Pasadena-Based University of the People Joins Harvard Business School Online Collaboration

[UPDATED] The Pasadena-based University of the People announced a new online partnership with the Harvard Business Schools on Tuesday.

UoPeople, headquartered at 595 E. Colorado Blvd., will take part in Harvard Business School Online’s Collaborating Colleges program, joining fellow participants including Harvard, Bowdoin, Morehouse and Williams colleges, as well as Rhode Island School of Design, Wesleyan University and many other institutions, UoPeople said in a written statement.

“The relationship offers UoPeople students special access to HBS Online courses, equipping them with valuable business knowledge to help them stand out in a competitive job market,” according to the statement. “UoPeople students are now able to enroll in and receive need-based scholarships for HBS Online’s flagship program the Credential of Readiness, a three-course primer in the fundamentals of business.”

UoPeople President Shai Reshef said the new partnership would be a significant benefit to students.

“With online education at an all-time high, this relationship expands UoPeople’s mission to offer even greater quality online, accessible and affordable higher education to qualified students,” he said. “We always look for opportunities to enrich our student experience. We are, therefore, incredibly proud to provide our students with the chance to experience the richness of the acclaimed HBS Online curriculum and receive a valuable credential to help them stand out in the job market.”

Senior Associate Dean of HBS Online Debora Spar said she was pleased to see UofPeople join the collaboration.

“I am excited to welcome University of the People to HBS Online’s family of Collaborating Colleges,” she said. “Now, more than ever, we need to provide an equal opportunity to education for all, and this relationship is an important step in Harvard Business School’s broader diversity and inclusion initiatives.”

The UoPeople student body is “one of the most diverse in the U.S. with 51,000 students representing more than 200 countries and territories,” the statement said.

More information on the University of the People can be found online at uopeople.edu.