After Months Of Delay, Tens Of Thousands Sign Up For New MIT Sloan Program

MIT Sloan School of Management announced the MITx MicroMasters Program in Finance in January as a way to appeal to those wanting to enhance their financial skillset, whether recent graduates, early- to mid-stage professionals or others eyeing a career in finance. The remote-learning program was designed as a way to fast-track a master’s degree in finance from MIT Sloan.

Two months later, the world stopped. As coronavirus stamped a giant question mark on the entire graduate business education universe, MIT’s new finance program became a casualty. It had been scheduled to start April 1, but it was put on hold as the Sloan School — like every other business school in the United States — grappled with the upheaval of the fast-spreading and little-understood virus.

Now, four weeks before the newly scheduled start of the program — which will be a full six months after its intended launch — one major concern has entirely evaporated. MIT Sloan reports today (September 1) that more than 50,000 learners from 175 countries have signed up for courses, a record enrollment for any Sloan program.

“The MITx MicroMasters Program in Finance is designed to meet the growing demand for the skills and expertise required for a career in finance,” says Sloan Professor Egor Matveyev, associate faculty director of the program who will cohost a webinar about the program for prospective students and enrolled learners on September 18. “It is built on the curriculum of the MIT Sloan Master of Finance program, so regardless of where you are in the world, online learners have access to the same high-quality content and assessments as our on-campus graduate students.”

NEW PROGRAM FEATURES 5 ONLINE FINANCE COURSES TAUGHT BY SLOAN FACULTY

MIT Sloan’s Egor Matveyev

In January, MIT Sloan Dean David Schmittlein called the newly announced MITx MicroMasters Program in Finance part of the school’s mission to “make high-quality education accessible around the world.” MORE

“A pioneer and leader in the field of finance, MIT Sloan is uniquely positioned to drive awareness about financial issues, increase interest, and build skills,” Schmittlein said. “This program is an exciting opportunity to give learners, who cannot come to campus, the knowledge, models, and tools needed to advance their careers.”

The MITx MicroMasters program was created with MITx at MIT Open Learning and includes a bundle of five online finance courses taught by MIT Sloan faculty on edX, the online platform founded by MIT and Harvard that is home to more than 20 million learners. All five courses mirror on-campus graduate-level MIT coursework, covering such topics as modern finance, financial accounting, mathematical methods for quantitative finance, and derivative markets.

“Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of global markets and learn to apply critical financial theories, models, and frameworks across all areas of finance,” the school has announced.

Perhaps most appealing to prospective learners, those who complete and pass each course may apply to the MIT Sloan Master of Finance program. Upon acceptance, they may earn credit for work performed online — making the MicroMasters Finance program an educational pathway that allows learners to complete a master’s degree with only two terms spent on campus at MIT.

“Modern finance began at MIT and we are looking forward to sharing our unique approach to finance education in this program,” says MIT Sloan Professor Leonid Kogan, who teaches in the new MITx MicroMasters finance program and will cohost the September 18 webinar. “While the pandemic delayed our start date by a few months, it also highlights the importance of developing our content to make it as accessible as possible for learners around the world.

“I’m excited to work with Professor Matveyev, who has a breadth of experience teaching finance and is committed to developing a top-quality program that will give participants the knowledge and skills needed for success in their finance careers.”

ENROLLMENT FOR 1ST COURSE OPEN UNTIL EARLY NOVEMBER

The MITx MicroMasters Program in Finance “will help current students and early-stage professionals differentiate themselves in the job market and help mid-career professionals accelerate their careers,” Matveyev says. “It also provides interested students with a practical pathway to a master’s of finance from MIT or other universities.”

Heidi Pickett, assistant dean of the MIT Sloan Master of Finance program, notes that the MITx MicroMasters finance program also offers a business-to-business model for companies interested in building the online classes into their training programs. Other universities can also utilize the program to supplement their curriculums. “This is a great opportunity for organizations to offer employees and students the benefits of learning from MIT,” she says.

The MITx MicroMasters Program in Finance starts September 30. Learners can continue to enroll in the first course, Foundations of Modern Finance I, until November 4. For more information and to enroll, visit Micromasters.mit.edu/fin. To participate in the Sept. 18 webinar, register at https://micromasters.mit.edu/fin/webinars/.

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