Harvard Extension School

Anyone heard of Harvard University's Extension school?

If so opinions?

Yes. It seems like a way for Harvard to monetise their brand without having to do the same things they do for folks at the other Harvard schools. Worth noticing that the admission criteria for this school is far less strict than for the mainstream Harvard schools.

How do you rate a Masters Degree from there? If you take all the classes on campus you will essentially be lectured by the same professors, so quality theoretically shouldn't be diminished

How do you rate a Masters Degree from there? If you take all the classes on campus you will essentially be lectured by the same professors, so quality theoretically shouldn't be diminished

Except you won't be necessarily lectured by the same professors. Harvard Extension School does have classes taught by current Harvard faculty, but also brings in professors from elsewhere - I spotted profs from universities across the US, and a few from the UK as well that are teaching courses. Plus Harvard employs some faculty who teach exclusively at the Extension School, and so likely wouldn't be doing much teaching with Harvard undergrads or regular postgrads.

That's not to say that the quality won't be high- I'm sure it would be. But it's not equivalent to applying to & studying full time on one of Harvard's postgraduate programmes in terms of teaching, contact time etc.

But do you get a Harvard University degree in the end?

For the programme the OP seems interested in, you're awarded an MA in Liberal Arts in extension studies, with a particular field then listed. Which seems a way of saying it's a Harvard MA, but...

Nonetheless, it is a degree from Harvard, but I imagine you would have to be clear that it's from their extension school, rather than say the Kennedy school if it's a politics degree, for example. It does seem to be a well-respected programme - while looking into it I found this interesting article in The Atlantic.

The visa issue still stands, as madamemerle pointed out, plus it isn't exactly cheap, even if it is significantly less costly than the standard postgraduate programmes.

How would people know if you just say Harvard?

Good question. I guess people wouldn't unless you had to submit transcripts and/or a copy of the degree itself.

Would the diploma say it's from the extension school not Harvard proper?

And do they actually have lower requirements, both academic and professional ones?