Once an administrator is chosen, details of exactly what the program will offer and how it will be run will be worked out, says Bok.

The amount of money available will also determine how the program operates, says Bok. He says the University is reluctant to divert much existing money to the new program, and he and others involved will have to raise money to support it. Fund raising will most directly affect enrollment.

Bok says the student applicant pool will probably be relatively small, but the eventual enrollment depends on how much money is raised to support it.

At least initially, the program will not offer a formal degree but may issue some sort of certificate.

While most students will already have professional degrees. Bok says that people with philosophy background could also-come to Harvard to study a specific field like medicine or business.

Bok believes the lack of a formal degree will not hurt the program. "Most of the people we envision as being interested in applying to such a program will already have doctorates or other advanced degrees," he says. "The kind of people we're interested in aren't interested in another degree."