Need an UL English course? Harvard has one cheap!

[cookderosa]

I registered for The City from Whitman to Hip Hop. So, it's $200 for graduate level, but you can choose undergrad if you want - still $200. You have to pay an application fee of $50. The other course is showing at full cost $3300 (grad) so I didn't select it.

To do the certificate, you would have to bring in 2 from social science taken 2015 or newer, my previous HES course in Psychology is too old (boo) but I probably will not decide just yet. I am planning to grab the last 2 this fall (assuming I don't hate poetry too much) and decide after that. EVEN IF I decide to get a cert, I'll likely still grab a 4th English so I can add that to my teaching credential... but now we're getting in to some big money for a "nice to have."

It's worth pointing out that the Whitman summer course does NOT HAVE TEXTBOOKS. All of the content is provided via pdf. That's a huge bonus, since my previous book lists for HES courses has been heavy and expensive.

[rebel100]

Interesting too they there are 3 courses at $200 each. That's all three pre admission courses for a related Masters at HES!!!

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These three courses applied to a Master's save $7500, for a bachelor's almost $4000

[Cheeseburrito]

I can't figure out how to register

[BAngieB]

I can't figure out how to register

You need an online services account first. Go here
https://dceweb.harvard.edu/prod/gowlogn3.taf?splash=sum

Then scroll down to the New Student section. Click the create button and follow the instructions to get a username and password, which will come by email. Log in to your account and click on the course registration menu. From there you can search and select your course to get registered.

[cookderosa]

I can't figure out how to register

Note that ONLY the summer course is open for registration. Fall catalog and registration are not up or open yet.

And ahhhh it's nice to have that @Harvard email again LOL

For fun, I worked up a list of ways you could use these courses at Harvard directly.
The graduate certificate American Literature and Culture was already mentioned, but to recap- you'd take the first 2 HES poetry courses ($200, $200) and then 2 social science courses. HES tuition is cheaper during fall/spring, so ($2700 + $2700). So you're looking at $5800.

The next option is to take them for undergraduate credit (FYI - almost all HES courses let you pick credit level: audit-undergraduate-graduate, students take the class together and the level you're at determines the requirements - grad students do more writing) There are no undergraduate certificates, but you can complete the degree. All HES bachelor's degrees are the same, and then you choose the concentration. Note you can use 3 CLEPs (come in as 12 credits) and you can use transfer credit- so this gets wonky calculating price. But doing the 3 poetry courses takes $4050 off the rack rate. You'd get the same reduction bringing in CLEP (-$4050). Rack rate is $49,600 so you're at $41,500 before transfer. You can use financial aid, but not for your initial courses (and the poetry courses MIGHT NOT count in that requirement-you'd have to check) but you have to pay out of pocket before you can be degree seeking and then apply for financial aid. Since someone will ask:

*“Earn Your Way In” Admissions
To begin the admission process, you simply register—no application required—for the following three degree courses:

EXPO 25 Academic Writing and Critical Reading
Before registering, you'll need to first pass our online test of critical reading and writing skills or complete EXPO 15 Fundamentals of Academic Writing with a B grade.
You have two registration attempts to earn the required grade of B or higher in EXPO 25.
Any two courses from the program (must be 4-credits each)
Complete the three degree courses with a grade of B or higher, without letting your overall Harvard cumulative GPA dip below 3.0.

You need to possess a high school diploma or its equivalent and be at least 21 years old at the time of application. If you have a high school degree and are under age 21, visit How to Apply for more information.

Tip: We recommend that you take EXPO 15, EXPO 25, and MATH E-3 to gain admission to the program. These courses count toward the degree regardless of prior transfer credit and will ensure you have the writing and basic math skills to succeed at Harvard. To encourage this straightforward path to admission, these courses are offered at the low tuition price of $1,000 a course. EXPO 15 cannot be taken concurrently with, or after EXPO 25.*

Finally - you can use them for the Master's program (better ROI in my opinion) Since the poetry courses ARE taught by Harvard professors, they count toward a graduate degree. There are the degrees that allow these courses to be used: (1) Creative Writing & Literature or (2) English
The cost of the master's degrees is the same $32,400 (unless you choose summer session courses, which cost more - no transfer credit accepted)
So, to use these 3 poetry courses lowers your tuition by $7500 for a total tuition amount of $24,900

Note- like the bachelor's program, you follow the same earn your way in the admissions process. And, like the bachelor's program, you'll need 3 courses and you'll have to pay for those out of pocket.
Also note that both programs will require some time on campus. Generally 1 short semester OR if you're close, you can commute. Masters courses only meet 1/week, so it wouldn't be impossible to commute in for the class assuming you can hop a train or drive.

(ENGLISH) master's admission (use poetry for both English courses)
HUMA 100 Proseminar: Graduate Research Methods and Scholarly Writing in the Humanities
One English course
One English course or elective (e.g., EXPO 42a)

(CREATIVE WRITING & LITERATURE) master's admission (no poetry course will count here but only 2 are required, not 3!)
HUMA 101 Proseminar: Elements of the Writer's Craft
Advanced fiction writing

[Ideas]

Goal is to get the 15 grad level credits I would need to teach English at the CC level (I have retirement fantasies that involve a liberal arts campus and eager young people that hang on my every word...a guy can dream right?).

I'd worry that if someone had 3-4 graduate Poetry courses, the person interviewing for the CC would not consider them qualified to teach non-Poetry English/Lit classes? 

I still I hope those other 2-3 are available this Fall (although they would be very hard for me to do if I'm doing WGU... better for me if they offer a different course every couple of semesters).

[rebel100]

Goal is to get the 15 grad level credits I would need to teach English at the CC level (I have retirement fantasies that involve a liberal arts campus and eager young people that hang on my every word...a guy can dream right?).

I'd worry that if someone had 3-4 graduate Poetry courses, the person interviewing for the CC would not consider them qualified to teach non-Poetry English/Lit classes? 

I still I hope those other 2-3 are available this Fall (although they would be very hard for me to do if I'm doing WGU... better for me if they offer a different course every couple of semesters).

It won't be standing alone.

[cookderosa]

Goal is to get the 15 grad level credits I would need to teach English at the CC level (I have retirement fantasies that involve a liberal arts campus and eager young people that hang on my every word...a guy can dream right?).

I'd worry that if someone had 3-4 graduate Poetry courses, the person interviewing for the CC would not consider them qualified to teach non-Poetry English/Lit classes? .

That's a good question. A lot of times the job posting is too generic to say what section in the English department you'd be teaching, or it's for a teaching pool. I guess it depends on how tough the competition is and what else you have to offer. I have some time before going back to work full time (about 5 years) and though I enjoy teaching as an adjunct in my field (culinary/nutrition) I'm going to go after a few 18 credit sets as well, but I'm crazy like that.

[Ideas]

That's a good question.  A lot of times the job posting is too generic to say what section in the English department you'd be teaching, or it's for a teaching pool.  I guess it depends on how tough the competition is and what else you have to offer.  I have some time before going back to work full time (about 5 years) and though I enjoy teaching as an adjunct in my field (culinary/nutrition) I'm going to go after a few 18 credit sets as well, but I'm crazy like that.

Yeah, I'm crazy too, but I'm thinking of restraining myself if there are more poetry courses. (It would be hard!) Because I don't have as much to make me competitive. But I have been dreaming of teaching some kind of writing course. It's not as strong of dream for me, just if there were enough cheap grad credits I would make an attempt to apply.

[rebel100]

I just like to set small goals on the way to bigger ones I guess. I'm really thinking...take the one in the summer and see how it goes. I also like to consider the big picture though. Ideally, I'd love to have any HES degree, I mostly buy the idea of the Harvard Brand...I would be proud of that and I think I could make it work to my advantage. If I had to list my academic interests Poetry wouldn't be all that high, but it's related to writing and history, and literature...all of those interest me quite a lot. The price and the potential on these courses are just too good to resist.