A MOOC could help you gain admission to an MBA program. A growing roster of business schools are accepting the short online courses as credit for postgraduate programs, and some say that MOOCs may be used to evaluate people in the admissions process.
“There is great content out there for people to test out some of the core MBA modules before they decide whether or not to pay for a full-time program,” says Michael Koenig, who is in charge of MOOCs at the Darden School at the University of Virginia.
So which MOOCs are best for those who wish to obtain an MBA?
We’ve canvassed the opinion of business school academics and digital visionaries to compile a list of 10 of the best MOOCs for MBA applicants. Here’s the list, in no particular order:
Course: This course provides a brief introduction to the fundamentals of finance, emphasizing their application to a wide variety of real-world situations spanning personal finance, corporate decision-making, and financial intermediation
Course: Through a series of short lectures, demonstrations, and assignments, you’ll learn the key ideas and process of quantitative modeling so that you can begin to create your own models for your own business
Course: This program provides a rigorous introduction to core topics in financial valuation, including time value of money, cash flow analysis, asset pricing, risk and return and alternative valuation methods
Course: In this course, you’ll gain an overview of design thinking and work with a model containing four key questions and several tools to help you understand design thinking as a problem-solving approach
Course: This intensive and hands-on series of courses gives you the skills to ensure your projects are completed on time and on budget while giving the user the product they expect
Course: Through a combination of lectures, business case studies, and hands-on learning this course provides an introduction to data analytics techniques and their application in business
Course: In this marketing course, you will learn how to assess the value you provide to the consumer as well as the value the customer offers your business.
Seb is a journalist and consulting editor who has developed a successful track record writing about business, education and technology for the international press.
Top-10 MOOCs for Prospective MBAs
By Seb Murray
Updated May 26, 2022 Updated May 26, 2022A MOOC could help you gain admission to an MBA program. A growing roster of business schools are accepting the short online courses as credit for postgraduate programs, and some say that MOOCs may be used to evaluate people in the admissions process.
“There is great content out there for people to test out some of the core MBA modules before they decide whether or not to pay for a full-time program,” says Michael Koenig, who is in charge of MOOCs at the Darden School at the University of Virginia.
So which MOOCs are best for those who wish to obtain an MBA?
We’ve canvassed the opinion of business school academics and digital visionaries to compile a list of 10 of the best MOOCs for MBA applicants. Here’s the list, in no particular order:
Financial Accounting Fundamentals
https://www.coursera.org/learn/uva-darden-financial-accounting
Course: This course will teach you the tools you'll need to understand the basics of financial accounting
School: Virginia Darden
Length: Five weeks
Platform: Coursera
Michael Koenig, assistant dean, Darden School
Foundations of Business Strategy
https://www.udemy.com/foundations-of-business-strategy/
Course: In this course, you’ll explore the underlying theory and frameworks that provide the foundations of a successful business strategy
School: Virginia Darden
Length: Four weeks
Platform: Udemy
Michael Koenig, assistant dean, Darden School
Introduction to Corporate Finance
https://www.coursera.org/learn/wharton-finance
Course: This course provides a brief introduction to the fundamentals of finance, emphasizing their application to a wide variety of real-world situations spanning personal finance, corporate decision-making, and financial intermediation
School: UPenn Wharton
Length: Four weeks
Platform: Coursera
Anne Trumbore, senior director, Wharton Online
Fundamentals of Quantitative Modeling
https://www.coursera.org/learn/wharton-quantitative-modeling
Course: Through a series of short lectures, demonstrations, and assignments, you’ll learn the key ideas and process of quantitative modeling so that you can begin to create your own models for your own business
School: UPenn Wharton
Length: Four weeks
Platform: Coursera
Anne Trumbore, senior director, Wharton Online
Master Statistics with R
https://www.coursera.org/specializations/statistics
Course: You will learn to analyze and visualize data with R software and create reproducible data analysis reports
School: Duke Fuqua
Length: Five weeks
Platform: Coursera
Gautam Kaul, finance professor, Michigan Ross
Make Strategic Financial Decisions
https://www.coursera.org/specializations/valuation-investment
Course: This program provides a rigorous introduction to core topics in financial valuation, including time value of money, cash flow analysis, asset pricing, risk and return and alternative valuation methods
School: Michigan Ross
Length: Three weeks
Platform: Coursera
Gautam Kaul, finance professor, Michigan Ross
Design Thinking for Innovation
https://www.coursera.org/learn/uva-darden-design-thinking-innovation
Course: In this course, you’ll gain an overview of design thinking and work with a model containing four key questions and several tools to help you understand design thinking as a problem-solving approach
School: Virginia Darden
Length: Five weeks
Platform: Coursera
Michael Koenig, assistant dean, Darden School
Project Management Principles and Practices
https://www.coursera.org/specializations/project-management
Course: This intensive and hands-on series of courses gives you the skills to ensure your projects are completed on time and on budget while giving the user the product they expect
School: UC Irvine Merage
Length: Four weeks
Platform: Coursera
Michael Koenig, assistant dean, Darden School
Introduction to Data Analytics for Managers
https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-data-analytics-managers-michiganx-ds120x
Course: Through a combination of lectures, business case studies, and hands-on learning this course provides an introduction to data analytics techniques and their application in business
School: Michigan Ross
Length: Six weeks
Platform: EdX
Gautam Kaul, finance professor, Michigan Ross
Marketing Fundamentals: Who Is Your Customer?
https://www.edx.org/course/marketing-fundamentals-who-customer-babsonx-bpet-mktx-0
Course: In this marketing course, you will learn how to assess the value you provide to the consumer as well as the value the customer offers your business.
School: Babson Olin
Length: Four weeks
Platform: Coursera
Anne Trumbore, senior director, Wharton Online
This article was originally published in August 2017 . It was last updated in May 2022
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Seb is a journalist and consulting editor who has developed a successful track record writing about business, education and technology for the international press.
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