Uni to launch pay-as-you-go online degrees

50 COURSES COULD BE ROLLED OUT OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS FOR GLOBAL STUDENTS

COVENTRY University is to launch an online-only pay-as-you-go degree which can be studied on mobiles and desktop all over the world.

The university have paired up with FutureLearn, the social learning company, to roll out 50 degrees over the next five years.

FutureLearn has more than six million learners worldwide and the university plans to launch its first master’s programmes in early 2018 as it builds on its global successes of recent years.

Among the first degrees to be available entirely online will be business and law, health and life sciences and engineering disciplines.

Learners can begin studying for free and complete a range of short pathway courses before deciding to enrol.

The degrees will then be pay-asyou-go to make learning both manageable and flexible.

Ian Dunn, deputy vice-chancellor for student experience at Coventry University, said: “Higher education is not limited by the physical or geographical boundaries that it once was, and we believe online learning has a huge role to play in the future of undergraduate and postgraduate scholarship.

“For Coventry, the growth of our online programmes will be a catalyst to revolutionise the way we teach at our university, with possibili- ties emerging for bite-sized learning for those with busy lives, and free modules for those who want to try before committing to study.

“We’re incredibly excited to be taking these plans forward with FutureLearn, and look forward to working with them and their worldleading online learning platform.”

The new degrees will herald significant change and innovation in the way its educational content and traditional degree offerings are designed and delivered across its group – including its Coventry, London and Scarborough campuses – as well as through its transnational education partners worldwide.

A spokesperson for FutureLearn said: “We are delighted to be working with a world-leading institution like Coventry University to deliver an initiative of such scale and significance to the global higher education market. “In the face of political and economic uncertainty, UK universities need to find new ways to attract and serve an international cohort of students, as well as compete globally.

“FutureLearn’s commitment to delivering a high quality social learning environment that is delivered in a flexible and accessible way, means that our partners can reach students everywhere with a cutting-edge learning experience.” For Coventry, the growth of our online programmes will be a catalyst to revolutionise the way we teach at our university