Nanodegree provides a possibility of self-development through a quick course of master’s degree studies during which the student completes an academic programme consisting of 15 ECTS credits within less than a half-year period.
According to Chancellor of EBS Mart Habakuk, nanodegrees as a part of a master’s degree programme are the first step towards transfer to a lifelong study format: “The goal of a student who wants to acquire a nanodegree is self-development and expansion of professional network within 4-5 months. Intensive short-term training courses and individual e-studies are not sufficiently effective for changing one’s behaviour and creating new networks.”
The difference between completion of a nanodegree programme and other additional training courses is that by obtaining a nanodegree consisting of 15 ECTS credits, the student completes a part of a master’s degree programme. Depending on the curriculum, the student can obtain a certain number of nanodegrees.
The working material of the Estonia 2035 Strategy prepared by the Government Office of the Republic of Estonia, states that one of the important pillars of future education is the implementation of a flexible lifelong study system that embraces the entire lifespan of a person: “Constant self-development and adaptation to labour market needs help a person to reduce the risk of becoming unemployed, and reduce inequality and rifts within the society." Although participation in lifelong study in Estonia has increased quite significantly, it is necessary to turn more attention to the provision of different flexible solutions (for example, nanodegrees, shorter and more flexible academic programmes, etc.) in the fields of both higher and vocational education.
Vice Rector for Academic Affairs of EBS Maarja Murumägi confirmed that the goal of master’s level nanodegrees is to allow students to study in a flexible manner according to the actual needs of the student or their employer. “Our society is changing rapidly and often quite unpredictably, and so both the employer and the employee must be able to react in a prompt and purposeful manner. Compared to regular two-year degree studies or short-term training courses, nanodegrees allow to do that in a better way,” said Murumägi.
“Indeed, Estonia has managed to build a strong image of a startup-friendly country, however, if we view the economy as a whole, we can see that there is also an increasing need for managers and specialists who are ambitious about their personal growth. In order to meet this need, we must bind management, technology, and entrepreneurship together into a complete whole within education in the fields of economy and business. The next decade will see changes in profiles of approximately half of all jobs, and the pressure to complete retraining or additional training is bigger than ever before, no matter whether you are a specialist or a manager,” added Vice Rector for External Relations and Business Development of EBS Toomas Danneberg.
An EBS nanodegree is a study module consisting of 15 ECTS credits that is completed within up to 5 months. Starting from autumn EBS offers nanodegrees combined from management, marketing, technology, and entrepreneurship subjects. Nanodegree study modules offered by EBS are listed on our nanodegrees page.
