HBS Online: Why Harvard Business School's Digital Rebrand Is Big News For Online Learning

Name change from HBX to Harvard Business School Online symbolizes a maturing market. We speak to Patrick Mullane, executive director of HBS Online, to find out more

At first glance, it may have seemed like an inconsequential name change: Harvard Business School’s digital learning platform HBX would be called HBS Online.

But commentators have billed the recent rebrand as having the potential for a big impact on online education. For one, the makeover could help to further legitimize the market.

Online learning was initially considered second-rate to campus study, due to concerns about teaching quality and interactivity online. Nitin Nohria, the dean of HBS, saying in 2010 that the school would never go online in his lifetime, appeared to confirm the scepticism.

But he has since admitted he 'misjudged the potential of online education' and is slowly accepting it. Joshua Kim, an Inside Higher Ed blogger, told the publication that the Harvard rebrand suggests 'online education has well and truly arrived'.

The letter “X” has become synonymous...

nline learning, as many platforms use it, such as edX and MITx. It was a “shortcut” to “help people understand that we were a digital extension of the school”, says Patrick Mullane, executive director of HBS Online.

He says the name change differentiates the Harvard platform from the rest, which is important because others offer free or low cost education. “We have always charged for our courses,” he says.

The flagship program of HBS Online costs $2,250. Credential of Readiness, or CORe, tackles the basics of statistics, economics, and accounting. Because it uses HBS’s famed case method, it is considered good preparation for the school’s MBA.

Since Harvard's online offering was established in 2014, about 42,000 people have completed a course, and the makeover could attract even more students, according to Patrick. Having been around for more than a century, HBS is, after all, among the best-known business education brands. “It will make it easier for more leaners to find us, rather than wondering, ‘who is HBX?’,” he says.

Students connect in an online learning classroom | ©Harvard Business School Online / Facebook

Like many US business schools, HBS experienced a decline in applications for the 2018 MBA class (applications fell by 4.5%). While HBS Online was not created to increase the applicant funnel, the potential is not lost on Patrick. “I don’t believe our courses are a substitute for an MBA,” he says.

“I suspect that over time we will see more participants who experience HBS through HBS Online, return to the school for the MBA.”

The platform also targets experienced professionals who want to advance their career, but cannot return to full-time education because of work or family commitments.

Data suggest HBS Online could help these people get ahead in business. City Square Associates recently surveyed 1,000 HBS Online graduates. Half reported increased attention from recruiters. One in four were promoted, and one in three switched careers. The platform also improved most of the graduates’ confidence, and knowledge of business terminology.

Patrick says: “It’s clear we making an impact.” He believes that business can have a positive impact on society, too. “It can help address things like climate change. It can help lift people out of poverty. It can create wealth that leads to philanthropy.”

Educating leaders who make a difference in the world is the ultimate goal of HBS, and its online platform is a way to scale that potential impact. “For decades, we could only support that mission through on-campus education,” says Patrick. “We were limited by buildings, classrooms, and faculty time.

“But with HBS Online, we are able to scale our reach in ways that we could not have anticipated a short while ago.” Far from being inconsequential, the name change looks likely to help accelerate that growth.