The advantages of off-campus extension education courses in rural settings are numerous, and extension courses offered on a noncredit basis present minimal problems for the individuals responsible for administering them. When such courses are offered for credit, however, the problems associated with administering them increase dramatically. Because most extension programs must be self-supporting, the ability to market the product is almost as important as the product itself. Institutions must meet the needs of their constituencies and balance the extension program's budget while simultaneously addressing the need to maintain academic standards appropriate for graduate credit. Too often, extension directors have taken the path of marketing at the expense of rigor. For this reason, administrators or graduate deans and continuing education directors must communicate their program goals and direction to one another and identify appropriate standards to use in developing graduate level off-campus courses. Standards should be spelled out in detail and communicated to all parties involved in delivering programs. Colleges could also offer a dual numbering and prefix system to clarify which courses can and cannot eventually be applied to graduate programs. Local school districts and state departments of education that determine that graduate credit is necessary for advancement on salary or promotion schedules should monitor courses offered through extension and encourage continuing education directors to provide courses meeting graduate program standards. (MN)