University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of London, University of
Illinois-Urbana Champaign, Imperial College London, and Arizona State
University partner with Coursera to build online degrees of the future
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Coursera, one of the world’s largest online education platforms, today
announced the development of six new online degrees with top
universities around the world that will bring the number of programs
offered on its platform to ten. Coursera and its university partners are
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working together to reimagine degrees to meet the needs of a workforce
that will increasingly require more ways to attain education throughout
a career.
By the year 2020, it’s estimated that 65 percent of all jobs will
require postsecondary education and training according to the Georgetown
Public Policy Institute. At the same time, the cost of degrees has
skyrocketed, making them even more unattainable for people who cannot
afford to leave the workforce to pursue a degree. As a result, some
leading universities are looking for new flexible and affordable ways to
offer their degrees.
“We are realizing that the vast reach of MOOCs makes them a powerful
gateway to degrees,” said Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera’s CEO. “We are
working with our university partners to build degrees on top of our open
online learning platform that are high quality, modular, affordable, and
scalable.”
The new programs — all expected to launch later this year or in 2019* —
are as follows in alphabetical order:
Arizona
State University’s Master of Computer Science, open for
applications now, will help students build mastery in career relevant
fields like machine learning, cybersecurity, and big data. ASU has
been ranked the #1 school for Innovation over the last three years by
US News & World Report.
Imperial
College London’s Global Master of Public Health will offer
aspiring and advancing practitioners and clinicians a comprehensive
grounding in the field of public health, with a focus on topics such
as epidemiology, global health challenges, and the role of innovation
in health improvement. It will include a supervised research or
applied practice project in global public health. Imperial College
London is ranked the #8 university in the world by QS World University
Rankings.
University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Master of Computer Science,
ranked #5 by US News & World Report, will expand on the success of the
Illinois Master of Computer Science in Data Science on Coursera,
adding the full force of the Illinois Computer Science department’s
expertise in areas such as software engineering, parallel computing,
and high performance computing.
University
of London’s Bachelor of Science in Computer Science will
be the first ever undergraduate degree offered on Coursera. Drawing
from more than 150 years of experience in distance learning,
University of London and its member institution Goldsmiths, University
of London will give students online support from tutors and course
leaders as they develop core programming skills through creative,
design-based projects featuring cutting-edge topics like machine
learning, virtual reality, and game development.
University
of Michigan’s Master of Applied Data Science will be an
applied program developed by world-class faculty to enable people from
a wide range of backgrounds to capitalize on today’s data revolution.
Offered by the School of Information — ranked #1 in Information
Systems by US News & World Report — this degree will empower people
with skills in programming, statistics, information visualization, and
machine learning. The University of Michigan was a founding partner of
Coursera in 2012.
University
of Michigan’s Master of Public Health, from the #4 school of
public health in the nation according to US News & World Report,
will provide learners with the skills to analyze, communicate, and
lay the groundwork for a healthier tomorrow. Michigan's program
emphasizes application of research methods and public health
principles to improve population health. Top faculty will offer
accredited training in a variety of public health disciplines for deep
foundational understanding. Learners will have the opportunity to
select from a wide range of specializations including population
health, program planning and evaluation, health analytics, genomics
and precision health.
Degrees through Coursera are more affordable compared to traditional
options and can be completed entirely online. Coursera has built out a
robust platform of features and technology integrations to create a
highly engaging learning experience including live video sessions with
professors, Slack integration for communication with peers and mentors,
and remotely proctored exams. Over 70 percent of degree students use
Coursera’s mobile app to do everything from watching lecture videos to
submitting assignments. Unlike other online degree platforms, all
degrees on Coursera are made up in part by open online courses that
result in certificates demonstrating mastery in a particular job skill.
“We need to design degrees that provide modular credentials to students
at all stages of the learning process,” said Nikhil Sinha, Chief Content
Officer of Coursera. “Over 50% of students who apply for degrees on
Coursera first enroll in one of the open online courses from our
university partners. They love that they can explore the open courses
first and then decide whether to go on to get a full degree while
earning valuable credentials along the way.”
The University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, which announced its Master
of Computer Science today, already offers three degrees on Coursera: a Master
of Computer Science in Data Science, a Master
of Science in Accountancy, and a Master
of Business Administration that had its first class graduate in
December 2017. HEC Paris also launched the Online
Master’s in Innovation and Entrepreneurship on Coursera last year.
"I’ve wanted to get my MBA, but doing it the traditional way just wasn’t
possible,” said Cheryl Schaefer, a student in the University of Illinois
MBA on Coursera. “My experience has been hands down phenomenal. The
quality of education has been without comparison."
To learn more about the new and existing degrees offered on Coursera, go
*The following degrees are subject to formal approval by the
respective university’s governing bodies: University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign’s Master of Computer Science, Imperial College London’s
Master of Public Health, University of London’s Bachelor of Science in
Computer Science, University of Michigan’s Master of Applied Data
Science, and University of Michigan’s Master of Public Health.
About Coursera
Coursera is an online education company that partners with 160 of the
world’s top universities and industry leaders to offer courses,
Specializations, and degrees that empower learners around the world to
achieve their career, educational, and personal enrichment goals
throughout their lives. Since launching in 2012, the company has grown
to 31 million registered learners who can choose among 2,600 courses and
236 Specializations. Leading universities are now also working with
Coursera to offer online degrees in areas like business, computer
science, data science, and public health.
For more information, visit www.coursera.org.