Academic planning is an iterative process that helps you intentionally map out your course pathways. It involves setting personal and professional goals, making plans to reach those goals, and getting what you want out of your Harvard experience. This requires ongoing consultation with your advisors and mentors along the way.
Academic Planning Tools
Academic Advising Report (AAR)
Your Academic Advising Report or AAR shows your progress toward fulfilling the Harvard College curriculum and graduation requirements in one place to facilitate transparency in advising, course selection, and to report on student progress towards degree. The AAR indicates whether a requirement, such as the Language Requirement or a General Education category, has been met. Data from the AAR is also used to populate the What If Report and the Search by My Requirements Tool.
You can view and download your advising report at my.harvard.edu.
What If? Report
The What If? Report allows you to run a simulated advising report and visualize how past and potential coursework will help satisfy degree requirements based on a given concentration. This tool is particularly helpful for first-year Harvard College students who are exploring concentrations or for students who are thinking about changing their concentration.
Four-Year Planning Templates
Four-year planning is a method for mapping out your undergraduate experience. A four-year plan should be iterative and flexible, and it is intended to help you visualize your timeline for completing degree requirements. Remember, you will inevitably change during your time as a student, so it is natural for your plan to change, too. While you do not need to have a four-year plan, consider using one or more of the templates below to inform your own academic pacing and degree completion:
4-Year Plan_Word Document Blank
4-Year Plan_PDF Document Blank
4-Year Plan_Excel Document Template
Examples:
4-Year Plan for Sociology (Honors Track) with Anthropology Secondary and Spanish Language Citation
4-Year Plan for Sociology and Government Double Concentration
Academic Planning Resources
Academic planning also involves introspection, goal-setting, and the careful selection of courses, activities, and co-curricular opportunities. To inform your own academic planning, we encourage you to learn more about these academic requirements and opportunities by reviewing the pages below.
Drop-In Advising
If you want to speak to an advisor in the Advising Programs Office, advisors on our staff are happy to connect with you via drop-in advising. We are available to chat about anything—course selection and registration, concentration exploration, curricular requirements or academic policy, and more! Harvard College undergraduates may sign up for an advising appointment via our Crimson Scheduler.