Random Musings About What Next Degree To Do....

[DegreeNerd]

Thought I'd post this, just some notes from what I've picked up by reading here and elsewhere, but also it's not so serious (just random musings for now, rather than any firm plans), so sticking it in Off Topic! Rather than a main discussion forum. 

Master's in Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Saylor University 
Absolutely insanely good value, at only $5/exam! (essentially making the degree "free") Saylor University is probably going to rise up the relevancy charts in the long run too, first Florida, next the world. 
https://degrees.saylor.org/mod/page/view.php?id=20140 (I should keep an eye out on what extra degrees they offer in the future, hopefully they bring out a STEM Bachelors degree one day: https://degrees.saylor.org/ )  

Master of Computer Science (or maybe Master of AI, or maybe Data Science) at University of Texas at Austin
US$10K at a Top 10 university is very appealing, but it would also be by far the toughest and most difficult degree here to get. 
https://cdso.utexas.edu/mscs

Master of Science in Mathematics from the University of South Queensland
Sub AU$20K for an online STEM Masters from a "local" (well... same country! Not same city) university is quite appealing. Maybe I can get credit too, from prior studies, which could bring down the cost by as much as half?
https://www.open.edu.au/degrees/master-o...sq-sms-mas
https://www.unisq.edu.au/study/degrees-a...of-science
https://handbook-guide.unisq.edu.au/aos/...?year=2027 
(or this: https://www.open.edu.au/degrees/master-o...sq-aim-mas Or even one of these other ones: https://www.open.edu.au/degrees/master-o...li-aid-mas , https://www.open.edu.au/degrees/master-o...rf-mit-mas , https://www.open.edu.au/degrees/master-o...rf-iai-mas )

Master of Applied Management at Southern Institute of Technology
Can't beat "Free"! (I think it applies to Aussies too?)
https://www.sit.ac.nz/programme/course/M...T%20Online 

Master of AI from Udacity / Woolf College
Of course it lacks the prestige of UT at Austin, can't even hold up a candle to that! But it is a lot cheaper, and would be a lot less painful to complete as well. 
https://www.udacity.com/masters-artificial-intelligence

Master in Fintech and Blockchain from ENEB
Probably done far too much via ENEB already.... but Fintech/Blockchain would be right up my alley!
https://eneb.com/training-programs/maste...lockchain/

Or even... some random German degree?

https://www.hochschulkompass.de/en/degre...rschaft%5D= (original source: https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?thr...ost-615789 )

Or Finnish: https://www.arcada.fi/en/study-arcada/co...-analytics (source: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...el-30-ECTS )

[DegreeNerd]

A couple of others to add to the consideration, just because I noticed they're free (but not sure can be done from across the ditch? Even though as an Australian Citizen I could pay domestic fees in NZ):

Master of Software Engineering: https://www.yoobee.ac.nz/courses/technol...ing-master

Master of Applied Management: https://www.sit.ac.nz/programme/course/M...T%20Online

A wild card to consider, at just US$2.4K:
MBA in Business Analytics: https://www.coursera.org/degrees/mba-bus...lytics-jgu

Master in Fintech and Blockchain from ENEB
Probably done far too much via ENEB already.... but Fintech/Blockchain would be right up my alley!
https://eneb.com/training-programs/maste...lockchain/

Welllll........... I'm now starting this! 

[DegreeNerd]

"Big Data Analytics" at the Finnish University of Applied Sciences (Arcada University)
Only €600 for 30 ECTS at the Masters level of study!
But what would such a qualification even be called?? Not "a Masters in Big Data Analytics"??? Would it be "a Postgrad Diploma in Big Data Analytics" I guess?
https://www.arcada.fi/en/study-arcada/co...-analytics
Sadly applications closed for this a few months ago, but I'll keep an eye out for when it reopens next year!

I guess you'd be half expected to carry on and do the Master in Machine Intelligence and Data Science (MIND)??
https://www.arcada.fi/en/study-arcada/ma...ammes/mind
Costs then for that seems steep: €12,000/year https://www.arcada.fi/en/study-arcada/tu...programmes
Applications open: 7–21 January 2027 https://www.arcada.fi/en/study-arcada/ap...pplication

UNED looks like a possibility:
Máster en Matemáticas Avanzadas (Master's Degree in Advanced Mathematics) at Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED)
https://matematicas.epes.upm.es/master/
Mathematics is a universal language, so I'm sure with Google Translate I could stumble my way through the assignments and research! So long as I don't get forced to take any exams in Spanish??? But at a total cost of only about two thousand euros, this is very appealing. 

Master’s Degree in Computational Neutronics at UNED
https://www.munc-uned.com/
It seems they do officially offer at least a very few degrees in english, such as this nuclear physics degree. Again, at the very cheap price of just a couple of thousand euros! Applications for it are opening up at the end of this month.  From the LinkedIn post about this:
Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia - U.N.E.D. will be offering a new Master's Degree in Computational Neutronics (MUNC). This one-year program (60 ECTS) is the first master's degree worldwide focused exclusively on computational neutronics. It is an applied, industry-oriented, program designed to train students and professionals to tackle real-world nuclear analysis challenges. A technical background in Physics, Nuclear Engineering or related engineering fields is recommended, and some familiarity with computational tools will be helpful. However, the programme is designed to help students progressively build the practical skills needed for computational work in neutronics.

The programme, taught entirely in English, is of hybrid format with 7 courses delivered 100% online and in-person exams that can be taken at any of UNED's 80 global centers. The final Master's Thesis (18 ECTS) is carried out in collaboration with a "market agent" (an industry or research host) to solve real technical problems. It is also possible to do on-site internships at major organizations like ITER Organization, Fusion for Energy, IFMIF-DONES, Proxima Fusion, CIEMAT and more. However, while on-site internships are encouraged (with mobility funding available), the thesis can also be completed fully online.

Edit: just realized a big negative, none of these 80 global exam centers are located in Australia, or even anywhere else in the entire South Pacific! What would I do?? Maybe they'd let me travel to Canberra to sit the exams at the Spanish Embassy??