MIT announces free online master's degree program
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In the United States, there is an online learning platform called edX that offers free university-level classes, and participants include Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Kyoto University in Japan. edX only allows students to take university-level classes, but does not award credits. However, MIT has recently announced a pilot program that will award credits to students who take edX's free online courses, which has generated a lot of buzz.
Online courses + time on campus = a new path to an MIT master's degree | MIT News
http://news.mit.edu/2015/online-supply-chain-management-masters-mitx-micromasters-1007
SC1x Supply Chain Fundamentals: MITx MicroMaster's Credential in Supply Chain Management | edX
https://www.edx.org/course/sc1x-supply-chain-fundamentals-mitx-mitx-ctl-sc1x
The announced program is offered for a master's degree in supply chain management, which teaches management methods related to logistics systems. Students can take the first semester's worth of courses online for free, and if they pass a subsequent test, they can earn the remaining credits through on-campus classes to obtain their master's degree. While it's not possible to obtain a master's degree entirely through the free online courses, this does expand the opportunity to learn supply chain management via the Internet to people around the world.
This pilot program will begin in February 2016 and will accept approximately 40 students. MIT's Supply Chain Management program is one of the top courses in the United States, and many students take it after earning their bachelor's degree and entering the workforce. The average age of students is about 30, and most have three to eight years of work experience. Being able to take a high-level master's course online for free, even if it's only for the first semester, will open new doors for those who could not afford high tuition fees.
Professor Sarma of MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering commented on the potential for this new type of course format, saying, 'The type of coursework that allows students to earn a master's degree through this pilot program has the potential to break away from the traditional model of having to attend school in order to receive a high-level education. It's almost like democratizing the way people earn a master's degree.'
In the US, in addition to MIT, the University of Phoenix in Arizona has run an 'online campus' for working adults where they can earn a bachelor's or master's degree entirely through online classes, and Duke University offers a course where you can earn an MBA (Master of Business Administration) entirely through online classes; there is a growing movement to promote the acquisition of degrees through distance learning. Additionally, although they do not offer degrees, online education platforms such as the aforementioned edX and Khan Academy, which is supported by Google and the Bill Gates Foundation, are also attracting attention, and it appears that the options available to people with a passion to learn are rapidly increasing.
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