The Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) is the education school of Harvard University, a privateresearch university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1920, it was the first school to grant the EdD degree and the first Harvard school to award degrees to women. HGSE enrolls more than 800 students in its one-year master of education (Ed.M.) and three-year doctor of education leadership (Ed.L.D.) programs.
It is associated with the Harvard Education Publishing Group whose imprint is the Harvard Education Press and publishes the Harvard Educational Review.[1]
History
This school was established in 1920.[2] 29 years prior to its establishment, Harvard President Charles W. Eliot appointed Paul Henry Hanus to begin the formal study of education as a discipline at Harvard. However, at that time the focus was not on establishing education as an academic discipline at Harvard. Instead, the concern was on proper college preparation for students attending secondary education in public schools. As a result, education became a formal division within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in 1906 before the rebirth of the division into a separate Harvard faculty in 1920.[3]
In the next year, HGSE became the first school to grant a doctor of education (Ed.D.) degree which provided rigorous research training that equipped graduates with the knowledge and skills to have a broad impact in the worlds of policy and practice.[4] The faculty has grown ever since. In 1949, the Laboratory of Human Development (now the Human Development and Education Program) was established to examine the psychological development of children in their families and communities. Two years later, the Masters of Arts in Teaching degree was offered by HGSE, followed by the Administrative Career Program.
Nelson Goodman founded Project Zero in 1967 to explore a basic research project in artistic cognition and artistic education. This project developed into a bigger scope ever since included being directed by Howard Gardner. Numerous research findings are converted into practice through modules, from thinking routines to learning rubrics that can be freely accessed.[6]
Usable Knowledge
Originally developed by faculty members Kurt Fischer and Joe Blatt, the aim of Usable Knowledge is to be a resource for educators who hope to put HGSE research learnings into practice.[7]
Academics
HGSE offers a master of education degree (EdM) with five programs and two doctoral degree programs, a doctor of philosophy in education (PhD) and a doctor of education leadership (EdLD). (The PhD program replaced the EdD program, which enrolled its final cohort of students in fall 2013.[8][9][10]) In addition, in 2022, the school launched an online, two-year, part-time master's degree in education leadership.
Master's in Education
HGSE offers five full-time, one-year, on-campus master's programs:
Education Leadership, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship
Education Policy and Analysis
Human Development and Education
Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology
Teaching and Teacher Leadership
Students in the master's degree programs can also declare optional concentrations and pursue teacher, principal, or superintendent licensure pathways.
Buildings
Larsen Hall
HGSE took possession of Longfellow Hall from Radcliffe College in 1962. The learning activities, along with the library and office were moved to Longfellow's basement. Larsen Hall was dedicated in 1963, completed in 1965, operating as the new classroom and research center of HGSE.
The Monroe C. Gutman Library is the school's primary library and one of its four main buildings.
Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Emily Hargroves Fisher Professor of Education, renamed to the Sarah Lawrence-Lightfoot Professor of Education since her retirement[11]
