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Some people can justify an investment of two years and $100,000 to get an MBA. I could not.
有些人能找到理由证明花上两年时间和10万美元去读个工商管理硕士(MBA)学位是值得的。我可做不到这点。
I was working in Nicaragua for the International Finance Corporation, the development institution, was newly married, and preparing to leave for a post in Rwanda. Facing a break in employment, I considered business school, but when I did the maths — time out of the workforce, forgone earnings, cost of living expenses, and the price of the MBA itself — the numbers did not seem to add up.
我当时是开发机构“国际金融公司”(International Finance Corporation)驻尼加拉瓜工作人员，刚刚结婚，正准备前往卢旺达从事一份新的工作。面对职业上的这段空档期，我考虑去读商学院，但我掂量了下脱产的时间、放弃的收入、生活开销成本和MBA本身的学费，发现这么做似乎并不合算。
Then I heard about massive open online courses (Moocs) from a friend with an MBA who was taking a finance course as a refresher. I explored the larger Mooc platforms and was excited to find the foundations of a complete masters in business administration, with more courses coming online all the time. I saw an opportunity to build the education I desired, free, without interrupting my career.
后来，我从一个已有MBA学位的朋友那里听说了“大规模开放在线课程”(MOOC)。这个朋友当时正在MOOC平台上读一门金融课程，为的是温故而知新。我研究了下规模较大的MOOC平台，激动地发现上面有完成MBA学位所需的基础课程，并且不断有新的课程被放到网上。我认为这是一个机会，能够帮我完成我想要的那种学习，也就是既免费又不必中断职业生涯。
Completion rates in Moocs are notoriously low. In order to stay motivated, I decided to blog about my experiment, which I titled The No-Pay MBA.
MOOC的完成率出名的低。为了保持学习动力，我决定写博客记录下我的学习体验，博客的名字是“免费MBA”（No-Pay MBA）。
A year and a half later, I am well on my way to achieving my goal: to replicate a two-year full-time MBA programme over three years of part-time study. So far, I have taken about 20 business courses. Like a traditional degree programme, my business education as a whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. Not only am I learning new skills and concepts in a series of courses, I am having an immersive experience and the way that I think is evolving.
一年半过去了，我朝着我的目标——即通过三年的不脱产学习完成为期两年的全日制MBA项目——顺利迈进。迄今为止，我已选了大约20门商学课程。同传统的学位项目一样，我的商学学习整体上的收获要远大于各组分之和。我不仅是在一系列课程中学习新的技能和理念，而且是在享受一种身临其境的体验，我的思维方式也在演变。
Online degree programmes have been around for years, and distance learning as a whole is much older. What is new is that I am able to take courses from top business programmes: accounting from Wharton, entrepreneurship from Sloan, strategy from Darden — the list goes on — without paying anything.
在线学位项目已存在多年，笼统意义上的远程教育则可追溯到更早的时间。与之前不同的是，现在我能够从顶尖的商学项目中选择课程，比如选择沃顿商学院(Wharton)的会计课、斯隆管理学院(Sloan)的创业课、达顿商学院(Darden)的战略课等等，而且无需支付任何费用。
There are other benefits to designing my own curriculum. The entire universe of Moocs is open to me, and I can tailor my studies to my interests. If I discover that a course does not meet my needs, I can study something different without waiting an entire semester and without wasting any money.
自己设计自己的课程组合还有其他优点。整个MOOC世界都向我敞开，我可以根据我的兴趣定制我的学习。如果我发现有哪项课程不符合我的需要，我可以立即更换别的课程，不用为此等上一整个学期，也不会浪费一分钱。
Some elements of the MBA experience are harder to replicate than others. I miss out on the benefits of the business school network and of being part of a cohort of students. However, through my website, I can connect with other Mooc business students, as well as with professionals involved in the start-up culture that has emerged around Moocs.
MBA学习体验的某些元素要比另一些元素更难复制过来。我无法享受到商学院人脉资源和成为学生群体一份子所带来的好处。但是，通过我的网站，我可以同其他MOOC商学学生以及被MOOC催生的创业文化吸引进来的专业人士建立联系。
Another disadvantage of Moocs is that they do not always require a student to apply the content in a hands-on way. A typical MBA programme is packed with internships, class projects and international travel.
MOOC的另一个不足是，它们不总是要求学生将所学内容应用于实践。典型的MBA项目则包含实习、课程项目和国际游学。
To fill that gap, I have sought out ways to apply my skills in real-world settings: at work, through volunteering and in the management of my website.
为了填补这个不足，我探索了很多方法在现实环境中运用我的技能，比如在工作中、在志愿者活动中、在我网站的管理中运用。
The best of these experiences showed me how Mooc students might find a path to employment. To complete the final project for Foundations of Business Strategy, I found a “digital internship” through a platform called Coursolve, which brings together learners and businesses for short projects. The project I chose was to conduct strategic analysis for Coursolve itself. The experience was so positive — on both sides — that I am now consulting for the company part time.
这些经历的最大好处就是让我认识到MOOC学生如何能找到工作机会。为了完成“商业战略基础”(Foundations of Business Strategy)这门课的最后一个项目，我通过名为Coursolve的平台找到了一个“数字实习”(digital internship)机会。Coursolve帮助学生和企业建立起联系，来完成一些短期项目。我选择的项目是对Coursolve本身展开战略分析。这次实习经历雇佣双方都很满意，因此，我现在成了这家公司的兼职顾问。
I am often asked whether I will get a degree when I finish my studies. The answer is no, but this has never bothered me. After I “graduate” (likely in May 2016), I have no doubt that I will be able to use my unique experience the next time I search for a job. For a certain type of employer, the creative way I have sought my education and the publicity I have garnered for doing so are more indicative of my potential than a regular MBA degree would be.
我经常被问到的一个问题是，我完成学业后能否获得学位。答案是否定的，但我从不把这放在心上。在我“毕业”（很可能在2016年5月）后，我敢肯定我能够在下次找工作时应用我独特的经验。对某类雇主来说，我创造性的求学和在此过程中赢得的知名度，要比一个常规的MBA学位更能体现我的潜能。
I went into this project seeking to further my career in international development. In the process, I have developed a keen interest in the business of online learning and in the potential of Moocs to greatly expand access to education worldwide.
我当时涉足这个项目是为了推进我在国际开发领域的职业发展。在整个过程中，我对在线教学行业以及MOOC大幅增进全球民众受教育机会的潜力产生了浓厚的兴趣。
I live in one of the poorest countries in Africa, and am getting a world-class business education for the price of a high-speed internet connection. To me, that is a game-changer. In the next phase of my career, I look forward to helping rewrite the rules.
我如今居住在非洲最贫穷的国家之一，正在接受世界级水平的商学教育，付出的成本只是高速互联网连接的费用。对我来说，这是一个能够改变游戏规则的尝试。在我职业发展的下一阶段，我期望自己能为改写规则出一份力。
Laurie Pickard runs the nopaymba.com website
本文作者是网站nopaymba.com的负责人
