What's your opinion on MicroMasters programs?

[mednat]

There are actually a few things that aren't exactly matching up with your understanding- I'm not picking on you, there isn't a ton of info on the website, I'm sure more will come.
Micromasters and graduate certificates are different. A micromasters is a free non credit MOOC that certain colleges are allowing you to use toward completion of a graduate degree at that school. Think of it like a Straighterline partnership. You're not getting credit unless you put it into a school- and in this case, there is only 1 school that accepts it. So, without enrollment, it's a MOOC. With enrollment, it's credit.

Cost: The classes and your education is free, but you pay for the verification if you choose - that will involve a proctored exam and some assignments depending- that add on will cost you between $100-$300. This is not unlike the Saylor program in existence now. EdX is similar, but in this context, they are doing the same thing but with graduate credit.

A graduate certificate is a collection of graduate courses you take through a college/university. Admissions, sometimes GRE, and a host of other criteria go into "getting in" and then from that point you complete the assignments, get a grade, and have a transcript. Sometimes graduate certificates are integrated into degree programs, but not always.

The SMART thing about this, is that edX didn't roll out the program until a partnership was in place. In other words, you're not taking a class and hoping someone takes it, you're taking SPECIFIC classes that you already KNOW will be accepted at a specific college and in a specific program.

I don't think you're picking on me at all. There is a ton I don't know on this, that's for sure!

My main issue is with the order of operations with the micromasters. Primarily, paying first before you know if you will be accepted to the school that grants credit. If they simply guaranteed acceptance or issued credit at the time of payment it would completely remove this concern for me.

My comparison to a graduate certificate is not an exact one, I didn't mean to imply that they were exactly the same thing. My point is more that we already had a credential that was in between a masters and undergrad, and honestly most of the employers I've worked for have no clue what a graduate certificate is, much less a micromasters. IMHO, creating a new credential description for 3 classes is a bit excessive and adds to the confusion of hiring managers. To me this is more like a continuing education certificate (if it doesn't grant credits), or half of a graduate certificate if it does. The delivery method of the credits, however innovative, doesn't really demand a new category of credential.

I understand the MOOC aspect of this, and love the format. I guess I'm just at a loss as to why the process needs to be completely reinvented to add a new delivery method. Why not allow students to pay or not pay for credit, if they pass give them credit if they paid? To me this is similar to auditing a class vs taking it for credit. There is no need to guarantee acceptance into a full degree program at that time, just guarantee the credits that were taken will be on the transcript from the school which backs it.This will avoid a situation where the student paid for verification and are not able to get credit for the three classes that were taken due to not meeting admissions guidelines.