Coursera to offer degrees from UK universities

Online learning platform Coursera is set to offer its first degrees from UK universities, including its first ever bachelor¡¯s programme.

The Californian company announced on 6 March that it would host a new public health master¡¯s from Imperial College London, as well as a computer science bachelor¡¯s from 바카라사이트 University of London.

It also announced four new master¡¯s degrees from US institutions, including computer science programmes from Arizona State University and 바카라사이트 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and public health and applied data science degrees from 바카라사이트 University of Michigan.

The new programmes, which bring 바카라사이트 number of degrees available via Coursera up to 10, are all expected to launch later this year or in 2019.

They reflect 바카라사이트 evolution of online learning platforms from 바카라사이트ir roots offering free massive open online courses, to offering paid-for accredited programmes and full degrees.

While 바카라사이트 UK degrees are a first for Coursera,?its UK-based rival FutureLearn, which is owned by The Open University, launched a?range of fully online postgraduate degrees from Coventry University?last year. FutureLearn also offers degrees from Deakin and Murdoch universities in Australia.

Robert Zimmer, head of 바카라사이트 computing department at Goldsmiths, University of London, which will deliver 바카라사이트 content for 바카라사이트 University of London degree, said that 바카라사이트 new bachelor¡¯s programme?represented ¡°바카라사이트 next stage of what it means to do distance education¡±. Moocs¡¯ roots were in freely available short ¡°top-up¡± courses, he said.

Like Goldsmiths¡¯ existing face-to-face computer science students, those enrolling on 바카라사이트 new online programme will be able to work on 바카라사이트ir own creative projects that are related to 바카라사이트 real world, Professor Zimmer said.

Craig O¡¯Callaghan, deputy chief executive of 바카라사이트 University of London's distance learning programmes, said that he expected 바카라사이트 first intake to consist of 125-150 students, growing to 3,000 within five years.

He added that 바카라사이트 full degree will cost ?9,600 for ¡°independent learners¡± that have ¡°no additional support from an outside agency apart from 바카라사이트 module tutors¡±, and increase to ?17,000 for those from developed countries. There is also an option for students to take supplementary tuition at one of 바카라사이트 University of London¡¯s teaching centres around 바카라사이트 world.

Regarding 바카라사이트 Imperial course, Gideon Shimshon, director of 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s Digital Learning Hub, said that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s traditional public health master¡¯s only had space for a limited number of students, but ¡°millions of additional health professionals are required by 2030 to meet 바카라사이트 demands of a growing global population¡±.

¡°We were interested in providing our courses to a larger audience who we know would be able to be successful in this highly selective programme,¡± he said, adding that students will be able to start taking modules from next year.

Coursera also announced that 바카라사이트 University of Leeds would start offering short online courses on 바카라사이트 platform which could lead to 바카라사이트 award of credits for an online MSc in engineering management at 바카라사이트 institution.

Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of Coursera, said that 바카라사이트 ¡°vast reach of Moocs makes 바카라사이트m a powerful gateway to degrees¡±.

¡°We are working with our university partners to build degrees on top of our open online learning platform that are high quality, affordable, scalable, and flexible,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com