Udacity is one of the leading MOOC ( Massive Open Online Course ) course platforms in the technology and computer science niche. Founded in 2011 through an experiment conducted by the renowned Stanford University, in which its members Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig developed a technological innovation project through which they offered the online course “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence” to anyone, free of charge . Since then, the platform has brought together the biggest names in the areas mentioned to offer online courses.
Despite being widely known for offering its MOOC courses, Udacity also offers courses at different levels of expertise and with different durations. Among them, perhaps the main differential of the Udacity platform is the so-called Nanodegree courses. These courses have been gaining more and more attention in recent months, both for their growing popularity and for their transformative potential in relation to the market.
In this article, we present the main characteristics of Udacity Nanodegree courses, discussing their strengths and limitations. If you are a technology or computer science professional and are thinking about investing in your training to work in the market and stand out in your profession, read this article until the end and learn about Udacity’s Nanodegree courses.
What is Udacity Nanodegree
Udacity Nanodegree are Udacity’s higher education courses that approach higher academic education. These courses seek to serve an advanced audience, forming professionals who want to work in selected areas of the market and who, therefore, need up-to-date and in-depth theoretical training.
In addition, Udacity’s Nanodegree courses provide the student with the opportunity to learn in a practical way to solve certain problems and challenges in the labor market, since the courses require the student to solve real demands of the companies with which Udacity has partnerships.
In summary, the Udacity Nanodegree is the most complete way to learn information technology, development, computer science or any other specialty offered by Udacity through these courses. Both the theoretical knowledge and the practical knowledge acquired in these courses is far superior to what can be obtained through a traditional vocational course, which is why the Udacity Nanodegree courses are an excellent differential for entering the labor market.
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How Udacity Nanodegree is structured
As they are advanced level courses, superior to typical technical courses, Nanodegree courses are structured as follows:
- Average duration estimated around 12 to 18 months
- Very specific technical content adapted to market demands
- Broader theoretical content than short courses
- Highest level of requirement
- Possibility of conducting internships and carrying out practical projects (sometimes even as a requirement for certain assessments)
- Certificates with great value in the labor market, as the professional is now seen as a professional with higher education than any technologist in the same area
The course usually has new content released weekly, but there is some flexibility regarding the completion time. Depending on your availability and ease of adherence, some classes may be released with a shorter time interval, thus facilitating its completion. However, practical classes require a minimum percentage of the theoretical course completed and, considering that the practical experience consists of working on real projects of Udacity partner companies, there is no way to complete some practical projects faster.
How Udacity Nanodegree works
Udacity Nanodegree works like a higher education course, especially due to the following characteristics:
- Syllabus: you have access to more in-depth content on the areas covered by the platform, having a superior and more complete experience than a free course or a technical level course in the same area of expertise.
- Duration: Udacity’s nanodegree courses have an average duration of 12 to 18 months, much longer than technical courses that can be completed in even a few weeks. This duration allows for an immersion approaching that of a conventional higher education course.
- Practical experience: another extremely relevant feature, which provides great value to Udacity’s nanodegree courses, is the fact that these courses offer the opportunity for students to carry out practical activities working on real projects from Udacity partner companies. By working on these projects, the student is truly prepared to act in the job market, since the demands that the student helps to solve during the course are exactly the same demands he will find in the job market.
- Certification: The certificate for Udacity’s nanodegree courses is similar to a certificate for an Open Course or a MOOC course on the platform. In this sense, the course doesn’t even come close to a higher education course at a conventional institution. However, for the purposes of passing job interviews or even for a career path in a renowned company, having a nanodegree course certificate from Udacity is a great advantage. That’s because companies that are familiar with these courses know that both their theoretical content and their practical content are aimed at training qualified professionals ready to carry out what they learned during the course.
Like any other Udacity course, you have access to the contents of the nanodegree course you wish to take through your student area. Just log in to review what has already been studied, advance in the course in question or even perform assessments, when applicable. It is also through your login that you will request the certificate (if you wish) after completing the course. All Udacity courses have time flexibility in relation to progress. Students with more aptitude may end up completing the course more quickly, while less experienced students may require more time. The same applies to nanodegree courses, although these courses have a minimum time and a maximum time for completion.
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For whom Udacity Nanodegree is recommended
Udacity Nanodegree is for any professional in the fields of computer science, information technology or software development who wants to work in the market in high positions. As it is a course with theoretical and practical experience, Udacity Nanodegree is the ideal investment in the training of professionals who already have some experience in the area and want to evolve exponentially in their career.
Udacity Nanodegree Prices
Udacity Nanodegree prices vary depending on the course chosen. On average, you can complete a nanodegree course at Udacity with an investment of $1,500 to $2,500.00. In addition, some programs work with professional training incentive through caschback. In some courses, if you manage to complete the entire theoretical and practical course within 12 months, you can get back up to 50% of the amount invested in your training.
It is important to mention that these values are only approximate. Specific courses can have different values for a number of reasons, mainly due to the duration of the course, the amount of practical classes and the level of demand of the projects that are carried out during the training.
Udacity Nanodegree has Free Courses
Udacity Nanodegree has free courses, however these courses do not offer the full paid course experience. The main differentials of the free Udacity Nanodegree courses are:
- Certification: Free courses do not provide access to certificates. If you want to prove your investment in the course, you need to request the certificate after its completion, and this implies subsidizing the cost of this process.
- Practical experience: the free modules of nanodegree Udacity courses do not give access to practical experience. This is because this process requires the supervision of a responsible teacher, and this only occurs during complete private training.
- Theoretical content : The theoretical content of the free modules is reduced. In general, you will only have access to the introductory and introductory modules for the entire nanodegree training. It’s a way for you to get to know the course for free and assess whether it’s worth investing in full training.
It is worth remembering that the Udacity platform has many MOOC courses, which can be accessed for free in full, paying only for the issuance of the certificate if you wish.
Udacity Nanodegree is Certified
Every course offered by the Udacity platform has the option of certification, and Nanodegree courses are no different. However, it is important to pay attention to some requirements, as explained below.
1 – Completion time
Udacity Nanodegree courses have an estimated completion time between 12 to 18 months, on average, and you have some flexibility in relation to this period, so that depending on your availability and your learning ability, you may end up completing these courses in more or less less time. However, in order for you to have access to the certificate of completion, you cannot exceed the maximum estimated time for completing the course.
2 – Basic theoretical content requirements
In order for you to have access to the certificate, you must have attended all theoretical classes and, in some cases, demonstrate an aptitude to work with these concepts in the labor market. For this reason, many Udacity nanodegree courses have theoretical assessments, which you need to achieve a minimum grade in order to apply for your certificate.
3 – Good performance in practical projects
The practical projects of the Udacity nanodegree courses are real projects, from companies with which the platform establishes partnerships. You are expected to have difficulty performing some of these problems, or even to make some mistakes. But, if you had a good performance in the theoretical classes, it is not expected that the practical challenges will be a significant limitation for you, after all, these are the projects that, in theory, you will carry out in the future in the job market. So, in order to get certified in Udacity’s nanodegree courses, you also need to perform well in your practical projects.
By complying with all these requirements and having completed payment for the course, you can apply for your certificate of completion at any time. This certificate can be accepted in the labor market and in the academic market, being a great differential for job interviews and for the professional career plan, if you work in companies with internal recruitment policies for advancement in specific positions.
Udacity Nanodegree Instructors
All Udacity instructors are professionals with experience in the market, and the same applies to instructors of nanodegree courses. As a matter of fact, as Udacity’s nanodegree courses are proposed to be seen as superior courses, the platform ends up investing enormously in hiring qualified instructors. Therefore, Udacity Nanodegree instructors are professionals with experience teaching in higher education institutions, or at least professionals whose work represents considerable relevance to the market.
User experience
Udacity is a true reference in the technology and computer science niche, so the user experience of their courses tends to be always positive. The main elements of the platform that contribute to the user experience at Udacity are:
- Excellent theoretical level of classes and courses
- Objective courses relevant to market demands
- Intuitive platform with optimized layout
- Courses that contribute to insertion in the labor market
These same elements are present in Udacity Nanodegree, so that users who invest in this course usually have their experience evaluated as positive.
Advantages (Pros) of Udacity Nanodegree
Of the numerous advantages of the Udacity Nanodegree, the most notable are the following:
- Complete training with great theoretical foundation
- Experienced teachers with recognized authority in the market
- Courses with a certificate that can help enormously in entering the labor market
- Possibility of carrying out practical experience, solving real demands of large companies in the market
- Relevant professional recognition, with the possibility of occupying well-paid positions in large companies
- Flexibility of time to carry out training with considerable autonomy
- Course with content and value perception superior to technical level courses in the market
- Platform
Disadvantages (Cons) of Udacity Nanodegree
The disadvantages of Udacity’s Nanodegree courses are not a consensus. Students with more experience, with more conditions to make more ambitious investments or even who already have experience in the market may not consider an objection features that another student, in another context, may consider a disadvantage of Udacity’s Nanodegree courses.
Anyway, the characteristics of these courses that are most often mentioned as disadvantages are as follows:
- Language: the platform only offers nanodegree courses in English
- Investment: even though it is an excellent cost-benefit ratio, the average investment of nanodegree courses can be an objection for many students
- Duration: the course requires greater availability of dedication, as there are weekly classes for long periods
- Certificate: every course on the Udacity platform has the option of certification for those who complete their requirements, but nanodegree courses have a simple completion certificate, equivalent to a free course (although in some areas and in specific selection processes the perceived value of this certificate may be larger)
In summary, the characteristics of Udacity’s Nanodegree courses are interpreted as disadvantages by everyone who is still starting in the field and do not have the resources to invest, or by those who seek a complete education with a higher-level certificate, such as an Undergraduate course of a traditional higher education institution.
Udacity Nanodegree is worth it
Udacity Nanodegree courses are very specific. In addition to being courses with higher investment and with a workload greater than the workload of many courses, Udacity nanodegree courses expose students to very challenging practical activities, which is why these courses are well evaluated by a select group of students.
But without a doubt, Udacity Nanodegree is worth it for those who fit into the following categories:
- Computer science and technology professional who already has basic theoretical knowledge
- Professional who seeks to enter the job market or take ambitious steps in his career, occupying positions of notoriety in the market
- People who have already reached a considerable level of knowledge and experience in the areas of interest of Udacity courses (technology, computer science, data science, etc.)
- Student who wants to have a complete experience, both with deeper theoretical content and with the possibility of carrying out practical projects in real projects of outstanding companies in the market
Conclusion
The Udacity platform is one of the most renowned platforms for online courses in the technology area, and its nanodegree courses are a great differential of the platform. These courses offer a complete and enriching experience for those looking to work in the market, as the course has in-depth theoretical knowledge, practical experience with real projects and certification proving the experience. Students who complete Udacity’s nanodegree courses tend to have a strong competitive advantage in the job market, as these courses are widely known as well-known, comprehensive professional courses. So, if you already have basic or intermediate knowledge, and want to invest in something more complete to effectively leverage your career, visit the Udacity platform right now and learn about the platform’s nanodegree courses.