MicroMasters: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:02, 2 August 2019

Revision as of 03:22, 15 October 2019

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| key_people = [[Anant Agarwal]]

| url = {{url|https://www.edx.org/micromasters}}

}}'''MicroMasters''' programs are a series of [[Massive open online course|online graduate level courses]] offered by universities through [[edX]] that one can take to develop standalone skills for career advancement or earn [[Microdegree|graduate level credentials]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamgordon/2018/02/13/voice-of-employers-rings-out-as-moocs-go-from-education-to-qualification/#3b27ffd2564b|title='MicroMasters' Surge As MOOCs Go From Education To Qualification|last=Gordon|first=Adam|work=Forbes|access-date=2018-03-01|language=en}}</ref> from its respective universities, equivalent to a semester of a full master's degree<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/04/college-online-degree-blended-learning/557642/|title=The Future of College Looks Like the Future of Retail|last=Selingo|first=Jeffrey|date=2018-04-16|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-08-09}}</ref>. It was designed to be the bridge between a bachelor's degree and a master's degree, allowing employees to continue advancing their education without affecting their employment and personal commitments.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thoughtco.com/micromasters-degree-4149968|title=MicroMasters: The Bridge Between a Bachelor’s Degree and a Graduate Degree|last=Williams|first=Terri|date=2017-11-19|website=ThoughtCo|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-09-27}}</ref>

First launched in September 2016 with 19 MicroMasters programs from 14 different universities as an extension of its [[Mooc|MOOC]] programs<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://campustechnology.com/articles/2019/02/27/moocs-and-the-masters-degree.aspx|title=MOOCs and the Master's Degree|last=Schaffhauser|first=Dian|date=2019-02-27|website=Campus Technology|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2019-03-27}}</ref>, edX eventually expanded to include 17 additional programs in February 2017. As of February 2019, 52 different MicroMasters programs are being offered, with 48 in English, 3 in Spanish, and 1 in French.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.edx.org/micromasters|title=MicroMasters Programs {{!}} edX|date=2016-08-15|work=edX|access-date=2018-03-01|language=en}}</ref> Each MicroMasters program is sponsored by at least one industry partner, including [[General Electric|GE]], [[Microsoft]], [[IBM]], [[Hootsuite]], [[Fidelity International|Fidelity]], [[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]], [[Walmart]], [[PricewaterhouseCoopers|PWC]], [[Booz Allen Hamilton|Booz-Allen Hamilton]], and [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]], as well as supported by various universities by allowing graduates to use the MicroMasters as advanced standing for its respective graduate program.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamgordon/2018/02/13/voice-of-employers-rings-out-as-moocs-go-from-education-to-qualification/#39c0fc72564b|title='MicroMasters' Surge As MOOCs Go From Education To Qualification|last=Gordon|first=Adam|work=Forbes|access-date=2018-03-08|language=en}}</ref>

These programs are designed to bridge the gap between job candidates with a bachelor's degree and companies that want employees with an advanced degree by offering credentials that are equivalent to 25 to 50 percent of a master's degree or 20 to 30 [[European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System|ECTS]] in Europe.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.goodcall.com/news/micromasters-next-stop-graduate-degrees-09048|title=MicroMasters: The Next Big Thing After a Bachelor’s Degree?|last=Williams|first=Terri|date=2016-10-21|website=GoodCall|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-09-17}}</ref>

Unlike other existing microcredentials, the MicroMasters programs offer both the benefit of gaining relevant skills in a particular field that can support career development and a pathway to advanced credits in the respective universities offering the course. The idea of the MicroMasters program started out as an iteration of the existing MOOC model when [[Coursera]] first started offering specializations for its various disciplines and a response to the changing nature of work as well as the [[Skills mismatch|major skills shortage]] currently impacting businesses around the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/reflecting-original-big-idea-moocs|title=Reflecting on the Original Big Idea for MOOCs {{!}} Inside Higher Ed|website=www.insidehighered.com|language=en|access-date=2018-03-16}}</ref>

Further advancement in the MicroMasters program has resulted greater partnership with top-rated universities offering full residential, online, and [[Blended learning|blended]] graduate programs at a much lower price in the range of $10,000 to $23,000 starting from October 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.i-programmer.info/news/150-training-a-education/12242-edx-masters-program.html|title=Fully Online edX Masters Programs|last=Gee|first=Sue|date=2018-10-23|website=I-Programmer|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-12-15}}</ref>

== Background ==

=== History ===

The development of the MicroMasters was originally conceived by MIT and offered as a pilot with in its supply chain management program, consulting industry leaders. edX subsequently applied for a trademark for "MicroMasters" in response to [[Udacity]] registering "nanodegree" as its trademark in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-11-03-why-udacity-and-edx-want-to-trademark-the-degrees-of-the-future-and-what-s-at-stake-for-students|title=Why Udacity and EdX Want to Trademark the Degrees of the Future—and What’s at Stake for Students|last=Young|first=Jeffrey|date=2016-11-03|website=EdSurge|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-05-30}}</ref> The first 19 MicroMasters programs were subsequently launched in September 2016, in collaboration with 14 different universities. This also included Rochester Institute of Technology's MicroMasters in project management, allowing learners to use it to fulfil the prerequisite of project management education for the [[Project Management Professional|PMP certification]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wiki.rit.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=140249596|title=What is the difference between the PMP certification and the Project Management MicroMasters certificate?|last=Bush|first=Katie|date=2018-01-17|website=RIT Confluence Wiki|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-09-17}}</ref>

In 2017, [[General Electric]] has promised to interview any [[Massachusetts]] resident who completed a MicroMasters program in [[supply chain management]], [[cybersecurity]], [[cloud computing]], or [[artificial intelligence]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.elearninginside.com/ge-will-interview-massachusetts-resident-completes-edx-micromasters-program-certain-fields/|title=GE Will Interview Any Massachusetts Resident Who Completes an edX MicroMasters Program in Certain Fields {{!}} eLearningInside News|last=Kronk|first=Henry|date=2017-11-28|work=eLearningInside News|access-date=2018-03-01|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-polito-administration-establishes-new-commission-on-digital-learning|title=Baker-Polito Administration Establishes New Commission on Digital Learning|last=|first=|date=2017-11-20|website=Mass.gov|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2019-03-19}}</ref>

In 2018, [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]] admitted its first batch of 40 students into its blended supply chain management program from graduates of its MicroMasters program, reducing its usual 10-month program to 5 months.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://scm.mit.edu/program/blended-masters-degree-supply-chain-management|title=SCMb Program Details {{!}} MIT Supply Chain Management|website=scm.mit.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-03-01}}</ref> This pilot also saw 200,000 people signing up, 19,000 earning certificates and 800 sitting for the final proctored examination.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/moocs-are-solution-search-problem|title=Moocs are a solution in search of a problem|last=Fellingham|first=Chris|date=2018-04-26|website=Times Higher Education|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-05-02}}</ref> It was reported in July 2018 that the students who were admitted into the blended program had better than average scores across the board than those who were in the residential program.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.elearninginside.com/mits-hybrid-micromasters-program-reports-early-success/|title=MIT’s Hybrid MicroMaster’s Program Reports Early Success|last=Etherington|first=Cait|date=2018-07-17|website=ElearningInside News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-07-23}}</ref>

=== Funding ===

In October 2016, the Lumina Foundation granted $900,000 to edX to create 30 more MicroMasters certificate programs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.luminafoundation.org/grants-database/9860|title=edX, Inc.|last=|first=|date=|website=Lumina Foundation|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2019-03-19}}</ref>

== Program Structure ==

=== Prerequisites ===

All MicroMasters programs are currently running on the edX MOOC platform, where learners are free to audit any of the courses and pay later should they choose to do so.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-21/new-at-mit-learn-first-pay-later-or-never|title=New at MIT: Learn First, Pay Later (or Never)|last=Coy|first=Peter|date=2016-09-21|website=Bloomberg|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2019-03-19}}</ref> Depending on the program, there are prerequisites ranging from graduate level understanding of various specific disciplines or work experienced. However, these prerequisites serve as recommended guidelines for the learners rather than a strictly enforced rule so there are no specific degree requirements for any of the courses.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/14/skip-college-and-go-to-graduate-school-with-new-mit-program.html|title=Here's how to skip college and go straight to grad school—at MIT|last=Montag|first=Ali|date=2017-07-14|website=CNBC|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-09-17}}</ref> However, learners will have to pay if they wish to pursue a verified certificate.

=== Certification ===

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== Demographics ==

According to a report by Columbia University's [[Teachers College, Columbia University|Teachers College]], a typical MicroMasters student is well-educated and employed, with almost 80% having an undergraduate degree or better.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/cc7beb_5803e625ebee463ebc6f4796027366f1.pdf|title=Benefits and Costs of MOOC-Based Alternative Credentials|last=Hollands|first=Fiona|last2=Kazi|first2=Aasiya|date=October 2018|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-05-19}}</ref> The majority of the learners are between the age of 22 and 44, with the United States and India forming 16% and 14% of the learners, followed by Brazil, Colombia, and Nigeria forming the next 3%. The majority of learners have also indicated in being fluent or proficient in English.

== References ==

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