Online X Programs

Established 2014

New initiative draws on decades of online experience

Online learning, offered via the open-source edX platform, is a major strategic initiative of MIT Professional Education. The first online professional course offering, Tackling the Challenges of Big Data, launched in the spring of 2014, with plans calling for additional course offerings in 2014 and beyond.

This expanded use of digital learning technologies draws on nearly 20 years of online education experience at MIT. The Advanced Study Program was a pioneer in this area, offering live, interactive courses via Internet and satellite in the mid-1990s, and many MIT Professional Education faculty members have been active contributors to MIT OpenCourseWare and edX course development.

“Our fundamental mission is to provide greater access to MIT expertise for technology-oriented engineers, scientists, and managers, wherever in the world they happen to be,” says executive director Bhaskar Pant. “The edX platform is a powerful enabler, and I’ve seen firsthand how eagerly our faculty and students are embracing it — I’m tremendously excited about how this will evolve.”