The most glaring inaccuracy is calling implying HES students are “online students.” Many HES graduates take NO online classes and you can even complete your degree with taking ONLY classes from the so called competitive schools (not all of them are that competitive btw) or courses cross listed in HES and another graduate school. It’s not realistic to think that you can go get a certificate and immediately demand more money. I graduated from Harvard University – and that’s not a lie. "http:":"https:";if(/^/{2}/.test(i)&&(i=d+i),window[n]&&window[n].initialized)window[n].process&&window[n].process();else if(!e.getElementById(s)){var r=e.createElement("script");r.async=1,r.id=s,r.src=i,o.parentNode.insertBefore(r,o)}}(document,0,"infogram-async","https://e.infogram.com/js/dist/embed-loader-min.js"); Reasons for Earning a Graduate CertificateInfogram. your writing was very deep, careful, informative, and thoughtful. And not all Harvard graduate programs outside of Extension require GRE scores. Your examples of hiring managers thus not only show examples of fraud, but also ignorance of Harvard graduate programs that think they have the ability to evaluate. And as such we need the flexibility of working and taking classes. On the other hand, HES Management students can select courses that are taught by Harvard faculty, including HBS faculty, such as the example below. As you noted, the guidelines include “Extension School” or “Extension Studies.” I follow the former. Your argument is inconsistent are you claiming it is wrong to list Harvard University without HES or are you claiming it is wrong for an HES student to pass off their degree as from another school? I also attended business school (not at Harvard) and most classmates include the name of the business school and often the name of the program, too. Not full medical school, just updating credentials. I am sorry you seem to have such disdain for a program you know nothing about nor enrolled in. The purpose of these credentials is to give people better options to develop new skill sets or strengthen existing ones—a necessity as jobs rapidly evolve due to technological advancements. Why do we, Harvard, make our life harder? My point is that here in the UK a discussion of the kind around the HES is totally absent and no one would even dare to doubt any Oxford degree regardless whether it was obtained at the age of 21 or 61. People are Harvard Studens. That being said, I think HES is a nice option for Harvard employees who get to take classes as one of their benefits. Do the students of other schools under Harvard also under the obligation to mention the name of their schools? It’s actually better and it because of many point. Don’t worry about how people regard the Extension School – instead, spend that time making yourself better through education. Hi ilamont, Regarding point #1: I don’t agree that online education is as good as traditional education, with the exception of convenience and certain technical features. Hello, ALM (Software Engineering) candidate here. Lots of colleges offer evening or summer master’s programs (often with more lax requirements), and I’ve never heard of another one that would like to require the graduates of said programs to flag them on their resumes as different unless the actual title of the degree is different. How about hiring professionals asking applicants what they learned, I got my ALM back in the mid-1990s before the internet – so I took all my classes on campus. Browse the latest free online courses from Harvard University, including "CS50's Introduction to Game Development" and "CS50's Web Programming with Python and JavaScript." AND IT’S GREAT – I can’t think of a better use of time and money! Individuals with academic or professional reasons for pursuing graduate-level study without entering a degree program may apply for special student status and engage in coursework or a combination of coursework and research for academic credit, for one term or one year only. Wherever you end up, good luck with your studies. Sometime we need to be reminded of what is important, and as you said, the most important thing is getting it done. Thanks for your comment and sharing your perspective from the UK. Is this essentially correct? But it is possible that reviewer might take the “that’s not really Harvard” viewpoint. SPS also has a competitive traditional application process, which includes submission of transcripts, resume, statement of purpose, recommendation letters, supplemental essay, video essay, interview, and, depending on the major, GRE exam scores. Controlling for age, degrees, and other variables would be difficult considering the differing natures of the student bodies and degrees provided by the two institutions. We are full-time employees of Wells Fargo, Google, IBM, DOD,etc. My kid’s HS had a lot of that. A study of Harvard College admissions between 2009 – 2015 showed that while normal student applicants had a 5.9% acceptance rate, being a legacy applicant greatly increased your chances of being admitted to 34%. Walking around campus between classes, or going into the new student center, or into the libraries with your Harvard University Student ID, it’s a great experience. Thanks Harvard. You definitely clarified it and put my mind at ease. The fact is it’s not only OK to list your university rather than specific school, but it is become, if not already, the MORE common convention. (But a fellow alumna from the same program talked me out of it.) I rewrote it. You can see this in the number of students who graduate from their programs, last year (2018) it was 1053 students. Browse the latest free online courses from Harvard University, including "CS50's Introduction to Game Development" and "CS50's Web Programming with Python and JavaScript." You’ll find greater variety in our certificates because these credentials are meant to develop expertise in a specific field area. Harvard Extension School strictly awards just the Bachelors and Masters of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies. The debate at hand is: Is an HES student who attempts to pass off his/her degree as one from “Harvard University” without making it explicitly clear that the degree is from HES a fraud? 90% fail to live up to the hype. Special Students. Not listed as approved, but actually used on the Extension School’s website “Success Stories”, an example of a student’s credentials are listed in this manner: Master of Liberal Arts in the field of International Relations. They offer a verified certificate of completion for $90. I would like to see our standards go up all around. A graduate certificate is a postgraduate credential that, much like a graduate degree, is focused on a specific field of study. Advance your career. HES is part of Harvard University. Harvard Medical School’s postgraduate certificate programs are designed to help you acquire the latest skills and knowledge in the field—preparing you to advance in your career and—most importantly—empowering you to better serve patients and advance the field. In order to earn a certificate, new students must take five classes. Do you think it will help me in my career if I already have about a ten years of experience in the field? I find the idea that a person attending the University through the usual college track being assumed superior over a candidate with a degree through HES to be absurdly presumptuous. Explore online courses from Harvard University. Harvard and 2U announced Monday that the university would begin an executive certificate program in business analytics, delivered through 2U's online program management platform. I’m considering attending Harvard extension for an applied masters not because I’m lesser, but because I want an affordable, rigorous, and focused course of study that I can complete largely from my small, rural community in Central California. I would like to hear your comment about the outcome of this future. This. The fact that prople only have an issue with HES students doing this, is proof alone that the label is important for the purposes of distinguishing some sort of second-rate status. I figured I would weigh in with my experience as well. (Updated), Response to “Before coronavirus, Newton development was booming. Mike, there are opportunities to join cross-campus student groups and other activities, but you have to work at it. How feebleminded of you to claim Harvard Extension School is a fraudulent entity . To my knowledge, this omission has never closed any doors. Rebecca is the Digital Content Producer for Harvard Division of Continuing Education. For Harvard employees, the nearly free cost of taking classes makes HES a truly appealing choice. I think the benefits of HES classes are significant, in my pond. My family is a legacy and many legacy families’ attorneys have banded together to sue for a stop to this nonsense, have the dean removed and that quaint, fraudulent excrement box shuttered. Thanks to the ongoing admissions scandals at several universities, many are finally wise enough to realize that the admissions process is not a determining factor of success. Also, you are admitted first then prove yourself academically. Coursera and edX certificates also feature a verification code. Is the Harvard HBX CORe worth the time & money? Copyright ©2021 Harvard Division of Continuing Education, The Surprising Reason We Don’t Keep Our Resolutions (and How to Overcome It), What You Should Know When Considering a Graduate Program, Reasons for Earning a Graduate Certificate, Number of fields at Harvard Extension: 37, Number of concentrations at Harvard Extension: 23, Average number of courses to complete: 12. Blame Harvard. I ended up pulling wayyy too many resumes from Harvard that ended up being Harvard Extension graduates that just list "Harvard University" on their resumes and the text box on the application. This is a travesty, an insult, to all those who applied and were accepted to Harvard College proper. And I am pretty sure that Oxford itself would quell any discussion and doubt itself right from the outset not to let its reputation slip into miscredit. Several people involved in hiring decisions have commented how they regard HES grads compared to their counterparts from other schools. The fact is that a prospective HES graduate student needs to get a B or better in the program’s Harvard faculty-taught preliminary classes that are paid for first in full (without financial aid) IN ORDER TO APPLY to the official HES graduate program. Rightly so DK, and a bit idiotic on his part as universities are historically comprised of colleges. the best in the blog! That is preposterous! Ding ding ding “no other school has guidelines for listing your degree.”, Is a degree from Harvard Extension considered to be a degree from Harvard University? Hello, So I started this course in statistics from Harvard some days ago. In my opinion, if you mention for example Master in liberal Art, concentration in Management, Harvard University. As my father always says, the cream ultimately rises to the top. Master’s Degree, Software Engineering I would recommend you the ALM management program, as clearly you lack key managerial and decision-making skills. Get in touch today to see what the future may hold for you. After quite some research it became clear that most (nearly all!) Harvard’s own standards have always made it clear to grads that their HES degree is not a Harvard College degree. All Ed School master’s require only 8 classes. They, after have this authority and the right to employ it in whatever forms they deem appropriate. I perhaps was a bit loose in my description of former Dean Lambert’s wording, and if so, I apologize. I live and work in Alabama. 7 minute read. This has caused far enough ruckus and confusion. in fact, in 2011, my cousins had said behind my back that I only do an “online course” rather than a full master degree, because they don’t know if it is legit to do an online master degree. Like it or not, if one proclaim they graduated from Harvard, the imagery it provokes is the “iconic” one – it is going to raise eyebrows if a later “clarification” reveals that the degree was earned while in the company of classmates who may not necessarily be as talented as is regarded the typical Harvard coed, even if the responding individual may personally embody all the attributes of someone who “could have” attended Harvard College. Bachelor [or Master] of Liberal Arts, Extension Studies, Harvard University. The School of Continuing Studies is ONE OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY’s TWELVE SCHOOLS. Why there are still employers who think its fraud when someone leaves out “Extension” on their resume? Outright claiming a specific school that is not HES is unethical. Dear Ian Lamont, Some people think it’s not the same as Harvard, others do. This is puzzling. | Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies: It also offers full degree programs, payable via financial aid through the site. Or you might want to build expertise in fields that will be less affected by technological advances. I am considering the HES too, but same to others who doubt it, and might turnaround my decision. Not enough money to be considered a big donor, but enough to sway a school’s recruiting athletic coach. Whilst I don’t want to comment on the many valid points directly my suggestion would be for the school to reconsider its position to the public, towards its HES student body, its HES alumni, and how it represents the value of the HES itself. Many will probably catch up and out pace me and many wont. 1) The world is now wisely accepted the value of online education: back in the 1990s, people have questioned the value of online-education as it is new and unproven. Look, territoriality is EVERYWHERE. If Harvard wanted to avoid confusion, HES degrees would not have the name “Harvard” in them at all. Of course, the whole thing gets even more aggravating when one thinks about the Kushner “merit” path to Harvard College. Time to Complete Certificate. This is precisely the case. Self-paced programs (with deadlines) are offered on the HBS Online course platform. in Computer Science. CVN also requires pretty much the same selective admissions process that traditional students have to go through, including submission of transcripts, resume, recommendation letters, personal/professional statement, and GRE exam scores, though those applicants who already have doctoral degrees can get the GRE requirement waived. Many of the on-demand courses on Coursera are not accredited, though, especially if you’re pursuing a certificate in a focus area such as accounting – a popular certificate for online courses. Who cares? If I had to hire one of two applicants for my accounting firm and one said hire me because I got good grades in high school and was active in the community (real Harvard applicant), and the other said I have years of experience in accounting and will work for three months to prove myself to you and if you don’t like what you see I will leave (HES applicant) I would hire the latter. At the end of a very intense 11 weeks, you will be fairly conversant with business jargon and able to communicate with peers and other professionals on an (almost) equal footing. It’s a true meritocracy – you have to prove you can handle the coursework before gaining admission. That endowment is for the entire harvard university system. A full list of online courses and other forms of digital learning from across Harvard is available.. | The only answer I can think of is, It is what is it. Do you get an internship in summer? The certificate just helps the organization identify those people who can deliver greater value, but you also have to show evidence of that value. Try to list “software engineering” as your major on a job application and you might run into the headache of having to explain why the company’s background check showed you as an “extension studies” major. I see now it’s not as clear as I had intended. My only goal with pursuing a degree from the Harvard School of Extension Studies is to show people that there is hope for something better: even if better just means earning a certificate or diploma from a rural community college. It had become a law. They offer MSc and DPhil degrees while the Mst is the second part of the master’s degree (with the PGCD being the first part). The Extension School does have a career services office and some activities such as job fairs, but I don’t know how effective they are. “Master of Liberal Liberal Arts.” Yes, HES gets some high achievers as well (including graduates of Ivies and other competitive programs) but the classrooms are also filled with casual class-takers. In short, while a Harvard Extension Degree is issued by Harvard University, it is not the same degree that is issued to graduates of other schools at Harvard such as a Harvard College AB degree, a Harvard Business School MBA degree, or a Harvard GSAS AM degree. I would take an honest UMass or UConn grad over HES any day. Thank you for the response. Chicago student could present either so clearly absent minded or at best misinformed as what defines University life opinion! Honest UMass or UConn grad over HES any day CORe delivers on its promise to prep you in basic concepts... 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