RISD and Harvard Business School Online have partnered to offer RISD students an amazing online learning experience to gain core business skills and knowledge.

RISD Careers is pleased to announce our collaboration with Harvard Business School Online and their Credential of Readiness (CORe) program which will provide you with the fundamentals of business. All RISD students are eligible to enroll in the program including those graduating who can participate in the summer of their graduation.

Overview of Program

  • CORe is an interactive online program, with no prior business experience or coursework required.
  • CORe utilizes Harvard Business School's proven case method and social learning experience to help you develop real world analytical and problem solving skills.
  • CORe teaches you the essentials of business - Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, and Financial Accounting - through immersive case studies and a fully interactive online platform.
  • Learn the language of business, gain knowledge that can help your career, and add the experience to your resume and LinkedIn profile. 

Learn more about HBS Online CORe  

Cost and Financial Aid

  • The program fee for CORe is $2,650 for the sessions beginning in May and June.
  • IMPORTANT: Harvard Business School Online has changed its process for offering income-based grants to assist with the cost of the CORe program. You must first apply to the CORe Program and be accepted. Once admitted to the course, if you're eligible to apply for a grant, you'll see the grant option listed on your HBS Online account page on the Financial Aid tab.
  • VERY IMPORTANT: The current grant application window is open from March 31 through April 28, 2025.  Grants are limited in number and awarded only during designated grant application windows four times per year. You are encouraged to apply for the May or June session of the CORe program prior to April 28 if you wish to also apply for HBS grant funding.

Learn More About HBS Online Grants

Eligibility & How To Apply

  • VERY IMPORTANT: If you need grant funding from HBS Online, please wait for your grant award decision BEFORE beginning the course enrollment process. You will be unable to apply for any grant you receive to a course for which you have already started enrollment, or retroactively apply a grant to a completed enrollment. If you do not receive grant funding from HBS Online, this may impact your decision to enroll in the program.
  • You are responsible for paying the cost of the program at the time you officially enroll.  Do not forward your payment to RISD.
  • All undergraduate and graduate RISD students are eligible to enroll in the CORe program including those graduating, who can participate in the summer of their graduation.
  • The majority of RISD students apply for the May and June Sessions of the HBS Online CORe program. The program is demanding and is not recommended during RISD's Fall, Wintersession, and Spring semesters. Also, additional funding from RISD is only applied to the May and June sessions.
  • You must use your RISD email address when you apply.
  • RISD does not accept academic credit for the program and you need to apply for the non-credit version of CORe.

Learn more and apply 

Additional Funding Support For Summer Sessions

  • The Career Center will provide $20,000 of support ($10,000 for the May cohort & $10,000 for the June cohort to cover remaining costs.) This will be distributed among students based on their completion of the program and their performance.
  • To be considered for funding, RISD students must complete the program, take the final exam, and then notify Kevin Jankowski, Director RISD Career Center, at kjankows@risd.edu when this has been accomplished.  It is your responsibility to notify the Director within two weeks of receiving your grades to be eligible for this funding. You are eligible only after these steps are taken.
  • For students who meet the above eligibility, funding support will start with the top performing students (based on their grades) to cover their remaining costs (after any HBS Online grants) and will continue until the $10,000 has been depleted for each session. Since funding may be depleted, this support is NOT guaranteed for all that are eligible.