MBA for under $1000

[burbuja0512]

I thought that this was a great article.. even though there is no "real degree" from an institution as a result of this woman's hard work, I bet someone savvy could still make it work on their resume to show initiative and creative thinking. It might even prove to be an advantage under the right circumstances.... but would REALLY require someone who's good at selling themselves and their skills.

She's Doing An Elite MBA For Under $1,000 | LinkedIn

Thoughts/Comments?

[LaterBloomer]

We all know folks who attended prestigious universities, and all they got out of it was a piece of parchment. The parchment didn't necessarily equate with intelligence, ability, etc. Burbuja is right that, at least in the beginning, "graduates" of self-directed and -designed degrees will have to have the ability to sell themselves. (The woman is the type who will go far with her "MBA.") It will be fascinating to see where MOOCs take the education sector.

Will it be the end of liberal arts degrees? Will this type of educational system become more of a vocational path? Will we only learn what we need to know for a job, and bypass the opportunity to expand our minds? It will be fascinating to see where this goes. Students from around the world are taking these courses. Imagine the folks who don't have the opportunity to live in a multicultural society. This has the potential to bring us all closer together. We live in the best and most fascinating of times.

[cookderosa]

This is the kind of thing that really gets my juices flowing. I'm a total and complete school-loving nerd. MOOCs have changed education because for years, there was all this conflict between attending a college you could afford crossed against geography crossed against your interest and career goal. In addition, the question always remains "shouldn't education be about learning first?" to which there is always the converse position "it is to prepare you for a career!" and so the fight between credential and enlightenment exists anywhere people discuss education.
MOOCs are perfect for people who want to learn without the tuition cost, restriction of geography, influence of opportunity cost as a filter, and who don't need a credential. Also, I agree with Burbuja that this could possibly be spun into a kick-axx cutting edge resume builder. I love it, thanks for posting it!! I'm sharing it over on my FB page

[Daithi]

I say good for her. I really hope this works for her. I have a feeling that even if it doesn't, she'll have a rewarding life regardless.

Unfortunately, the comments on the page didn't look that promising. One in particular caught my attention--

One doesn't spend $45,000/year at Harvard for the classes and lectures. Rather, the money is spent so that one can build relationships with the sons and daughters of diplomats, CEOs, embassy officials, and other future, influential world leaders.

In other words, the main benefit of going to Harvard is that you can kiss the butt of rich kids and maybe they'll include you while they rule the world.

[Johann]

I caught some flak on another forum for my opinion - not that it bothers me. I think this kind of learning is great - just not an MBA - or translatable into any other degree. As Jennifer said, it's perfect for those who need the knowledge but not a credential. As for something academic - I can see getting this type of learning credentialed into a certificate - but again, not a degree.

I'm all for the ways to reduce the cost of a degree - testing out, prior learning assessment (and these courses might work as PLAR, to some extent) but I'm not for creditizing a bunch of freebies into a complete degree. Some argued that there are some occupations that can be entered into without a degree (law with Bar Exam but no JD for example) and that some certificates outweigh the value of some degrees. That's all true - but a degree is awarded according to the rules that govern colleges and universities; a certificate or designation is awarded according to the rules of the organization that awards it. Degrees and certificates are always different - sometimes equivalent (eg. UK-NARIC lists an equivalency for the CFA designation) but never interchangeable.

If someone gets a job from a free MOOC-related program, great! If the learning helps them pass a certification exam - terrific. It just shouldn't result in a degree, under our current system. That would, in effect, devalue the degrees that weren't free!

The free courses can contribute towards PLAR - yes. But not the whole degree. In France they have the VAE system and a person with sufficient knowledge and skill can be awarded a complete degree from a recognized University -doesn't matter how they acquired the knowledge. Until the US and/or Canada have VAE or its equivalent, I suggest degree-seekers wanting to fully creditize free courses into a complete degree have a good command of French and surf for bargain plane-tickets.

Johann

[sanantone]

I think this kind of stuff works better for IT employment since having proven skills is still sometimes more important than having a related degree. Udacity has bragged about people landing jobs with their certificates of completion.

[Tedium]

I think this kind of stuff works better for IT employment since having proven skills is still sometimes more important than having a related degree. Udacity has bragged about people landing jobs with their certificates of completion.

I think you're right. This woman's situation is abnormal, by the looks of it: Peace Corps stints, living and traveling overseas, humanitarian work, etc. I have a feeling that she already knows how to sell herself, and I doubt there is anything she could get from this freebie "degree" that she could not have already talked her way into.

I don't think this is a viable option for just anyone walking in off the street. You would have to already have a pretty amazing resume, or like sanantone mentioned, work in a field where this sort of thing is more acceptable.

[burbuja0512]

I loved this article for a lot of reasons and agree with the comments posted. I do think that for most traditional jobs, at the very least an undergraduate "piece of paper" is necessary just to get past the initial recruiter screening. Since the lady in the article already has a very impressive educational background, her "MBA" will not likely pose any issue whatsoever.

For now, I think that the greatest value that a self-created MBA would provide are for people who aren't trying to get a job, just those improving their skills. For example, I've known a handful of business owners over the years who got the MBA simply for the extra knowledge and skill that it would give them in running their companies. In these cases, why pay more? I personally feel like I do need my "real" MBA because I'm in a very male-dominated field and therefore any advantage I can put on the resume really helps in getting the job, but I love that I can study whatever I want to with MOOCS!