YU Goes Global: Beyond Classroom Walls

No longer bound by the classroom walls, Yeshiva University is going global. In an aptly-named initiative called YU Global, a new program brings YU faculty and courses to those around the globe who are not geographically suited to attend a class at YU in person.

Overseen by Dr. Selma Botman, YU Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, and Akiva Covitz, Executive Director for Strategy at YU Global, YU Global is an initiative that takes into account the rapidly-changing world of education, which is increasingly moving toward online platforms and which incorporates blended learning.

If anyone can help YU modernize its educational offerings, it’s Covitz: formerly a law and political science professor and a former associate dean at Harvard University Law School, he is also an expert in online education, having served as a vice president at edX, a non-profit created by Harvard and MIT and which now includes more than 50 of the world’s leading universities and more than three million learners. At edX, Covitz worked with university partners globally to establish best practices in online education, and to collaborate with faculty and administrators on educational policy.

Botman and Covitz have put together a team of 12 instructional designers, technologists, and others who are working with YU faculty and staff to translate YU courses to the world of online education through Moodle, an online learning management system which will house YU’s online courses. YU also plans to join Coursera, a popular online learning portal utilized by other universities like Princeton, Yale and the University of Chicago.

For aspiring YU students who live outside the Metropolitan area, or who have full-time jobs and need flexible course schedules, this new initiative fits their needs perfectly. The courses are also for those who have retired but are interested in learning new things for their own edification.

Courses being offered include Principles of Marketing; Mobile Web Application Development; and Microeconomics. YU Global is partnering with the Sy Syms School of Business to offer a fully online Master’s Degree in Digital Marketing beginning in fall 2015. The program covers marketing tactics, strategies, and tools needed to help companies digitally market to the billions of people around the globe in an ever-changing marketplace. YU Global is also offering certificate programs in Applied Computer Science that offer small classes, faculty mentorship, and full immersion in real-world work scenarios. In as little as six months, our curriculum will teach practical skills and the knowledge that will make students job-ready.

“We are especially pleased to provide a significant discount for alumni,” said Covitz. “We invite alumni to consider taking our online technology certificates that will position them for professional success and advancement.  These certificates will allow our graduates to continue their superior education at YU and to maintain their ties to faculty who are dedicated to student success.”

To learn more about our upcoming certificate and degree programs or lifelong learning courses, visit us at www.global.yu.edu.