Learn | Harvard Extension School

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Learn | Harvard Extension School

25 September 2008 7,424 views 13 Comments

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Corrections appended Oct. 8, 2008

Ever thought about earning an advanced degree or certificate while outside the U.S.? In fact, studying for an ivy league degree from Seoul is not impossible.

The Harvard Univeristy Extension School (HES) offers graduate programs for the Master of Liberal Arts (A.L.M) in a wide variety of areas including Biotechnology, Mathematics for Teaching, and Educational Technology. Through distance learning in select programs, students are able to take courses and follow lectures entirely online. They can complete their degree requirements by spending as little as one summer (thanks Douglas!) at least two semesters at Cambridge, Massachusetts for capstone or final seminars.

The biggest selling point for HES is that the admissions process is “non-traditional” which means it neither requires test scores nor letters of recommendation. However, as HES elaborates in the comments, students must have a bachelor’s degree, submit transcripts and a statement of purpose. In addition, they must pass three initial courses with a B or better average and maintain at least a 3.0 GPA in all coursework, thereby demonstrating the ability to do Harvard level work.

The school’s enrollment policy hails from its founding by then school president A. Lawrence Lowell, in 1910, in order to serve the Boston community with continuing education. HES continues this tradition for the global community, serving as an attractive way for both foreign students and Americans overseas to earn a graduate degree.

Here are some more resources:

Fall Term Registration (late through September 28)

Harvard Extension School homepage

Distance Education at Harvard Extension

New York Times coverage of the school

–James is on his way to earning his ALM from HES

13 Comments »

Douglas Rohde said:

Hello there. I am a student at the HES studying for the ALM in Management. Six of my twelve course have to be completed on-campus. Exactly which masters program requires only a summer residency?

Thanks.

[Reply]

# 26 September 2008 at 1:54 am

Harvard Extension School said:

Dear James:

Thank you for writing about the Harvard Extension School. There is indeed an admission process. While students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average in all courses, more importantly, students must earn a B or better in the initial three courses, or they will not be admitted into the program. While no test scores or letters of recommendation are required, this non-traditional admissions process weighs heavily on a student’s ability to prove they are capable of Harvard-level work. Student’s must also possess an accredited bachelor’s degree, submit a transcript, and a well-written descriptive essay.

Also, I must ask that you remove the photograph displayed above. It is copyrighted material and cannot be used without Harvard’s permission.

Thank you.

[Reply]

# 8 October 2008 at 6:53 am

Milena Bogdanova said:

Hello everyone.

I am interested in the ALM in Management at HES. How are applications evaluated? What is the percentage of applicants who are admitted, considering they have fulfilled all the prerequisites? Could anyone please give me any information that is not already listed on the school’s website?

Thanks!

[Reply]

# 11 November 2008 at 1:25 am

Ken Vedaa said:

Milena,

I am currently a ALM in Information Technology degree candidate at HES. From what I have observed the application are primarily evaluated on the students performance in the three classes that they complete at HES prior to applying for admissions.

For those students that earn the required grades (B or better in the initial three courses, please note that some degree programs have specific requirements for what courses you must take before applying for admissions) the acceptance rate seems to be total.

Now please bear in mind that while this is very straight forward, it is not necessarily easy. Depending on the course, and the students level of background and preparedness, some of these courses can be very demanding.

One resource that you may want to take a look at is a online forum for HES students that is run by a recent ALM graduate.

http://extensionstudent.com

Much of the forum only allows access to registered members (requiring a Harvard email address), but there are some discussions that are viewable by the public.

Good luck on your future academic endeavors.

Ken

[Reply]

# 9 January 2009 at 12:01 am

bonnie said:

Don’t even bother applying to Harvard ALM, I thought I could get 3Bs easily and get into the program easily. It was much more difficult than I thought, the instructors marked me down for the slightest mistakes, instead of getting 3Bs I got an A-, B- and B+, and still I was told I did not qualify. I am now at Stanford doing their MLA (master of liberal arts) and am much happier.

[Reply]

# 13 January 2009 at 4:04 pm

caltechhottie said:

Although Harvard ALM is not Harvard AM, it is a stronger credential than 99% of Master of Arts out there… UPenn has a similar program, though not as rigorous as Harvard ALM….

[Reply]

# 14 January 2009 at 3:29 am

Ken Vedaa said:

Bonnie,

I am sorry to hear of the difficulties that you faced while at HES. As I mentioned many people will find some of the courses at HES to be quite difficult.

In addition for those who decide to pursue an ALM, I would suggest that care and effort be given to your application, and essay to ensure that you come across as a someone who is indeed serious about academic efforts.

While this can be somewhat nerve wracking, for many people this is indeed achievable.

On the bright side as mentioned above, there are also a number of other programs that aim to suit non-traditional students, including Stanford, UPenn, Georgetown, Colombia, Oxford, among many others. I think that the ongoing growth in this field serves the non-traditional student community well, both by providing a greater number of options as well raising the profile of self enrichment for those who have already taken the responsibilities of work and families.

[Reply]

# 17 January 2009 at 4:34 am

Harris M said:

Harvard ALM is probably one of the best kept secrets by the university… however, it’s one of those degrees which very few people can actually graduate, due to the incredibly demanding thesis requirement.

[Reply]

# 2 March 2009 at 11:06 am

Bernardo said:

What will be your recommendation for prerequisite courses (1 economics, 1 accounting, 1 elective?)

[Reply]

# 15 July 2009 at 2:53 pm

Ken Vedaa said:

Harris M,

You are correct that the requirements for ALM degrees are demanding, but it should be noted that not all ALM degrees require a thesis. For anyone interested in details I would suggest looking at the Harvard Extension School website, specifically under the degree program section.

Bernardo,

It would very too much by degree and one’s individual background. My personal suggestion is to pick a course in which you feel somewhat comfortable with the basic premise and that fulfills a core requirement for a degree that you are interested in.

[Reply]

# 4 September 2009 at 12:51 am

Gabriel said:

Hi!

I just took my first course at HES and like it a lot.
I am pretty sure though that the entry requirement for the ALM is three courses with a B plus an average of a B. E.g. B/B/B is fine, but A-/B-/B+ is not. (A-/B-/B+/B would be fine again)

[Reply]

# 6 January 2010 at 5:11 pm

Sojourney said:

The HES degree programs are pretty darn tough. Put aside plenty of time for it and get ready to work your @@@ off, but it’ll be worth it in the end.

[Reply]

# 7 September 2010 at 9:05 am

Octamus said:

HES is a good choice if you are ready for a serious challenge. The courses are very demanding. I may not be the brightest person in the world, and I hadn’t done academic work for many years, but three of the courses I took required thirty hours a week or more (each).

[Reply]

# 26 January 2011 at 7:48 am