Udacity: Online Master's in Computer Science in Collaboration with Georgia Tech

[Daithi]

If they award 10,000 degrees, as their FAQ suggests, this is $60,000,000. I'm actually surprised that Ivy League and other top-tier colleges haven't moved into this market sooner.

[sanantone]

If they award 10,000 degrees, as their FAQ suggests, this is $60,000,000. I'm actually surprised that Ivy League and other top-tier colleges haven't moved into this market sooner.

They are worried about their prestige. They wouldn't be considered prestigious if they offered degrees with practically open admissions unless they came up with some way to differentiate their online students which is what the Georgia Tech program does. Personally, I wouldn't not want a degree that is differentiated from its on campus equivalent. I think it's an insult to the student. Although, I think Georgia Tech is justified in differentiating in this case.

[Johann]

If they award 10,000 degrees, as their FAQ suggests, this is $60,000,000. I'm actually surprised that Ivy League and other top-tier colleges haven't moved into this market sooner.

Give it time - they haven't really had much time yet. Dr. Thrun ran his first MOOC in 2011 (on Artificial Intelligence) in association with Stanford, which is certainly a top-drawer school. Now others are starting to follow. Individual MOOC courses are still pretty new - and entire MOOC-based degrees are not even in in their infancy yet - I'd say they've just made it through conception so far, but not birth.

Johann