Harvard Extension School Students Rally for Degree Name Change

[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.