As you might guess, there is a bit of confusion regarding the degree programs from the Harvard Extension School. I was in my first semester at HES when the following article was printed in the New York Times:

Harvard, for Less: Extension Courses’ New Allure

One of my professors was interviewed for the article. His impression was that the reporter was trying to get him to admit that the program wasn’t as rigorous as the regular Harvard College classes.

For instance:

At Harvard, although extension students must maintain a C average and fulfill language, science and math requirements, they may deal with the perception that they are not full-fledged Harvard citizens.”Some people are like, ‘What are you exactly?’ ” Ms. Shortill said. “But some people are like, ‘Oh my goodness, you can do that? Wow, that was really smart of you to figure that out.’ “

It’s a topic that is endlessly discussed on various college websites whenever the school is mentioned.

I’m going to list a few reasons why I think that you can make a strong case that the degree you earn from Harvard Extension is comparable in many respects to the degrees you earn from the other undergraduate and graduate schools at Harvard.

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Just in case you were wondering if getting a degree would improve your job prospects:

Man in Yellow Dog Mascot Suit

I’m not trying to pick on the guy but that couldn’t have been his first career choice.