<p>Is the Harvard schedule of classes for each semester on a publicly accessible website, like it is with so many other private colleges?</p>
<p>[Harvard</a> University FAS Registrar’s Office: 2009-2010 FAS Courses of Instruction](<a href=“http://www.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/fasro/courses/index.jsp?cat=ugrad&subcat=courses]Harvard”>http://www.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/fasro/courses/index.jsp?cat=ugrad&subcat=courses)</p>
<p>Thanks for the link, but it only really shows the catalog listing for each course. There is no way of seeing the actual enrollment number for each course without, I guess, entering some student ID info which I don’t have. This can be done at many other private colleges without the private info. Is Harvard trying to conceal the enrollment numbers for each class? Are the calss sizes to big?</p>
<p>There is no cap of how big classes can get; it’s based solely on interest. You don’t enroll in Harvard classes until shopping period is over. They have little idea how many kids are going to show interest, and even less of an idea of how many will ultimately enroll.</p>
<p>But if you’re looking for reasons to not go to Harvard, don’t let me stand in your way.</p>
<p>D just finished her first semester. Class sizes varied widely. All her classes wer typical first semester freshman. Approximate sizes (she’s not home right now) for the 4 classes were 12, 20-30, few hundred, about 700 (telecast into second lecture hall).</p>
<p>I’m not certain where christian soldier got the idea that no classes are capped. Just from watching this one semester, freshman seminars and expos 20 classes are both capped. Also, her math 1a was capped I believe. She had to apply in order of preference for the various MAth 1a times and was given her assigned class time during reading period. If each of the actual class/times were not capped, then student would have been allowed to sign up without limit.</p>
<p>I don’t believe that her two large classes had any cap.</p>
<p>In terms of capping classes: no class is capped after the fact. Thus, if there is no mention in the catalog as per an enrollment amount, it is entirely open enrollment and the class amount will be determined by interest. As for many introductory level math courses (up through the 21s), there is technically no cap because you should ideally be able to take a class that fits your schedule, and if anything, typically asking the course head for a section switch rarely causes problems. Apart from that, every class will be offered regardless of how small or large enrollment is noting that courses with an enrollment or 40 students or more will break down into discussion sections headed typically by a TF (teaching fellow = graduate student in the department) or sometimes the professor of the course. Furthermore, these discussion sections act to supplement the material offered during lectures and do not introduce new concepts.</p>
<p>Whether it is published on the internet or not, I am not sure it is a good idea to have class size and location publicly available (outside of the Harvard community) for obvious reasons. </p>
<p>As smoda pointed out, class size can vary widely–as it does at most schools. S did show me a complete list of the number of students per course this past semester available to students. It can best be summarized by the following: Some introductory courses as well as several other very popular courses attract large enrollments. Yet, of the 1,284 courses offered last fall, 1,022 of them enrolled 20 or fewer students. (Harvard College FAQs)</p>
<p>With the above in mind, S had the following class sizes this Fall (freshman) term:</p>
<p>Expository Writing : 15
Freshman Seminar: 15
Math Lecture :18, TF recitation section: 5-8 (depending on who showed up)
Science Lecture :95, TF recitation section: 8-12, lab:15</p>
<p>Smoda is right in that freshman seminars expos will never be larger than 20 people (my mistake, I misspoke), but the adcom there and the students on the tour said that they will continue expanding other classes until everybody who wants to can enroll.</p>
<p>I don’t think that’s not entirely true either. A good number of other classes which are limited in enrollment, for pedagogical (rather than financial) reasons.</p>
<p>Course locations are no secret (this is for the fall semester which has ended, but it should be updated soon): <a href=“http://webdocs.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/reports/courses/classroom_meeting_locations.pdf[/url]”>http://webdocs.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/reports/courses/classroom_meeting_locations.pdf</a></p>
<p>And here’s the size of the classes: <a href=“http://webdocs.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/reports/statistics/course_enrollment_statistics_icg.pdf[/url]”>http://webdocs.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/reports/statistics/course_enrollment_statistics_icg.pdf</a></p>
<p>You rule, just<em>forget</em>me
Thanks!
Is it OK if I ask you for this same pdf for Spring 2009? Or is it no longer available?</p>
<p>[Harvard</a> University FAS Registrar’s Office](<a href=“http://registrar.fas.harvard.edu/fasro/faculty/previous_enrollment.jsp?cat=faculty&subcat=coursestats]Harvard”>http://registrar.fas.harvard.edu/fasro/faculty/previous_enrollment.jsp?cat=faculty&subcat=coursestats)</p>