Harvard low residency ALM in History

The Harvard Extension School just put up its course listings for 2003-2004. A quick glance at the offerings shows that it would be possible to earn the Master of Liberal Arts in History degree through DL, with only two 6 week summer sessions in residence. Here is what a possible course schedule would look like:

Summer 2003 (6 week residency):
Social Sciences Proseminar
any History class

Fall 2003 (dl):
American Constitutional History I
elective

Apply for formal admission to ALM program.

Spring 2004 (dl):
American Constitutional History II
elective

Summer 2004 (6 week residency):
any 2 history classes

Then register for the thesis, which can be done via DL, anytime after finishing the Spring 2004 courses.

The website is http://www.extension.harvard.edu in case anyone would be interested in pursuing this.

 

Also, Summertime in Cambridge can be pretty fun. The city is a lot less crowded with most of the students gone and you could probably get a good deal on a sublet. There's a bunch of good restaurants, nightclubs, concert tours, nearby beaches, who knows? you might even go to a few classes
Jack

 

Harvard Extension has a reputation for being extremely difficult. I know of many who started programs there but few who finished. That said, if anyone is interested in Cambridge in the summer – the Episcopal Divinity School, which is two blocks from the extension school, might have rooms for summer programs.

 

So, if Harvard Extension seems to be rather difficult, which of the US Ivy League school's extension/summer programs is known to be more "managable"?

Does anyone have experiences?

Greets,
Trigger

 

I just wish they would drop the residency requirement all togather.

 

Having taken Harvard distance learning courses this term and having taken a course at Cornell during the winter (and taking 15 credits at Cornell this summer) I think I can comment on this. In regards to Harvard's difficulty, it will vary from person to person. For example, I'm taking Metaphysics and Strategies for Environmental Management this term, both for graduate credit, and so far am averaging an A, with only the Metaphysics final left to submit. If anything I've found both classes to be easy, definitely easier than the undergraduate courses I'm taking at Cornell this term. Other people in the class seem to having a good experience as well, ie. in Environmental Management our grades were posted by Student ID # and most of the grades were in the A/A- range with a couple at B+. The Metaphysics professor and TAs have also gone out of their way to be generous with the grading, and we're allowed to revise our papers if we're not satisfied with our original grade. If you're good at writing I don't think you will have any problems with Harvard Extension, unless the oncampus classes are RADICALLY different from the DL courses (although based on the syllabi posted at the Extension School website it doesn't look like that's the case).

Based on my experiences, it looks as if the courses offered by Cornell during the summer session are pretty easy, since the bulk of them are courses which usually close out very early during the regular term since the profs are known to be very easy graders (ie. ILRHR266 PC Basics in which everyone in the class gets an A+, ENGL280 Creative Writing in which everyone in the class gets an A, ENGL288 Expository Writing in which most people get an A, SOC203 Work and Family in which most people get an A, etc.). However Cornell offers no degrees through its summer/extension school so its not really worth it for non-Cornellians to take these courses (they cost $720 a credit). They do offer a 9 credit graduate certificate in International Business, however, as well as a non-credit DL certificate in Industrial and Labor Relations.

 

Be cautious about the electives.A few points please take note of

Harvard faculty requirement obligates the candidate to complete 8 subject with formal harvard instructors.

One of two electives must be a writing intensive or seminar course.

Since you are completing two units at the moment
1.Introduction to metaphysics(Writing intensive)
2.Strategies for environmental management

The metaphysics instructor does not count as harvard instructor(He is a Tufts Prof.),so you have consumed one entitlement

Hence it will not be doable and workable to engage in constitutional history I and II(DL),as the instructor isn't designated as harvard instructor,at maximum you can only complete one unit with him.You have to complete the rest of courses with harvard instructors.(Summer school instructors all count as HI irrespective of their formal affilation)

To my best knowledge,Robert Allison is the only history professor who conducts both oncampus and DL course in history.If no further harvard instructor course in history arises as DL format,you will not able to complete the degree as envisaged.
You can contact me off-line for any adivce.

 

cableplus,

Yes you raise a very good point I forgot to mention, people who would plan on doing this would have to make sure that their two DL electives were with Harvard instructors. This doesn't apply to me personally though, since I'm planning to pursue the degree oncampus.

 

Great post! How did you find out exactly how many week of residence are required. I'm interested in taking the Masters Of Liberal Arts in Psychology and want to find out exactly how many weeks a residence would be required per year. Also I would like to find out how much it will cost and what kind of arrangements dose the school make for DL students. I went to the Harvard External web site but had no luck in finding any of that information.

Bo

 

I agree with you 100%. I think that if the drooped the residency request a lot of people that work could get a Harvard degree and their employer'srs would probably have no problem about paying for it. However I don't think that most employer would be happy and willing the pay for the program if it means that the employe would have to take a couple weeks of work every year because the school demands that they spend time on res.

Bo

 

Hey all,

A few points. First, the summer residency is 8 weeks, not 6. Essentially, for the ALM degree, you have to do at least one term on campus, Fall, Spring or Summer. The summer term, being 8 weeks in length (as opposed to 4 months for the other two terms) is the most popular, first for it's brevity, and also because you can get campus housing (which is actually quite nice ).

Second, I don't think there is any chance of Harvard getting rid of the residency requirement anytime soon.

Third, and this is just a personal recomendation, don't do your summer residency until after you have taken some of the distance courses and done well in those. The reason for this is simple. Housing is about $3500 for the term, and the courses are $500 more than in the Fall and Spring. A lot of people like the idea of getting a Harvard Master's, but after taking a few courses, discover it is not for them. Had they taken a few classes beforehand, they would have had a better chance of discovering this, without blowing the additional $4500 in housing and class cost.

Jon

 

Hello all,
Does anyone know the approximate cost per credit? Pardon me if I've missed it. A general idea will help...are we talking $1000 per credit or $300? Regards -John

 

Re: Re: Harvard low residency ALM in History

Bo - It's been a long time since I completed my Bachelors at HES but I believe that I'm correct in saying that it's not a matter of "how many weeks of residency are required," it's a matter of not being able to take all the required courses in the "online" modality. There are a certain number of credits that can only be satisfied with your butt-in-the-classroom. You'll have to do at least a semester in Cambridge. It seems that the Summer term is the shortest and so that's what people talk about the most. Be aware, however, that the Summer courses are more expensive. Good luck,
Jack

 

With all due deference, what kind of total loser must those B+ students be when the average grade at Harvard is an A- (according to various news sources)?

Of course it would be interesting to know if the extension grades harder than the rest of the university. Got to keep the riff-raff down and all that!


Tom Nixon

 

Graduate Level Comp Sci Courses are $1500 (except for a few that are $1925). Summer Courses were about $1900 as well.

Jon

 

What is difficult about it? Less than half of all college students graduate any way on the average from U.S colleges. Is it because college generally is hard? What drove my friends from Harvard University Extension School in the early 90s was the cost. It was simply too high about 1k or so per course then and Uncle Sam would not reimburse fully for it. Many went to Nortneastern instead whose fees were more manageable at that time.


Godwin

 

Jack,

How long did it take you complete the ALB and many semesters did you have to spend on residence? I would really like to get a degree from Harvard, but I'm debating if I should go for the ALB and get a second bachelor degree or if I should go for the ALM.

Bo

 

I'm sorry to give you the news, my experience is unlikely to prove helpful. My ALB took 3-4 years - 100% was "butt in classroom." There was NO DL when I did my degree (no internet either - thanks, makes me feel old - that's not too hard these days.
Jack

 

I don't know what courses you friends were taking but the average cost per course (undergraduate) today at HES is $500 (I seriously doubt that this is less now than in the early 90's). Northeastern is a decent school, I hope your friends made it out OK.
Jack
BTW, why would you expect Uncle Sam to reimburse anything?

 

Jack, my friends were considered graduate programs. At that time, it was about 1k per course at HES. I knew your response was going to come after I hit the sent key but decided not to make the correction. They all graduated and some of us went to even more affordable ones then like Western New England College. I did a Post Baccalaureate Certificate at Northeasten later and graduated from there in 1995.

Why would we (me) expect Uncle Sam to reimburse anything? Because Uncle Sam uses us to do what he wants. However, Uncle Sam sets limits on what he can reimburse although he has deep pockets. Have a great day Jack.

GodwinI don't know what courses you friends were taking but the average cost per course (undergraduate) today at HES is $500 (I seriously doubt that this is less now than in the early 90's). Northeastern is a decent school, I hope your friends made it out OK.