Upgrade your senior year with Brandeis Online
December 4, 2024
Your senior year of undergrad is an exciting time. At this point, you’ve probably completed most of your major and Brandeis core requirements, and you’re probably trying to assemble a schedule of classes that will be both “useful” and “fun” as you balance future plans with a desire to savor the last few months of your undergraduate career.
With course registration for the spring 2025 semester underway, we thought it would be a good time to remind you that, as a senior at Brandeis, your course options aren’t just limited to the ones offered by the undergraduate School of Arts and Sciences. As a Brandeis student, you also have the option to take one Brandeis Online course in each semester of your senior year — at no additional cost.
The benefits of taking an online graduate course are numerous — though few Brandeis undergraduates are aware that this opportunity exists. Continue reading to discover why you should take advantage of this unique Brandeis perk.
1. Explore academic interests and potential career paths
Brandeis’ undergraduate School of Arts and Sciences offers courses in over 50 academic disciplines — but there are only so many topics that the liberal arts can cover. That’s where Brandeis Online steps in.
With graduate-level courses in the areas of Bioinformatics, Business Analytics, Digital Marketing and Design, Jewish Professional Leadership, Project and Program Management, Software Engineering and User-Centered Design, Brandeis Online allows undergraduate students to explore academic interests that cannot be pursued at the undergraduate level.
Professionally-oriented, these courses also enable students to test out potential career paths. As a biology major, you may have an inkling that Bioinformatics is the right field for you — but, by taking RBIF 100: Bioinformatics Scripting and Databases with Python, you can confirm your suspicions before launching yourself into the field. Similarly, as a social sciences major with a passion for technology, you may be interested in exploring User-Centered Design — and taking RUCD 101: User Experience Design is a low-cost way to determine if you can see yourself pursuing a career in the field.
2. Gain resume-ready skills
While undergraduate courses prepare you with broad knowledge that prepares you to succeed in a number of careers, graduate courses provide you with more specific and specialized skills. Designed for professionals, Brandeis Online courses are jam-packed with practical skills and opportunities to gain hands-on experience in your desired field.
Gaining familiarity with industry-standard techniques can boost your resume, making you more marketable to potential employers. For example, you may have the soft skills required to succeed in a career in marketing, taking a course like RDMD 110: Search Engine Marketing and Optimization can give you the hard skills required to stand out. Many Brandeis Online courses also provide you with the opportunity to produce high-quality deliverables that can be added to a portfolio to display your skills.
3. Build your professional network
When you take a Brandeis Online course, you don’t just acquire knowledge and skills. You also gain valuable connections with working professionals from all walks of life.
Brandeis Online students come from a wide range of backgrounds and geographical locations. Many are early and mid-career level professionals who enter with years of experience in their field of study — while others are new to the industry or looking to make a career switch after developing skills in a different field.
While our programs are 100% online, each course involves direct engagement with peers through discussion posts, group projects and more — meaning you’ll have plenty of opportunities to build your network. As a Brandeis Online student, you’ll also have the chance to interact with our world-class faculty, who are all working professionals with expert-level knowledge in their fields.
4. Jump-start your graduate education
Taking a course at Brandeis Online can save you time and money as you pursue a graduate certificate or degree.
Master’s certificates at Brandeis Online require four courses — so if you take two during your senior year, you could be on track to complete a master’s certificate by taking just two more courses after graduation. Or, you could move on to pursue a part-time or full-time master’s degree, completing your program in as little as 1 year. Either way, you’ll get a head-start on your graduate education.
As long as you remain under 22 credits each semester, you can take two Brandeis Online courses with no additional cost. Then, as a Brandeis alumni, you’ll have access to discounted tuition as you complete your certificate or degree. You’ll walk away with valuable credentials — and highly desired skills — at a fraction of the cost.
Interested in taking a Brandeis Online course as a Brandeis senior? Email online@brandeis.edu for information on course offerings and how to enroll.