NUST MISIS Launches First English Language Pre-Master`s Degree Courses on edX

NUST MISIS launched two online courses on edX — one of the world`s leading educational online platforms, created on the initiative of MIT and Harvard. The courses, on materials science and mathematics, have been specially designed for edX by leading scientists working at NUST MISIS. Users of the global platform will not only have a unique opportunity to take the course, but also to take an exam and receive a certificate, which will be considered during admission to NUST MISIS master`s degree program.

Specifically for one of the world`s largest educational platforms, NUST MISIS developed two unique courses — Materials Science and Engineering and Complex Analysis with Physical Applications.

An outstanding feature of the courses is that they are completely in English and are aimed at providing a deep dive into the subject, lasting from 7 to 14 weeks. Both courses are intended for Bachelor’s degree graduates of engineering and physical specialties. All graduates of the online courses who pass the exams, both Russian citizens and foreign nationals, will receive additional points when applying to NUST MISIS master’s degree program.

“The creation of massive online open courses leads to many changes in the presentation of educational materials: the quantization of short videos of 10 minutes, adding infographics and animations, but the courses also require developments in teaching approaches. We are speaking about the transition to blended learning, when an online course is embedded in the educational process by proving teachers an opportunity to use a wider range of pedagogical practices: flipped classroom, project-oriented teaching, and other things. The concept of the educational process is changing: from simply relaying knowledge to a more full interaction with students, and the formation of an active position. The ability to study online and independently in today`s rapidly changing world may be one of the key factors of competitiveness”, — explained Alevtina Chernikova, Rector of NUST MISIS.

Students taking the advanced math course “Complex Analysis with Physical Applications” can easily solve all kinds of differential equations and integrals encountered in theoretical & applied physics and materials science. The course is filmed with the use of an LED board. Video tutorials also include lots of animated clips explaining the material further. The online course is designed for 14 weeks.

Material for the “Complex Analysis with Physical Applications” course is fully and uniquely designed: brand new lectures and tasks were collected and compiled by authors throughout the past 6 years.

The authors of the course are Konstantin Tikhonov, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, and research associate at the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, the Russian Academy of Science, and Yaroslav Radionov, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, and research associate at the Department of Theoretical Physics and Quantum Technologies at NUST MISIS.

“Some of the problems designed for the course arose from everyday research and the homework assignments feature their adapted versions. Part of the course is a reinterpretation of the material presented in the reference books on higher transcendental functions. We did our best to deliver it in a unified framework. Our goal was to arm students with powerful techniques so they could reproduce most of the properties of special functions without the use of reference books”, — said Yaroslav Rodionov, one of the course’s authors.

The Materials Science and Engineering course, designed for 7 weeks, represents a broad interdisciplinary approach to the understanding of mechanical, electrical, optical, and magnetic properties of materials. Professor Alexander Mukasyan, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Director of NUST MISIS Center of Functional Nano-Ceramics, and Professor at the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Notre Dame (USA) will deliver the course’s lectures.

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