The MOOC Revolution: How To Earn An Elite MBA For Free

Foundations of Business Strategy

School: University of Virginia (Darden)

Platform: Coursera

Link: Foundations of Business Strategy (Includes Introductory Video)

Start Date: January 13, 2014

Workload: 5-6 Hours A Week (6 Weeks Long)

Instructor: Michael J. Lenox

Credentials: Professor Lenox is responsible for teaching the core MBA strategy course at Darden, where he also serves as Associate Dean and Director of the Batten Institute For Entrepreneurship and Innovation. He also serves as President of the Alliance For Research on Corporate Sustainability (ARCS) and made the list of Poets and Quants’ “Top 40 Under 40” professors.

Graded: Students who meet grading course requirements will receive a Statement of Accomplishment from Coursera.

Description: In this course, students will learn how to successfully conceive, position, and launch products, with special emphasis on strategic analysis, understanding market and competitive dynamics, and determining the best scope of company operations. Based off six weekly modules, students will view lectures, read The Strategist’s Toolkit and case studies, and take weekly quizzes. For an exam, students will submit a strategic analysis of an organization.

Review: “I did this course in parallel with my live ‘International Management’ and ‘Management and Strategy’ courses at KU Leuven. You won’t believe, but Coursera format seems to be much more effective in learning theoretical concepts, whereas case discussions are more productive live. For me personally course contents were quite easy, nevertheless engaging. Highly recommend for anyone planning a career in business.” For additional reviews of this course, click here.

Additional Note: This course allows you to preview the various lectures held. The University of Maryland also offers a strategy class called “Surviving Disruptive Technologies,” which is available through Coursera. You can access it here.