HES students appeal to have "Extension Studies" removed from degree title.

If they got what they wanted, they wouldn't be complaining. The fact is that many people know that Harvard Extension is not like the other Harvard schools, so some of their graduates are probably disappointed by that. Harvard Extension School courses are not exactly the same as similar courses in the other Harvard schools. To add, some of the HES instructors only teach at HES. Why would HES government students need to be segregated from Kennedy School students?

 

Haha we just had the same opinion... Good points. Good Points made here...

 

HES credits transfer to other schools because they are credit-bearing and come from a regionally accredited institution. The problem is that the other Harvard schools won't accept Extension School credits, is that correct?

 

Nobody's provided any proof that HES courses are different - I assume you're meaning worse - than non-HES courses (I already noted that earlier in the thread), but I think I've said all I care to say on this topic. Nobody is going to change their mind.

 

Correct they are regionally accredited and both have the same accreditation agency as I stated in an earlier post. HES credits are not accepted at Harvard University. Correct me if I am wrong.

 

We would have to have syllabi to do some comparison. There are some classes in which HES students can sit side-by-side with other Harvard students, and there are other classes with adjusted syllabi. This is anecdotal, but it's one student's experience. I will say that he's incorrect about HES' upper level courses not requiring prerequisites. I looked at the science courses, and they require the typical prerequisites.

Seth Pace's answer to Is the course in Harvard Extension School the same difficulties as Harvard? - Quora

 

The only true way to know is if you have taken both the actual Havard University course vs Harvard Extension School courses
Here is a sample of some of the undergraduate syllabuses.

https://extension.harvard.edu/course-catalog/archive/2019
https://canvas.harvard.edu/courses/55287/assignments/syllabus

To me, the assignments don't look hard...

 

I posted this in a different thread yesterday. It's about time they start pushing for a name change.

 

Exactly! The main issue that I personally can see is that the degree sounds generic, and won't tell an employer what you actually studied. If Harvard would allow the degrees to be Masters of Liberal Arts in xxx (insert concentration here) then it would be less confusing, let employers know what the degee is in, and wouldn't sound like a generic degree that may or may not be questionable. Nobody is saying to present themselves as having a degree in economics from Harvard business school, but a Masters of Liberal Arts in Economics lets people know it's a liberal arts economics degree from Harvard Extension School, which I think will have a much better ROI.

 

You can just write on your resume the way they have it listen on the website... Masters of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies, field Management.
I feel like the main issue people are crying about is the Extension Studies part added on to the degree when indeed they study extension courses at the extension school so rightfully so I believe it is fine to be added to the degree itself. When you bring your transcripts to an employer they will see the courses you took. Let's face it Harvard Extension School is an Extension school that is not the same. It's like saying a Volkswagen Jetta is the same as a Porsche although they are the same makers they are not the same vehicle or car brand. If you want your degree to say economics on it study a Masters of Arts in Economics at Havard University or any other school. At the end of the day, you are studying Liberal Arts in an extension program. I provided a link to some of the syllabuses in the extension school and they do not look too hard honestly... I went to a public college in New York, John Jay College of Criminal Justice for undergraduate which is ranked as one of the top 10 criminal justice programs in the United States and the work was much harder. I am judging based on the syllabus requirements, grading criteria, and assignments.

 

Listed* not listen sorry for the typo on my cellphone

 

Well, I feel the whole naming of the degree is wrong. That said, the students should have known that when signing up.

I really do feel that so much of this argument is ego on both sides of the issue.

That said, a FT student at Harvard that does a serious deep dive into the academics of a particular discipline, mentored virtually daily by a world renowned prof.. who are we kidding to say an online degree is the same? Seriously.

Now let's throw that out with the bath water and talk about the last part. People pay a nice home in almost any zip code in the US to get a Harvard degree, and even if they skate by, the fact is they (and their parents) are PAYING for the networking of living, study and play with other students of means that will do as close to ensure a VERY high level of "success' (gag me please) by all the metrics that most people care about. Letting earned admission paying 1/8th the cost who aren't hanging out 24/7 and getting that networking lay claim to it is VERY offensive to many, and social climbing at it's worse. "You are supposed to make your money of misery f the great unwashed, not by mixing it up with your betters and working hard, don't you know? Lobsta roll with your mimosa Edward?"

 

LOL ....

Extension school is a continuing education department.
It can't never be the same Harvard.

Harvard's admission is extremely selective while it's pretty easy to get into extension school.

 

An endless battle...
for my curiosity, any other academic institutions are offering the degrees with a weird ALB or ALM name?

 

This reminds me of my former coworker who somehow always pointed out that she was "a Harvard student" to the rest of us. LOL. She apparently thought we were stupid enough to believe she was somehow "special" or a "genius" due to her enrolment at HES (and she conveniently never mentioned the "Extension" part). LOL

Harvard Extension is a great idea and a noble effort from Harvard - but they attract these "social climber / fake-it-till-you-make-it" types that irritate me. I understand that I cannot pigeonhole other HES students but part of me feels the students complaining about their "Extension studies" degree name are just on an ego trip. Sigh.

 

I personally don't like to put any 'continuing education' degree on my resume.

I'll do that when I become 50 or 60 maybe. I think it's made for the people who can't follow traditional degree programs.

 

It sounds like buying a brand name at an outlet store.

 

At the outlet stores, you get the stuff that didn't sell and isn't the latest in fashion. At Coach Outlet, you get cheaper quality goods that were specifically made for Coach Outlet.

 

Which anyone with standard Harvard credentials would already know, since an ALB or ALM are only offered through Extension school.

Imagine if you went to some outlet store and everything that was out-of-fashion or didn't sell was marked with "BRANDNAME DISCOUNT EDITION" in addition to clearly not being the latest fashion. Who would actually buy that?