Students
Canvas for Students
For every course you take at HGSE, you will have a corresponding Canvas course. The degree to which Canvas is utilized will vary by teaching team.
- What is Canvas?
- "Canvas by Instructure is a web-based learning management system, or LMS. It is used by learning institutions, educators, and students to access and manage online course learning materials and communicate about skill development and learning achievement."
- New Student Onboarding Canvas Site (current students only)
- Gutman Library Tutorials Canvas Site (current students only)
Canvas App on Tablets and Cellphones
- Please note: not all Canvas features are supported on the Canvas app at this time. You can also use a mobile browser to access Canvas through our institution URL: https://canvas.harvard.edu.
- The app is compatible on both tablets and mobile phones, using the following mobile operating systems: iOS 17.0+ and Android 8.0+.
- The app can be downloaded and installed through the Play Store on Android or the App Store on iOS devices by searching for "Canvas by Instructure.”
A useful guide for using the LRT can be found on your Gutman Library Tutorial Repository Canvas site:
Using Library Reserves at HGSE: Gutman Library Tutorial Repository 2025-26
On there you will find links for further help and support, if your question isn't addressed on the page.
This is because you have not set up your Okta identity verification after claiming your HarvardKey.
The instructions to do this are here:
Getting Started with Okta identity verification | HUIT
Set up Okta identity verification for new HarvardKey users | HUIT
How do I enable Third-Party Cookies?
Google Chrome
- Click the three-dot menu (⋮) in the upper-right and select Settings.
- Go to Privacy and security on the left.
- Click Third-party cookies (or, in some versions, Cookies and other site data).
- Select Allow third-party cookies.
Mozilla Firefox
- Click the menu button (☰) and select Settings.
- Click Privacy & Security on the left.
- Under Enhanced Tracking Protection, select Custom.
- Make sure the Cookies box is not checked (or set it to block only "Cross-site tracking cookies").
- For broadest compatibility, use Standard protection which allows most third-party cookies.
Microsoft Edge
- Click the three-dot menu (⋮) and select Settings.
- Go to Cookies and site permissions on the sidebar.
- Click Manage and delete cookies and site data.
- Ensure Block third-party cookies is turned off.
Safari (Mac)
- Open Safari. Go to Safari > Settings (or Preferences).
- Select the Privacy tab.
- Make sure Block all cookies is NOT checked.
- Also, for best compatibility, uncheck Prevent cross-site tracking (this is what blocks most third-party cookies).
- Note: In newer Safari versions, cross-site tracking/third-party cookies are always disabled for privacy, and you may not be able to fully enable them.
Please check out our page on your status after graduation.
Unfortunately, due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) current students and alumni are unable to download or save lecture videos.
However, current students and alumni who are, or were members of a course with lecture videos, will have continued view-only access for up to 18 months after the course ends, at which point the videos are permanently removed.
Internal Students
Upon enrollment in an HGSE course, Harvard/HGSE students automatically have access to digital content created and selected specifically for their HGSE courses in Canvas. Once logged into an HGSE course in Canvas, locate "Library Reserves" in the left navigation pane. Once you open "Library Reserves" you will see one list comprising all types of content specifically for your course to include locally digitized and licensed book chapter pdfs, links to library subscription e-journals, e-books, databases, print books on course reserve, links to external web content, videos, and more.
External Students
Students from outside of Harvard cross-registering into or auditing an HGSE course can access course readings and other resources once they receive Harvard/Harvard Key credentials. Once logged into an HGSE course in Canvas, locate "Library Reserves" in the left navigation pane. Open "Library Reserves" to see one list comprising all types of content specifically for your course to include locally digitized and licensed book chapters, links to library subscription e-journals, e-books, databases, print books on course reserve, links to external web content, videos and more.
If you are auditing a class and you're not currently at Harvard (for example, you are alumni), then course readings may be unavailable to you from Harvard. In these cases, you are responsible for acquiring those materials.
Time zones in Canvas are available in three different flavors, and should be configured accordingly in order to display the correct time.
System-wide time zone: This is the default time zone set by the Canvas administrators that applies to all courses within an account (root-account setting).
Course time zone: This time zone setting can be changed per course to suit the needs of the teaching team; otherwise it will follow what is the default system-wide time zone
Personal time zone: This time zone setting should be configured by users in order to accurately scale and display the course's time zone to their own locale time.
Note: To see an assignment's original time zone/due date, hover over the time and due date to see both times and dates.
If you cannot access the course site at all, please review the FAQ on that particular issue: Why do I not have access to my course site?
If you've received this error message when attempting to access a page, file, assignment, or anything of the like in a Canvas course you do have access to then know that you are not the only one experiencing this issue in your class! Most likely the content has not been published yet - please contact the teaching team to let them know.
If you can access the page, but some element on the page displays "Access Denied" or is blank or similar, ensure you have third-party cookies enabled: How do I enable third-party cookies?
The Zoom Canvas integration is used by instructors to schedule online, live meetings which may include classes, sections, office hours, and any other course-related sessions. The Zoom integration will display within the course menu. On entering the application from the course menu, you will see a list of upcoming live sessions. These will also display in your Canvas calendar.
By accessing your course sessions via the Zoom Canvas integration, you are minimizing potential connection issues. Here are two things to bear in mind if you do have issues. First, you should always use your Harvard Zoom account to join sessions. Second, sessions will nearly always be passcode protected. If you attempt to join the session via Canvas, you will not need this passcode. If you have only the meeting ID, and not the full link that includes a hashed passcode within it, you will need the passcode and this may not have been made available to you for security reasons.
If you cannot join a Zoom session in Canvas make sure you are using your Harvard Zoom account and not your personal account.
How do I know I'm using my Zoom Pro account?
- If logged in via a web browser, click on your profile. Scroll down under settings and look for your “sign-in email” – it should be your @gse.harvard.edu email address. Beneath your email there should be text stating Linked Accounts SSO.
- Using the Zoom desktop client, click on your profile image (top right) – it should show your username, @gse.harvard.edu email address, and “Pro”
- Using your mobile device (iOS) and the Zoom client, opening the app should immediately display your name, @gse.harvard.edu email address and “licensed”.
Whenever you need to sign-in to Zoom, ensure you do so via logging in at https://harvard.zoom.us or when prompted select "sign-in with SSO" -- do not use an email/password. See the following article for more:
Zoom pulls your display name from what you have set as your preferred name in my.harvard if you're a student, and in Peoplesoft if you're staff. Incidentally, this is also true of your Canvas display name. Follow the steps in this article to change your display name:
All Harvard students need to sign into the Zoom platform in order to configure their account.
Note: HGSE-IT provides further instructions for setting up your Zoom account and links to guides.
If you have any trouble connecting, we recommend reviewing Harvard's getting online and optimizing connection guide.
Atomic Search is a tool that lets you search text content within Canvas course(s). You can access Atomic Search by clicking Search in the left-hand navigation menu or from the search box at the top right corner of the screen (see image below).
Atomic Search allows you to:
- Search within the Canvas course content (including discussion prompts, assignments, announcements, pages, files, syllabus, quizzes). As students, your search results will only include published content that you have access to.
- Search for a word, wildcard, or phrase across all Canvas courses that have Atomic Search enabled.
- Filter your search to only search for Pages, Files, or Syllabuses and sort the search results by "Relevance" and "Recency".
- Start a search by clicking Search in the course navigation or entering a term in the search bar in the top right-hand corner of the screen in a course.
What types of content does Atomic Search allow you to search?
You can search the following types of content:
- Pages
- Files (PDF, MS Office format files, text files, and HTML documents)
- Assignments
- Quizzes (Cannot search questions or answers)
- Modules
- External pages
- Announcements
- Discussions (Title and the prompt; no posts)
- Syllabus
What types of searches does Atomic Search let you do?
You can do keyword, wildcard, and phrase searching:
| Search Type | Example | Finds |
|---|---|---|
Keyword | development | Items that contain the word development or a variant. |
Wildcard | dev* | Items that contain works that start with dev (develop, devise, device, devote, devastate, etc.) |
Phrase | “process of change” | Items that contain exactly the words process of change. |
Searching * will return all results.
Sorting: Recency vs Relevance
Results are default-ranked according to relevance. The titles of items are weighted heavier than items in a content body. You can sort your search results by “Relevance” or “Recency”.
- Sorting by Recency will return the items most recently added to Canvas first.
- Sorting by Relevance will return the results that are most relevant to the search terms you entered first.
Can I search all my Canvas courses?
Yes, if Atomic Search is enabled by your course. Not all courses will choose to enable Atomic Search but for classes that you are enrolled in with Atomic Search enabled, you will be able to search across multiple courses.
Can I search courses that have ended?
Yes, if the course remains published and you are still enrolled in the course (meaning that it still shows up on your Canvas dashboard).
Surveying or polling tools available are:
All faculty, staff, and students have access to these tools automatically - you do not need to request an account. Merely login at the link provided.
Students have access to the workspace for as long as instructors decide to keep it open and for as long as the students are active students. Students lose access after graduation (or if they drop out) regardless of whether the workspace remains open or not.
Direct messages, and their notifications, are grid-wide. Direct messages are not tied to a particular workspace. If you are looking at Course A, a student could message you from Course B and you will receive the notification while you are in Course A.
This is by design but can cause confusion if you are receiving a lot of direct messages. Our advice is to encourage students to ask questions within designated channels where possible, such as a Q&A channel, rather than direct messaging.
If you are a student or instructional team member, please first check whether you are enrolled in the course in my.harvard. If you have not fully completed enrollment, or have a registration hold, you will not be enrolled in the course Canvas site. Please contact the registrar regarding problems with my.harvard enrollment. If you are a TA/TF, please contact HR.
Please note that there may be roughly an hour delay before access is granted to the Canvas site once you have enrolled as a student.
If you see successful enrollment in my.harvard, and you are a student, and you receive an access denied message on attempting to view the Canvas site, and/or do not see the course site in your list of "All Courses", this means the course site is not yet published. Please contact the teaching team directly about this.
If you see successful enrollment in my.harvard, and you are an instructional team member, please check your list of "All Courses" and not just your Dashboard. Refer to our FAQ on Why is my course not displaying on my dashboard?
If your case isn't covered here, just let us know and we'll help you out!
If your course in not showing on your dashboard, please first check your full list of courses by going to "Courses" on the sidebar then clicking "All Courses". If you have completed your course, it may have been "concluded" and in the list of "Past Enrollments". Such courses do not appear on the dashboard. For more detail on the Canvas course conclusion policy, see here: Canvas Course Conclusion Policy (PDF)
If your course is not listed, you likely do not have access to the course. Refer to our FAQ on Why do I not have access to my course site?
If your course is in your list of "All Courses", and is still an active course, but not on your Dashboard, this is likely because you either have not "starred" the course in your list of "All Courses", or, you have not starred any courses in your list of "All Courses" and you are enrolled in too many for the Dashboard to display them all. This is very common.
Please consult the following guides to arrange your Dashboard so the courses you wish to display there do so, and courses you may wish to remove from the display do not do so.
SensusAccess Convert a File is a tool within Canvas that converts course materials into alternative formats. Students and staff can convert files housed on the Canvas site, as well as entire Canvas pages including assignments, announcements, and any other content created using the Rich Content Editor.
The following materials can be converted:
Canvas pages, .DOC, .DOCX, .PDF, .PPT, .PPTX, .TXT, .XML, .HTML, .HTM, .RTF, .EPUB, .MOBI, .TIFF, .TIF, .GIF, .JPG, .JPEG, .BMP, .PNG, .PCX, .DCX, .J2K, .JP2, .JPX, .DJV, .TEX, .ZIP and .ASC
These materials can be converted into the following, and some conversions have optional parameters for accessibility:
- .docx file (Word Document).
- Tagged PDF.
- .txt file.
- MP3 (Multiple languages and speeds).
- E-book (EPUB or MOBI).
- Digital Braille
Please consult our Guide to SensusAccess - Convert a File (PDF) for more information.
"400 Bad Request" errors can be solved by clearing cache and cookies. The cause is very difficult to identify and will differ from user to user. Anecdotal information leads us to believe Chrome is more susceptible to these errors and may be connected to extensions installed, and the length of the current browser session. If you are experiencing this issue often, you could consider trying a different browser such as Edge, Firefox, or Safari.