HBS Online Certificates

Effective January 1, 2026, Harvard Business School Online will transition to offering free digital Certificates of Completion. Learners who prefer a printed certificate will have the option to purchase one with tracked shipping via United Parcel Service (UPS). 

This change reflects HBS Online’s commitment to delivering a modern, tech-forward experience that meets our global learner community’s evolving needs. Key benefits include:  

• Greater reliability: Tracked shipping gives you confidence your printed certificate will arrive securely—wherever you are in the world.      

• Faster access: Digital certificates are issued within weeks of course completion, enabling you to highlight your achievement when it matters most.   

• Sustainability: Shifting to digital-first delivery helps reduce our environmental impact, aligning with our community and programs’ values.  

• Choice and flexibility: Whether you prefer the immediacy of a digital certificate or the tangible keepsake of a printed one, you can choose what’s best for you.

Learners in credential programs will continue to receive a free digital certificate and free printed certificate shipped via first-class United States Postal Service (USPS), which doesn’t include tracking. Those pursuing a Learning Track will also get a free digital and free printed Certificate of Specialization, but digital-only versions of each Certificate of Completion they earn.

If you started your course before January 1, 2026, you’ll receive a free digital and free printed copy of your Certificate of Completion shipped via United States Postal Service First Class Mail, without shipment tracking. 

For more information regarding our certificate process, please review the following information.

I am eligible for a certificate in my program. What next steps do I need to take?

In the email you received regarding your certificate eligibility, you were asked to log in to your Account Page to ensure the correct spelling and capitalization of your name by a given deadline. Once this deadline has passed, HBS Online will submit your certificate information to our vendor, the Michael Sutter Company (MSC). This email will come approximately two weeks after this deadline. Please refer to your eligibility email to confirm the timing of this message.

We strongly recommend adding the domain michaelsutter.com to your email’s Safe Senders list. If you have any issues with the certificate process, please contact the HBS Online Support Team.

The spelling and/or capitalization of my name are incorrect on my Account Page. What do I do next?

If you've logged in to your Account Page and noticed an error with the spelling and/or capitalization of your name, please contact the HBS Online Support Team prior to the update deadline shared in your eligibility email. If you log in to order your certificate with the Michael Sutter Company and see an error, please do not order your certificate with incorrect information; please contact the HBS Online Support Team to resolve the issue. 

I understand I am eligible for a digital certificate. How do I access this document?

You can expect to receive one email from the Michael Sutter Company containing a secure ID with which you can access digital certificate as well as update your mailing address. Digital certificates will be available for immediate download once you claim this digital document with your secure ID. The email containing your secure ID should arrive within two weeks of the deadline to confirm the spelling and capitalization of your name.

I would like a physical certificate. How do I get one?

At the end of your program, if you are eligible for a Certificate of Completion, you will receive messaging about ordering your physical certificate. Please refer to that email for more specific information.

If you started your course before January 1, 2026, you'll receive a free printed copy of your Certificate of Completion shipped via United States Postal Service First Class Mail, without shipment tracking. The email containing your secure ID will also prompt you to enter your mailing address for your free printed certificate. The mailing address you enter with the Michael Sutter Company (MSC) does not need to match your mailing address on record with HBS Online.

For courses starting after January 1, 2026, learners will have the option to purchase a physical certificate with tracked shipping via UPS Worldwide Saver through MSC. The email containing your secure ID will give you the option to access the MSC Storefront to purchase a tracked shipment of your physical certificate.

Participants who complete a credential program—including the Credential of Digital Innovation and Strategy, Credential of Leadership Impact and Management in Business (CLIMB), and Credential of Readiness (CORe)—will receive a free digital credential and free printed credential shipped via first-class United States Postal Service (USPS). Those pursuing a Learning Track will also get a free digital and free printed Certificate of Specialization, but digital-only versions of each Certificate of Completion they earn. CLIMB and Credential of Digital Innovation and Strategy participants also receive digital-only versions for each Certificate of Completion they earn during their programs. Your free printed certificate may take eight weeks or more to arrive, and no tracking information is available. 

Our team understands that participants may reside in countries whose local postal service is not currently operational. If you live in a country whose postal service is unable to receive USPS shipments for any reason, you will not be able to successfully enter your mailing address for your free certificate until shipments resume to your country. Once you successfully enter your mailing address, the Michael Sutter Company will notify you as soon as your certificate has shipped. We encourage you to download your digital certificate until shipments resume to your location.

When will I know my printed certificate has shipped?

If you have successfully entered your mailing address with the Michael Sutter Company, your certificate will be ordered within two weeks of entering your address. Then, up to one week later, you will receive an email from MSC indicating your certificate was shipped via USPS First Class Mail. Shipment tracking is not available. While shipping times vary from country to country, please contact the HBS Online Support Team if you have not received your certificate within 8 weeks of receiving your shipment confirmation email from the Michael Sutter Company. We appreciate your patience.

If you purchased tracked shipping via UPS, your certificate shipment confirmation email with your tracking number will arrive from MSC within 5-6 business days of your order, barring holidays in the United States. If you have not received shipment confirmation via email after two weeks, please contact diplomaorder@michaelsutter.com.

My country’s postal service is not operational or unable to receive United States Postal Service (USPS) mail. Can I still receive my certificate?

Our team understands that participants may reside in countries whose local postal service is not currently operational. If you live in a country whose postal service is unable to receive USPS shipments, you will not be able to successfully enter your mailing address for your free certificate until shipments resume to your country. Once you successfully enter your mailing address, the Michael Sutter Company will notify you as soon as your certificate has shipped.

We encourage you to download your digital certificate until shipments resume to your location. If you wish to purchase expedited shipping via UPS, please follow the instructions outlined in the email from the Michael Sutter Company.

I have not been contacted by the Michael Sutter Company yet. When can I expect to receive a message from MSC?

Certificate-eligible learners should receive a message from Michael Sutter Company within two weeks of the deadline to confirm the spelling and capitalization of their name, as indicated in the email they received regarding their certificate eligibility. If you do not receive a message from MSC within two weeks of this deadline, please contact the HBS Online Support Team.

For further questions regarding certificates, please review our FAQ page.