It seems that Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have been popping up everywhere as of late. This has become a great opportunity for engineers to sharpen their skills or introduce themselves to new topics they might need in the workplace. MOOCs also serve as a great way to try out a topic before plunging into an expensive degree. A “gateway drug” into an online engineering masters, so to speak.

Here is a short list of MOOCs which have come into the RSS feeds of ENGINEERING.com that we think the engineering community might find interesting.

German Engineering

“German Engineering” as a term has become quite a selling point in the automotive, aerospace and precision machinery industries. It was not a shock then to see that TU9, an alliance of Germany’s leading Institute of Technology, has launched an English lecture series on the topic.

Set to launch in October 2014, the course will outline the core content, structures, questions and methods of various engineering disciplines and STEM subjects. The 9-week program will feature videos from professors who are specialists in their fields. Assignments will complement the course content and forum discussions. Students will get a look into degree programs and will be able to ask questions of university staff. The MOOC is specifically targeting engineers looking for a master’s degree from a German University. However, TU9’s MOOC could also serve as an introduction to a topic found at a more local University or online setting.

The topics will include: Aerospace, Digital Engineering, Future Cities, Future Materials, Machines of the World, Mechanics, Mobility, Robotics and “Start Up”.

Google and Udacity

Another recent MOOC announcement came from Google and Udacity, who will offer four courses for engineers looking to learn programing for mobile and the android operating system.

The courses will cover the fundamentals of Android, cloud, UX and web performance. These are all up and coming concepts in the tech world and may come in handy when looking for employment at Google or elsewhere.

Though a computer engineering masters might look more prestigious, an MOOC like this might offer access to more up-to-date information.

AT&T and Udacity’s Nanodegree

Google isn’t the only corporation using MOOCs to train the next generation of STEM workers. AT&T and Udacity recently announced an online “nanodegree” program for that very purpose.

Though offered in MOOC format, the nanodegree certification will be recognized by various companies (AT&T Business Roundtable and TechNet) and will cost about $200/month for the 12-month program. The course will focus on the software skills that entry-level employees will need to succeed, such as iOS and user interfaces. The courses target a diverse range of students including women, minorities, unemployed, youth and more.

Johns Hopkins’ Biotechnology Education

Another tech trend engineers may want to learn more about is Biotechnology. Luckily, Johns Hopkins now offers an MOOC on bioinformatics.

The course will take a different approach to online learning than other MOOCs. It will feature interviews with leaders in the field of bioinformatics dispersed throughout the course. The program looks at the big data associated with the field of bioinformatics and other biological fields from genetics to medicine.

It is their hope that such an approach will engage students more than traditional PowerPoint-based courses.

Next Steps

Of course, these courses only scrape the top of the MOOC iceberg. If you have heard of interesting MOOCs and other online courses please comment below.

Moreover, if you are interested in further pursuing what you have learned in an MOOC, perhaps it is time to consider an online engineering masters?