Harvard Extension ALM in Management

Graduate School Business School - MBA
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<p>Hi everyone,</p>

<p>To give you some background…I graduated from Wharton undergrad in 2008 with concentrations in finance and management. For the past 2 years or so I’ve been working in M&A at a Fortune 500 company in the Bay Area. </p>

<p>Given the rigor of Wharton’s UG program and its similarity to the MBA program I’ve never really considered getting an MBA for the following reasons:

  1. The coursework would be very repetitive (i.e. I wouldnt really learn anything)
  2. I already have the Wharton network (one of the few benefits of most MBA programs is the network)
  3. I’m not really looking to switch careers (another reason many people pursue an MBA)
  4. I was recently promoted to a post MBA position (no real financial benefit for me at that point to go and get an MBA)
  5. It’s expensive and I have to stop working for 2 years (given my current progression I think I could have a faster career velocity if I stayed and worked)</p>

<p>…so the only realy reason left to get an MBA is just to have a masters level degree. Personally, I think over the next few years (as it is somewhat true already) a masters level degree will become the new standard for senior executives. </p>

<p>Given the above I want to do a masters degree but don’t want to waste my time/money on an MBA. Recently I found out about a program at Harvard’s extension school which is a Master in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Management OR Finance…the program is very cheap (the cost could easily be covered by my firm’s tuition reimbursement), I can complete a good part of it online and I can likely take a semester sabbatical to complete the required on-campus courses. </p>

<p>I think this accomplishes the goal of having a marketable masters level degree for the resume…at the end of the day the CV would list:</p>

<ul>
<li>The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Bachelor of Science in Economics, Concentrations in Finance and Management</li>
<li>Harvard University, Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies, Concentration in Management
(just so that this thread doesnt turn into a “it’s deceptive to list the degree this way”…here is how Harvard states it should be listed - [Program</a> Contacts and FAQs: Liberal Arts Degree: Harvard Extension School](<a href=“http://www.extension.harvard.edu/programs/master-liberal-arts/help/]Program”>http://www.extension.harvard.edu/programs/master-liberal-arts/help/))</li>
</ul>

<p>I wanted to get people’s opinion on the program…it’s rigor, perception, etc. Given my goals is it worth it or just a waste of time? </p>

<p>Thanks in advance for the help!</p>

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<p>great question: would love to hear other people’s responses on this.
I’m pretty much in your same boat, save that I’m Canadian and applying to the ALM Finance for reasons involving family proximity and cheaper tuition rates. I’ve taken a few courses at HES and so far they’ve been fairly easy - and very well taught. I’m looking forward to ‘upper-year’ CF/Management courses, they should be interesting…</p>

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<p>Total waste of time. You have fast career velocity. Are you planning on leaving your field altogether? That’s when you’d need the Master’s. Otherwise, people won’t care that you won’t have one, if you are doing well. If you are actually thinking of switching careers, at the very least you’d need a real MBA.</p>

<p>Go to one of the executive or evening programs, if this if wanting a Master’s is really a concern:
Wharton, Haas, Berkeley-Columbia.
You’ll get a better educational experience, and have a degree that people care about.</p>

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<p>Thanks BedHead…for the foreseeable future I dont see myself leaving the field, i think maybe 3-5 yr down the line I’d like to move over to VC. Honestly with my current background in terms of work experience and undergrad I could make that jump relatively easily. </p>

<p>The only reason I’ve even considered doing an advanced degree is that with the MBA becoming so commoditized (and i think this trend will continue) I’m worried that not having an advanced degree may put me at a disadvantage when applying for say VC jobs. This degree would allow me to say that I have a masters in management from Harvard and would allow me to have the “advanced degree” box checked. I feel like this thing is a good arbitrage opp…its cheap, easy and end of day u get to have “whartongrad received his undergrad from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and hold a masters from Harvard” on my bio. </p>

<p>In all reality, I’ve asked around at my current work and talked to folks at VCs,PEs, etc. and honestly no one knows that an ALM in management from Harvard isn’t all that prestigious. The only people that truly know are Harvard grads…and if asked I could have a compelling story saying that i did this because i wanted to continue to work and the program had a strong curriculum, with great professors, and offered me fantastic resources. I doubt any good hiring manager would hold this degree against me - even if they knew what it was. Like I said once you’re in the real world (business world) the education portion of your resume means nothing. It’s just a box people check. All that matters is who you know and what you’ve done in ur career.</p>

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<p>Resourceful and clever… I’d expect nothing less from a self-respecting Wharton grad.</p>

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<p>Update? what did you decide to do whartongrad08?</p>

<p>Interested because I am considering same option</p>

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<p>Hi Wharton08,</p>

<p>I am currently in the Harvard ALM program in International Relations. This is a hidden gem of a program at the Harvard Extension School! Almost all the classes are taught by Harvard professors – who will grade you the same way as people from any other Harvard school. You will be taking classes with professors from Harvard Business, Graduate School of Arts and Science, Engineering, Medical and Kennedy Government. The beauty is that you can take them from a distance ONLINE, but if you are in the Boston area, you can attend the classes in person. (I live in NY, so I hop on a plane every week to get to my class.)</p>

<p>The only requirement to get admitted is that you have an undergraduate or graduate degree. Depending on your program, you must pass a few entrance exams (which are not as tough as the GMAT, GRE or LSAT; nevertheless, challenging) in math and critical reading. Finally, you have to take the tough Proseminar class (which weeds out about 50% of the applicants) and you will be formally admitted into the Harvard Extension School. (I will be taking my Proseminar class for the Spring Semester that I must attend in person.) </p>

<p>Don’t think for a moment that the classes are a cakewalk. I’ve take two classes so far and they were tough as hell (a statistics class and an environmental seminar). Lots of reading (500 pages a week) and research projects that will consume all of your free time (30 hours+ per week). I currently already hold an MBA from a second-tier NY school (which I regret) and a Certificate from a top NY business school already. The job market is really tough now in finance so you have to have the backup degrees…just in case I need to change careers.</p>

<p>I’m a portfolio manager and if my returns don’t stack up with the market, I could lose my job asap. So by supplementing another Masters from Harvard, it will make a difference between having another career and unemployment. Employers will probably put a Harvard person at the top of their list because their bias toward Ivy Leaguers.</p>

<p>Some students in my classes are from the Kennedy school and the Grad School of Arts and Sciences, and they know we are getting a great deal on tuition. The only distinction is that they have a better recruitment program, their diploma states the specific school and they have networking fraternities and clubs that are NOT available to Extension students. But as a seasoned finance person, I don’t need any of it. My diploma, like theirs, is written in Latin. If anyone can read Latin, only they (usually some snot that paid the full boat-load tuition) can tell the difference. But 99% of the world cannot tell the difference. </p>

<p>There has been some discussion that the Extension School will be part of the Edx initiative that Harvard started with MIT. Just google Edx.org and read for yourself. Degree granting rights may occur and they will most likely filter degree candidates from around the world into the Extension program under HarvardX. Stay tuned.</p>

<p>Bottom line: Apply if you think you can handle the workload (it will be tough). Pass the Proseminar and move into the thesis or capstone track and you will earn a great and cheap degree from HARVARD. And no one but the Harvard snobs can tell the difference. However, you got the better end of the deal because you paid less than 50% of what those smart guys paid. So who is smarter? Plus, you will most likely not have to use any student loans to finance your education, while the snobs will be in debt for at least a decade.</p>

<p>The only caveat: if you already have a business or finance degree, you CANNOT apply for the management, business or finance concentrations at the Harvard Extension School. Since I already have an MBA, I chose the International Relations concentration because it was interesting to me. You can chose whatever field that suits your interest, as long as it is NOT anything business related.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>asianpro, whartongrad’s last post was more than two years ago. Your post was informative for future reference though.</p>

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<p>asianpro, Thank you for your comments on Harvard Extension school. I have a question, you mention that you received an MBA from a school in NY. What is the name of this school, of you don’t mind me asking? I am currently working on my MBA as well, but it is from a for-profit school. I am considering changing schools, one in NY (SUNY Oswego). I also looked into the Management program at Harvard Extension School, and considered taking that course after completion of this degree. I want an MBA before I fully decide to go to HES, even though I really have a strong desire to go there. Thank you</p>

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asianpro…I wanted some details about the International Relations program. Can I have your email?

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This thread is very old. Asianpro hasn’t been on CC in over a year. Use old threads only for research.