Online MSc in
Blockchain and Digital Currency
The World’s First Master’s Degree in Blockchain & Crypto
We are at the beginning of a global wave of demand for blockchain academic and professional education and certification. The University of Nicosia was the first to recognize this need and responded by offering the first Master of Science degree in Blockchain and Digital Currency, available to students worldwide through an online format since 2014 and on campus since 2021. The programme is hosted by the Department of Digital Innovation.
Next Start Date: September 2024
Request Information
Why Choose UNIC
For Your Master’s Degree in Blockchain and Digital Currency
Academic
Quality
Taught by leading faculty and industry practitioners from around the world
Student
Community
Largest blockchain and metaverse student community in the world
Professional
Development
Networking opportunities in the Blockchain and Metaverse industries
SCHOLARSHIPS
€300,000 in merit-based and need-based scholarships
By participating in this program, students are positioning themselves to be part of an exclusive set of professionals in business/finance and IT that have a broad understanding of the financial, regulation, cryptography, game theory, and technology innovation markets that are enabled by blockchains.
Bridging the gap
The program seeks to fill an important gap that exists today between the supply of and demand for academic knowledge in the areas of Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain technology. More specifically, while the interest in blockchain has skyrocketed in the past few years, academic institutions have been slow to implement academic programs that cover the need for educating specialists in the area, addressing it in its entirety (technical and financial aspects alike).
An increasing number of finance, banking, computing, supply chain, SaaS, AI and IoT businesses are discovering the benefits of this technology. This new potential and the new risks it may involve have to be carefully evaluated by expert lenses, not just in one field, but through the interface of many expert tangents. In this increasingly competitive and interconnected environment, challenges abound and there are no easy solutions. The more spherical the education, the more responsible business decisions can be made, and the best vectors to maximize the advantages out of the use of this technology, can be achieved.
Includes MOOC on Digital Currency
Taught by world leading experts Andreas Antonopoulos, Antonis Polemitis & George Giaglis and attended by over 110,000 students, the ‘Free MOOC: Digital Currency’ is the world’s first MOOC on Digital Currencies.
This MOOC covers both a technical overview of decentralized digital currencies like Bitcoin, as well as their broader economic, legal and financial context. Through this free online course, students get first-hand knowledge of what they are, why they exist, why they are so important for improving financial services, and more.
Watch a video of the truly inspiring story of one of our first MOOC students, Tey El-Rjula, and his journey from refugee to blockchain entrepreneur.
Degree Overview
The MSc in Blockchain and Digital Currency is offered online to students worldwide and the language of instruction is English. The first course in the degree pathway, BLOC-511DL: Digital Currency, is available for free as an open enrollment MOOC course to anyone interested in learning more about the fundamental principles of digital currency. This course is co-taught by Andreas Antonopoulos, who is among the most known and well-respected figures in bitcoin and Blockchain.
Qualification | Duration | Mode of Study | Language of Instruction | Minimum ECTS Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
Master of Science in Blockchain and Digital Currency | 3 semesters or 1 calendar year | Distance Learning / Online | English | 90 |
What You Will Learn
Upon successfully completing the program, graduates will demonstrate the following learning outcomes based on Bloom’s Taxonomy:
Teaching Methodology
The programme is offered through distance learning so as to be accessible to all interested students, irrespective of their geographic location. Within the distance-learning paradigm, the programme deploys various teaching methods: while the majority of the courses consist of lectures delivered by the faculty course lecturer(s), in some cases it may be deemed appropriate and beneficial to host guest lecturers with academic and business background related to topics covered in courses.
Moreover, practical exercises, individual and group projects, simulations, and case study analyses, will form an integral part of the teaching methodology employed in the programme.
Career Prospects
The programme gives students the opportunity to acquire deeper knowledge and skills in the field of Blockchain and Digital Currencies. This is a relatively new area of practice and research that is expected to provide ample employment opportunities for program graduates in various and inter-disciplinary positions at the intersection between management, computer science, and finance.
The programme is both theoretical and practical and has been designed to allow the students to choose those elective courses that will meet their future career goals. Regardless of the stream chosen by students, each instructor strives to create an inspiring atmosphere for the students and enhances the learning experience.
Graduates may become
- Managers in FinTech, RegTech industries or related posts in finance, regulation, and government offices
- Senior Technical Developers or Administrators in the ICT marketplace
- Entrepreneurs
Access to further studies
The programme will provide the basis for acceptance to a doctoral degree in the emerging field of Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain, in areas that depend on each student’s background, chosen electives, and research interests: computer science (including cryptography, security, distributed and mobile IT systems), finance, management, innovation, and technology regulation.
Admission Requirements, Assessment and Regulations
Tuition and Scholarships
Scholarships
The University of Nicosia believes strongly in expanding accessibility to and affordability of higher education. For this academic year, the MSc in Blockchain and Digital Currency program has over €300,000 euros of financial aid available to students attending the MSc program, through a combination of merit scholarships, need-based scholarships and work-study programs.
Since the MSc program has a rolling admissions policy, scholarships are reviewed and awarded monthly, in conjunction with admissions decisions.
Scholarship Application
- All scholarship applications must also be accompanied by a brief cover letter explaining their eligibility.
- Only students who have completed their MSc application and have been accepted to the MSc are eligible to submit a scholarship application.
- Each student can earn a maximum of one (1) merit or need-based scholarship, though need and merit scholarships can be combined.
- Work-study programs can be combined with either need or merit scholarships upon special approval.
- Scholarships are applied on a pro-rata basis to each course in the MSc.
- The University of Nicosia reserves the right, at its sole discretion to award or not award any scholarship to any student and/or to change the number of scholarships awarded, their eligibility requirements or any other aspect of the financial aid program.
Degree outline
The programme is structured into three semesters, with 30 ECTS per semester.
The first two semesters include three courses each, which are required for the completion of the programme, whereas the third semester includes courses that students should choose among a wide list of elective courses. There is a thesis option (30 ECTS) for students wishing to substitute elective courses during the third semester.
ECTS Credit Requirements
Required Courses (1st semester) – 30
Required Courses (2nd semester) – 30
Elective Courses (3rd semester) – 30
or Thesis option – 30
Total Requirements – 90
To successfully complete the programme, students must complete 90 ECTS and all programme requirements.
Program Pathway
SEMESTER BREAKDOWN
NOTES
In the 3rd semester, the required electives are 30 ECTS: either (a) three elective courses, (b) Thesis or (c) Placement/Internship.
The above semester breakdown is an indicative one. A few of the courses are electives and can be substituted by others. Students may contact their academic advisor and consult their academic pathway found on this website.
Meet Your Instructors
The University of Nicosia has one of the largest teams in the world in academia focused on blockchain and digital currency issues.