Ivy League online degrees
 

The Ivy League Explores Online Learning

by Paul D. Rosevear
The Harvard Extension School offers 75 online courses for undergraduate or graduate credit by offering videotaped lectures online, along with other course materials. While there are currently no fully online degree programs offered at Harvard, at the school's 2005 commencement, the president at the time, Lawrence Summers, emphasized the importance of embracing the marriage of education and technology. "Information technology offers the potential to multiply manyfold the number of students and scholars with access to Harvard's unique intellectual resources," he said. He encouraged schools to "think creatively and boldly about how they can extend the reach of their excellence through technology in the years ahead."

But can you be a Harvard student without walking through Harvard Yard on your way to class? As online learning (sometimes called eLearning) becomes increasingly commonplace in colleges and universities, will it eventually be possible to earn an Ivy League degree without ever strolling the hallowed halls? Ivy League schools have begun taking tentative steps toward online education offerings.

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Do you think if school such as Harvard or Yale, etc. offered online degrees that it would "cheapen" their value in the workplace?

Not really. The degree comes from the Harvard Extension School. Per their FAQ: "Harvard Extension School and Harvard College are two separate schools within Harvard University." Harvard College admissions standards are a lot tougher, so those degrees will not lose their clout.

People get sneaky about it though. I will hear people say they got a graduate degree from Harvard, though, who upon further discussion will admit that it was from the Extension School.

You're correct, however. I can't see how this would diminsh the school's reputation a bit.

Would the degree the online student earn specifically state Harvard Exentsion School or would it just say Harvard College?

I don't know about Harvard, but I am opposed to online degrees. I got my masters the old-fashioned way, but now people who work for me are getting the same degree from the same institution without ever setting foot in a classroom. Even their exams are online. I think they lost the information gained by analyzing information together with other students. Plus, many of the classes did not have online lectures - just reading assignments with homework or papers due. Their degrees look exactly the same as mine - there is no distiction that theirs was done online.

I feel the same way. I see a lot of people saying that they have a Master's from Harvard, and only mentioning "extension school" on the pain of death or imprisonment.

Hee hee... like those t-shirts that read:

I MADE THE DEAN'S probation LIST

People might just list "Harvard University" on their resumes, but when a potential employer goes to verify their educational background, that employer will learn that the degree actually came from Harvard Extension School.

Online degrees are NOT elite.


Sorry, I couldn't help myself

I agree with you. Plus, much of my "learning" came from class room discussions/lectures especially from my classmates and professors.

But yeah, I can see people saying that their degree is from Harvard U. and unless you KNOW that an extension school actually exist, who would even know to ask that?

This is why hr departments should require official transcripts of their new hires, even if someone's been out for a decade or longer just to cover themselves.

I agree, there is a MAJOR difference between the Ext. School and the University.

I don't think it makes a difference.

Last year, I took two classes -- one online and one in person. The traditional in-person class featured a lot of group work and I didn't learn much but it was kind of fun. The online class was a TON of work and writing, and I learned quite a bit.

People learn in different ways and I don't see the point of saying one way is better than another -- unless of course you're defensive about your way of learning or your degree being "cheapened" someday.

I would, however, say that law school is different because the risk of being humiliated in front of your classmates at any second is a big part of it, at least the first year.

Exactly, there are different learning styles out there (I learned this in my Adult Education program).

But I do commend people who can do online/self-directed/correspondence type of courses...I just don't have that kind of self-discpline.

But I will show up to a class, no problem.

They control their name and branding pretty well. It's not like they're going to open up a ton of classes and let everyone get the degree.

As for an online degree, it's a joke. Really there is only so much you can learn on your own. You need the interaction with people in class or group settings and the resources you pay that much money for.

Aside from the resources, people go to these schools because of the heavy recruitment from the top firms in the country and your access to alums. Guess what? Having taken one class, online, in the extension school is not going to give you access to those recruiters and you won't have any way to connect with the alumni.

Stanford posts a lot of its lectures on itunes for free. You can listen and learn if you want, but don't expect to become an expert in those subjects ;)

-Rudey

I have to disagree
 

This isn't specifically in reference to the Harvard issue, but I deal with online students every day so I thought I'd chime in.

I think that many people have a preconcieved notion of online degrees being on the same level as an old school correspondence course. In this day and age that just isn't true anymore. I work at a university and in addition to our "brick and mortar" campus, we have a School of Extended Graduate Studies that offers a select number of Masters degrees online and it is a very labor intensive program. This program enable many, many students to continue on with their education from a highly accredited school while they work a full time job. A number of students are military officers serving overseas who are trying to get their masters in logistics management or a PMBA and have had to deal with relocating around the country and don't have access to a local college to complete their degree.

I deal with these students on a daily basis and they are not looking for the easy way out...they're just looking to finish their education at quality schools like Tulane, Villanova, Florida Institute of Technology, Notre Dame, Jacksonville Univeristy, Univ. of Scranton, St. Leo University, Regis Univeristy and many more.

These are not just continuing education programs. They are legitimate degrees (and quite costly, as most the schools are private institutions) and we are by no means a diploma mill. Students work hard for their degree.

Colleges and Univeristies are just taking advantage of the technology that has evolved over the last 2 decades. Who is to say that an education earned & honestly worked for online is any less in value than having attended on a campus? The classes are taught by the same teachers. It's not like they dumb down the online classes.

Additionally, HR people are very aware of the evolution of online degrees and it is not always an instantaneious negative reflection
on the student if it was achieved online.

It sounds like we work at the same type of school! For years the military education centers have provided opportunities for ID cardholders (AD, RET, DEPs) to further their educations. Many soldiers enlist directly out of hs while the officers are commissioned with only a BS/BA. That's all well and good, but along the way an NCO must earn his bachelor's if he expects to earn E9 (CSM) while an officer MUST get his master's if he expects to make O5 (LTC).

Some active-duty are fortunate/stellar enough to get Advanced Civil Schooling where they get to further their educations on a fulltime basis while still remaining on AD (and for this privilege they (of course) owe additional years of service). The vast majority aren't eligible and have to take classes while working their "day jobs." Although the school for which I work will always have classroom classes even at our satellite campuses, online choice is becoming more and more popular. Our onlines are taught by the same faculty members that teach our traditional classes.

Even elite schools (I'm using that word deliberately to irritate everyone who thinks all schools are =) are starting to add "executive" weekend intensive master's programs, evening classes as well as satellite campuses. Cornell offers some programs in Qatar as does Carnegie Mellon. For years, Georgetown Law has had an extremely well-respected evening law school program. Wharton (UPenn) has the weekend MBA as do many other schools. These programs are considered to be on par with the full-time reputation unlike the Harvard Extension School.