Why not Harvard?

Why are you not taking an online course from Harvard University Extension?
http://www.extension.harvard.edu/2003-04/programs/DistanceEd/courses/

 

I'm in the program now, and have met several other people here (while I am doing my residential portion) who are in it as well. It rocks! GO CRIMSON!!

Jon

 

Looked at it.

I think my summer residency inclusive of travel, board, tuition, etc would have been about $ 13,000. I don't remember if it was Canadian or real dollars. A bit much.

 

The day that Harvard offers Masters and Doctoral degrees completely by DL (a short residency is acceptable) is the day that I submit my application.
As it stands now, Harvard doesn't have these programs (Arts and Sciences) and probably won't for quite some time.

 

Oh dear, I didn't word the poll clearly enough.

By "course" I didn't mean a degree program. I meant a single course worth 4 semester-hours of credit, which you could then transfer elsewhere. An online course costs between $550 and $1975 (including the $50 registration fee for the semester), depending on the course.

Harvard Summer School can be quite a bit more expensive than Harvard Extension in the fall and spring semesters.

 

In that case, if I was in need of a 4 semester-hours course, I would have to consider the pros and cons of taking the course. If there is a reasonable ROI, then perhaps I would look at Harvard.

 

Actually it probably would be possible to get the Master of Liberal Arts in History mostly online and one or two six week summer sessions in residence.

 

Is it $570 for an undergrad COURSE or per credit?

The grad courses are kind of steep but I am impressed how cheap the undergrad is (UMASS in Lowel is over $700 for 3 credit course). I think it's per credit to be honest.. Couldn't find any info though :/

Bill

 

Having taken courses from them, I can confirm that it is PER COURSE not per credit.

 

Er, are we looking at the same website?

I count a grand total of two history courses online for the next year, American Consitutional History I and II. Given the requirement for a proseminar, five concentration courses and a seminar that still leaves me five short on the concentration and looking for two electives as well.

Angela

 

It's theoretically possible to pull it off:

SUMMER SESSION 1 (in residence)
Proseminar
any history course

FALL TERM (online)
American Constitutional History I
elective (must be HI)

SPRING TERM (online)
American Constitutional History II
elective (must be HI)

SUMMER SESSION II (in residence)
two History courses (one of them a seminar or writing intensive, assuming one of your online electives wasn't a writing intensive)

You then do the thesis from a distance anytime after completing the spring term.

That schedule fulfills all the requirements: proseminar, five history courses, two electives, 8 HI courses, and thesis. Only way it wouldn't work would be if there was some obscure rule that would prevent you from having 4 summer classes count towards the degree, and if there is such a rule I was unable to find it at the website.

 

Yes, at $500 (+ $50 registration) for a 4-credit course, the cheapest Harvard Extension courses are among the best deals in the Boston area. It does depend on the subject, though. Harvard's Computer Science courses are quite a bit more expensive than UMass's.

 

One thing. It is actually 6 total concentration courses. It is 5 courses in your concentration PLUS a seminar in the concentration.

10 courses total:
2 Electives
1 Proseminar
1 Seminar in the concentration
5 classes in the concentration
1 thesis (counts as a class)
_________________________
10 total

If you count the seminar as one of the 5, you only get to nine. And there are only 2 electives.

But if they offer one more History Course online (which they probably will) your fine.

Jon

 

That's a peculiar question.

Do people have to have a reason for not studying at a particular university? Isn't not-studying at any university simply the default condition?

I don't have any reason at all for not taking classes at Harvard Extension. Or more accurately, my reason for not-studying at Harvard Extension is that I have no particular reason to study with them.

The question here isn't 'Why not Harvard', but rather 'Why Harvard'?

 

Re: Re: Why not Harvard?

I guess we're all supposed to genuflect and grovel in gratitude for the opportunity to take a course through Harvard.

 

BillDayson writes:

> Do people have to have a reason for not studying at a
> particular university? Isn't not-studying at any university simply
> the default condition?

Sadly, yes: students seem to find frat parties much more fun.

More seriously, I think that for most people seeking a degree, the prestige of the degree is at least one of their motives. Given that, for me it makes to enhance that prestige by taking at least one course from what, in the popular American consciousness, is the most prestigious university.

Rich Douglas found that hiring managers are more impressed by "Columbia State University" than by many real schools? Well, I'll bet Harvard would still trump CSU.

"I tell them that Canadians don't think much of American post-secondary, but will they listen? No, no, no. [...] I was talking Podunk State University, not Harvard."
Dennis Ruhl, http://www.degreeinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8598

"Say what you like about me Rich.. at the end of the day, those letters after your name aint from harvard!!"
http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=sean.qpydm%40email.onlinecollege.info

"IF YOU ARE NOT FROM TOP SCHOOL DON"T WASTE OUR TIME."
http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=20030629165612.23175.00001089%40mb-m21.aol.com

"I think the ongoing scurge of any thing that is not Harvard or Yale, adds to the limited utility of DL."
http://forums.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9380

 

Re: Re: Why not Harvard?

Ditto! When I saw the title my first thought was: "Why should I?" I can think of many reasons not to but the poll does not let me add reasons nor select multiple choices.

I'm not knocking Harvard as an institution - It is Ivy for a reason, but the question (whether intended or not) is presupposing that we want to take courses from Harvard, yet for some reason we are unable.

My watch is a Tag Heuer, but I would not presume to ask someone without one "Why not a Tag Heuer?" That could easily be construed as presumptuous.

Having said that, I don't think you intended the question to be of that nature at all (hope not anyway). You could have easily asked the question without the "elitist connotation." Framed correctly, I believe it to be a legitimate. But, who am I?

 

Bruce wrote:

> I guess we're all supposed to genuflect and grovel in
> gratitude for the opportunity to take a course through
> Harvard.

I took 4 graduate-level courses from Harvard Extension, and I happen to think it was a great opportunity -- especially since my employer reimbursed me for tuition.

Even if you all want to do is bash Harvard, having studied there will protect you from "sour grapes" accusations while you bash it.

 

cmt wrote:

> the question (whether intended or not) is presupposing that
> we want to take courses from Harvard, yet for some reason we
> are unable.

One of the possible responses ("I don't think the name 'Harvard' would do anything for my CV") posits that you don't want to. There's also "Other."

> the poll does not let me add reasons nor select multiple
> choices.

A technical limitation, which you can bypass by posting a textual response here.

> My watch is a Tag Heuer [...]. But, who am I?

A TAG Heuer owner.

"TAG Heuer is now ranked fourth in the worldwide luxury watch market"
-- http://www.mclaren.co.uk/partners/interims/tagheuer.htm

I thought "Tag Heuer" might be German for "day hour", but actually it translates as "day this year". And I presume TAG is actually an acronym, since it's in capitals.

 

If the best reason for enrolling at Harvard Extension is the opportunity to name-drop the word 'Harvard' (assuming that I'm willing to collapse the distinction between Harvard and Harvard Extension), I remain unmoved.

I think that there are almost certainly better educational opportunities for me out there.