Master at a B&M school after WGU

phaneuf1

Hi, I'm studying ITNDM at WGU and I was wondering if anyone of you guys know which B&M school will accept students from WGU for a Master.

I know that all universities are supposed to consider your application since WGU is regionally accredited, but i'd like to hear some actual experiences.

Thanks

forestgiant

I think you answered your own question. Why the doubt?

FWIW UCSD and Harvard University Extension School both accepted WGU's B.S. degree.

erpadmin

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) accepted mine (I haven't even graduated yet, but I still have a conditional acceptance.) Their MS in Information Systems can be done 100% online (yet I'm not far from the school at all...but it beats driving into Newark.)

Best of all, because I'm in their certificate program, and I quote:

"For those wishing to continue towards a Master's degree, NJIT has made it even more attractive for awardees to choose NJIT. If you maintain the required 3.0 GPA for the Certificate and are accepted, not only will all 12 credits earned from the Certificate be counted towards one corresponding Master's degree but you may be waived from the need to sit for the GRE or GMAT exam as an admission prerequisite, with academic departmental approval."

I did not know that the possibility for the GRE/GMAT waiver existed for Graduate Certificate students; I only went the certificate route to see if I could hack Master-level courses. This will make me WORK toward that A (so I can get the B... )

powerfool

forestgiant wrote: »

I think you answered your own question. Why the doubt?

FWIW UCSD and Harvard University Extension School both accepted WGU's B.S. degree.

Keep in mind that Harvard University Extension School is like Harvard's internal community college, however...

ptilsen

powerfool wrote: »

Keep in mind that Harvard University Extension School is like Harvard's internal community college, however...

That makes the Harvard of Community Colleges, literally. Still seems prestigious to me.

powerfool

ptilsen wrote: »

That makes the Harvard of Community Colleges, literally. Still seems prestigious to me.

I cannot see how... my comparison as a community college is that they lack rigorous admission requirement.... they are not selective. They require no standardized testing. You pay money and take three courses... if you pass, you're in. Just like a community college...

Prospective Students

Mike-Mike

ptilsen wrote: »

That makes the Harvard of Community Colleges, literally. Still seems prestigious to me.

ha, good point

erpadmin

powerfool wrote: »

I cannot see how...

Ummm...it's f---in' Harvard?

powerfool wrote: »

my comparison as a community college is that they lack rigorous admission requirement.... they are not selective. They require no standardized testing. You pay money and take three courses... if you pass, you're in. Just like a community college...

Prospective Students

With enough money/clout, anyone can get into any school...regardless of "rigorous admission requirement."

People will go to Harvard Extension School (HES) because they offer the name and the degree in a distance learning environment. Even then, it's for (mostly) general ed majors. (The degrees seem to be slated for Liberal Arts, regardless of what field you are pursuing.)

In fact, if one was so inclined, a prospective student can parlay entrance to Harvard proper from HES if one was in the Cambridge area. Folks are only paying for the name.

I don't even understand what and why you are making this point, as if you were in the position to thumb your nose at an HES degree [And even if you were....well LOLz to you all the same.] Yes, HES does offer associate programs, but even associate programs from less prestigious schools are going to offer weight.

At the end of the day, though, even someone with what's below will always say he/she graduated from Harvard. It's still a bigger deal than a degree from a flagship school in most states; though I personally don't give a rat's a--. Still, I can see and respect the counterpoint to this and that's why I make it.

On your résumé, the degree may be listed as either of the following:

• Bachelor of Liberal Arts [Associate in Arts], in Extension Studies, Harvard University.
• Bachelor of Liberal Arts [Associate in Arts], Harvard University Extension School. Include field of study, minor, and degree honors when applicable.

forestgiant

powerfool wrote: »

Keep in mind that Harvard University Extension School is like Harvard's internal community college, however...

Powerfool, I'm quite disappointed with this response. I have a lot of respect for you based on your posts here but this one seems misguided. You're making a point based on assumptions and very little knowledge.

So if I may point you to Ask a Question: Harvard Extension School and type in "Is it really Harvard?"

The answer below, straight from the school:

Harvard University and Harvard Extension School
Harvard Extension School is 1 of 13 schools at Harvard University. The Extension School is part of the Division of Continuing Education (DCE) in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

For more than 100 years, Harvard Extension School has been a celebrated part of Harvard University, making its resources accessible to the greater community through a mission driven by opportunity.

Extension School graduates are Harvard University alumni.

At Harvard Extension School, you will find the rigorous academic environment one would expect from Harvard. Our open-enrollment courses and degree and certificate programs allow you to explore subjects that interest you or build skills to advance your career. Courses are taught by distinguished faculty from Harvard University and other local universities, and by experienced professionals.
Our programs are designed to meet the needs of the busy adult student, balancing academic rigor with flexibility and value. You can attend part time in the evening, Saturdays, or online, at a pace that complements your lifestyle.

...

While requirements for admission to the undergraduate program at Harvard Extension School differ from a traditional Ivy League program, the course work here is intellectually rigorous.
Please note that while Harvard Extension School credits cannot be transferred to Harvard College, qualified Extension School degree candidates in certain programs can take courses at Harvard College through the Special Student Program, and their Harvard College course credits count toward their Extension School degrees.

The bold is mine, for emphasis.

So the school very eloquently explained that it's a school for a different lifestyle. I have a decade of IT management experience, too many certs, and soon a MS ISA from WGU. I fit that "lifestyle" if I so chose to obtain a Master of Liberal Arts, Information management systems from HES. In fact most HES students are 25+, many are 30+, 40+, or 50+. Some have gone on to law schools, medical schools, too many to list. You can take a look here Harvard Extension School - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Take a look at the evidence, would you care to restate your claim?

bryanthetechie

I worked for a company recently that was supporting Bank of America. BoA was conducting an IA audit of my company, and they sent out this senior IA auditor that was really sharp and on top of her game. I checked out her LinkedIn profile and noticed that she had a master's from HES. That is the only person that I've ever met that went to HES, and she's a senior staffer at BoA. So based on her performance in the audit and her position at BoA, I'm inclined to look favorably on HES as an academic institution and also assume that they are looked favorably on by both this rock-star IA auditor and BoA.

powerfool

There was an article about two years ago where hiring managers were ranting about Harvard Extension School being essentially a fraud. There contention was not that HES was offering a substandard education, but that alumni were misrepresenting themselves as Harvard (proper) graduates. While it is part of Harvard, as described in direct quote from the HES website, they are a Division of Continuing Education; many universities have such programs and they are not considered as respectable. Also note, other Harvard schools do not accept transfer credit from HES... meaning they do not respect it either. Also, the quote provided outlines how the HES education should be presented on a resume, which they specifically changed a couple of years ago in response to the referenced article.

I am not stating that there is anything wrong with HES... I am just stating simple facts. For the record, it is effectively the same as University of Maryland University College (UMUC), for which I attend. Again, no standardized testing or other rigors of admission. It doesn't mean that the courses are not challenging nor fulfilling... it is just a measure of selectivity that is not present. I considered HES for a time myself as they used to have only a one course residency requirement for the IT Management program and it could be completed in the summertime. They have since changed the program, IIRC.

My whole point was that HES is not really a sufficient standard to support alumni of WGU being generally accepted into B&M graduate programs; as I noted, they accept anyone that passes three of their courses (and specifically, the IT program wants a 3.0 GPA in undergrad studies).

forestgiant

powerfool wrote: »

There was an article about two years ago where hiring managers were ranting about Harvard Extension School being essentially a fraud. There contention was not that HES was offering a substandard education, but that alumni were misrepresenting themselves as Harvard (proper) graduates. While it is part of Harvard, as described in direct quote from the HES website, they are a Division of Continuing Education; many universities have such programs and they are not considered as respectable. Also note, other Harvard schools do not accept transfer credit from HES... meaning they do not respect it either. Also, the quote provided outlines how the HES education should be presented on a resume, which they specifically changed a couple of years ago in response to the referenced article.

I am not stating that there is anything wrong with HES... I am just stating simple facts. For the record, it is effectively the same as University of Maryland University College (UMUC), for which I attend. Again, no standardized testing or other rigors of admission. It doesn't mean that the courses are not challenging nor fulfilling... it is just a measure of selectivity that is not present. I considered HES for a time myself as they used to have only a one course residency requirement for the IT Management program and it could be completed in the summertime. They have since changed the program, IIRC.

My whole point was that HES is not really a sufficient standard to support alumni of WGU being generally accepted into B&M graduate programs; as I noted, they accept anyone that passes three of their courses (and specifically, the IT program wants a 3.0 GPA in undergrad studies).

Are you referring to this article?

The guy later retracted his comments, but refused to retract his article (scroll down and read his comments). The unfounded and scandalous claims have kept his site among Google's top results for HES-related searches. It's rather unfortunate. The fact is, he is not a dependable nor reliable source and writer, so I still stand by my earlier comments re HES being a very legitimate and challenging institution of learning. It is many times more difficult than any community courses, and I know that first hand because I took CSCI 131b and CSCI E-52. The HES courses are identical to the Harvard College equivalent, with the exception of being taught to a wider audience, and mostly at night. Don't just take my words for it, Harvard Crimson and professors said so themselves.

I've also considered UMUC before deciding to enroll in the WGU MS ISA degree; I learned about HES three years ago and have a lot of respect for the program. The amount of misinformation and assumptions about the school is abundant but dangerous.

powerfool wrote: »

There contention was not that HES was offering a substandard education, but that alumni were misrepresenting themselves as Harvard (proper) graduates. While it is part of Harvard, as described in direct quote from the HES website, they are a Division of Continuing Education; many universities have such programs and they are not considered as respectable.

There's no control over what anyone says or do if they perceive dropping the H bomb might help their case. People have been known to lie over more important matter, so your argument here is over generalized.

powerfool wrote: »

Also note, other Harvard schools do not accept transfer credit from HES... meaning they do not respect it either. Also, the quote provided outlines how the HES education should be presented on a resume, which they specifically changed a couple of years ago in response to the referenced article..

Now, this is an issue that I have with Harvard University in general. The courses are generally not transferable between any one of the University's 13 schools. Say if I had gotten credits at the College and left school, those don't necessarily transfer to HES. The same applies to its law, divinity, business, med, or any other schools.

This is Harvard's internal politics at work, not because HES is disrespected.

powerfool wrote: »

Again, no standardized testing or other rigors of admission. It doesn't mean that the courses are not challenging nor fulfilling... it is just a measure of selectivity that is not present.

Formal admission is only granted provided one meets the GPA criteria (at least a B in 3 courses). Again if you had taken CSCI 52 or any other computer courses, you know this process is not a walk in the park. The HES and Harvard College courses are different in name and audience only, as it's taught by the same professor, David J. Malan, with identical homework and assignments. HES gives Joe A. Smith like myself a chance to prove to Harvard that I'm capable of the challenge.

So next up after WGU MS ISA I'll be taking one more course and hoping to get admitted to the HES ALM IT program. I'm putting my money (all $25k of it) where my mouth is.