Udacity

Udacity is an American online education platform offering MOOC-style courses and nanodegree programs. It was founded in 2011 by Sebastian Thrun, David Stavens, and Peter Norvig, emerging from Thrun's Stanford University artificial intelligence course. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Offerings include free-to-audit courses with optional paid certificates. The primary program is the Nanodegree, a paid, project-based curriculum with mentor support, focusing on technology and data skills such as programming, data science, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, autonomous systems, and digital marketing. Programs emphasize portfolio-ready projects and career services.

Partnerships and model: Udacity collaborates with universities and tech companies to design curricula and provide hands-on projects. It also operates Udacity for Enterprise, a corporate training service. Revenue comes from paid Nanodegree programs, with scholarships and financial aid available in some programs.

Reception and impact: Since its inception, Udacity has grown to millions of learners worldwide. The platform has faced criticism regarding program costs and reported job outcomes, with some graduates reporting improved employment prospects while results vary by program and student effort. The company continues to expand its online continuing education offerings and corporate partnerships.