Data Warehouse specialization MOOC offers transfer credits

Mike Mannino and Jahan Karmi

In the fall of 2015, Michael Mannino, associate professor of information systems, and Jahangir Karimi, professor of information systems in the Business School at CU Denver, launched the Data Warehousing for Business Intelligence MOOC specialization on Coursera. Now, as the specialization evolves, students who complete the series of courses will be able to apply for credit at CU Denver.

The specialization comprises a series of five courses culminating in a capstone, and provides marketable value to students through certification for $355. And now that certification provides the opportunity for students to receive six transfer credits when they are accepted to the 30-credit CU Denver Master of Information Systems program.

“The opportunity to obtain transfer credits indicates rigor and educational value of the Coursera specialization,” Mannino said. “Learners completing the specialization will be well prepared to start the MSIS degree with an opportunity to extend their learning in the business intelligence specialization.”

Earlier in March the faculty in the Information Systems program of the Business School approved the credit offerings, recognizing the benefit to students working toward their master’s and to the program. Students can attend the program through the traditional classroom, online or in hybrid courses.  

“This is a great opportunity for our program and students everywhere,” Karimi said. “We are excited to extend the reach of our MSIS online program similar to reach of our MOOC courses to students in many countries and regions.”

To date, 2,923 participants have enrolled in the specialization, 1,822 of those are paid learners and of those 1,791 are still in the program.  

Deborah Keyek-Franssen, associate vice president for digital education and engagement, likened the 1,154 course completions from a single course to several years’ worth of in-class instruction. 

“You might have 25 students in a semester’s course, multiplied by three semesters a year, so it would have taken 15 odd years to get that many students completing a course – and it only took five weeks,” she explained.

The data warehouse concepts for business intelligence specialization is a boon for students around the world who are seeking careers in the in-demand fields of data warehousing and business intelligence. The Business School is working on the backend processes, but it will be available for students starting the MSIS program this fall.

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