A new on-campus program in blockchain technology at the University of Wyoming will be administered this spring semester by the College of Business Department of Accounting and Finance.

With Wyoming passing various blockchain-enabling rules to bring capital, jobs, and income into the state, the course considers the college’s support of Wyoming’s economic development by giving high-value business knowledge and world-class research essential to the state, says David Sprott, dean of the College of Business.

The three-credit-hour undergraduate course, named “Business Application of Blockchain and Fintech,” will give an understanding of the implications and market opportunities connected with how blockchain and digital assets are transforming global industries.

The curriculum is for students in different fields drawn in the new technology who will examine the factors and policies that control the planning, structuring, financing, and managing of a blockchain-based company.

To attract a wide range of pupils, the only requirement for students interested in joining the course is a sophomore class standing.

The curriculum was designed with the expertise of 1990 UW alumna Caitlin Long, a specialist in bitcoin and blockchain technology. She assisted drive Wyoming’s trailblazing 2018 blockchain act as a co-founder of the Wyoming Blockchain Coalition, with Steven Lupien, founder and interim president of ‘American Certified Brands LLC,’ which consolidates blockchain technology to promote a supply chain in agricultural businesses.

Topics and projects by the new UW course will concentrate on understanding how blockchain could transform the way citizens think about capital, disrupt traditional financial institutions and reduce costly mediators, states Nicole Choi, chair of the Department of Accounting and Finance.

“It also aims to uncover business opportunities that bring value to society, shrink the settlement time of financial contracts and transform the landscape of legal contracts,” Choi says. “Students should leave the course with a comprehensive understanding of the global competitive landscape and core concepts of how blockchain can impact a company’s future.”

The course is primarily designed for a nontechnical audience with insufficient knowledge of blockchain technology, she continues.

“The blockchain revolution is here, and this course will prepare blockchain beginners with a better understanding of how this cutting-edge technology will affect day-to-day operations,” Sprott says.

“This promises to be a course where great ideas from finance, technology, and policy will come together and provide students with an exceptional opportunity to be at the forefront of new frontiers in the blockchain.”

Blockchain is poised to have a prominent influence on industries globally, Choi adds.

“This is a great opportunity to learn more about one of the hottest topics from the best in the industry,” she says.