Since the 2017 explosion of blockchain, many saw it as the next step in the financial evolution. People and even governments use crypto to buy goods and services. By 2022 crypto boomed into a multi-billion business. Fintech companies work on products for healthcare units, corporate outfits, and financial organizations.
The subject of crypto became so popular that universities developed courses around it. Many institutions provide programs and conduct research on fintech and crypto. With their help, students can learn everything about the inner workings of cryptocurrency. There are several prestigious institutions students can pick from. Each has a unique program and staff.
National University of Singapore
The NUS is one of Asia’s best higher education schools. The university boasts high academic achievements, various areas of study, and advanced research. The National University of Singapore is a popular destination for cryptocurrency education.
The NUS has a vigorous research community that focuses on blockchain. It’s involved in entrepreneurship and research activities. The FinTech certificate program takes two months to complete. Upon finishing the course, you get a professional certificate and a traineeship. The courses tackle a variety of fintech aspects:
- Banking and enterprise application
- Innovation in financial services
- Distributed ledgers
- Payments
The National University of Singapore also runs a financial tech lab. Its goal is the development of a virtual banking ecosystem within NUS. The lab also conducts studies on FinTech use in different industries. The university holds yearly seminars on blockchain technology.
University of Nicosia
This is Cyprus’s largest higher education institution. The organization is one of the biggest universities in Southern Europe. It offers courses on blockchain and cryptocurrencies. Its distinguished professors provide comprehensive knowledge on all required topics. Yet, students still take advantage of the dissertation writing services for their convenience. The university’s digital currency program has ten courses. Two of them give students formal graduate degrees.
The University of Nicosia is the first school to offer a master’s degree in digital currency. It covers such topics as banks, disruptive innovations, financial systems, and money. The school also has a master’s program in computer science. It deals with the use and relevance of blockchain technologies.
Students can also take up a free FinTech course online. More than 30,000 people from eighty countries take part in the program. This program is available for free. Students use it as a pathway towards a certificate, master’s, and professional courses.
They cover bitcoin, blockchain use, the basics of digital currency, and tax regulations. Students with a completed free course receive credits. They can be used to achieve a blockchain-oriented master’s degree.
University of Oxford
This is one of the oldest education institutions on the planet. People from different countries try to get into it every year. Oxford is known for its distinguished awards, strong academic discipline, and research. The university offers many courses on blockchain and fintech. They cover such disciplines as management and software engineering.
There are several Oxford programs in these fields that are ideal for beginners. The blockchain program explores the technology’s potential and how it can affect various industries. These include energy, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications.
The fintech course covers banking networks, currency digitalization, and digital platforms. Both programs co-run by Esme Learning take six weeks to complete.
University of California-Berkeley
This Californian university is a go-to destination for students, no matter their specialization. It’s known around the world for its acclaimed academic programs and researchers. The global blockchain industry also holds it in high regard. The University of California-Berkeley has a blockchain initiative with three courses a year. It also conducts research on fintech and blockchain.
The program focuses on blockchain regulations. It analyzes how technology impacts the medical and government sectors. The program also discusses the incentives of new networks. These programs cover three disciplines:
- Lattice-based cryptosystems
- Blockchain fundamentals
- Emerging systems
The institution also uploads lectures on blockchain, crypto, and fintech. These can be accessed for free on its “Blockchain at Berkeley” YouTube channel. It also partnered with Edx on the Blockchain Fundamentals program.
Harvard University
Harvard is one of the United States’ oldest universities and one of the most popular higher education institutions. Its alumni include American presidents, billionaires, Nobel prize laureates, and Fields Medalists. Harvard University has the biggest percentage of students working in the blockchain industry. The school offers a 6-week fintech course.
It covers how technology influences many industries, including banking and real estate. The university added a blockchain and bitcoin course to its computer science program. Harvard also created six free online courses on crypto and blockchain. They are available on Coursera. There are several beginner courses as well as intermediate programs.
They show the application of this technology. Harvard dedicated part of its cyberspace research center to studying financial tech. The Harvard Law School Blockchain and Fintech Initiative explain blockchain and fintech.
Cornell University
This prestigious Ivy League university is famous for its academic standards and research. Out of all higher education institutes, it has the most courses on blockchain. That’s why many future fintech specialists do their best to get into it. A prominent blockchain expert Emin Gün Sirer works as a professor at Cornell.
The university provides two certificate programs that cover fintech and blockchain. Both have four courses to choose from. Cornell also provides 12 blockchain and nine fintech courses outside of these programs. The university builds workshops and seminars with big fintech names.
For example, the founder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, ran a “Crypto Boot Camp” for its students. Buterin made an online seminar available via Cornell’s Video on Demand platform. Andrew Miller, Casey Detrio, and Dr. Ittay Eyal spoke at its blockchain seminars.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MIT is one of the world’s top universities. This institution is well-known for its academic programs and nuanced research. In 2020 MIT had the honor of releasing the biggest number of blockchain publications. The organization holds a well-known yearly FinTech conference with over 30 industry speakers.
Students can enlist in one of 10 blockchain courses. Two of these programs are available online for free. They are conducted under the Digital Currency Initiative. MIT also has a fintech course for graduates. The “Entrepreneurship Without Borders” program is a graduate course. It covers the effect of blockchain on entrepreneurial opportunities. It also discusses the challenges it brings and the creation of new ventures.
MIT also runs a unique Blockchain Ethics course. It covers the influence of blockchain and cryptocurrencies. Other MIT courses include Crypto Finance, Blockchain and Money, and B Digital Frontier. Choosing the right one is up to you.
Conclusion
Some of these universities are hard to get into. But, they do offer free academic courses. It’s important to give those a try before applying for a diploma. You’ll get a real feel of the field and won’t have to spend a lot on education.