The COVID – 19 pandemics has changed everything we have known off! People now are becoming more dependent on the internet and online platforms. Because of the current situation, many students are looking for online educational platforms to continue their studies and develop new skills. This is where the name Coursera appears. Coursera is a renowned and one of the most prestigious online educational platforms in the USA. This educational platform offers various learning programs and courses to specializations and degrees. However, is Coursera legit and worth the money?
What Is Coursera?
Coursera is a USA-based massive open online education platform founded in 2012 by Stanford University computer science professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller. This is basically, an online learning platform that allows people to take online education courses. Coursera works with universities, other organizations and offers online courses, certifications, and degrees in a variety of subjects. So, Coursera gives you the opportunity to earn degrees from leading universities and companies. If you want to learn and develop skills in data science, social sciences, computer science, marketing, UX design, or other fields, then Coursera is for you. The main mission of Coursera is to create a global platform that can be accessed by anyone, anywhere. At present Coursera is partnered with 200 universities and institutions across 29 countries. More than 90 million people have registered with Coursera where 3.6 million have paid for a course or other offering.
How Does Coursera Work?
Most of the courses in Coursera are structured around video lectures, online quizzes, readings, and practice exercises. Usually, the duration of Coursera courses is roughly four to twelve weeks. Some courses only last for about 4-12 hours and can be completed in a week. Courses that last longer than one week are called “specializations” and this type, of course, focuses on a specific skill. Coursera also has a professional certificate course that lasts up to 6 months. This type, of course, will boost your career potential. Coursera also offers MasterTrack Certificates as well as full degrees. First Coursera started with a Master’s in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and a Master’s of Accounting but now they also offer an MBA and a Master of Computer Science in Data Science.
Key Highlights Of Coursera
1. 68+ million Learners
2. 4300+ Courses
3. 450+ Specializations
4. 440+ Projects
5. 30+ Professional Certificates
6. 17+ MasterTrack Certificates
7. 20+ Online Degrees
List Of Demandable Coursera Courses
1. Excel Skills for Business
2. Project Management Principles and Practices
3. Project Management & Other Tools for Career Development
4. Business and Financial Modeling
5. Foundations of Positive Psychology
6. Improve Your English Communication Skills
7. Excel to MySQL: Analytic Techniques for Business
8. Supply Chain Management
9. Data Analysis and Presentation Skills: the PwC Approach
10. Fintech: Foundations & Applications of Financial Technology
11. Business Statistics and Analysis
12. Key Technologies for Business
13. IBM AI Foundations for Business
14. Business English Communication Skills
15. Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation
16. Advanced Business Analytics
17. Fundamentals of Accounting
18. U.S. Federal Taxation
19. International Business Essentials
20. Presentation Skills: Speechwriting, Slides, and Delivery
21. Business English for Non-Native Speakers
22. Sales Training for High Performing Teams
23. Healthcare Trends for Business Professionals
24. Introduction to Negotiation: A Strategic Playbook for Becoming a Principled and Persuasive Negotiator
25. Design and Make Infographics (Project-Centered Course)
26. Introduction to Financial Accounting
27. Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management
28. Effective Problem-Solving and Decision-Making
29. Fundamentals of Quantitative Modeling
30. English for Business and Entrepreneurship
31. Financial Accounting Fundamentals
32. Foundations of strategic business analytics
33. Introduction to Blockchain Technologies
34. Inferential and Predictive Statistics for Business
35. The hidden value – Lean in manufacturing and services
36. AI For Everyone by Andrew Ng
37. Human Resource Management: HR for People Managers
38. Entrepreneurship: Growing Your Business
39. Strategic Management and Innovation
40. Digital Transformation in Financial Services
41. FinTech: Finance Industry Transformation and Regulation
42. Competitive Strategy and Organization Design
43. Strategizing: Management for Global Competitive Advantage
44. Cybersecurity: Developing a Program for Your Business
45. Machine Learning for Everyone with Eric Siegel
46. Supply Chain Management: A Learning Perspective
47. Business Transformation with Google Cloud
48. Strategic Business Management – Microeconomics
49. Facebook Social Media Marketing
50. Entrepreneurial Finance: Strategy and Innovation
Pricing Of Coursera Courses
The pricing of Coursera courses depends on what type, of course, you want to buy. There are four types of courses available and the price differs in each type.
1. Guided Projects: The duration of this type, of course, is 1-2 hours and these courses will cost you $9.99.
2. Courses: These courses are 4-12 hours and they are free! But you can’t get access to any of the assignments, and you don’t get a certificate upon completion. If you want full access to these courses then you have to pay anywhere from $30-100.
3. Specializations: This type, of course, run 1-3 month and start at $39 per month per specialization. So, the course fee might be $39 on the low end and $270 on the high end.
4. Professional Certificates: This type of program runs up to 6 months and the cost starts at $39/month. This type, of course, is like a mini degree.
Features And Functionality Of Coursera Courses
The courses of this platform will offer you access to college-level instruction from professors at accredited institutions. Usually, in most online educational platforms the classes are taught by instructors who don’t have specific credentials or background in the subject they are teaching. On the other hand, in Coursera, you will get access to real classes like classes from universities such as the University of Michigan, Rice University, Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, Princeton University, and more. Coursera has a huge collection of courses and you can choose from 4100 courses on various subjects. The user interface of Coursera is also user-friendly. You can easily find the important details of a course like a syllabus and an introduction to the instructor by clicking on it. So, you can easily have an idea of which topics will be covered in the course. When you enroll in a course, you can see a week-by-week overview of the class. This is very convenient because you can easily schedule your study.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Coursera
| Advantages Of Coursera | Disadvantages Of Coursera |
| Coursera has a huge course collection | The pricing of Coursera courses is very confusing and unclear to many users |
| Coursera is partnered with 200+ top Universities and Organizations | Lots of courses in Coursera are not for beginners |
| The courses on Coursera are very affordable | Some courses are backdated and have old information |
| Coursera also offers more than 2000 free courses | The quality of some videos of the courses are not up to the high standard |
| With the Coursera app, you can download the course material and learn them offline | |
| The quality of Coursera courses is very high because the courses are taught by top experts in their respective field |
Is Coursera Legit?
Yes, Coursera is a 100% legit online educational platform. In fact, it is a very prestigious learning platform. Since the establishment. Coursera has earned a well-polished reputation and provides exactly what they advertise. You can provide your personal information to Coursera. Coursera won’t steal your money or your information. It is a very trustworthy website where lots of important people have shared their information. So, if there is any online educational platform that you can put your trust in, it should be Coursera!
FAQs About Coursera Reviews 2022: Is Coursera Legit
Is Coursera Free?
The whole Coursera platform is not free. There are lots of free courses available in Coursera but almost all the advance and demandable courses on Coursera are paid. The paid courses might cost you from $9 – $270.
How To Get Free Certificates From Coursera?
There is no way you can get a free certificate from Coursera. In Coursera, you have to pay in order to earn a certificate from taking a Coursera course. However, occasionally, Coursera offers promotional deals where you will be able to receive free certificates for various courses.
Can You Put A Coursera Certificate On Your Resume?
Yes, you can put a Coursera certificate on your resume. This is because the Coursera courses are recognized and accredited by leading global institutes. So, you can list a Coursera certificate as a MOOC course and use it as an example of continued professional development in your area of interest. By adding the Coursera certificate you will strengthen your resume and show a potential employer what you are capable of.
How To Open A Coursera Account?
Opening a Coursera account is very simple. Follow the below steps –
1. First, open a browser on your computer
2. Now visit www.coursera.org
3. Then click on the “Join for Free” in the top right corner
4. Next provide your personal information like Name, Email, Age, and Password
5. Finally, click on the “Create Account” option to complete the process
6. Next, you will receive a confirmation email on your Email
7. Click on the link to activate your Coursera account
8. Once you activate the account, you are good to use Coursera
References:
https://www.g2.com/products/coursera/reviews
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/education/online-courses/coursera.html
Last Updated on August 5, 2022 by Ana S. Sutterfield
Magalie D. is a Diploma holder in Public Administration & Management from McGill University of Canada. She shares management tips here in MGTBlog when she has nothing to do and gets some free time after working in a multinational company at Toronto.
