Harvard Extension School's graduate management program, the Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management (CSS), like other graduate management programs around the nation, is attracting large numbers of international students. This year, for example, international students make up 24% of all students enrolled in CSS classes (421 of 1,762), and last year nearly half of the CSS graduates (85 of 175) came from 28 foreign countries.

"While we knew that international students have been enrolling in increasing numbers in graduate management programs in the United States, we were a bit surprised to find so many attracted to the CSS program, especially since we don't do any advertising abroad," says Raymond Comeau, Assistant Dean of University Extension and Director of the CSS Program. "Word of mouth, it seems, is a powerful marketing tool."

What is it that attracts international students to the CSS program? Agustin Arzeno, a CSS candidate on leave from the Banco de Galicia y Buenos Aires, comments, 'The job market in Argentina is very competitive and shrinking dramatically. To compete, you have to find an edge that differentiates you from others. The CSS program does that. It is also affordable and has an excellent reputation abroad.' According to Josè Claudio B. O. Reis, a CSS candidate from Brazil, "Harvard means quality. I knew I would have good instructors and enjoy the experience. I was also looking for a one-year graduate management program."

International student participation, though welcomed, has posed a challenge to the CSS program, especially in the area of English proficiency. "When international students first began enrolling in sizable numbers about six years ago, they were sometimes too eager to take courses without an adequate command of English," states Comeau. "Since we instituted an English proficiency requirement two years ago, that situation has improved a lot. Our international students are now more on a par with our American students."

Some CSS instructors point out that class participation by international students helps fulfill their course objectives. "One of the major learning objectives in my course is to encourage people of different backgrounds to understand each other. Having students from different cultural backgrounds is therefore very helpful," comments Arthur Turner, Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus, Harvard Business School, who teaches CSS-205 Organizational Behavior. Other instructors find that international students also have a beneficial impact on American students in their classes. J.E. Hollingworth, Associate Professor of Communication Studies, Emerson College, who teaches CSS-505 Oral Communication: Business and Organizational, states: "Having international students in class helps to break down stereotypes. American students come to view international students as bright, hard-working, and possessing the highest personal and professional values."

International students themselves are equally enthusiastic about the value of their CSS experience. Many appreciate the breadth and rigor of the course offerings. "The CSS program has given me the opportunity to take courses I never had the chance to take in Greece--courses such as CSS-208 Dealing with Change in Organizations and CSS-540 Electronic Communication as a Management Tool. I am also working very hard; you have to sweat sometimes," says Soultana Sakellariou, a CSS candidate on leave from her position in the research department of the Bank of Greece.

Other international students view the CSS as a valuable academic and professional credential. "The CSS experience has already given me the confidence to apply to good MBA programs in the future," claims Elba Martinez-Campos, a candidate from Mexico. Paula Coppero, who is a CSS candidate from Peru, adds: "I know the CSS will help me get a better position back home. After completing the CSS, you don't want to return to your old position; you want a better one!"