Dive Brief:
- The University of Oklahoma and the History Channel are partnering on what is being billed as the first TV network-branded online course for college credit.
- The university's Steve Gillon, a scholar-in-residence at History Channel, will teach the course, "United States, 1865 to the Present," which was opened for enrollment Tuesday.
- The start date for the 16-week course is set for Jan. 12, 2015, and it will include professionally-produced video lectures alongside quizzes, discussion groups, and multimedia material from the History Channel.
Dive Insight:
The price tag? $500 — though "lifelong learners" can sign up for $250. Regardless, the pricing is pretty competitive for a three-credit course, especially if you're already a student or a prospective high-schooler hoping to get a head start. According to the release, it's also running on OU's Janux, as opposed to a third party platform.
While we've previously seen networks like AMC successfully partner on a MOOC centered around "The Walking Dead," this is, indeed, the first time we can recall seeing a TV network-university partnership for a for-credit course. And it's likely only the beginning.