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Comment by 20years | Hacker News Reader

This is a step in the right direction. However the $33k for the 2nd semester is still out of reach for many.

"As part of the pilot project, students who perform well in the online half can take an exam to apply for the second semester on campus. Those who get in would pay $33,000, about half the cost of the yearlong program."

Would be nice to see them eventually offer affordable online courses & exams for 8 semesters.

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There are a lot of degrees that aren't worth taking out a 33k student loan for, but a masters from MIT probably isn't one of them

Except it's not a MA/MS from MIT, it's a MicroMaster's (μM? uM?). The name even makes it sound weird and worse than a regular MA/MS.

You need to re-read the article. The first part of the Masters is the "micro" part, and is completed for relatively little money ($1-$2k). The second semester is done on campus at MIT, and will run $33k. Once completed, you will have the same degree as those who do it via the normal method.

Seems far too much for an online-only degree, but I guess the danger is devaluing the MIT brand.

And in essence I guess it is a sort of freemium structure.

The $33k is for an on-campus semister to complete the Master's, not the online MicroMaster's degree.

>> danger is devaluing the MIT brand

If more people have access to quality education, and they are eventually given a degree based on how they perform in the course, we should not be bothered about brand value. Educational institutions should cater to as many students as possible without compromising on quality.

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