


Business MOOCs and Online Courses
| Reese Lopez Modified on June 6, 2022
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What Is a MOOC?
Emerging in the 2000s, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have played a major role in democratizing education, enabling students to learn remotely without enrolling in traditional college degree programs. Available entirely online, these courses cover topics as diverse as those in most traditional college catalogs, and many MOOCs are entirely free.
MOOC courses gather academic resources from more than 900 colleges and universities across the world, serving more than 110 million students annually.
This page offers an overview of business MOOC courses, including major online education platforms, typical course offerings, and factors to consider before enrolling.
What Are the Benefits of Business MOOCs?
MOOCs offer several benefits over traditional college courses. The convenience and accessibility of the MOOC platform makes it practical for many types of students, particularly working professionals who may not have the bandwidth for typical university coursework.
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What Format Do MOOCs Follow?
How Long Are MOOCs?
How Often Are MOOCs Offered?
How Much Do MOOCs Cost?
What Are MOOCs for Business?
Why Should I Take a MOOC?
MOOCs feature democratized education, making courses from elite public and private colleges available to students around the world. However, institutions are still determining the best ways to use the unique MOOC delivery format. The following table highlights major pros and cons associated with MOOCs.
Comparing the Pros and Cons of MOOCs
Students can complete courses from anywhere in the world without visiting college campuses.
Courses run at all times of year, commonly dispensing with the standard campus calendar.
Specialized subject matter enables students to complete courses that meet their unique needs.
Flexibility allows students to easily complete courses while maintaining full-time jobs.
Certificates, microdegrees, and other specialized credentials can help students increase their professional standing.
Some courses may count for college credit, enabling students to transfer into traditional degree programs.
Even paid enrollment courses often cost less than traditional college tuition.
Students rarely interact with faculty members, except in some paid courses.
Courses are primarily self-directed, requiring students to work independently.
MOOCs offer fewer opportunities for group work and other collaborative activities.
The open nature and high enrollment volume of MOOCs make individualized feedback and engagement difficult.
What Is There to Show For Taking a MOOC?
In some instances, MOOC participants may receive professional certificates or other credentials, such as microdegrees, upon completing online courses. These options most commonly accompany paid-enrollment MOOCs, which require students to pay course fees before receiving certifications. Free MOOCs rarely confer certifications, and those free credentials may carry less merit.
Students typically list these credentials on their resumes or LinkedIn profiles, just as they would traditional certificates earned from in-person workshops. These credentials can help working professionals distinguish themselves for job opportunities, and they may help candidates advance in their current careers.
Comparing MOOCs to Formal Higher Education Options
Business MOOCs serve as practical options for students looking to develop their professional skills, and these courses closely resemble traditional degree options, with some exceptions. This list outlines traditional degree and certificate pathways as they compare to MOOCs, exploring the benefits MOOCs offer at each academic level.
Focused on building specialized skills in defined areas of knowledge, MOOCs often function similarly to certificate programs. Paid-enrollment MOOCs leading to certifications serve professionals looking to develop specific skill sets or build competencies in certain areas.
MOOCs focused on introductory business skills often resemble associate degree curricula. However, associate degrees build academic credit, which may apply toward a bachelor's degree, while most MOOCs do not. Associate degrees also build broad business knowledge, while MOOCs focus on specific subjects.
More specialized MOOCs cover similar topics to bachelor's degrees in business. However, as with associate degrees, bachelor's degrees build a broader knowledge base, while MOOCs typically focus on individual topics. MOOCs can build foundational business knowledge, but they won't replace the broad subject matter of bachelor's programs.
For advanced students, high-level MOOCs may build specialized knowledge similar to that of online MBAs, but at a fraction of the cost. Students who already hold bachelor's degrees but don't want to commit to full MBA programs may also benefit from MOOCs to hone certain skills.
Is a MOOC Worth It?
MOOCs offer notable benefits for students and business professionals. These benefits typically break down into three major categories: career progress, employability, and educational advancement.
What Do MOOCs for Business Look Like?
Business MOOC courses encompass a wide variety of topics, which generally break down into a few major categories. This list outlines several common types of MOOCs, grouped by categories such as subject area, institutional provider, learning outcome, and skill level.
Different Types of Business MOOCs
MOOCs can be categorized by:
Business MOOC Examples
How Do I Take a MOOC?
Enrolling in a MOOC serves as a practical choice for students looking to begin or continue their business education, and choosing the right course platform represents the first step.
Sites Offering MOOCs
With thousands of MOOCs available, learners may feel overwhelmed browsing course listings among various platforms. This list highlights four of the most popular MOOC platforms, all of which combine robust business course offerings with academic and professional reputability. Their offerings may vary widely, but students can trust their general quality.
- edX Founded in cooperation between Harvard and MIT, edX is known for its connections to prestigious colleges nationwide, with charter members including Stanford University, Georgetown University, Cornell University, and the University of Texas system. The platform serves more than 20 million students, with courses available in subjects including business administration, economics, and project management.
- FutureLearn Founded in 2013 by the UK's Open University, FutureLearn offers courses to millions of students around the world. The platform's university partners represent a broad consortium of global academic institutions, including the University of Glasgow, King's College London, the University of Melbourne, and Johns Hopkins University.
- Coursera One of the leading MOOC platforms, Coursera offers more than 3,900 courses and specializations, with dozens of professional certifications available. Students can enroll in courses from major colleges in the U.S. and abroad, including the University of Michigan, Arizona State University, and Imperial College London.
- Udemy Describing itself as "the world's largest selection of courses," video-learning platform Udemy hosts more than 100,000 video courses, with thousands of new offerings added monthly. Students can explore a wide assortment of business courses, covering topics including financial analysis, digital marketing, and Microsoft Excel.
How To Find the Right MOOC
Online MOOC courses offer thousands of learning options, which can make it difficult to research and select a course. When exploring and selecting MOOCs, learners should consider the following:
Cost
Enrollment costs for MOOCs can range from totally free to hundreds or thousands of dollars. Always evaluate the cost of a course against its educational and professional outcomes, and look out for discounts.
Time Commitment
Some MOOCs last just a few weeks, requiring as little as 3-5 hours of weekly work, while others call for much heavier commitments. Busy students should make sure they do not take on courses with unrealistic requirements.
Prestige/Reputation of the Site/Educator
Particularly when enrolling in paid MOOCs, students should ensure they choose courses offered by reputable universities through reputable online course providers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a MOOC on my CV?
MOOCs resulting in credentials like certifications and microdegrees look great on resumes, CVs, and LinkedIn profiles. Students can include these designations as they would any credentials earned from in-person workshops.
How does a MOOC work?
MOOCs operate entirely online, allowing students to gain new knowledge and skills through distance learning. Many courses (particularly free offerings) are self-directed, requiring students to complete assignments independently without faculty supervision. Some programs entail more structure.
Are MOOCs free?
Many MOOCs are offered entirely for free, while others include enrollment fees. In some instances, MOOC platforms may enable students to audit courses for free but charge additional fees for expanded content, such as certifications or graded assignments.
Are MOOCs worth it?
MOOCs offer accessible, flexible education to students around the world. Free courses offer cost-effective methods of developing knowledge and skills, while paid courses often feature desirable professional and educational outcomes but at a much lower cost than a college degree.
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