Harvard Extension School Students Rally for Degree Name Change

[Jonathan Whatley]

One potential issue is that no matter how a graduate represents their degree, an outside credentialing body can make their own determination. Say you have a Master of Liberal Arts "in Extension Studies" in the transcripted field of study Biology, and it's part of your application to work as a biology teacher. Will your school board and your state teacher licensing body deem the degree a degree in the subject of Biology, or in the subject of "Extension Studies?" The answer is rarely if ever transparent to interested candidates before they apply. (Deeming the subject "Liberal Arts" is unlikely. They wouldn't deem a "Master of Arts in History" a degree in "Arts," they'd deem it a degree in "History.")

[ReyMysterioso]

One potential issue is that no matter how a graduate represents their degree, an outside credentialing body can make their own determination. Say you have a Master of Liberal Arts "in Extension Studies" in the transcripted field of study Biology, and it's part of your application to work a biology teacher. Will your school board and your state teacher licensing body deem the degree a degree in the subject of Biology, or in the subject of "Extension Studies?" The answer is rarely if ever transparent to interested candidates before they apply. (Deeming the subject "Liberal Arts" is unlikely. They wouldn't deem a "Master of Arts in History" a degree in "Arts," they'd deem it a degree in "History.")

Well-explained. I had always dismissed it as nothing more than a semantics quirk until I heard about a couple people who literally lost job offers over exactly this confusion - whether the potential employer will interpret your degree in the actual field you studied, or whether they will interpret it as a degree in "extension studies." 

It's worth noting the university itself advertises these programs as degrees in the fields studied: https://extension.harvard.edu/academics/.../#outcomes The degree in question is desribed on that page repeatedly as a "History Master's Degree" and nowhere as an "Extension Studies Master's Degree." Their naming convention is completely incongruent with the structure of the curriculum, the organization and directorships of individual programs, and the advertisement and information.

It simply needs to change, full stop.

[SweetSecret]

I agree that it's ridiculous- I suppose it won't hurt to attack those guidelines next. HESA plans, as part of the postcard campaign, which is actually a postcard and letter campaigning targeting the top 70 officials at Harvard individually, to send official letters on behalf of HESA, but I'm sending another one on behalf of myself. I'll be sure to bring that up then. It was already on my agenda to bring up before the Dean during our meeting in March.

You may want to also bring up that this is hurting applications and therefore the diversity of the student body. I would seriously consider doing a second masters degree there if the name changed. As it is, the general public (particularly employers) have this idea that it's a totally different and less valuable school. Harvard Extension has some amazing programs, but I think many people do not apply because they know employers look at the extension school as second class similar to how many people in the public still value an associates degree from a four year university as somehow more valuable that an associates degree from a community college. The accreditation is exactly the same and the value should be the same. It is all about perception and utility, but when the name limits who wants to take classes there the lack of diversity can lead to a lack of value.

[Kalas]

Anecdotally, I can confirm that I have not pursued the HES Data Science program out of concern for having to explain what the degree means. Given that HES degrees have always been MLAs since the program began, and Harvard maintains traditional degree names to point of granting an AM to PhD candidates that drop out after passing the comps, I could accept that as Harvard maintaining tradition and would be willing to explain that away to a potential employer.

However, the Extension Studies word salad on the degree is a bridge too far. It would be one thing if I would be getting an MLA in Data Science. You have to be inside the Harvard bubble to understand what the degree means, and that's really not acceptable for $40k. When it takes less effort to explain what my Spanish titulo propio degrees are to someone that doesn't understand the concept, that is a problem. Either what the degree says needs to make sense to someone that has a life outside of Harvard circle jerks or the decimal point needs to be moved so it is priced like a degree that takes 3 minutes to explain to a normal person.

[Thorne]

When it takes less effort to explain what my Spanish titulo propio degrees are to someone that doesn't understand the concept, that is a problem. Either what the degree says needs to make sense to someone that has a life outside of Harvard circle jerks or the decimal point needs to be moved so it is priced like a degree that takes 3 minutes to explain to a normal person.

This is my problem too. I don't want to drop $40k on a Master's at this point, but I don't want to spend that much money and time and effort on something that will require me to a) explain the meaning of my major every time I speak about it or b) violate Harvard's standards for applications. Given the choice, frankly, I would simply violate their standards because they really don't have the means or ability to regulate that, especially where I live and with the people I'd be working for, but the better choice is to stay away until they fix their policies.

[newdegree]

I don't blame Harvard for wanting to keep the prestige of their school. Maybe they should change the entrance policy for the extension school and make it just as competitive as the other schools... From my understanding, a person can get a conditional acceptance and must score a B in their first two courses to be fully accepted which leaves an easy open door for admissions. People want a degree with the Harvard name for the prestige it brings, if that's not the case there are many other alternative schools with high-ranking degree programs and cheaper solutions.

[sarahmac]

Yes. Very valid point. The resume standards have changed upwards of 8 times in the past decade. So, I have some experience in career advising and resume writing. It's been my part-time side job for some years now. The resume standards Harvard imposes on Extension students are drastically different from the other 13 Harvard schools. In addition, there is no law governing the standardization of the resume outside of official channels. It's frowned upon to not follow the standards- but it's nothing that can't be done. However, every now and again a graduate from HES who does just list Harvard University, ALM and their field is called a poser, liar, or attempting to portray themselves as from the college, so the stigma extends even there. I also can't, as a representative, say write whatever you want since I do represent both the student body and the school. Employers have also felt bamboozled by students not specifying their exact schools. HES career guidance services have struggled in setting  a standard that makes sense and is befitting of everyone.

At the end of the day, it's truly not a resume issue- it's a stigmatizing nomenclature issue that you rightfully stated extends into the resume guidelines. Correcting the degree names is a way to ensure the equity, integrity, and fairness of the degree while also delineating which school the degree is from.  I remain accessible to you in service and appreciate you caring about this issue whatsoever.

It is also something that matters for military students and those working in certain GS fields (govt employees). The CIP code and name of the degree on the transcript has to actually be in the field studied to be useful. Certain jobs require certain CIP codes and the degree to be officially listed on the transcript a certain way, otherwise yes you have a master's but it isn't qualifying in the way you'd need it to be. Instead it falls under "general" and is not part of the target career field staffing based on degree held.

As someone else mentioned above, I'd throw the money aspect at them. There is a substantial population of students who have a large government budget to spend but cannot do so at HES because they need that specific degree title.