Coursera Adds Universities, Eight New Degree Programs To Its Portfolio

Coursera, the online learning platform and a pioneer of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS), is adding five universities and eight degree programs to its on-line learning portfolio. The additions were announced in a blog today during Coursera’s annual conference, carrying the theme of “The Future of Learning and Work.”

The new university partners are Anáhuac University Network (Red de Universidad Anáhuac); Ball State University; Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech); the S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, a private institution in India; and the London Business School, which is part of the University of London.

All the new degree programs will be available for less than $20,000 according to Coursera’s announcement, with the majority of the first cohorts expected to begin their studies in August 2023.

Four of them will be offered through the Illinois Institute of Technology:

• Master of Business Administration, aimed at preparing students for management careers in the technology sector. In addition to core courses in finance, marketing, and digital transformation, the curriculum will include electives in AI, data science, and cybersecurity.
• Master of Science in Data Science, intended for students who want to learn how to use data in business or industry, the program will emphasize coursework in mathematics, statistics, and computer science along with industry partner content providing real-world experience
• Master of Science in Information Technology, covering new information technologies and the management of these technologies. The curriculum will mix theoretical content with applied projects and laboratory-based instruction, preparing graduates for careers in IT management, database administration, and operations research.
• Bachelor of Information Technology, a bachelor completion program intended to prepare graduates for careers in IT or cloud computing. The curriculum will introduce students to contemporary operating systems, hardware, systems programming, and cloud technologies.

Ball State University will offer two degree programs through its partnership with Coursera:

• Master of Science in Computer Science, aimed at learners with non-technical backgrounds, the curriculum will emphasize hands-on learning experience in areas such as machine learning, data analytics, cybersecurity, and software engineering. It will include electives in topics such as AI, web development, and data visualization.
• Master of Science in Data Science, also designed for learners with non-technical backgrounds, the program will emphasize math, computer science, and statistics, along with hands-on experience working with big data. It’s aimed for students interested in careers in business analysis, data analysis, and business intelligence.

The University of Colorado, Boulder will offer its fourth degree through Coursera: a Master of Science in Computer Science, featuring graduate-level courses in algorithms, machine learning, and network systems. It will also allow students to take electives in electrical engineering, engineering management, or data science through existing CU courses on the Coursera platform.

The S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research will offer a two-year Post Graduate Diploma in Management. In addition to general management courses, the curriculum includes a choice of three micro-specializations in marketing, supply chain, and finance. The first cohort for this program is expected to begin in November 2023.

As part of the announcement, Coursera introduced three new short-term certificate programs., two from IBM, focused on IT Project Management and Front-End Development. The third certificate is an advanced, six-course curriculum from Meta focused on Augmented Reality (AR) applications for marketing, education, gaming, and entertainment. Coursera also said is was expanding its Teach Out and Guided Project offerings in Artificial Intelligence, particularly ChatGPT.

Through the end of 2022, Coursera had approximately 118 million learners registered, with more than 80% of them residing outside the U.S. Its content now exceeds 5,500 courses, with more than 125 certificates and 4o+ degree programs offered. Coursera reports having 185+ university partners and 110+ industry partners.