A Complete Guide to Getting an MBA-Level Business Education at a Fraction of the Cost
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Laurie Pickard
Author of Don't Pay For Your MBA
Hi! I’m Laurie. I used massive open online courses (MOOCs) from platforms like Coursera and edX to get a business education equivalent to an MBA - for less than 1/100th the cost of a traditional MBA degree.
My journey with MOOC-based education began when I saw an opportunity to build the business education I had long desired without going into debt. For me, as an international development worker, MOOCs had the added benefit of being accessible from anywhere.
My book and the resources on this site are for anyone seeking a world-class business education using the free and low-cost tools of the internet. I hope you find them useful!
The No-Pay MBA Blog
What people are saying about the No-Pay MBA
The No-Pay MBA's big media break came in January of 2014, when an article that first appeared on the site Poets and Quants was syndicated to a few other websites and went viral on LinkedIn. But since then, I've done several other interviews with the media, resulting in some very thoughtful articles and blog posts. I'd like to direct your attention to a few of them, as well as to the new Required Reading page on this site, where I'll continue to add articles that come out about my project, as well as articles about how MOOCs are changing higher education.
read moreMore MOOC MBAs
I’d like to introduce two more people who have reached out to me since the last time I posted about other people who are using MOOCs to create MBAs. If you’re reading this and you’re doing the same, I encourage you to share your story with me. The two women I’m profiling below are both mid-career professionals, lifelong learners who have been finding ways to continue their educations since long before MOOCs became a thing. Read on for more information about how these women are using MOOCs to meet their personal and professional goals.
read moreA No-Pay MBA: It’s Not For Everyone – Is It For You?
One of my themes this semester is finance, so it’s a good time to take a look at the financials for the No-Pay MBA. I have created a spreadsheet – what else do you do in finance? – to help me (and others) figure out how an investment in a No-Pay MBA stacks up next to an investment in a traditional MBA. I am making this spreadsheet available as a tool that anyone can use.
For those who haven’t studied finance, let me explain how it works. In order to answer a question like “is an MBA a good investment?” you have to define the situation in which you will be investing in an MBA. In the spreadsheet, you can do that by filling in all the yellow boxes to reflect the particulars of your life and career situation. The spreadsheet has columns for three scenarios – traditional MBA, No-Pay MBA, and no MBA. I’ve blacked out the boxes that shouldn’t change from one to another.
read moreProduct Development from the Bottom (of the Pyramid) Up
As I’ve mentioned previously, my goal in taking MBA courses is not to go into finance or consulting. Rather, I want to build skills that are relevant to the international development work I am already doing, and eventually to move from public sector development work to related work in the private sector. I am currently taking a course that is a great bridge between these two, aptly titled Subsistence Marketplaces.
What I like about Subsistence Marketplaces is the difference in approach from previous courses I have taken on development, both in undergraduate and graduate school. This course looks at the markets that exist in places where much of people’s daily activity is about survival. It doesn’t ask why people or poor or analyze the interventions foreign governments have undertaken to help them; it doesn’t look at the history of poverty and development. Not that these more traditional approaches to studying poverty and development aren’t important, but it is refreshing to look at a subject I know well from a different angle.
read moreNo-Pay MBA MOOC Reviews on Poets and Quants
I’ve started reviewing my courses on the website Poets and Quants. I’ll be doing these reviews about once a month, so stay tuned for more!
read moreMeet the MOOC MBAs!
Last week, I put out a call for others like myself who are using MOOCs to do the equivalent of a complete MBA. I received responses from all corners of the globe – from Boston to Dubai. Allow me to introduce four fascinating people who are taking advantage of free online resources to reach their educational and career goals.
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Calling All MOOC MBA Students – The No-Pay MBA is Recruiting
Recruitment time at the No-Pay MBA. I’m looking for people who are going for the whole enchilada, not just taking a few courses.
read moreNo-Pay Article Sparks Debate Over the Value of a MOOC MBA
Since an article about the No-Pay MBA went viral on LinkedIn, I have received an overwhelming response to my project. The LinkedIn article was viewed over 350,000 times (and counting) and shared over ten thousand times. Over 700 comments were posted on it.
read moreNo-Pay MBA’s Media Blitz Brings New Questions
The value of any degree can be broken down into three parts: what you learn, signaling, and connections. Let’s consider how the No-Pay MBA might address each of these.
read moreUdacity: How to Build a Startup
To kick off my unit on entrepreneurship, I’m taking a course from Udacity called How to Build a Startup. It is a fantastic course. First of all, Udacity is different from other platforms both in terms of the format and the concept behind it. What I love about Udacity is that all of the courses are focused on acquiring practical skills.
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Tips for Spring Semester
One of the best things about a No-Pay MBA is that you can start one any time. Because new MOOCs are starting pretty much continuously, it isn’t necessary to stick to a semester schedule. Still, it can be helpful to break up the year into chunks, and many new classes are released around when college semesters typically start. So, as we head into spring semester, here are a few tips to help as you choose your courses.
read moreHow to Design Your Own No-Pay MBA
Get a free MBA using MOOCs. Crafting your own No-Pay MBA requires a bit more creativity than simply enrolling in an off-the-shelf business program. That said, the process is fun, and it allows for plenty of flexibility – and of course an enormous savings. Here’s how to do it.
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