• University Cross-Registration
• Pre-Approved Courses for Cross Registration
• Cross-registration for Non-HKS Students

Cross Registration

Information for HKS Students

All Harvard Kennedy School students may cross-register for the equivalent of one credit per semester in residence for credit toward graduation requirements. The cross-registered courses may be taken in any semester (and more than one cross-registered course can be taken in any one semester), but the total number of cross-registered courses cannot be more than the equivalent of one per semester of residency. Students may cross-register for additional courses, but credits for those additional courses will not count toward the HKS degree requirements.

Cross-registered courses must be graduate level with the exception of languages which require the approval of the program director. Please refer to the Student Handbook for language restrictions by program.

When courses are jointly listed with the FAS, Harvard Law School, Harvard Business School, or other schools at Harvard, students must sign up using the Kennedy School course number.

Questions about completion of course work at other faculties should be addressed to that faculty’s registrar’s office. This includes arrangements for incompletes. Note that a grade of III at Harvard Business School is not acceptable for distribution requirements or PAC requirements.

The Office of the Registrar maintains a list of pre-approved courses for cross-registration; however, if student wish to take a course not on that list, student must complete this request form to have the course considered for HKS credit. If the request is granted, the course will normally be added to the list for future students. If the request is denied, students may still register for the course, although the will not earn HKS credit; that is, the course will not count toward the number of credits the needed to graduate.

Important: whether or not you expect to earn credit for a cross-registered course, you must always complete the course or file an add/drop form within the appropriate time limit, as the course will be recorded--along with whatever grade you receive--on your permanent transcript.

Cross-Registered Credits Permitted by HKS Program

MPP	4
MPA2	4
MC/MPA	2
MPA/ID	4 (Faculty chair or director approval required )
Joint/Concurrent Degrees	3

Steps for Successful Cross-Registration

1. Select the course you wish to take, and check to see if it appears on the list of pre-approved courses.
2. If the course you wish to take is not on the list, you must complete this request form in order to obtain credit on your HKS transcript.
3. Download and print a cross-registration petition from Harvard University Cross-Registration. Note that you do not need a signature from the HKS OFfice of the Registrar on the cross-registration petition; that is, you may leave the "home school registrar" signature line blank.
4. Have instructor sign the petition prior to or at the first class meeting.
5. Take petition to the Office of the Registrar of the other school.
6. Using SMART, select the school where you are cross-registering, and add a "placeholder" course to your course selections. The HKS Office of the Registrar will replace this placeholder with the actual course when the other school sends us your petition.
7. If you drop a cross-registered course, you must file a Drop Petition at the HKS Office of the Registrar.