DENTON (UNT), Texas — The University of North Texas, a Carnegie Tier-One research university, will offer the first bachelor’s degree from a U.S. university on Coursera, the world’s leading online learning platform.
The university has partnered with Coursera to bring its Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences program to the highly accessible online platform beginning in fall 2020. Ranked among the nation’s top 100 for ethnic diversity and social mobility, UNT initially developed the unique degree program to help students with diverse backgrounds, including those who have prior college or military credit, earn an accredited bachelor’s degree in the most streamlined way possible. Those students who successfully complete the Google IT Support Professional Certificate, hosted on Coursera, can also earn credit toward the information technology concentration of the online B.A.A.S.
An estimated 35% of jobs in the U.S. require at least a bachelor’s degree, yet 36 million Americans have attended some college, but never completed their degree. The B.A.A.S. is one of the fastest, most affordable ways for transfer students from community colleges and technical institutions, veterans or active-duty military personnel, and other non-traditional students with college credit to earn their bachelor’s degree. International students with a three-year bachelor’s degree can also apply their previous credits to this program to earn a four-year bachelor’s degree — fulfilling an eligibility requirement for many U.S.-based master’s programs. As part of their broader commitment to increasing access to top-quality education, UNT also plans to offer a limited number of full scholarships to the online B.A.A.S.
“By bringing our B.A.A.S. program to Coursera, we’re offering non-traditional students everywhere the opportunity to thrive in a high quality academic environment,” said Jennifer Cowley, provost and vice president for academic affairs at UNT. “The program will offer students the same engaging support, personal interaction, and career services as our on-campus B.A.A.S. program to ensure they are set up for success post-graduation.”
At $330 per credit hour* the B.A.A.S. has one of the most affordable tuition rates among comparable programs. UNT will provide each applicant with a pre-advisor to help create a customized degree plan based on their goals and previously earned credits. Once admitted to the program, the advising team will provide continuous guidance throughout the student’s degree journey.
“At UNT, we recognize that not everyone can take the traditional path to a bachelor’s degree and strive to help students of all backgrounds and experiences succeed,” said Adam Fein, vice president of digital strategy and innovation at UNT. “We’re excited to bring our successful B.A.A.S. program to Coursera and offer students around the world the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree and take advantage of the vast career opportunities this credential offers.”
The rigorous, multidisciplinary degree offers seven focused concentrations: administration, organizational supervision, social services, hospitality, media innovation, consumer behavior, and information technology. Graduates will be prepared to tackle new challenges as leaders in business, non-profit organizations, and community engagement.
Students who complete the Google IT Support Professional Certificate on Coursera can receive credit toward the information technology concentration of the B.A.A.S. Developed by Google, the program is designed to prepare learners for an entry-level job in IT support in under six months. With this new pathway from UNT, learners can pursue a career in IT while working toward a full bachelor’s degree.
“A four-year degree is one of the most transformative credentials in today’s job market, but so many students aren’t able to complete their degree due to work, family, or other commitments,” said Dil Sidhu, chief content officer at Coursera. “The online B.A.A.S. from UNT recognizes students who’ve earned some college credit, but may not have had the time or flexibility to complete their bachelor's degree. We’re proud to host this degree on the Coursera platform and help even more students reach their career goals.”
Applications for the B.A.A.S. will open in February 2020 and the first cohort is expected to begin this fall. To learn more about the B.A.A.S. from UNT, please visit https://www.coursera.org/degrees/unt-online-bachelor-completion
* For illustrative purposes, students who complete 45 credit hours through the online B.A.A.S. from UNT will see a total tuition cost of less than $15,000
About Coursera
Coursera was founded by Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng with a vision of providing life-transforming learning experiences to anyone, anywhere. It is now a leading online learning platform for higher education, where more than 47 million learners from around the world come to learn skills of the future. 200 of the world’s top universities and industry educators partner with Coursera to offer courses, Specializations, certificates, and degree programs. 2,100 companies trust the company’s enterprise platform Coursera for Business to transform their talent. Coursera for Government equips government employees and citizens with in-demand skills to build a competitive workforce. Coursera is backed by leading investors that include Kleiner Perkins, New Enterprise Associates, GSV Capital, Learn Capital, and SEEK Group.