Article bashes Harvard Extension ALM Grad

[smartdegree]

They claim Christopher Rufo's Harvard ALM is "misleading".  At this point, I honestly feel sad for Extension students constantly having to prove they are not fake Harvard students.   

https://newrepublic.com/article/170647/c...misleading

[KSoul]

It seems like Christopher Rufo is doing just fine, and there is nothing to feel bad for him. Based on his current position and publications, the Harvard Extension served him just as I would gather for countless other Extension graduates. It's only an issue on hit job articles, Reddit, and degree blogs; however, in the real world, it does more than check the box with the bonus of coming from Harvard.

[davewill]

I think that a bio entry should have been specific about Harvard Extension School, but it's undoubtedly a Harvard degree, and the omission isn't that big a deal.

[sanantone]

He could have gotten that position with any degree or no degree, to be honest. This is a DeSantis appointee we're talking about.

[KSoul]

He could have gotten that position with any degree or no degree, to be honest. This is a DeSantis appointee we're talking about.

Had me at DeSantis 

[Thorne]

He could have gotten that position with any degree or no degree, to be honest. This is a DeSantis appointee we're talking about.

LOL. Rufo aside, think the principle still applies. I know a HES grad who gets mocked in interviews by snobbish managers who went to the University of North Texas or UT Dallas, because somehow that's more prestigious than Harvard.

[KSoul]

That is a first: North Texas and UT Dallas land equal to WGU in Cali unless there is a personal connection to Texas, and even then neither is moving the needle unless you played sports.

[sanantone]

That is a first: North Texas and UT Dallas land equal to WGU in Cali unless there is a personal connection to Texas, and even then neither is moving the needle unless you played sports.

I doubt that. WGU has a reputation for being 100% online, a lot of people think it's a for-profit college, and word has gotten out that people have finished master's degrees in three months. In general, an unknown public university that's traditional will get less scrutiny than an online university. 

In certain fields, UNT and UT Dallas are actually highly-regarded. UNT is well-known for its jazz program having produced Grammy nominees, and UTD is well-ranked in criminology. Regardless of where you are in the country, professionals will be aware of which schools are highly-regarded in their field. Texas State University is a podunk university, but it attracts top applicants for professor positions in the School of Criminal Justice, and they are one of the major training centers for active shooter situations.

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He could have gotten that position with any degree or no degree, to be honest. This is a DeSantis appointee we're talking about.

LOL. Rufo aside, think the principle still applies. I know a HES grad who gets mocked in interviews by snobbish managers who went to the University of North Texas or UT Dallas, because somehow that's more prestigious than Harvard.

If people are having that reaction to HES, then that is the reputation HES has whether members of this forum agree with it or not. UTD actually has a pretty well-ranked business school with a good reputation. I think people get too caught up in the name recognition of a university among the general public, but what really matters is the reputation of a specific degree program or department among peers within your field. UTD attracts a lot of international students.

[Old Guy]

So are Harvard professors way less competent when they teach an extension class than when teach a regular class? Asking for a friend. It's the same flipping thing. They just don't want to tick off the snobs who spent the better part of 100 grand sending their kid to Harvard.

[KSoul]

That is a first: North Texas and UT Dallas land equal to WGU in Cali unless there is a personal connection to Texas, and even then neither is moving the needle unless you played sports.

I doubt that. WGU has a reputation for being 100% online, a lot of people think it's a for-profit college, and word has gotten out that people have finished master's degrees in three months. In general, an unknown public university that's traditional will get less scrutiny than an online university. 

In certain fields, UNT and UT Dallas are actually highly-regarded. UNT is well-known for its jazz program having produced Grammy nominees, and UTD is well-ranked in criminology. Regardless of where you are in the country, professionals will be aware of which schools are highly-regarded in their field. Texas State University is a podunk university, but it attracts top applicants for professor positions in the School of Criminal Justice, and they are one of the major training centers for active shooter situations.

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Such an exciting niche for UNT and UT Dallas, and other than Jazz professionals or enthusiasts, not a lot to hold on to after that. Business schools outside the top tier don't move the needle unless you are leveraging at a corporation with an alum. Once the box is checked, your talent and interview skills will outway most degrees.

Most HM have little emotional influence from where you earned your degree. Your degree matters early in your career, and your experience devalues it more and more over time. Of course, an MBA or Doctorate will always represent value as they are positioned well in the market, and as those become easier to achieve, they can become less valuable.