Harvard Business School unbundles CORE programme
NICHE STUDY The threemodule CORE programme was earlier offered as a package with applicants being required to take all three modules but can now opt for individual courses
HBX, Harvard Business School’s digital learning wing, has launched three new online certificate programmes which were earlier part of the Credential of Readiness (CORe) programme. The three-module CORE programme was offered as a package with applicants being required to take all three modules and sit an examination for the final credit. The three eight-week modules — business analytics, economics for managers, and financial accounting — are now also available as single modules.
The programmes cost $1,500 and begin on January 23. Subsequent cohorts start in April and June. Applications for the January cohort are due January 10.
Candidates may, however, choose to earn the CORe credential by taking each course individually and passing each associated final exam. “Individuals looking to earn the credential in this way have up to two years to complete all three courses and pass their associated exams while the traditional CORe program where participants progress through the three courses at the same time continues to be available,” said Patrick Mullane, HBX executive director, in an email statement.
There are no pre-requisites needed to enroll for these programmes.
Explaining the rationale for this move, Mullane said, “Unbundling the CORe programme course opens a door of opportunity for professionals who wish to only specialise in one focus area, and also offers the opportunity for participants to control how they wish to earn their CORe credential.”
The unbundling of the CoRe programme also recognises the need for specialised, niche skills in specific domains. According to Mullane, each HBX course is designed to give students the skills and confidence they need to be successful in the business world irrespective of their field of study or career path.
“For instance, the business analytics course introduces quantitative methods used to analyse data and make better management decisions, so it’s appropriate for anyone looking to brush up on their analytical skills and make data-driven business decisions,” he adds. “Today’s businesses are discovering new ways to collect and use data every day, which means that develop- ing an ability to interpret data can lead to smarter decisions across just about every business dimension imaginable.”
The entire learning experience for HBX certificate programmes is asynchronous.
The courses are delivered via the HBX online platform, which enables participants to engage with the curriculum through active, social and case-based learning. Students learn from short videos of the professor and real business leaders, as well as through interactive exercises, reflections, and interactions with their peers both on and off the platform. However, there is no direct interaction with HBS faculty.
In August this year, HBS launched Entrepreneurship Essentials: People, Opportunity, Context, and Deal, a four-week programme comprising 20 hours of material delivered via the HBX online learning platform.
The course content consists of pre-recorded video content with Harvard Business School Professor Bill Sahlman and successful entrepreneurs and venture capitalists.
India represents the third largest market for HBX after US and Canada. “We have had thousands of Indian students participate in our online programmes including the HBX CORe program on business fundamentals, Disruptive Strategy with Clayton Christensen, Leading with Finance, and Negotiation Mastery,” said said Valerie Krempus, associate director, communications, HBX. “We are also seeing strong interest from India for our two newest programmes, Becoming a Better Manager and Entrepreneurship Essentials,” she adds.