MIT Professional Education Offers Two New Sessions of Online Big Data Course for Professionals

March 31, 2015 | By Business Wire News

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.

In response to continuing and growing demand for expert insight on big data, MIT Professional Education will offer two new sessions of its popular online professional course, Tackling the Challenges of Big Data. The new sessions will be available again to a global audience, and are scheduled to begin May 5, 2015 and July 7, 2015 respectively. MIT Professional Education’s big data courses have drawn approximately 7,000 professionals from over 100 countries, and over 3,000 organizations worldwide in the past year. Participants, most of whom would otherwise not be able to access world-renowned educational resources of MIT, have benefitted from this comprehensive online course addressing a priority learning area for working professionals.

“We’re continuing to receive overwhelmingly positive feedback from professionals globally looking to get an edge in their industries, which is why we’re expanding the offering of Tackling the Challenges of Big Data,” said Bhaskar Pant, Executive Director of MIT Professional Education. “Participants taking the course will have an opportunity to gain valuable insights from world-renowned MIT CSAIL researchers; insights that can be applied directly to their work.”

The six-week online course, aimed at technical professionals and executives, tackles state-of-the art topics in big data ranging from data collection storage and processing to analytics and visualization. Leveraging the insights and expertise of industry-leading experts, the course also addresses a range of real world applications. A record twelve faculty experts from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at the School of Engineering will again lead the course. New for this session, faculty members will also present two additional Q&A webinars with attendees of the course as an added feature.

“This course provided a comprehensive overview of what big data really represents, and how the analysis of large data sources may improve operating efficiencies, result in new business opportunities, and improve profit margins,” said course attendee Norman Yale, Professional Technical Architect, AT&T Corporation. “This knowledge will allow me to lead efforts to utilize resources more efficiently.”

The course is offered through MIT Professional Education, the arm of MIT that provides education and training for science, engineering and technology professionals worldwide. Their digital programs present a more engaging experience than traditional online offerings, and provide companies and organizations the ability to offer MIT–produced training and education to their employees on industry-relevant topics. Upon successful completion of all course requirements, participants will receive an MIT Professional Education certificate of completion, MIT CEUs (continuing education credits) and access to MITProfessional Education’s expansive, global professional alumni network. The course on Big Data will be offered at $545.

Immediate registration is available at https://mitprofessionalx.edx.org. The courses can be taken by individuals across all industries or by large groups of employees from the same organization. For general questions, please email onlinex-registration@mit.edu

About MIT Professional Education

For 65 years, MIT Professional Education has been providing a gateway to renowned MIT research, knowledge, and expertise through advanced education programs designed specifically for working professionals worldwide who are engaged in engineering, science, and technology management. In addition to its Digital Programs, MIT Professional Education also offers professionals the capability to take Short Programs on the MIT campus or abroad through International Programs, enroll in regular MIT academic courses through the Advanced Study Program, customize an educational experience for a group of employees at a company site, or join global audiences in taking online courses. Participants are drawn from across the U.S. and around the world, and about 50 percent are international. Upon successful completion of one of these programs, participants receive an MIT Professional Education Certificate of Completion and access to MIT Professional Education’s expansive, private professional alumni network, along with other program specific benefits. For more information visit: http://web.mit.edu/professional/

About MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL)

CSAIL is the largest research laboratory at MIT and one of the world’s most important centers of information technology research. http://csail.mit.edu/