These courses make up the online version of the UBC Micro-certificate in Blockchain Innovation and Implementation.
Course 1: Blockchain Essentials
This non-technical, business-oriented course provides you a holistic, foundational understanding of blockchain technologies, and how they are applied in a wide range of industries and verticals.
While designed for professionals and leaders, this course is for anyone interested in gaining a clear understanding of blockchain technology, where it is useful, and how to connect the dots across the vast blockchain world.
Please note that is not a coding course, and you don’t need a technical background to enrol. Instead, you’ll come away with a toolkit to analyze and evaluate blockchain solutions for your business or organization.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- explain in plain English blockchain principles, opportunities and barriers, and use cases, including cryptocurrencies, NFTs, DeFi, supply chain, identities and many others
- identify and understand the core principles, features, strengths and limitations of blockchain and distributed ledger technologies, including digital tokens, cryptocurrencies, permissions and smart contracts, and how these can create business and societal value
- evaluate blockchain solutions and implications for your business strategies
- understand how blockchain can address existing pain points and augment business processes
- understand how blockchain can disrupt and transform industry and societal sectors by enabling new kinds of organizations, business models, assets and marketplaces
- discuss the current state of blockchain emergence, including common blockchain protocols and their uses.
ONE-WEEK BREAK
Course 2: Planning and Leading Blockchain Projects
This course builds on Blockchain Essentials by illuminating how you can bring blockchain initiatives to life. Blockchain has the potential to create value in many different areas of business and society, but use cases often require organizing and navigating many complex different trade-offs and tensions.
In this course, you’ll gain a toolkit and the frameworks needed to champion and scale blockchain initiatives. The course ends with a design challenge in which teams design and present an original blockchain solution to a significant problem facing society, followed by a virtual networking event.
Please note that is not a coding course, and you don’t need a technical background to enroll. Instead, you’ll come away with a toolkit for designing, governing, implementing and scaling blockchain use cases that create business and social value. You’ll understand what it takes to build a team, and be able to identify and overcome barriers to implementation and adoption.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- apply a toolkit for the design, governance, implementation and scaling of blockchain use cases
- understand and identify barriers to the implementation and adoption of blockchain solutions, and strategies for overcoming these
- understand keys aspects of planning and leading blockchain implementations, building on the experience of industry experts
- understand how you can create a balanced team for designing and building a blockchain solution
- build upon and apply your experience in designing a blockchain solution to address a significant societal challenge through the design challenge group project.
You’ll also come away with a likeminded professional network of blockchain enthusiasts, including your colleagues from the cohort and industry and academic experts you’ll meet in the networking event.
How am I Assessed?
You’re assessed on your participation and ability to demonstrate that you have achieved course outcomes and competencies by completing weekly activities, participating in the discussion posts and your group design challenge presentation, and providing feedback on other groups’ blockchain solutions. You’re also strongly encouraged to attend the live online classes.
Technology Requirements
To take this course, you should have an email account, internet access and an up-to-date web browser. You’ll also need access to a desktop or laptop computer.
Textbooks
There are no textbooks for this course.
Course Format
This 100% online instructor-supported course combines self-paced independent study with live classes held on most Wednesdays from 6pm to 8pm Pacific Time.
Each week, review readings, podcasts and videos that are published online before class, and contribute to a discussion board where you apply your learning to real-world examples.
You’ll need to set aside approximately 5–7 hours a week to complete all learning activities, including attending instructor-led classes. The design challenge is estimated to take upwards of 12 hours, including the live session during which you present your solution.
To register for the program fee:
Registration will open on April 15