enrolling in a program, but we encourage you to wait to do so until the program team has sent out the final program schedule. If you will be required to secure a visa before traveling to our programs, we recommend booking travel after receiving your visa.  Harvard Medical School is not responsible for losses due to cancellation of flights, non-issuance of visas, non-refundable accommodation charges or any other costs incurred by learners, including in the event that program dates are changed.

The admissions letter you receive should be sufficient to obtain a visa for entry to the United States. Please note, you will not need a visa if you are a citizen of a country participating in the Visa Waiver Program. You will need a visa if you are a citizen of another country - in this case, you typically will need a B-1* visa. 

Please follow U.S. State Department guidelines to check requirements and to obtain a visa. Harvard Medical School cannot assist in this process. It can be a lengthy process to obtain a visa, so be sure to apply as soon as you are accepted into a program. 

Program participants are not considered full-time students at Harvard University and thus are not eligible for Harvard University's F-1 student visa sponsorship. 

For programs OUTSIDE of the United States, please check with your local consulate for visa requirements. 

• Malaysia
• People's Republic of China
• United Kingdom
• United States

Upon acceptance into a program, you’ll receive an electronic invoice from our team that is payable until the enrollment deadline. A minimum of a 20%-25% percent deposit (program dependent) will be required to secure your place in the program and should be received within 14 days of receipt of your acceptance email. 

The full program fee should be paid no later than two weeks before the start of the program. 

There are several financial support options available:

Payment Plans: We offer payment plans that allow enrollees to pay in monthly installments. A 20%-25% deposit of the full program fee is required to be eligible for a payment plan. After enrolling in a payment plan, the first payment is due at the start of the program and regular payments thereafter. Payments must be made on time to participate in the course and tp maintain access to course materials. If you wish to discuss the installment plan in more detail, please email learn@hms.harvard.edu.

Program Fee Assistance: Harvard Medical School offers a limited pool of program fee assistance for qualified candidates, awarded based on need, merit, and available funds. All program fee assistance requests must be submitted with the program application by the early application deadline. Applicants will be asked to provide a statement explaining their need for partial program fee assistance, including details about annual income, dependents, debt burdens, and other relevant factors to demonstrate financial need.

Program fee assistance requests received after the application has been submitted will not be considered. We encourage applicants needing assistance to apply early, as funds are limited. Priority is given to current residents and citizens of low- to middle-income countries as defined by the World Bank. Awards are limited, non-transferable, and cannot be deferred to a future program.

No appeals for program fee assistance will be accepted after the early application deadline, and assistance is not provided for travel, program materials, or other related expenses. Program fee reductions are based on the program’s full price and cannot be combined with other discounts.

No assistance is provided for educational materials, air or ground transportation, hotel accommodation and meals, insurance, visas, vaccinations, or any other costs related to participation in the program.

Yes, we offer payment plans that allow enrollees to pay in multiple installments, depending on program length. A 20%-25% deposit is required to be eligible for a payment plan. To learn more, visit the program page or contact the admissions team at learn@hms.harvard.edu. 

No. US federal student aid is not available for our programs.

No refunds are permitted unless the program is canceled.