University of Nicosia, the first university in the world to offer a degree in blockchain and digital currency, has announced that the previously online master’s course is also now available on campus.

“Our students will now also have the opportunity to pursue this unique MSc degree on campus at the University of Nicosia, fully immersing themselves alongside the crypto research team housed at the university’s Institute for the Future (IFF) and benefiting from continuous interaction with faculty, PhD candidates and fellow students,” said professor George Giaglis, at the university’s Department of Digital Innovation, which hosts the MSc programme.

The three-semester programme, “will help address the global talent shortage for competent professionals in this rapidly evolving field” said the university’s press release.

With the start date set on September 27, 2021, the programme is designed to prepare competent professionals in the fields of digital assets and blockchain technology, ultimately helping to bridge the talent gap between supply and demand for properly educated engineers, developers, analysts, consultants, regulators, and policymakers.

Students will benefit from a holistic coverage of the field, including courses in finance and economics, business management, and computer science, all focused on existing and emerging crypto applications, such as Decentralised Finance (DeFi) and asset tokenisation.

According to professor Giaglis, 92 per cent of graduates from the specific MSc degree are employed within six months of graduation, with 54 per cent of them finding new jobs directly relating to the crypto/blockchain field since the first academic programme in 2014.

UNic also offers a free online Introduction to Digital Currencies, in which 40,000 students from 120 countries have participated so far.

“Considering that blockchain has topped the list of skills employers are looking for in employees around the world (LinkedIn, 2020) and that demand for blockchain-based jobs is set to continue experiencing tremendous growth, we expect our graduates to be highly sought after,” the professor added.

UNic is a world leader in crypto and blockchain education and research, having been the first university in the world to offer a degree in the field and the first to adopt blockchain to publish its academic certificates and diplomas for instant online verification of degree authenticity.

The university also advises the European Commission on blockchain matters, as the academic lead of the EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum, and maintains partnerships with many prominent crypto protocols and projects for joint research and technology development.

For more information please contact Hazal Aripinar ([email protected]) and/or visit the official programme page: www.unic.ac.cy/blockchain-and-digital-currency-msc.