Here’s How Harvard Is Helping Online Students and Grads Network In-Person
Credit: Victor J. Blue / Bloomberg / Getty Images- Harvard Business School Online held an in-person gathering for its students and graduates in early May.
- That gathering, Connext, aims to offer the participants networking opportunities.
- Business students have indicated in previous studies that they want both the flexibility of online learning and the networking of in-person study.
- A number of online programs offer virtual networking events, but in-person opportunities are rarer.
Online nondegree business credentials are on the rise in higher education, but schools are grappling with how to incorporate a key element of traditional learning into the virtual classroom: networking.
A need for networking and in-person experiences among online students has emerged as a trend in multiple studies, with United Kingdom-based consulting firmCarringtonCrisp previously finding that students want “the best of both worlds” in terms of flexibility and networking.
Stay in the Know!
Subscribe to our weekly emails and get the latest college news and resources sent straight to your inbox!
Demand for in-person learning is on the rise, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) found in its 2025 Prospective Students Survey. GMAC attributed that demand for in-person experiences to younger candidates’ desire to interact face to face.
At a yearly gathering on its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard Business School Online aims to give its students and credential and certificate holders just that.
Harvard held its annual Connext event May 3, bringing hundreds together from dozens of countries for in-person classes and networking opportunities.
“We really believe in the power of real-world connections,” Lauren Landry, director of marketing and communications for Harvard Business School Online, told BestColleges in an interview.
Want to earn an online business credential? Learn more here.
“There’s sort of a myth that, in online learning, you don’t get to network in the same way that you do in an in-person, on-campus experience,” Landry said. “We’re just trying to show that you can make real-world connections, no matter where you are in your career or the world.”
The event featured more than 400 attendees on campus, as well as an additional 1,200 participating virtually. All told, more than 53 countries were represented in the event.
Harvard’s Connext event is a somewhat rare phenomenon in the burgeoning world of online credentials: An in-person opportunity for students to connect after their learning experience.
In-Person Networking for Online Students, Grads
Credentials on the whole are on the rise, with the Graduate Management Admission Council finding in previous research that a majority of business schools now offer some form of nondegree credentials.
“Overall, the number of business schools around the world offering nondegree learning opportunities signals that they understand one size does not fit all, especially in the age of AI (artificial intelligence), flexible work, and personalization,” that report reads.
Harvard Business School Online’s credential programs feature longer, deeper dives into their respective topics than typical nondegree programs. The multi-course programs feature deep dives into topics like digital innovation and leadership.
A number of business schools, including Harvard Business School Online, offer those credentials in flexible, asynchronous formats tailored to working adults — but networking opportunities in online credentialing programs are few and far between.
Harvard Business School Online has taken a social approach to online certificate credentials, Landry said, meaning responses and interaction are built into the programs.
The Connext event also offers virtual students and graduates an opportunity for an in-person experience. The event includes case discussions led by Harvard Business School professions for in-person attendees, as well as live online classroom case discussions for virtual attendees.
“We’ve always tried to be intentional about creating a social learning experience,” Landry said.
It’s not the only networking opportunity Harvard offers: Harvard Business School Online graduates have access to worldwide alumni chapters that have their own networking events.
A number of online programs have taken steps to provide students with interaction and networking. Purdue Global, for instance, offers more than a dozen student organizations to help online learners connect during their education.
And some full-time master of business administration (MBA) degree programs, like the University of Michigan Ross School of Business online MBA, incorporate in-person residencies to help students connect with their fellow cohort members.
In-person networking programs for learners pursuing short-term online credentials are rarer, but Landry said it’s part of an effort to give students a sense of belonging and access to a professional network and worldwide alumni chapters.
“For us, it’s a remarkable way to be able to bring our global community together,” Landry said.