The possible degrees could launch students into careers in Front-End Web Developer, Back-End Web Developer, iOS Developer and Data Analysts with AT&T. 

Phil Gardner, the director of the Collegiate Employee Research Institute, said degrees like the Nanodegree are not anything new and became particularly popular during the 1990s. He added that, while the degrees can get people into the labor market, they are targeted towards specific skills and can become obsolete if new positions come into play outside of those skill sets. 

But should the degrees become more versatile with training, it would be possible to relocate to other positions or even companies. Gardner said this, along with the cheaper price, makes degrees like the Nanodegree more attractive to students. 

"They are useful — they get you into a needed job, and a lot of jobs out there don't necessarily require a four-year degree," Gardner said. "I've known students who have gone to get online certificates like this because they're less expensive. They get a job with it and make enough money to come back to university once they can afford it." 

MSU offers online masters degree programs and similar certificate programs to the Nanodegree. Director of IT Services Teaching and Learning Brendan Guenther said it has not been uncommon for MSU to package similar online course deals.

The university has more than 35 online Masters programs and more than 50 certificate programs. Certificate programs are collections of course credits geared towards a specific skill set. 

Guenther said these online courses, especially for graduate students, gives time and place flexibility to students who are already employed and gaining on-the-job experience. 

"I'm a big advocate for online programs," Guenther said. "And the professors and fellow students also benefit from the on-the-job experience other students might have already gained. It's a good contribution to forum discussions." 

Gardner said certificate programs like the Nanodegree are as common as they used to be. Outside of the AT&T and Udacity partnership, Starbucks has also joined with Arizona State University to fund a partial tuition scholarship for Starbucks employees who are enrolled full-time and taking online courses through Arizona State University. 

"Just think, getting training in a year would be really attractive to people who don't have the money for college," Gardner said. "These programs are becoming more visible."