Distance Learning

Udacity Connect Offers Face-to-Face Sessions

Nanodegree students can now visit physical learning centers for in-person instruction.

• By Sri Ravipati
• 04/25/16

Udacity’s Nanodegree and Nanodegree Plus students can now access in-person study sessions through Udacity Connect (UConnect).

Beginning May 9, UConnect students in Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco will have access to physical learning centers where they can network, interact and collaborate with others. UConnect students will meet once a week with a mentor and receive “face-to-face guidance with goal setting and hitting key milestones,” according to a news release.

In a pilot program, Nanodegree students who combined their online education with in-person study sessions through UConnect saw a 30 percent increase in project submissions and were more likely to complete their Nanodegree program than the students learning only online.

“The fact that I had to report to my session lead each Saturday drove me to work faster on my Nanodegree. The discipline and motivation pushed me to get my work done,” said a student in UConnect, according to Udacity.

UConnect selects top Nanodegree graduates to become “Session Leads” and they can earn up to $11,000 a month facilitating live study sessions.

Udacity Connect can be added to any Nanodegree program for $99 a month. The company is offering a free one-month trial to students who register before June 30.