What is Coursera?
Coursera is an online learning platform that offers anyone, anywhere access to online courses and degrees from world-class universities and companies. Coursera partners with leading universities and companies to provide flexible, affordable and job-relevant online learning.
On the Coursera platform you can learn virtually anything related to technology concepts, systems, software and processes. You can take an individual course, sign up for a specialization (a set of courses on a single topic) or even get your degree. Coursera also offers guided projects to help you master a skill or concept.
Cost
The costs on Coursera can be a bit confusing. What you end up paying depends on your course of study, your goals and your personal budget. The table below outlines the different offerings and associated costs:
| Coursera Option | Cost | Billing Schedule | When should you choose this option? |
| Courses | Free or $49+ | Per course | You can audit almost every course for free, but in order to have access to the course projects and get a certificate you will have to pay a fee that starts at $49. If you are just looking to take one or two courses, this is the best option. If you start by auditing a course for free, you can still purchase a certificate at any time. After completion, add the certificate to your LinkedIn profile to showcase that you successfully passed the course. |
| Guided Projects | $9.99+ | Per project | If you want to practice your new skills, a guided project is the way to go. Guided projects give you a hands on opportunity to practice what you have learned. |
| Specializations | $39.99+ | Monthly or per unit | If you are looking to learn about a topic in depth, look into completing a specialization. Again, most of the courses can be audited for free, however, if you would like access to the guided projects and a certificate of completion, then the cost starts at $39. |
| Professional Certificates | $39.99+ | Monthly | If you are looking for an industry standard job-ready certificate offered by reputable companies like Google, IBM and Microsoft, consider completing a professional certificate. |
| MasterTrack Certificates | $2,000+ | Per course or monthly | A MasterTrack Certificate is a university-issued online graduate certificate, made up of thoughtfully selected portions from Master’s degree programs from top universities. If you don’t want to complete a full degree program, this is a good option. |
| Coursera Plus | $59 per month or $399 annually | Monthly or annually | This option offers access to 90% of the Coursera catalog for one monthly fee (you can pay for the whole year up front to save money). You will get access to guided projects and assignments and be able to earn your certificate. This is a good option if you plan to continuously learn throughout the year and can cover a good amount of material over that time. There is a 7-day free trial and you can cancel any time. |
| Degree Programs | $9,000+ | Pay as you go | Earn a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree fully online from reputable and accredited Universities around the globe. |
| Free Trial | Free | n/a | Coursera offers a free 7-day trial to Coursera Plus if you sign up for the monthly payment option or a 14-day money back guarantee for the annual subscription option. |
How to use Coursera to transition to tech
If you’re read this blog post you know that online courses and degree programs, such as the ones that Coursera offers, are to be used to enhance your current skill set and do not come with a job guarantee all on their own. With that said, Coursera is an amazing platform to learn all things technology. Once you have identified your skill gaps (learn how to here), you can look for Courses on Coursera to help you fill those gaps.
Should I pay for the certificate or just audit for free?
That’s truly up to you. Will a hiring manager see that you completed the ever popular Google Project Management: Professional Certificate and give you a job? No. Your resume still needs to demonstrate your skill set in the area of project management and you have to be able to speak to it in an interview. Doing the project management course of study will give you a thorough understanding of the profession so that you can properly write your resume and ace the interview. So while a certificate does give you something tangible, you don’t need it.
However, if you decide to do the paid version, you will have access to hands on projects and assignments that will help you master the skills you learn. Also, people are generally more motivated when they have something invested in the process. If you do the paid version, you might find yourself going through the material faster and actually sticking to it, which in turn will help you to reach your goals quicker. And, who doesn’t like a new thing to add to their LinkedIn profile.
Ready to start your journey to a career in tech? Check out the Start Here page for step by step guide.
Let T3 help you transition to tech! Get more information on our one on one coaching program HERE.
