University of the People Opens Its Online Courses to Any University

A tuition-free university, the University of the People, said it would make its online courses available to American universities, enabling their students to take courses for credit. That includes 115 accredited courses in general education, business, computer science, health science and education.

The institution said that for any students joining its classes, assessment fees (which are normally $100 per undergraduate course and $200 for each graduate course) would be "addressed between UoPeople and the university sending students to our courses."

The idea is that interested universities would select the relevant courses, which would be taught by University of the People faculty, and then students would earn credit from their institution.

The university has also offered to train faculty from other institutions "in the techniques and strategies for teaching courses online." Those instructors are also invited to participate in courses alongside their students to see how online instruction works.

"Universities are facing an enormous challenge in having to shut down campuses and start up online, all without sacrificing educational quality. However, online education is not simply improvising with the internet; it is an actual practice that requires technology and expertise," said university President Shai Reshef, in a statement. "Because we have been online for more than 10 years, we are in a unique position to offer our courses to all interested institutions."

Interested universities should contact Chief of Staff Caroline Powers.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • woman surrounded by virtual hologram icons

    Beyond AI Adoption: Designing Learning for an Age of Abundant Intelligence

    Higher education was designed for a world in which access to knowledge, expertise, feedback, mentorship, and authentic learning experiences were inherently scarce. By making many forms of intelligence increasingly abundant, AI is inherently redefining the existing paradigm.

  • Student classroom scene with diverse learners attentively engaging in lecture, using laptops

    The AI Literacy Gap No One Expected

    While Gen Z may be advanced at generating quick outputs or using free LLMs for surface-level tasks, they need to develop critical thinking, communication, and analysis skills.

  • artificial intelligence on laptop

    OpenAI to Combine AI Products into Desktop 'Superapp'

    OpenAI is reportedly developing a desktop application that would combine several of its emerging AI products into a single platform, according to reports, marking the latest step in the company's effort to transform ChatGPT from a standalone chatbot into a broader productivity and automation environment.

  • Glowing digital padlock breaking into tiny cubic fragments over complex circuit board background

    Report: Basic Security Failures Continue to Fuel Enterprise Breaches

    Despite years of investment in cybersecurity technologies, many enterprise breaches still begin with familiar weaknesses, according to a new report from SonicWall.