The Heller School will offer both online and hybrid instruction for the spring 2021 semester, at the highest standard of educational excellence and with an emphasis on interactive pedagogy. Hybrid courses will provide opportunities for both in-person and remote sessions, which may vary by course and over the duration of the semester. Our faculty are actively redesigning their courses and adopting best practices for online instruction, informed by our experience during the spring and summer.
We know that Heller’s collaborative culture is a big draw for many students, and we are committed to recreating that experience online and through socially distanced in-person activities as much as possible. To protect the health of our students, staff, and faculty, we are making a decision that ensures an equitable, high-quality educational experience for all. This includes a school-wide effort to enhance our academic mentoring and student support systems. Each academic program will provide additional information throughout the summer on our unique blend of synchronous, asynchronous, and small group methods to achieve our high standards of academic programming.
We will also offer an extended suite of online and in-person “wrap-around services,” including career advising, professional development opportunities, student services, mental health counseling and extracurricular opportunities. A Heller degree is about so much more than the classroom experience, and we’re committed to providing this same level of care and attention regardless of the distance.
Those who can study remotely should do so, with very few exceptions. When a compelling need to access Heller space arises, we will do our best to accommodate requests equitably and consistently.
To request permission to work or study at Heller, please contact Ravi Lakshmikanthan. If you wish to reserve a room or space aside from your own office, please submit a Classroom Reservation Request Form.
Please send all requests at least 24 hours in advance.
Please see Dean Weil's Heller Building Use Protocol message for more details.
For students who have been given permission to return to campus, please familiarize yourself with the Campus Passport portal detailed in Provost Lynch’s September 2 email. (Tip: add the Campus Passport to your smartphone screen as an “app” shortcut). You must ensure that your passport is green (or yellow), confirming that you are in compliance with all university health and safety guidelines.
This includes completing COVID-19 training, completing (and passing) the daily health assessment, and being up-to-date with asymptomatic testing. Remember: All members of the Brandeis community MUST complete the COVID-19 training whether or not you are accessing campus. Lastly, make sure you wear a mask, and be ready to show your campus passport when you enter Heller.
Heller has hired several student workers as Health Assurance Monitors. A monitor will be stationed inside the Heller-Brown main entrance to check your Campus Passport and confirm that you have permission to enter the building. They will ensure that you are wearing a mask that covers your nose and mouth and will provide directions to those who are unfamiliar with the building layout. Please note that student monitors cannot grant building access on the spot to anyone who has not received permission in advance from Ravi.
- New building hours are Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm. The building is no longer open evenings or weekends, as there will be no Health Assurance Monitors at those times.
- Use the Heller-Brown main doors to enter and the side entrance of Heller-Brown (by the student mailboxes) to exit. You will need to swipe your ID card to enter. The Heller-Schneider entrance will be closed and locked. The entrance by Schneider G4 is reserved for community members entering the COVID-19 Testing Zone.
- You may only use the office or classroom you are assigned.
- Please make frequent use of hand sanitizer stations and new self-service cleaning supplies located in the classrooms.
Please see Dean Weil's Heller Building Use Protocol message for more details.
All Brandeis community members who come to campus will be required to submit samples for COVID-19 testing.
To schedule a test and for more information and updates, visit the Brandeis COVID-19 testing page.
All travelers to Massachusetts are required to quarantine for 14 days (a few lower-risk states are exmpted and listed on the Mass.gov site) and to fill out a form; the state penalty for violating the quarantine order is $500. All persons are instructed not to travel to Massachusetts if they are displaying symptoms of COVID-19.
Students, faculty, and staff spending time on the Brandeis campus are required to participate in free, high-frequency COVID-19 testing; these tests are considered valid by Massachusetts for lifting travel quarantine. Brandeis will not accept any other test results to allow students out of travel quarantine. Brandeis recommends that students plan to quarantine in Massachusetts until they receive the results of their Brandeis-administered tests. Results from these tests usually take 24 to 72 hours. Additionally, consistent with Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, the university is instructing community members who return to campus after international travel to self-quarantine for 14 days.
A Heller degree is about so much more than the classroom experience, and we’re committed to providing the same level of care, attention and sense of community, regardless of the distance. We will offer an extended suite of online “wrap-around services,” including career advising, professional development opportunities, student services, mental health counseling and extracurricular opportunities.
Students can join Heller Student Working Groups or the Heller Student Association, as well as attend HSA-sponsored events and activities, like online trivia night. Other social activities include online “Coffee with the Dean,” a popular monthly program at Heller; “lunch and learn” sessions with faculty members; Sankofa Community Conversations and more.
Student Financial Services administers the Brandeis Emergency Fund, which remains available to graduate students experiencing financial emergencies when other resources are not available. Please note that the Brandeis Emergency Fund cannot offer funds for tuition-related expenses.
To apply for emergency funds, please complete an online application.
Students seeking accommodations regarding any part of the fall 2020 experience should submit proper documentation to the Student Accessibility Support Office.
If you have any questions regarding the accommodation process please contact Assistant Dean Ravi Lakshmikanthan (kanthan@brandeis.edu).
Please contact Executive Director of Global Program Sandra Jones (
joness@brandeis.edu) or Assistant Dean of Academic and Student Services Ravi Lakshmikanthan (
kanthan@brandeis.edu) for questions and guidance regarding your visa status.
The application for the 2021-2022 academic year is now open.
It is our greatest desire to welcome our entire class in the spring, but we are subject to federal and state public safety and immigration policies. We will do our best to provide international students with updates regarding visa and public health restrictions. Admitted students with questions about the VIDOF or visa process should contact Marcie Mai, Assistant Director of Admissions. Visit the admissions FAQ page and the ISSO (International Students and Scholars Office) COVID-19 page for more information.