University to offer undergraduate business degree on Coursera
University students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in general business will now have the opportunity to enroll in the online learning platform Coursera in fall 2022.
This will be the second degree at the university offered through Coursera, which has the same requirements as the in-person version of the degree. A Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences was previously launched on Coursera in fall 2020.
The general business degree will be a four-year program where students take general education courses in the first two years and then complete a business curriculum. The courses will have no specific meeting time but will stay on a semester schedule.
G. Brint Ryan College of Business Dean Marilyn Wiley said this option might not appeal to the “typical first-time-in-college student,” but is another option for nontraditional students or those returning to finish a degree. Students have already started applying to the program and Wiley said “we expect to have a full class this fall.”
“There isn’t a specific concentration within business, although they will complete the business core and then take electives in management, marketing and logistics,” Wiley said. “Once this degree is successfully launched, we may consider adding the Bachelor of Business Administration with majors to Coursera.”
Vice President of Digital Strategy and Innovation Adam Fein said the university’s efforts working with Coursera were “not something new” since online learning has been available for years.
“Our campus has had fully online options for many years,” Fein said. “In fact, we have over 80 online program options which can be found at online.unt.edu. Thanks to our partnership [with Coursera], UNT also offers free non-credit courses available to everyone with an @unt.edu email.”
The Interim Assistant Dean of the COB Pamela Milner said the Coursera programs are the accredited degree paths that the university decided to build out first.
“It takes coordination with Coursera, DSI and the college department to build an online degree, to create course content for online and convert it from a 16-week format to an eight-week format,” Milner said. “Also, it requires faculty and accreditation purposes and must be determined on who can take the additional load to their teaching schedule.”
Wiley said it would take a couple of years before making a decision when it comes to adding more majors to Coursera. However, a new degree from a different college may be offered soon.
“It is my understanding that the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences is planning to offer a bachelor’s degree in psychology in a year or so,” Wiley said. “It will depend on student demand and our ability to provide course developers and instructors.”
Students admitted to the Coursera program will have an orientation hosted through the Coursera program onboarding process. To check eligibility, students can contact their advisor or visit coursera.org/unt. The cost of the online orientation for the Coursera program is $45.
If students have paid for a standard university orientation, they can contact transfer@unt.edu for information about switching orientation sessions. Payments toward standard university orientation may apply toward the Coursera orientation fee.
Featured Illustration by Miranda Thomas
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