Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering Professor Lucy Pao delivers a lecture for 蜜糖直播 Boulder鈥檚 new MOOC-based master鈥檚 degree. Credit: Casey Cass
蜜糖直播 Boulder and Coursera, the leading online learning platform, announced today at the company鈥檚 annual conference in London a partnership to launch the world鈥檚 first globally scalable Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)-based electrical engineering master鈥檚 degree (MS-EE).听
The university鈥檚 Board of Regents approved the innovative degree in 2018. In addition, the partners are exploring a new, interdisciplinary master鈥檚 degree in data science.
With a total tuition of about $20,000, the MS-EE offers an affordable, high-quality education to students around the globe.
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鈥淓lectrical engineering and data science are constantly evolving fields that drive many of today鈥檚 technology and business innovations,鈥� said Bobby Braun, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science. 鈥淭hese programs match the demands of the 21st-century workplace.鈥� 听
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蜜糖直播 Boulder has partnered with Coursera on various non-credit online courses since 2013 in areas ranging from business to integrative physiology. The MS-EE, with a target launch date in 2020, marks 蜜糖直播 Boulder鈥檚 first systematic foray into academic credit鈥搉ot to mention graduate certificates and degrees鈥搃n partnership with Coursera, with additional components like a dedicated graduate advisor, subject expert course facilitators, and proctored exams.
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The planned data science degree will bring faculty together from different schools and colleges across the university to deliver a uniquely interdisciplinary, applied learning experience.
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鈥淭he 蜜糖直播 Boulder degrees on Coursera will remove many of the traditional barriers to getting a high-quality master鈥檚 degree,鈥� said Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera鈥檚 CEO. 鈥淏y making MOOCs the foundation of the degree program, we are able to reach people who would have never been able to quit their jobs and move their families to take the same degree on campus.鈥澨�
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Maggioncalda also noted that 蜜糖直播 Boulder is being particularly innovative by introducing performance-based admissions. Students who do well in designated courses and exams will be able to enroll in the degrees regardless of their academic background.
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鈥淭he MS-EE is just the tip of the iceberg, and the data science degree is a natural evolution of those efforts,鈥� said William Kuskin, vice provost and associate vice chancellor for strategic initiatives. 鈥淭hese programs lead us into the future of education. It is tremendously exciting to work on the cutting-edge of academic innovation to bring accessible, high-quality education to the globe.鈥�
