It’s fitting that the world’s first college degree in cryptocurrencies is offered in Cyprus — one of the first geographical regions that widely embraced Bitcoin. The University of Nicosia in Cyprus has decided to offer a Master of Science in the study, and the program’s first course, Introduction to Digital Currencies, is available free online.

The course is taught by cryptocurrency guru Andreas Antonopoulos and Ledra Capital managing partner Antonis Polemitis. The University is currently enrolling students for the course.

The class’s introduction states that it will cover:

“[T]he theory and principles by which cryptocurrencies operate, practical examples of basic cryptocurrency transactions, the likely interaction of cryptocurrencies with the banking, financial, legal and regulatory systems, and how cryptocurrencies could be viewed within a framework of innovation and development. "At the end of the free MOOC [Massive Open Online Course], students who successfully qualify will receive their free academic certificates whose authenticity can be verified through the Bitcoin blockchain.”

Stephen DeMeulenaere is currently taking the class and reached out to Cointelegraph to share his thoughts on his experience:

“I just checked and there are now 497 people registered to take the course. Each lesson is comprised of a .pdf which covers the key points. Self-assessment activities are given at the end of each lesson to allow students the opportunity to demonstrate their learning. There is also a [weekly] live session that students may attend.”

Stephen is the co-founder of Coin Academy, a site that itself offers free courses on digital currencies.

“Aside from the fact that we're competitors, I think it's important that we never stop learning, and we should all be taking as many courses as we can, said DeMeulenaere. “This field has been changing rapidly since the PC computer was made available to the public, and it will continue to change rapidly for decades to come. This is what excites us and motivates us to be better educators.”

Stephen also explained:

“The course is very professionally and academically presented. Although the course is free, students are expected to behave appropriately in the forums as they would if they were a University student. “The learning method is clear enough, and at 52 pages for the first lesson, is demanding enough to require focused attention. The activities are useful and meaningful. I'm very much going to enjoy following the course through to the end and taking the final exam. “I may just take each of their courses to keep up-to-date with rapid developments, and engage intellectually with my fellow learners.”

The course also features a forum in which students may discuss the class material, like “The Byzantine Generals' problem” (week two), “Digital currency and central banking” (week four) and “Alternative uses of the blockchain” (week nine).

The course lasts 12 weeks, though latecomers (which is anyone signing up after October 15) may have access to previously released materials. Inquisitive minds put-off by the ivory tower-like atmosphere of many university settings may also be encouraged by the last sentence of the course’s syllabus:

“This is a brand-new field, nobody has all the answers - we also hope to learn from you.”

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