As part of our ongoing effort to identify, evaluate and publicize online degree programs in sustainability, today we will be looking at the
Harvard Extension School Sustainability and Environmental Management Graduate Degree Programs. The Harvard Extension School is an online college that awards two graduate degrees in Sustainability and Environmental Management: A Master's in Ecosystems or a Master's in Sustainability. Our information comes from a variety of sources, but all evaluations and opinions are our own.
Online College
The Harvard Extension School is Harvard University's Professional and Continuing Education Program. It has a number of online offerings, but differs from other online colleges in that it has an on-campus requirement, albeit a small one. Students are required to take at least one of their courses in person at the Cambridge, Mass. Campus.
Online Degree Programs
The Extension School offers two related Master's Degrees that can be earned through online coursework. The first, a
Master's in Sustainability and Environmental Management with an Ecosystems Concentration "focuses on the stewardship of natural assets and the handling of contaminants." The second, a sustainability concentration, "focuses on developing practices that conserve resources for future generations."
Source:
http://www.extension.harvard.edu/degrees-certificates/sustainability-environmental-management
Descriptions
The Harvard Extension Schools
Graduate Program in Sustainability and Environmental Management is different from, say, similar programs at Penn State or the University of Denver in that it does not focus strictly on energy (one might speculate that their endowment does not come largely from the energy companies themselves). Instead, the Harvard program focuses upon "critical environmental factors affecting air, water, climate, sustainability, and ecosystems." That is to say, it is much more a modernized graduate degree in environmental science aimed at treating the generalized, scientific relationship between human beings and their environment. Graduates are primed for careers in environmental law, sustainable architecture, corporate sustainability, university research and green consultancy.
Pros
Harvard University is consistently ranked as one of the world's top 3 universities by almost every publication imaginable. You have access to Harvard resources, including award winning faculty and facilities, as well as access to the greater-Boston area academic network. A degree from Harvard university opens doors.
The degree is awarded by Harvard University. It is the Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies in the field of sustainability and environmental management with a concentration in ecosystems or sustainability.
Source:
http://www.extension.harvard.edu/degrees-certificates/sustainability-environmental-management
Cons
Not many, but as with all things Harvard, sometimes cost can be a prohibitive factor. Their on-campus requirement also shuts the door to those who won't be able to comply.
Cost
- $2,000 per course
- Approximately $20,000 to complete with a thesis
- Approximately $24,000 to complete with a capstone
Rankings
Resources
Robert Nelson is blogger-in-chief at
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