New Harvard online certificates

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by HikaruBr, Jun 16, 2011.

Loading...
  1. HikaruBr

    HikaruBr Member

  2. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef



    ....drool.....I need a money tree.
     
  3. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    This is on my wish list. The company I work for is in a slash-and-cut expenses mode. I am not sure if I can pull anymore TA money out of them. I would not pay out of pocket for this.
     
  4. HikaruBr

    HikaruBr Member

    Yeah, I think those certificates only make sense if your employer will pay the bill.

    Otherwise it would make more sense to shoot for the Master program - it would be twice the price but at least you get a proper Harvard degree and Alumni status.
     
  5. landocalrissian

    landocalrissian New Member

    Cash cow.

    Similar to e-Cornell and Notre Dames business certificates online.
     
  6. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    Kind of, these are graduate level credits.
     
  7. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Cash cow for sure, but unlike many other schools' programs, these require taking credit graduate courses. That means they might have use for someone with a Master's who wanted to qualify to teach a different discipline. For example, someone who wanted to be able to teach computer science might do the Web Development certificate and add one more course to it for a total of 18 graduate credits. That way, not only would they be academically qualified in the additional discipline, they'd also have a credential to show for it.

    Yes, it would be expensive, but rightfully or wrongfully, the name "Harvard" would also be a differentiator.

    -=Steve=-
     
  8. StefanM

    StefanM New Member

    Exactly. These credentials actually can count for something in the academic world. eCornell is a ripoff, as it is nothing more than glorified CEU credits.
     
  9. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    QUOTE=landocalrissian;378106]Cash cow.

    Similar to e-Cornell and Notre Dames business certificates online.[/QUOTE]


    [ ] Share information
    [ ] Help someone
    [ ] Ask a question
    [X] Start a fire


    eCornell is CE while these are 20 credit grad certificates (share), which you can use to teach if you already have a masters in something else (help). I've enjoyed Harvard's online classes, as have MANY others here (share). I don't think the price is too high, it's exactly what they charge for their degree-seeking grad students. I guess I don't really understand what a "cash cow" is. (question)
     
  10. AUTiger00

    AUTiger00 New Member

    A "cash cow" is the lower left quadrant of the BCG matrix....duh.
    Seriously,it's simply jargon that means something that generates a huge rate of return/has a massive profit margin. HES likely provides this for Harvard, though I'm not sure of what the actual cost to deliver an HES class is, I assume it is highly profitable. While the tuition is only about 40% of what other schools at Harvard charge, the sheer volume of students that pass through the school likely makes it very profitable.
     
  11. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    The current Harvard endowment is approximately 28 billion dollars. Do you really think they need a "cash cow?":cool2:
     
  12. landocalrissian

    landocalrissian New Member

    “He who is greedy is always in want.”
    Horace
     
  13. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    That's the total endowment for all divisions of the university. But if a detailed breakdown was available, I suspect it would show that only a tiny fraction of the total endowment is allocated specifically to the Extension School.

    In 2009, almost half of the total endowment was allocated to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, i.e. the traditional B&M undergraduate and graduate programs. The professional schools, like the medical, law, and business schools, also have multi-billion dollar endowments.

    But I seriously doubt that the Extension School has a billion-dollar endowment to support its operations.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 17, 2011
  14. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    It always amazing me how something that is a good opportunity to some will be viewed as some underhanded attempt to part people from their hard earned money by others. Who's cup is half empty around here? :aargh4: :aargh4:
     
  15. HikaruBr

    HikaruBr Member

    You can't really call those certificates cash cow, even in pure marketing terms - because they just started now! In Marketing terms a cash cow is something that gives a stable flux of profit with very high profit margins with little investment or effort in comparison to its other products.

    For all we know it's the contrary - the last certificates programs at HES were cancelled. Those new programs might have been created to be a cash cow, but we can't assert that will be in the future.

    I'd say the individual open enrollment courses at HES are the cash cow (we just need to look at the fact that the number of graduates at any program at HES is very small) and all the degree programs and certificates are founded by that. Or, like the AUTiger put it, maybe the whole HES is the cash cow of Harvard (which I doubt it, because of their big endownment, as people said before).

    Of course people here were using the term in a very pejorative way, not in a marketing analysis way - which is unfair as people have pointed out. We are talking about real graduate courses with a real Harvard certificate in the end. A VERY good option for someone who needs 18 credits to teach.

    I just think is that, financially and time wise, the proposition is not as good for someone paying out of his pocket. Like I said before: for just twice of the price and effort you can get a Master and Alumni status.

    Having said that, I'd consider those certificates if they had one in some area of my interest (like "Digital Media Arts" and Journalism - They have Masters in both fields).
     
  16. nanoose

    nanoose New Member

    Really? A Harvard master's is only $20K? Seriously?!? Only 10 courses for a Master's?
    Man....the things I don't know.... :rolleyes:
     
  17. AUTiger00

    AUTiger00 New Member

    The endowment is certainly whereHarvard generates most of it's revenue, i.e. private donations from alumni and friends of the university, but as far as programs at Harvard. I'd venture to bet HES generates more revenue than any of the other schools simply because of the number of students taking courses there. Obviously, all the other programs are limited by their enrollment cap, HES doesn't face this problem. Fixed costs for course delivery are spread out over a much greater number of students, making the profit per student much higher than other programs.
    I know for a fact that the the tuition at HBS, HLS and HKS doesn't cover all associated costs for each student, the endowment makes up the difference. I doubt that is the case with HES. Costs are certainly lower as a great number of the courses are taught by what are essentially adjunct faculty, not tenured or tenure track professors.
     
  18. HikaruBr

    HikaruBr Member

    "I know for a fact that the the tuition at HBS, HLS and HKS doesn't cover all associated costs for each student, the endowment makes up the difference. I doubt that is the case with HES."

    I agree with you - what I'm trying to say is that while is possible that the open enrollment courses are a cash cow for HES, I'm not sure if they are that for the rest of Harvard.

    And, the HES degrees and certificates are even less likely to be cash cows. If anything, the people taking the open enrollment courses without being in a HES degree program are kind subsiding those HES degree seekers I would guess.

    Of course I'm just guessing :)
     
  19. AUTiger00

    AUTiger00 New Member

    Yep. My program at HGSE is actually only 8 courses.
     
  20. HikaruBr

    HikaruBr Member

    That's interesting. I've never bother looking at HGSE website, but it seems they have a very interesting Ed.M in Art Education (most interesting for me is that you can take classes in the other school for this program).

    Do you mind answering some questions about your program?

    Do you have a thesis or capstone element in your program too?

    Do they have give financial aid (either in form of tuition or scholarship/assistantship) for students?
     

Share This Page