The pool of MOOC credentials grew rapidly this month: Coursera launched over 40 new Specializations, edX launched new 19 MicroMasters, and Udacity launches 2 new Nanodegrees. Coursera also launched a new MOOC service for businesses.

The New York Times and a number of other non-education-focused organizations are now offering MOOCs.

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Class Central released the first of its MOOC guides: the best programming MOOCs for data science. Plus, we have created new lists of the most highly-reviewed MOOCs to improve your mental health and learn a new language.

Harvard University makes MOOC learners feel like they are actually inside the classroom with a new virtual reality MOOC format for its popular intro to programming course.

We found a number of interesting MOOCs to learn about human rights, neuroscience, music, and more!

TOP STORIES

MOOCS IN VIRTUAL REALITY via Class Central
Harvard University’s very popular intro to programming MOOC now allows you to feel like you’re sitting inside the lecture hall, thanks to a new VR format.

GROWTH OF MOOCS via VentureBeat
The number of MOOCS available has more than doubled in the past year, but forum activity has significantly slowed with new on-demand formats.

MORE MICROMASTERS via edX
EdX launches nineteen new MicroMasters with the help of fourteen partner universities.

NEW YORK TIMES EDU via Class Central
A number of well-known non-education-focused organizations have launched MOOCs, MOOC platforms, and degrees.

COURSERA COMMERCIALS via Class Central
Coursera launches TV ads on major U.S. networks. It has also run ads in the Times of India newspaper.

TEN MOST POPULAR MOOCS via Class Central
The best new courses starting in September 2016.

MOOC COURSE REPORT via Class Central
A list of 1600+ free online courses starting in September 2016.

NEW ONLINE COURSES AND MOOCs via Class Central
The list of 145 new courses added to Class Central in August 2016.

MOOCS IN EUROPE via Class Central
Interviews with European edtech leaders on what they think of MOOCs and learning management systems.

MORE NANODEGREES via Class Central
Udacity launches two new Nanodegrees: one on building self-driving cars and another on virtual reality (both with industry partners).

MOOC OPENINGS via IBL Studios
An opportunity for college instructors who want to participate in the Freshman Year for Free initiative.

FAVORITE MOOCS FOR DATA SCIENCE via Class Central
Our first MOOC guide: The Best Intro to Programming Courses for Data Science.

COURSERA FOR BUSINESS via Coursera
Coursera launches a new service to help businesses train employees.

LEARN LANGUAGES WITH MOOCS via Class Central
We put together a list of language-learning MOOCs.

HAPPINESS MOOCS via Class Central
A list of highly-reviewed happiness-related MOOCs.

NEURO-MOOC via Coursera
The University of Chicago’s popular neuroscience MOOC (over 100,000 learners enrolled) relaunches on October 1, and is now on-demand. It has a Facebook group with over 17,000 members.

HUMAN RIGHTS MOOC via Udemy
The head of Human Rights Watch tweeted about a Udemy course on the history of gender and sexual equality. Taught by two human rights lawyers, it was recorded at the former headquarters of Chile’s military dictatorship. That building is now a community center named after the first Latin American to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, queer poet Gabriela Mistral.

MUSIC MOOCS via Class Central
Article on teaching music through MOOCs by Kadenze co-founder (and Princeton University music professor) Perry Cook.

PARLIAMENT MOOC via Class Central
The UK Parliament launches a MOOC on its own functions.

MOOC STUDYING TIPS via FutureLearn
Helpful MOOC-taking tips from the staff of FutureLearn.

About MOOCWatch

MOOCWatch is a monthly digest of information related to MOOCs meant for professors and administrators, or others who are involved in education and want to stay up-to-date in the MOOC space. In addition to broad coverage, MOOCWatch also contains unique data sourced from Class Central (such as course popularity rankings). To subscribe to MOOCWatch, visit classcentral.com/moocwatch

Anuar Andres Lequerica is Class Central’s analyst. He has a graduate degree in education policy and has taken at least eight online courses across all the different platforms.