Bitcoin is invading the college experience in Illinois as students are flocking to courses that focus on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.
Most college students tend to focus their enthusiasm and energy on courses devoted to their particular major. Classes that fall outside of that purview are often taken due to being easy, allowing students to keep up their GPA. However, a new field of study is proving extremely popular in Illinois colleges, drawing students from multiple disciplines. Professors are reporting that courses devoted to studying Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, as well as the underlying blockchain technology, are filling up almost as soon as they’re posted.
CRYPTO IN THE CLASSROOMIt appears that the subject of cryptocurrency is getting students motivated to show up for class. Quite a few colleges in the state of Illinois are now offering courses specializing in Bitcoin and blockchain. Professors and students are now aware that having knowledge of cryptocurrency and its underlying blockchain technology is vital for forging a career in finance and business. As such, students majoring in those subjects are interested in crypto classes, but they’re not alone. Students majoring in engineering, computer sciences, and from many other fields of study are signing up too.
Some of the universities now offering cryptocurrency classes include Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, Illinois Institute of Technology, DePaul’s Driehaus College of Business, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Some professors have said that interest in such classes is being driven by a younger crowd, eager to dive into this new technology. They note that older faculty and students prefer to focus on traditional financial subjects. Professor Gib Bassett talks of this divide, stating:
"They want to hear about bitcoin. Their parents have told them it’s a tulip bubble. It’s crazy, it’s ridiculous, and their friends who invested three years ago are millionaires. … There’s clearly a generational component to this."
Continue reading
>> http://bitcoinist.com/bitcoin-classes-proving-popular-illinois-colleges/
