J.R. Mina Launches His Music Education with Coursera and Berklee Online

Meet online degree student J.R. Mina, an aspiring music producer and DJ who began his Berklee studies in a free Coursera MOOC.

October 31, 2014

MOOCs—or massive open online courses—are bringing free, college-level courses to knowledge-hungry students worldwide. In 2013, Berklee joined the ranks of other top-tier institutions and organizations in partnership with Coursera; notably, Berklee was the first music institution to be invited to do so. These MOOCs brought Berklee Online’s vision of taking Berklee’s time-tested teaching methods to students worldwide even further. Only a year later, Berklee’s Coursera enrollment reached the 1 million mark.

One of the first students to enroll in a Berklee Coursera course was J.R. Mina. Having spent two years studying computer science in a traditional, campus-based program, Mina realized that he wanted to pursue a career in music. “I found out about Coursera in early 2013 by reading some articles in MIT Technology Review,” he recalls. “I was seeking an alternative form of low-cost education that would provide trackable credentials in exchange for the time and money that I would invest in my studies. MOOC platforms such as Coursera fit the bill perfectly.”

“By the time I realized that I wanted a career in music, I thought it was too late to amass the resources necessary to attend a premier university. My first MOOCs with Berklee Online shattered my old phobias and inspired me to start crafting a portfolio that could give me a fighting chance at getting accepted to Berklee,” Mina explains.

Though he enjoyed the online learning experience offered by Berklee and Coursera, Mina decided after completing two courses that he wanted to take his pursuit of a music education further and earn his undergraduate degree at Berklee’s Boston campus. “I knew it was going to be a very selective admissions process and quite expensive to attend, but I was determined to make it happen,” he says. But just as Mina was contemplating applying to the bricks and mortar campus in the fall of 2013, Berklee Online announced its plan to launch a bachelor of professional studies degree program. “Without being too cheesy, it was everything I hoped for and dreamed of, right down to the two majors that were offered,” Mina admits. He applied to Berklee Online and was accepted as a member of the inaugural online degree class. Mina started the program in September 2014 as a dual major studying both music production and music business.

Mina praises the online degree program for its affordability and flexibility while still giving students the Berklee experience. “I think the most valuable aspect of a bachelor’s degree from Berklee is the experience itself. You have this incredible opportunity to access faculty who are passionate about your education and the development of contemporary music, and who continue to make strong influences on the industry,” he explains. “The courses I have taken so far with Berklee have been rigorous and densely packed with information, each week offering new chances to improve my creative and professional toolset. I hope that the degree program will allow me to network and foster lasting professional relationships with other serious and like-minded individuals.”

“I think that earning a bachelor’s degree is a solid investment in your future success, especially if you intend to pursue a long and flexible career in the music industry,” Mina says. Determined to graduate early, he is taking five courses this term and is likely to complete his dual major in four or five years. Mina hopes to make a career as a touring DJ and producer after earning his degree from Berklee.

Berklee Online is currently accepting applications for the January 2015 term.