<p>I'm interested in one of their part-time master programs but wasn't sure if it's considered a true JHU degree program. Is it the same deal as a degree from Harvard Extension School? I'm trying to stay away from a degree from 'school of continuing studies' type as I'm planning on going to business school afterward and top programs generally don't seem to take degrees from this type of school seriously. I'd appreciate any input regarding the AAP.</p>
<p>I’ve taken classes at Harvard Extension School. Their degree program is legit as any other Harvard degree conferring program.</p>
<p>I am not sure about the JHU degree program. Maybe someone else can answer it?</p>
<p>any thoughts on a part-time program offers by a school of continuing studies vs a traditional school? johns hopkins offers part-time degree programs (advanced academic programs) through their ‘traditional’ school of arts and sciences while a school like harvard has a seperate school for its non-traditional students.</p>
<p>Yeah, they’re legit. Most of the M.A. programs require a thesis and have a pretty rigorous curriculum. You also are getting a degree from the school of arts and sciences, not a school of continuing studies or extension school.</p>
<p>What I like about the programs is that is that they are as academically focused as they are professional. You can go onto a PHD programs or go to work afterwards. I prefer AAP to the m.p.s. at Georgetown.</p>
<p>Anyone who is considering applying to AAP should read below.</p>
<p>1) AAP has no admissions standards. There is no minimum GPA and no GRE requirement. With very few exceptions, anyone who graduated from college will be admitted. AAP has even created codewords for uncompetitive applicants who still get accepted. They’re called “provisional students” and they have to take an extra course. I would love for AAP to release its admissions data, as they would be the laughing stock of academia.</p>
<p>2) The workload for AAP classes is often at the same level as that of a 3rd year college course, and sometimes lower. I have had classes where my only assignment was to write one 3 to 5 page paper.</p>
<p>3) There is indeed a thesis requirement, which is entertaining as your department head will ingrain in you that it needs to be at a “Johns Hopkins” level despite that you’re at a night school with no credibility.</p>
<p>4) If you list your AAP degree on your resume, you’re basically gambling that the person reading it mistakes you for a SAIS graduate or that of another reputable JHU program not affiliated with AAP. It’s been an odd feeling having to cover up the fraudulence of my AAP degree by saying as little as possible about my time at JHU.</p>
<p>5) To comment on a prior posting, the idea that any credible PhD program would ever admit an AAP alumus is hilarious. My friend, who is also an admissions officer for a top business school, told me that I should omit my AAP degree from my resume if I wanted to apply to his program, as it would damage my credibility. That tells you all you need to know.</p>
<p>Either go to a real graduate program, or don’t bother going at all. Don’t make the same mistake I did by paying over $30,000 for a degree that has no value. Advanced Academic Programs is a joke.</p>
<p>I’ve taken a couple classes in 2010 with JHU AAP’s Biotechnology program. My experience with AAP was very poor. Knowing full well that this is a continuing education program, I did not expect much; however, the level at which the classes were taught was shockingly low. I would not recommend it at all. As pointed out by previous posts, JHU does not separate night time/part time classes into a school of continuing education like most schools do - so technically, the biotech program is under the school of arts and sciences - however, the faculty is ENTIRELY DIFFERENT - I’ve had lecturer who did not prepare for classes and just wanted to come in and chat for the whole semester! Do not waste your money! The program might be suitable for international students who could not get into a regular program, have money to burn, and just want experiences in studying abroad (huge proportion of current student body are international students from India/other Asian countries who are taking classes Full time with the part time program ) If you are working adults, or someone thinking about improving your chance for med school etc, the program is not helpful at all.</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I took the JHU AAP Biotechnology programme in Fall 2010. Presuming that it provided a viable avenue for me to learn more about the field of Biotechnology from a renowned institution, I joined the programme and was admitted into it.</p>
<p>Although the feedback here has been in the negative from other members in this Forum (and I am not discrediting anyone in particular), my experience with the programme and its course instructors has been relatively good, since the course material was pitched at an appropriate level, resembling an apt continuation / extension of concepts taught at the undergraduate / college level (with depth incorporated into the individual details of some of these concepts, including gene expression and regulation, etc). The Assignments and Examinations (where present) were also pitched at an appropriate level, with rigorous and demanding conditions in some of the modules (such as closed book, timed exams with no reference to course materials/lecture notes). The lesson materials were primarily drawn from renowned and recommended textbooks used in graduate degree programmes worldwide (e.g. Molecular Cell Biology by Lodish et al, Molecular Biology of the Gene by Watson et al, etc), with recently-published, peer-reviewed articles in renowned academic journals (e.g. Cell, Science, etc) utilised for presentations and critique (a key aspect required in any graduate degree curriculum). In this aspect, I would honestly say that the programme is indeed not a scam of any sort, but instead provides an opportunity for qualified working professionals to further their studies in their chosen field of specialization on a part-time basis (although one may opt to do this full-time as well).</p>
<p>I cannot however say that this is true for everyone who has undergone the JHU AAP [since different modules are conducted by different lecturers, with even a single module conducted by more than 1 lecturer (depending on the class you are allocated to)], but my personal opinion of the JHU AAP is that it has indeed enhanced my understanding of Biotechnology (much more than what my undergraduate course has been able to provide me with, and I did my undergraduate studies at a globally-recognized institution as well) while exhibiting consistency with widely-accepted studies and published articles in this field. As a student in this Course, you are, nonetheless, expected to possess a relatively high degree of integrity to gain maximal benefit from this programme, since if the Assignments provided require you to conduct your own research, critique and/or analysis of published articles in academic journals, or the Examinations provided require you to do them in a closed book format, and you choose to do otherwise (i.e. seek external assistance for the Assignment and/or do the Examination open-book), it is likely that you will not gain any benefits from the programme (other than a potentially exceedingly high score), which may falsely portray expertise in the subject taught, although this may not be the case. This would further corrupt the image of the AAP, although I daresay that cheating remains an indispensable vice, even in full-time, on-campus academic programs.
As for admissions matters pertaining to the AAP, the conditions (which I have copied from JHU AAPs website) are as outlined below:</p>
<hr>
<p>Master of Science in Biotechnology Admission Requirements</p>
<p>CREDENTIALS AND PREREQUISITES
Bachelors degree from a regionally accredited US college or university in the natural sciences or in engineering. Programs require a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Meeting the minimum GPA requirement does not guarantee admission. Applicants who received their bachelors degree in a country outside of the United States are required to provide a course-by-course credential evaluation and TOEFL scores if English is not their first language.
Applicants with degrees in other disciplines may be able to enroll if their undergraduate work included the prerequisite courses that follow:
Two semesters of biology
Two semesters of college chemistry, preferably with laboratories
Two semesters of organic chemistry, preferably with laboratories; students without adequate organic chemistry may be admitted provisionally to take 410.302 Bio-Organic Chemistry.</p>
<p>APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
AAP Application
Nonrefundable Application Fee: $75
Resume or Curriculum Vitae
500-word Statement of Purpose
Official transcripts from all college studies (A transcript is official if it is mailed directly to the Advanced Academic Programs Office of Admissions from the institution the student attended. If a student delivers the transcript in a sealed institutional envelope, then the transcript must be dated within in last three months.)
Course-by-Course Credential Evaluation and/or TOEFL for international students
The Admissions Committee reserves the right to request additional information from applicants, if needed, to assess their candidacy for admission.</p>
<p>ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS EXCEPTIONS
If you do not meet all the requirement criteria for admissions, you may still be admitted to a program. Admission in these cases are determined on a case-by-case basis. These candidates may be granted provisional status.</p>
<p>Provisional Student
Provisional students are admitted to this status because, in the view of the admissions committee, they do not fulfill academic requirements for admission as a degree candidate at the time of the application. Provisional students may be required to take specific prerequisite courses, and/or take a specific number of courses and complete them successfully in order to establish their eligibility to be admitted as a degree candidate.
During the time of this provisional status, students are held to grading criteria stricter than those required of degree candidates. (see page 16, Grading System, Requirements in the Academic Catalogue 2011-12.) Specifics of a provisional admission are outlined in a formal admissions letter mailed to the student. All listed criteria must be met for a student to continue to enroll in courses.</p>
<h2>If you have a question about admission requirements, please don’t hesitate to contact admissions.</h2>
<p>As you can see, some students may indeed be admitted as provisional students, subject to fulfilment of the conditions stated in their offer letter. However, I believe that this policy is practiced by most, if not all, academic institutions and often comes under the purview of the Admissions Committee with regard to the acceptance of students into a programme. To assimilate this condition as a means to undermine the quality of the programme is both a sweeping and (needless to say) false generalization, since these provisional cases (which often account for the minority of enrolled candidature, if at all) are usually subjected to stricter academic requirements than confirmed students (due to their inability to fulfil the afore-stated and required conditions in the first instance).</p>
<p>Thank you and I look forward to your feedback in this regard.</p>
<p>Shiraz, may I ask which academic institution did you study from? I think that background is of a foremost importance here too, as there are institutions that prepare you for a specific concentration more rigorously and fully than others.</p>
<p>Hi JohnnyHoppy,</p>
<p>Thanks for your post.</p>
<p>I did my undergraduate studies at the National University of Singapore. Although not quite in the same league as some of the renowned tertiary institutions in the States (such as Harvard, Cornell, Stanford or JHU as well), NUS ranks 31st globally (as determined by the recent QS World University Rankings). I used QS World University Rankings as it is amongst the most popular rankings system for tertiary institutions regarded globally, although other ranking systems do abound (for that matter).</p>
<p>Anyway, I do agree with you that background is of critical importance in this context, but one thing’s for certain - I learnt far more through the AAP than what I had learnt in my undergraduate programme. Looking back through some of my undergraduate material here (I still keep the lecture notes, etc), I realized that a relatively large amount of information was omitted (this is not to discredit the institution) impacting (to a significant degree) the conduct and quality of the course rendered. Contrary to what some members of this Forum may suggest, I wouldn’t say that the JHU AAP was a waste of money; in fact it broadened my perspective of the field of Biotechnology. The truth is, the field of life sciences is exceedingly vast, making it impossible to encompass everything there is to learn/know about it (no matter how shallow in depth) in a single degree-awarding course/curriculum. It may be possible for you to do your undergraduate studies in a top-tier institution such as Harvard and potentially graduate summa cum laude, yet still emerge unaware of certain fundamentals in the field of genetics and cell signalling (which represents a vital component of cell biology and molecular genetics in the undergraduate life science curriculum). This is what ebbs life into the field of research and sustains its growth. To illustrate this point, a recent seminar which I attended organized by Olympus and IMB Singapore had a researcher from Hamamatsu University in Japan presenting his research findings on the regulation of genetic expression in eukaryotic cells. (*N.B. Hamamatsu University is not amongst the top 50 universities in the world, as indicated by the afore-mentioned QS World University Rankings 2010/2011). His research findings encapsulated a vital and fundamental aspect of gene regulation which was not even mentioned (much less described) in renowned cell and genetics textbooks such as Molecular Biology of the Cell by Alberts et al, etc. I must admit that the seminar had indeed benefitted me, although there are flaws in some of the techniques utilised (especially in the field of epifluorescence light microscopy), but then again, flaws in this context are committed by everyone in the field of biological research who exploit fluorescence microscopy techniques (e.g. FRET and FCS) to determine molecular interactions. The flaw here refers to the fact that basically, fluorescence microscopy cannot be used to deduce molecular interactions no matter how convincingly this concept is presented to you during undergraduate/postgraduate studies (and even in widely-acclaimed textbooks such as Molecular Biology of the Cell, etc as outlined above). The details and evidence supporting this statement are nonetheless out of the intended context of this post, hence I shall not discuss it here.</p>
<p>Anyway, back to the context discussed, background is indeed important, as a strong foundation (impressed upon by a tertiary institution) is vital to the comprehension of concepts for further studies. However, in the field of research, where discoveries are being unravelled every day, and old concepts/principles are continually challenged (though not necessarily wholly refuted), a strong yet dynamically-changing background would be feasible in this context. Take for instance, the discovery of super-resolution microscopical techniques up till before the discovery of STED, PAL-M, STORM or SIM, anyone who graduated from a tertiary-level biology course would be expected to confidently profess that the limit of resolution of the optical microscope is 200nm, capping the useful magnification to ~1500X (indicating that one is well-grounded and well-versed in this subject), but today, we know that this barrier has been surpassed by the afore-mentioned techniques. So, if one were to hold fast to ones background knowledge and what one has acquired through his/her undergraduate/postgraduate studies for that matter, this would indeed impede ones progress, although it should be cautioned that background nonetheless is essential for the understanding of fundamental concepts, although this too may be subject to change.</p>
<p>Thank you and I look forward to your feedback in this regard.</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>Just to clarify on some points in my last post:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>‘… the recent QS World University Rankings’ refers to the QS World University Rankings 2010/2011.</p></li>
<li><p>‘Molecular Biology of the Cell’ refers to Molecular Biology of the Cell, Fifth Edition, by Alberts et al.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Hi All,</p>
<p>Some further clarifications on my previous post dated 30/05/2011:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>When it was highlighted that “the field of life sciences is exceedingly vast, making it impossible to encompass everything there is to learn/know about it (no matter how shallow in depth) in a single degree-awarding course/curriculum”, this is not intended to mean that shallow coverage refers to enunciating words to describe/embody concepts (e.g. by mentioning the word “cell” to describe everything there is to know about cells, whether these concepts have been discovered or not).</p></li>
<li><p>The statement in my post “The flaw here refers to the fact that basically, fluorescence microscopy cannot be used to deduce molecular interactions no matter how convincingly this concept is presented to you during undergraduate/postgraduate studies (and even in widely-acclaimed textbooks such as Molecular Biology of the Cell, etc as outlined above)” should not be misinterpreted to imply that epifluorescence microscopy cannot be used to determine molecular interactions at all; rather in some instances, it may be possible to do so (e.g. in the recently-organized Cell Race), although the reader is cautioned to be wary of using techniques such as FRET [and/or its parallels in the domain of epifluorescence microscopy (e.g. FRAP, FLIP) which may be claimed to provide a similar deduction (i.e. fluorescence microscopy may be used to identify and/or determine molecular interactions)].
The underlying basis for the statement above was to refute the null hypothesis that “epifluorescent microscopy can be used to determine molecular interactions”, since there exists concrete evidence to suggest otherwise [i.e. in favo(u)r of the alternative hypothesis (that “epifluorescent microscopy cannot be used to determine molecular interactions”)] just as there also exists strong evidence to suggest so [i.e. in repudiation of the alternative hypothesis that “epifluorescent microscopy cannot be used to determine molecular interactions” and in favo(u)r instead of the null hypothesis that “epifluorescent microscopy can be used to determine molecular interactions”].</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Hi, i am admitted into the AAP master of science in biotechnology at John hopkins and also the Master of biotechnology in California state university which is located in the heart of most biotechnology firm headquarters located. I can only take on line course if i attend Johns Hopkins but I can take on site class if i attend the state university. Should i choose state U where i can have hands on lab experience and more connection and networking opportunity or should I go for a big name school? How do you think a big name school weight on resume? I appreciate for any your advice. Thanks.</p>
<p>This post is for the truth hurts, I was wondering what program you were in. I was just admitted to one of the aap programs and am trying to get as much info as i can before deciding if it’s worth it. Thanks!</p>
<p>Hello all, I was admitted to the Johns Hopkins AAP masters of government program. I was wondering if anyone can give me any advice on whether if this is worth the time, money and commitment. Any comments on the professors, courses, etc are welcome! Thanks alot. I have a full time job and i also wanted to know how manageable the workload is.</p>
<p>To Umbgraf- Did you end up enrolling in the masters in government? I am looking at a similar degree in the same division-- the masters in global security studies. Would like to know your experience so far. Thanks!</p>
<p>Hello all, </p>
<p>I am currently enrolled in the AAP in Environmental Sciences and Policy at JHU. I cannot speak for any of the other AAP programs, but I can say that the ES&P program is outstanding. The professors are either key professionals or faculty professors at JHU - Homewood. For example, the environmental policymaking and analysis class is taught in tandem by two professors - one a former associate director in the White House’s Center for Environmental Quality and the other worked at the DOI in DC for god knows how many years. The professor who teaches geology is also a faculty member at the Department of Earth and Planetary Studies at Homewood. The professor who teaches bioremediation wrote the textbook. And so on… The classes are demanding. The exams, essays, HW, and reading are difficult to keep up with, but they are a worthwhile heartache if you are truly interested in the program. Also, the degree that you receive after you have finished the program is a bona fide degree from the JHU Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, which is one of the main colleges of the university. Also, and this will be my last point, the AAP career center is decent. They have full-time staff that will assist you with getting a resume together/mock interviews/and the like… I have gone on several interviews where I have been told that people who work at the office/agency graduated from my program and alumni send out job posts from time to time. So, yeah, the program is legit.</p>
<p>I completed the SAIS summer grad certificate before going onto the MA in Gov in DC. AAP admits borderline students as provincial students but there is no guarantee of acceptance for full admission. If there is a question on qualifications then they reserve the right to request a GRE/GMAT to accompany application. You are allowed to transfer in 2 courses from outside the program and I took another 2 courses (Theories of International Systems, the core foundation course for International Relations at SAIS) and Intro to International Law. I found the coursework about the same. The thesis for the MA at AAP which the MIPP at SAIS doesn’t have is now a portfolio consisting of not one but 3 papers plus a bridge so it is very rigorous. </p>
<p>The MA at AAP does not compare to the MA in International Affairs at SAIS obviously. The MA at SAIS is #1 or 2 (Walsh School of Foreign Service at G’town and SAIS alternate between top ranking typically) and is the most recognized.</p>
<p>The faculty at the Gov program at AAP are all PhDs from Cornell which is highly ranked led by Dr. Ginsberg who is a noted national expert and author.</p>
<p>The MA in Gov is from Krieger School of Arts & Sciences, the same whether you attend in DC, MD, or Balmer. Another aspect to the AAP program is that the professors are almost all adjuncts which in some cases is bad however this may not be in this case. My gov contracts prof was a harvard JD and she isalso a federal court judge. My environmental law prof was a Yale JD who also taught at Nanjing U in China and is an expert in international env law. Another aspect at least to the gov program is you have to attend 2, 2 hr symposiums for each course taken (less summer,online,transfer courses) where speakers such as fmr NSA and CIA Gen. Michael Hayden, National political strategist Donna Brazile and others present a speech and host a discussion that students must write a one page abstract on some questions presented.</p>
<p>There might be some debate on the admission process but perhaps by circumstance or location makes it more than competitive. It helps being in DC. Also I found at SAIS many students come straight from undergrad or 2-4 yrs of intern type work but have little real work experience. Conversely I’ve had key congressional staffers, senior diplomatic and military leaders in classes as students.</p>
<p>hey bro i am an undergrad student from INDIA working for cognizant…it was my dream to study Energy Systems and Policy…So i enrolled for the AAP Program…because it has got john hopkins name attached…i have offers from other reputed institutes as well…IS applying for the AAP a safe option or is it just a gamble.?</p>
<p>Seriously? You people want to be graduate students and you are taking your advice on programs from anonymous online message boards? You don’t think someone like TheTruthHurts couldn’t just be someone in another program or even working for another program who blasts competitors? Or that people here lauding a program might not just be people pumping up their institutions? </p>
<p>Hopkins has one of the oldest, most successful graduate programs for working professionals. It’s part of Arts and Sciences which means it is overseen by the faculty committees and administration of the Arts and Sciences Division (as opposed to their Engineering for Professionals grad programs which is in the Engineering Division). If you want to know what they do, how they do it or what their students do you should call the admissions office or contact one of the degree directors or go to an Open House and find out. Online boards like this mostly attract “homers,” disgruntled student/alums, or other people with an agenda. </p>
<p>It’s grad school, not asking for anecdotal stories about which air filter to buy. My experience at Hopkins has been that most of the students are really smart and have really interesting careers. The faculty have been mostly great and remarkably engaged for people with such impressive credentials and experience. That all adds up to incredible opportunity for me as a student. You shouldn’t pick your school based on some ranking or name that you think is going to help you get over the rest of your life. You can go to the biggest name place and amount to nothing. You can go to plenty of lesser named places and grab all the opportunities and build a career for yourself. It’s about personal responsibility.</p>
<p>Sorry… didn’t mean to rant, but this thread is goofy. The whole idea of this website is goofy. Like you could have any idea what is truth and what is just folks with an agenda spouting off.</p>