<p>As the title suggests.</p>
<p>I'm contemplating pursuing the ALM in Management with Harvard Extension School but have heard not so great things about the reputation of HES.</p>
<p>In a nutshell I'm looking at either this or an online MBA to help me in my entrepreneurial career having a background in Medicine. Would an ALM from HES be worth anything or should I just save the money towards a decent online MBA? Online MBAs I am looking at are Penn State, UNC and Thunderbird.</p>
<p>Surely having the Harvard name on the CV would be a bonus right? And even if it is HES you're still a Harvard alumni etc?</p>
<p>My feeling is that the best way forward might be the online MBA, possibly Penn State given the cost. However HES would be a fraction of that hence why I am drawn to it.</p>
<p>Some advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.</p>
<p>People love to trash Harvard. They trash the college because it’s too elitist, the Ed school because it’s too easy to get in, the Business school for the damage of Wall St, the Engineering school because it’s not the top 1 in the country, the Extension school because it’s a non-traditional school in elite Harvard. Once you go past what others think about Harvard, make up your mind. It will be a better decision then.</p>
<p>Harvard is one of the best in the world if not the best depending on who you are talking to. The impression I got was that although a HES degrees confers Harvard alumni status upon the graduate, the ALM is not viewed highly due to the lack of a rigorous admissions process when compared to other courses at Harvard. This concerns me as I would not wish to spend $30k approx on a qualification that isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. Secondly whilst a management degree I also get the impression that it would not carry as much weight as an MBA programme. </p>
<p>The issue is deciding what would be the better investment. I personally do not view HES as bad in any way shape or form, I simply want to determine whether or not the ALM ould measure up to say an MBA from Penn State or T-Bird.</p>
<p>The ALM is for non-traditional students, thereby not terribly competitive to get in. That does not mean the courses are lacking in rigor, however. Just try to talk to someone who had to go through the grueling pro-seminars. The ALM is not a MBA. If you want an MBA, then you’d apply to the Business school. The ALM is a liberal arts degree.</p>
<p>So what would be the better option the ALM in Management or an MBA?</p>
<p>If you want a career in business, corporate, finance - MBA.</p>
<p>Would you say the same for a career in medical business, pharmaceuticals etc?</p>
<p>Hmm, well, you may want additional knowledge in medicine for that, but I would still say an MBA is much more qualifying for the business side of it all.</p>
<p>Also, I wouldn’t get an online MBA, personally. I have a feeling there much less regarded than traditional ones received attending an actual classroom on a campus.</p>
<p>I got around my lack of knowledge in Medicine by studying at and graduating from medical school as alluded to in my original post. But yes I agree the MBA appears to be the better option.</p>