Guidelines and Eligibility

A supervised research experience provides HGSE Ed.M. students in the HDE program* with the opportunity to conduct academic research within the existing research portfolio of an approved HGSE faculty member for credit toward the degree. Each student enrolled in S995 is supervised by the HGSE faculty member overseeing the lab, center, or project in which that student is conducting research.  

*In 2026-2027, only projects related to human development and overseen by one of the participating researchers listed below may count toward S995. The course is primarily for HDE students; students in other programs can review the petition to determine eligibility.  

S995 Faculty for 2026–27
• Elizabeth Bonawitz
• Phil Capin
• Nadine Gaab
• Tina Grotzer
• Nancy Hill
• Stephanie Jones
• James Kim
• Jo Kim
• Junlei Li
• Dana McCoy
• Luke Miratrix
• Chuck Nelson
• Gabrielle Oliveira
• Alexis Redding
• Meredith Rowe
• Mandy Savitz-Romer
• Jon Star
• Paola Uccelli
• Rick Weissbourd
• Ying Xu
 

The above list includes faculty who are eligible to supervise S995 students this year. Please note that not all of these faculty will be willing or able to participate in the S995 (e.g., if they do not have available research opportunities this year). It is students’ individual responsibilities to secure a research position through CareerEdge, at the Internship and Research Fair, or by coordinating with eligible faculty regarding their availability. 

Supervised Research Enrollment Process:

1. Find and secure a research opportunity in CareerEdge, at the Internship and Research Fair, or by coordinating directly with the HGSE faculty member.  

2. Read the S995 Learning Contract Below. 

• If you are an HDE student conducting research under supervision of one of the faculty listed above, you may work with the faculty member to complete the Learning Contract.  
• If you fall into one of the following categories, please follow the instructions on the learning contract to submit a petition to join S995 prior to completing the Learning Contract.  
  • Petition required: HDE students doing human development related research under supervision of an HGSE-affiliated academic research (principal investigator) who is not listed above.  
  • Petition required: Non-HDE students conducting human-development research under the supervision of a listed faculty member.  

3. Once the Learning Contract is complete, send to your faculty supervisor for their signature.  

4. Send the signed and completed S995 Learning Contract to Abbie Bloom for approval (abbie_bloom@gse.harvard.edu). Once approved, the Registrar’s office will finalize your enrollment in S995. The course will appear in your Enrollments section of my.harvard.  
 

S995 Learning Contract (2026-2027)

Enrollment Process

1. Register for the S997 course you wish to enroll in. Fall/Spring 1 or Fall/Spring 2 courses are offered for two credits. A full Fall or Spring semester course may be taken for 2 or 4 credits. Students earning 4 credits are expected to commit 10-12 hours per week for a full semester. Students earning two credits are expected to commit 10-12 hours a week for a half semester.

2. Complete the S997 Field Experience Learning Contract.  

3. Upload the complete and signed Learning Contract to the course's Canvas site. Learning Contracts without all required signatures will not be processed.  The course Canvas site will be available once you've registered for S997.  

4. Students who have not uploaded a completed Learning Contract by the contract submission deadline (see the deadline table above) will be unenrolled in S997.

Important Notes:  

*A new contract needs to be created for each new term, even if you are staying at the same site.

Students studying in the U.S. on an F-1 visa should check in with the Harvard International Office to ensure they have proper work authorization before beginning work (paid or unpaid) at any off-campus or non-Harvard affiliated sites. Students studying on a J-1 visa should also check-in with their sponsoring organization to ensure they have proper work authorization before beginning on-campus or off-campus work.

If you choose to drop S997, it must be done by the course's add/drop deadline viewable on the Academic Calendar.

Questions about the S997 experience (the field experience site or contract details) reach out to: Carmen Williams (carmenwilliams@gse.harvard.edu).

Questions about the registration process (deadlines, my.harvard, etc) reach out to: registrar@gse.harvard.edu.

Enrollment Process

1. Register for the S998 course you wish to enroll in. Fall/Spring 1 or Fall/Spring 2 courses are offered for two credits. A full Fall or Spring semester course may be taken for 2 or 4 credits. Students earning 4 credits are expected to commit 10-12 hours per week for a full semester. Students earning two credits are expected to commit 10-12 hours a week for a half semester.

2. Complete the S998 Learning Contract.  

3. Upload the complete and signed Learning Contract to the course's Canvas site. Learning Contracts without all required signatures will not be processed.  The course Canvas site will be available once you've registered for S998.  

4. Students who have not uploaded a completed Learning Contract by the contract submission deadline (see the deadline table above) will be unenrolled in S998.

Important Notes:  

*A new contract needs to be created for each new term, even if you are staying at the same site.

Students studying in the U.S. on an F-1 visa should check in with the Harvard International Office to ensure they have proper work authorization before beginning work (paid or unpaid) at any off-campus or non-Harvard affiliated sites. Students studying on a J-1 visa should also check-in with their sponsoring organization to ensure they have proper work authorization before beginning on-campus or off-campus work.

If you choose to drop S998, it must be done by the course's add/drop deadline viewable on the Academic Calendar.

Questions about the S997 experience (the field experience site or contract details) reach out to: Carmen Williams (carmenwilliams@gse.harvard.edu).

Questions about the registration process (deadlines, my.harvard, etc) reach out to: registrar@gse.harvard.edu.

Independent Study Guidelines and Policies

Requirements for all independent studies: 

• A clearly defined project that is aligned with a faculty research area.
• A weekly time commitment to the project by the student.
  • At minimum, an average of 8 hours per week for 4 credits (semester-long)
  • At minimum, an average of 4 hours per week for 2 credits (semester-long)
  • At minimum, an average of 8 hours per week for 2 credits (half a semester)
• Regular meetings between the student and the faculty member (every other week is recommended)
• A mutually agreed-upon means of demonstrating acquired skills and knowledge to be assessed by the faculty member. (See examples below.)
• All research involving human subjects should be checked for adherence to IRB approval requirements.

The supervisor of an independent study or field experience is required to be a HGSE faculty member with the title "Adjunct Lecturer," "Lecturer," "Senior Lecturer," "Member of the Faculty," or any level of "Professor." No more than 8 credits (4 for part-time online students) of independent study, field experience, supervised re-search or combination thereof can count towards each degree. Independent studies and field experiences cannot be used to satisfy substantive program requirements. 

Additional policy details are available in the HGSE Student Handbook.

Independent Study Enrollment Process

1. Find a faculty member who is willing to oversee your independent study.
2. Meet with faculty supervisor to create learning goals and S999 syllabus.
3. Submit proposal through my.Harvard for S999
   1. The proposal will require you to submit a syllabus
   2. Once submitted, it will be routed to your faculty supervisor for approval, and then the program contact for approval.
4. Once approved, S999 will appear in your Crimson Cart and you must finalize enrollment by enrolling in the course by the deadline.

Contact Information

• Residential Students (ELOE, EPA, HDE, LDIT, TTL)- Abbie Bloom (abbie_bloom@gse.harvard.edu)
• OEL Students- Nicole Barone (nicole_barone@gse.harvard.edu)  
• Ed.L.D. Students- Clara Lau (clara_lau@gse.harvard.edu)

Independent Study Syllabus Template

You can use this template to create your syllabus. If you choose another syllabus format, please be sure all of the requested information is included.