Coursera is known as a leading online learning platform where everyone can get a quality education with teachers from elite universities without the expense of a traditional college or university. If you have been wondering whether the Coursera Certificate would be worth your time and effort, read on to learn more about the course
Curated learning paths, like Professional Certifications and Specializations, are driving the largest skill rank changes.
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Overview of Coursera Professional Certification
Coursera was founded by Stanford computer science professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller in 2012 for online courses. The platform aims to help people learn specific career skills and provide access to top-quality education from anywhere in the world. They offer courses and degrees in desired courses from prestigious universities like Yale and Imperial College London.
The unique thing about Coursera that sets it apart from other online study certification platforms is all the courses provided by academic institutions, so you can trust their academic standards.
Candidates can even earn accredited Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees at a regular university. Coursera offers professional certificates from companies like IBM and Google, which can be valuable for your career.
Another exciting thing about Coursera is its MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). It allows students to learn a wide range of subjects, from art history to programming, that is completely free.
With over 40 million users, Coursera is the largest provider of MOOCs on the global stage. Hence, Coursera could be a great place to start if you want to expand your knowledge and skills.
If you want to know if getting a certification in Coursera is worth your investment, it’s important to have knowledge about what learning options the platform offers. The comprehensive nature of the platform includes everything from music and art to computer science and from mechanical engineering to astronomy.
In the earlier days of its establishment, Coursera offered free certificates, but that is not the case anymore. However, you have the option to apply for financial aid if you can’t afford to pay for the Certificate. While some providers have stopped offering free certificates, many free certificates are still available from various providers for completing online courses.
You can check your completed courses on the platform to download the Certificate. Follow the below steps:
- Go to the Coursera website and log into your account.
- Click on the “Completed” courses option.
- View the Certificate you want to Download.
- Now click on the “Download Certification” option to complete the process.
Follow the below process to apply for financial aid in Coursera:
- Find your desired course page.
- Click on the “Financial Aid Available” button.
- Now complete the application form that explains your financial need and interest in the course.
- Submit the application and wait for its approval.
- When you receive an email confirming the aid, you can access the course to obtain the Certificate for free.
Yes, Coursera certificates are valid and recognized worldwide. So many employers and educational institutes trust them. Another reason why the Certificate is valid is that it partners with top universities and reputable tech companies like Google and Amazon.
Millions of students use Coursera as they promptly award accredited certificates. These certificates can get you a good job as they show you have gained valuable skills. However, remember that the actual value of the certification depends on the course content and the employer’s requirements.
Sure, getting a certificate from Coursera is absolutely worth it if you aim for career advancement or gain a valuable skill. Since world-class professors and industry experts teach the courses, you will gain thorough knowledge.
The employers will find your investment in learning positive and show a proactive nature that may prove you worth their investment. But if it’s a free course that you take on just for fun, don’t worry about the Certificate. You can easily explore the Coursera content for free and pay later if you decide to upgrade.
Moreover, Coursera offers money-back guarantees and refunds that reduce your financial risks.
You can take advantage of your Coursera Certificate by adding it to your LinkedIn profile. Go to your Accomplishment page, find the Certificate you want to share, and click “Add LinkedIn Profile.” Now follow through with the instructions to get it displayed in the Certifications section.
If you want to add the Certificate to your resume, follow the below tips:
- Log into your Coursera account
- Navigate to your Accomplishments page
- Now find the Certificate and copy the URL
- Then, paste the URL into your resume to showcase your achievements
Coursera is your one-stop destination for finding your desired course from its comprehensive online course model to get certifications on diverse subjects. From individual courses to specialization, learners have a variety of options to choose from based on their interests and career goals. While free courses are available for curious learners, investing in Coursera Certificates can be valuable for career advancement and skill development.
You can easily find flexibility and financial aid options to make your learning accessible. Now that you found from this overview how Coursera can help enhance your knowledge and expertise in today’s evolving world, check out our Coursera certification programs to be part of its massive student community.
You can also get a specialization certification in an extensive range of foreign languages. Here are the major learning options you can consider from:
Individual Courses
Taking Individual Courses means enrolling in any single course. Coursera covers a wide range of topics in its individual courses category. What's great is that many of these courses are free to enroll in. But if you prefer, you can also opt to pay for a course with additional offerings like extra quizzes, projects, and a certificate to validate you have successfully completed the course. The certification will serve as the official recognition of your accomplishment. If you want to find a specific course for the individual study you are interested in, it's best to browse through the course catalog. Since different institutions use different tags, finding the course through a search function might not work.
Specialization Courses
Specializations on Coursera can involve many related courses that focus on mastering a specific topic. Hence, they are more comprehensive than individual courses and often include various hands-on assessments and a final Capstone project. Enrolling in such courses is ideal for those career goals that benefit your professional network. The length of specializations varies, with some taking a few months to complete and others up to a year. There are many specializations available in Coursera, including programming, data management, business, healthcare or languages, etc.
Online Degrees
On Coursera, you can obtain online Bachelor's and Master's degrees that are equal to degrees from traditional universities. The advantage of Coursera degrees is that they are much more affordable. Although you won't have the typical college experience, you can complete the study entirely online and at your own pace. Currently, Coursera's online degrees majorly focus on Business, Computer Science, Data Science, and some options in Public Health. Hence, it's a flexible and cost-effective way to pursue higher education.
Master Track Certificates
If you want to pursue a more advanced course than the regular courses or specializations, it's best to get MasterTrack Certification on Coursera. These courses include semester-length courses that you complete together. So they are different from the individual courses. This certification is part of a Master's degree program that is split into modules. Hence, if you plan to pursue a full Master's degree later, the course completed in a masterTrack can count as credits towards that degree. You can complete the MasterTrack Certificate in 4 to 8 months.
Professional Certification Courses
With a Professional Certification on Coursera, you get a certificate directly from the course's institution, not just from Coursera. So, it means the Certificate might be recognized by other organizations or schools for accreditation. However, a regular course certificate issued by Coursera would not offer professional or academic credits.