This year, a new line of digital currency experts are now ready to take on the problems facing the industry and create solutions for the future. Most importantly, they will be able to do this with unprecedented authority as the graduates of the first ever Master’s program in digital currency.
Students Graduate from First Ever Blockchain Master's Program
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Students of the Blockchain: The First Official ‘Masters’ of the Technology
This Thursday, June 30th 2016, marked the graduation of the first class of the University of Nicosia MSc in Digital Currency. This is the first class of graduates from the first academic program in the world centered on Bitcoin and related, decentralized blockchain technologies.
The MSc program is part of Nicosia University’s business school and provides high-end research, the mindset, tools and practical know-how to students — helping them become professionals in the cutting edge of fintech and computer 
science innovation.
This way, students will be able to finish the program and begin to transform their existing businesses, be more valuable as employees, or start new innovative ventures in the decentralized digital currency and blockchain industry.
Additionally, the program is now expanding to provide additional support to students by granting over €300,000 ( $330,000 USD) in scholarships. This is a promising operation considering the program began as an experiment as the first university, globally, to accept Bitcoin for tuition payments in 2013, and has culminated to a complete graduate program.
The 15 graduates of this June’s class come from 9 different countries and stem from diverse backgrounds such as computer and political science, fintech, banking and professional services, trading, consulting and entrepreneurship, while some of them stepped into the program already holding PhDs.
Caleb Chen, one of the 15 graduates, believes that digital currency is going to have a large role in world affairs one day. As an implication of that he believes digital currency education will become a necessity.
Chen elaborated further on the subject, saying:
“The spread of digital currency is changing the world for the better and finally allowing individuals to take back their privacy and autonomy. Digital currency education will become more widespread, and the University of Nicosia is a trailblazer in this industry.”
As part of the program, students were expected to go through a rigorous and constantly-updated curriculum, taught by leading experts in the field.
They learned how decentralized currencies and distributed ledgers fundamentally operate, how they increasingly interface with international finance, banking and regulation, and how these fit in innovation frameworks. They were then, given a choice of programming or non-programming electives to specialize in.
Programming electives include Cryptographic System Security (COMP 530) and Digital Currency programming (COMP 541). Non-programming elective students can choose to learn more about digital currencies and how they can impact the Developing world (DFIN 535), serve as alternative investments and the financial markets (DFIN 534). Digital Currency Information Systems (MIS 536) is also available as a non-programming elective.
Students can finally conclude their studies and proceed with their future employment or research goals, with a capstone project or thesis.
What do you think of the University of Nicosia’s graduate program in digital currency? Let us know in the comments below!
Images courtesy of shutterstock, Salon.com.
