CourseBuffet serves up a free DIY degree in Computer Science or Management

CourseBuffet serves up a free DIY degree in Computer Science or Management

CourseBuffet understands that while college may be a rite of passage, it’s certainly not the only way to get the knowledge you need to succeed in the ever-changing tech or business world.

Look, school is expensive.

Even worse, we’re now finding out that the degrees that set us back years to obtain and put us tens — or hundreds — of thousands of dollars in debt, might as well be tinder for your next campfire. That’s not to say college isn’t useful, it’s just that in certain career paths — computer science, for one— the degree isn’t nearly as impressive as a portfolio and the ability to learn and adapt to new technologies with a quickness.

A computer science degree used to be a one-way ticket to a six-figure salary with the likes of Google, Microsoft or (ahem) Yahoo!. Now, that won’t even get you in the door.

The curriculum, in fact, is often dated by the time you start the class. The foundational knowledge you gain about core concepts such as algorithms, data structures and database management are important, but you can get all of that for free.

CourseBuffet is different from most massive open online course (MOOC) providers. At its core, it’s an aggregator of all things MOOC. Where it differs, is in the organization of these courses.

With CourseBuffet, you can start a complete bachelor’s degree program from the comfort of your own laptop, at home, with or without pants.

The degree paths are structured the same as those at traditional universities, and each requires 120 credits to “graduate.” To get there, you build your own path by select a required number of courses within a segment. For example, the first segment of a CS degree, Core Computer Science, requires 24 credits.

To build this segment, you choose 24 credits (eight courses) from some of the biggest universities in the country, all for free. The courses are even organized so that you can select those that build on previous knowledge gained in others, just like an actual college program.

CourseBuffet is completely free and currently offers two degree paths: computer science and management. A third offering, finance, is planned.

➤ CourseBuffet Organizes Online Courses into a DIY Degree in Computer Science or Management [Lifehacker]

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