I am interested in more factual recounts of how an HES degree is regarded by employers, and what kinds of doors it opens.
I would be interested in the ALM in Management or Finance, but I would completely understand it’s not a substitute for an MBA.
(if we can skip the debate that is sure to ensue regarding “prestige” and pedagogical accessibility, that would be great, thanks!)
Harvard Extension School has an open enrollment policy - anyone who can speak English and can pay the tuition is eligible to enroll in classes. You can get a degree, but in my experience it is not regarded as anything other than a night-school degree. It doesn’t carry extra prestige because of the Harvard name. A degree from HES won’t open any doors that the same degree from another school wouldn’t open.
My mother got a degree from HES. She likes to joke about her Harvard degree, but she’s the first to say that it is just a night-school degree. She needed the degree to advance in her job, but they would have accepted the same degree from any school. She chose HES because it was the closest school.
My husband has taken various courses from Harvard Extension over the years, and they sound rigorous. I can’t comment on what an employer would think, but in my opinion they are to be respected.