Harvard Extension History
The Harvard Extension is a branch of Harvard University, a prestigious Ivy League educational institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Students may choose from a number of liberal arts degree programs, as well as certificate programs and open enrollment learning options, in both classroom and unconventional settings (like online). The Harvard Extension also offers a number of personal enrichment courses and online learning options that attract students from around the world.
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Early History
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The Harvard Commission on Extension Courses was founded in January 1910 by Harvard University president A. Lawrence Lowell. Lowell had a vision of sharing Harvard's strong educational resources with the local community. He designed the Extension to allow adults who had been unable to afford a college education to better their education as much as possible while still maintaining jobs and other activities.
Harvard and the US Navy
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Beginning in 1961, Harvard Extension began to partner with the US Navy to offer educational opportunities to soldiers stationed on ships or submarines. The program was originally called "Polaris," after the Polaris line of submarines. The Polaris program featured taped lectures that were shown to interested men on board Navy ships. The men could earn two-year mathematics and military-based degrees that were the equivalent of those offered on campus. The program continues today under the name PACE, or Program for Afloat College Education.
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Harvard Goes Online
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In the fall of 1997, the Harvard Extension offered the University's first class that could be taken entirely online. This first offering was a graduate level course in Internet Architecture, and was open to students from any country or educational background. By the year 2000, the Extension had expanded its online offerings to 18 courses, all based on computer technology or other technical subjects. By 2009, the program had expanded to more than 100 online courses in a wide range of subjects.
iTunes U
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In 2007, Harvard Extension announced that it was partnering with the iTunes U program to provide free access to most of the college's distance learning programs. The iTunes U program was developed by Apple Computer, and is designed to allow students to access college resources via the iPod music player. Under the terms of the agreement, members of the public will be allowed to download audio and video recordings of lectures and other class components. The program was originally limited to 15 of the 50 distance learning programs offered at Harvard Extension, but has since been expanded.
Harvard Extension Today
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As of 2009, the goal of the Harvard Extension remains the same as it was at its founding nearly a century ago. The average age of students at the Extension is 35, and enrollment is completely open for all undergraduate and community enrichment courses. Over 600 classes are offered each semester, and all students have access to Harvard's vast networking and career counseling resources. Since the program's inception, more than half a million students have taken classes at the Extension, and costs per credit hour are among the lowest of any college in the area.
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References
Resources
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