Best Coursera Courses & Specializations

Best Coursera courses for careers in tech, business, finance, and science.

Whether you are looking to advance in your current position, transition to a new field, or just love learning, Coursera courses offer University-style education and the chance to learn new skills and information on your schedule for a minimal investment.

Coursera is one of the most popular eLearning platforms with a broad spectrum of classes, specializations, degrees and certifications available. We cover 23 of the best Coursera courses and specializations suitable for professionals, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking for a career in business, IT, AI, data science and development.

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Read the full disclosure at the end of this post.

Coursera Courses Online – Overview

Coursera provides quality education through its classes and specializations. Many of the best Coursera courses are taught by professors from major universities. Each class offers video lessons, exercises, quizzes, assignments, and panel forums to help you succeed.

Online Courses – Coursera offers many different class formats. Apart from the 7,000 Coursera courses and specializations (learning paths), you will find professional certification programs that prepare you to apply for specialized jobs in various industries.

MasterTrack certificates are rather semester-length learning paths and will be credited upon completion. You can also get an online degree from many renowned universities worldwide. These are usually equivalent to their on-campus degree siblings.

How much do Coursera courses cost?

With so many options available, pricing can be confusing. In general, you can audit many Coursera courses for free, and if you need certification, paid services are available. With Coursera Plus, students will receive recognized Coursera certification upon completion.

• Courses range from $29-$99 with 10-50 hours to complete. Browse all courses.
• Specializations, which combine the best Coursera courses to gain expertise, offer a $59/month subscription and take 4-6 months to complete with certification.
• Completion of a paid course or specialization will earn you a professional certificate.
• Coursera professional certificate programs and MasterTracks start from $2,000.
• Degree programs from Coursera’s partner universities usually start from $10,000.

Best Coursera Courses and Specializations 2024 – Top Picks

Data Science	Business	Computer Science	Coursera Catalog
Specializations	Specializations	Specializations	Browse all courses
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Certificate $59/mo	Certificate $59/mo	Certificate $59/mo	Certificate $59/mo
Visit Website	Visit Website	Visit Website	Visit Website

Note: This list of best Coursera courses and specializations does not represent the entire Coursera course catalog. Visit the website to browse all online courses by topic or skill.

1. Business Foundations Specialization – Wharton Online

If you plan to build your own business or become business literate, this specialization offers some of the best Coursera courses (visit website) to develop the entrepreneur in you. The first two of the 6 Coursera courses, which you can also take individually, start with an introduction to marketing, branding, and financial accounting and analysis.

Later on, the focus shifts to managing social and human resources, corporate finance and operations management. A Wharton capstone project lets you apply your gained analytic and evaluation skills to real-world business challenges.

In a nutshell, students will better understand branding and apply current market strategies to build and improve it. Furthermore, know how to read income and cash flow statements or balance sheets. Apply strategies to optimize business processes and learn to motivate employees by implementing proven reward systems.

From: Wharton, University of Pennsylvania | Path: Specialization
For: Beginners | Completion: 11 months | Verdict: ★★★★★ | 4.8/5
Info: View course. Browse: Search all the best Coursera courses for business.

2. Project Management Principles and Practices Specialization, UCI

Effective project management ensures that products are delivered on time and within budget without sacrificing quality. This Coursera specialization (visit website) provides the knowledge required to complete projects with limited time, finances, and other resources.

Many projects fail due to insufficient planning, so the first Coursera course covers planning in detail. You will learn important questions to ask when planning a project, like “What will this project accomplish? Why is this project important? Who benefits from this project?” You will also learn how to answer them.

In Budgeting and Scheduling Projects, learn how to estimate cost and time requirements to plan accordingly. Managing Project Risks and Changes, the third Coursera course, covers risk management and how to deal with unforeseen alterations to the scope of a project. You also learn how to communicate with your team and stakeholders effectively.

The capstone project combines the previously learned information into several planning deliverables for a project of your own (or a case study). For those interested in project management, this specialization offers some of the best Coursera courses for this topic.

From: UCI Division of Continuing Education | Instructors: Margaret Meloni
For: Beginners | Time: 5 months | Rating: ★★★★★ | 4.7/5.
Info: View course. Browse: Search all Coursera courses for project management.

3. Financial Management Specialization – University of Illinois

This Coursera specialization (visit website) aims to help learners build an integrated financial management framework. The professional certificate program covers the foundations of strategic financial management, corporate finance, accounting, risk management, and investments. Gain the skills to evaluate strategic investment decisions and capital markets.

Students begin the class with an introduction to the fundamentals of financial accounting before moving on to advanced topics. Along the way, you will learn about the core topics in investments, including performance evaluations and applications for investors.

The last modules teach related concepts in corporate finance. You’ll learn about financing investments and managing risks. This path contains os of the best Coursera courses to build a solid understanding of strategic financial decision-making and investment risks.

Provider: University of Illinois, Coursera | Type: Specialization
Level: Intermediates | Duration: 8 months | Review: 4.7 ★★★★☆
Info: View course. Browse: Search all the best Coursera courses for finance.

4. Improve Your English Communication Skills Specialization – George Tech

Authorized by George Tech, this specialization (visit website) is designed to help learners write and speak more confidently and win better business proposals and opportunities. Some of the key skills you will pick up in these 4 Coursera courses include email writing, presentation, communication, public speaking, speech, etc. 

Successful business communications require impactful and lucid conversational interactions and this specialization will help learners attain the confidence to bring about the desired results through speaking. Each module focuses on different aspects and types of communication: from email writing to meetings, presentations, and networking online. 

The specialization starts with a dive into the essential constituents of effective email communication in business. In the next course, students will foster the skills needed to become effective speakers in-person, over the phone, or online. Then comes the all too customary e-portfolio to help you establish a competitive presence online. 

In the capstone project, you will apply the skills learned to a sales pitch talk prepared for a product or service. This is one of the most popular and best Coursera courses available.

Provider: Georgia Tech, Coursera | Path: Specialization with professional certificate
Level: Beginner | Duration: 5 months | Review: 4.8 ★★★★☆
Info: View course. Browse: Search all Coursera courses for language learning.

5. Virtual Reality Specialization – University of London

The Virtual Reality specialization (visit website) helps learners understand the foundations of virtual reality, the hardware, and its history. By the end, students will be able to utilize the skills learned to create their own VR game or project. Your skillset during this Coursera course will expand to include interactive design, 3D computer graphics, VR, etc. 

There are 5 Coursera courses in this specialization, starting with an introductory module on VR that will take you from VR basics to various applications in VR, the psychology behind VR, and the challenges faced. In the next module, learn about 3D models for virtual reality, followed by an in-depth course on 3D interaction design in virtual reality. 

Next, students will learn how to build interactive 3D characters and engage in the psychology of social interaction, along with the pragmatic skills that will allow them to implement VR in Unity 3D. The capstone project encourages you to design a project and implement all the steps from storyboarding and prototyping to testing and implementation.

Provider: University of London, Coursera | Format: Specialization
Level: Beginner | Duration: 6 months | Rating: 4.7 ★★★★☆
Info: View course. Browse: Search the best Coursera courses for computer science.

6. Python for Everybody Specialization – University of Michigan

Even if you don’t plan to work as a developer, learning to code boosts your critical and abstract thinking skills. In this specialization (visit website), created by the University of Michigan, you will receive an intro to computer programming and an in-depth look at using Python to access processes and present data.

With its 5 Coursera courses, this specialization offers a solid path to learning the foundational concepts of Python. The first two Coursera courses cover the materials presented in Programming for Everyone. The class then pushes you from zero to coding in just a few weeks. In the second half, you learn about more complicated structures for data analysis.

After grounding students with a solid knowledge base, the Coursera course explores more advanced topics like working with JSON to retrieve web data and using Python to create and access databases. In the final class, you will tackle the guided capstone project.

As one of the most popular languages for data scientists, Python is an essential tool for both beginners and experts. This specialization offers some of the best Coursera courses to learn to code in Python and maybe even proceed with a data science learning path.

From: University of Michigan | Instructors: Charles Russell Severance
For: Beginners | Duration: 8 months | Verdict: ★★★★★ | 4.8/5
Info: View course. Browse: Search all Coursera courses for computer science.

7. Data Science Specialization – Johns Hopkins University

While it is easy to gather lots of data, companies need someone capable of interpreting that data and extrapolating it into actionable suggestions. Data scientists must ask the right questions and know where to find the answers. Data Science by Johns Hopkins University (visit website) provides the skills to prepare yourself for this in-demand field.

With 10 Coursera courses in total, this specialization covers all the major data science topics. You will begin with The Data Scientist’s Toolbox, which delivers an overview of the field and introduces you to the various tools you will utilize throughout the curriculum, including R, GitHub, markdown, and RStudio. This course on R Programming lays the foundation for the rest of the specialization and allows beginners to achieve success.

After the introductory, you move through basic topics like gathering and cleaning data, exploratory data analysis and summary, and techniques for conducting research with reproducibility. Advanced topics include statistical inference, regression, and machine learning. This best Coursera specialization completes with a guided capstone project.

From: Johns Hopkins University | Instructor: Jeff Leek | Rating: 4.5 ★★★★☆
Requirements: Basic programming. Linear algebra, statistics
Info: View course. Browse: Search all Coursera courses for data science.

8. Deep Learning Specialization – Deeplearning.ai

AI is turning into a versatile industry that will push forward automation and replace many types of jobs we thought would be non-replaceable. Ironically, it creates many new career options, too, for those willing to dive deep into the principles of artificial intelligence. This specialization (visit website) will help you master the fundamentals of DL and AI.

Taught by Andrew Ng, there are 5 best Coursera courses bundled together in this intermediate learning path. The main goal is to teach students the foundations of deep learning and enable them to build, train and apply fully connected deep neural networks.

Furthermore, you will know how to implement vectorized neural networks, understand their architecture and how DL works in detail. Apply those DL skills to your own job projects and businesses and areas ranging from speech recognition, music synthesis, chatbots, machine translation, and natural language processing.

From: deeplearning.ai | Instructors: Andrew Ng, Kian Katanforoosh
For: Intermediates | Duration: 4 months | Verdict: ★★★★★ | 4.8/5
Info: View course. Browse: Search all Coursera courses for machine learning.

9. Algorithms Specialization – Stanford University

Algorithms is an intermediate specialization (visit website) authorized by Standford University. It is aimed at learners with some related experience looking to explore and analyze algorithms that are at the heart of computer science. Students should have some programming experience at the time of enrolment.

Containing 4 Coursera courses, the program begins with introducing the primary topics: dividing, conquering, sorting, searching, and randomized algorithms. From here, it will take you to data structures, graph primitives, and their uses. This will be followed by a module on greedy algorithms, minimum spanning trees, and dynamic programming. 

The last Coursera course is about NP-completeness, the role it plays for algorithm designers, and strategies to cope with computationally intractable problems. This specialization offers the best Coursera courses if you want to ace your technical interviews and master algorithms to work with other programmers and computer scientists.

Provider: Stanford University, Coursera | Format: Specialization
Level: Intermediate | Duration: 4 months | Rating: 4.8 ★★★★☆
Info: View course. Browse: Search all Coursera courses for computer science.

10. Self-Driving Cars Specialization – University of Toronto

Self-Driving Cars is a Coursera specialization (visit website) is designed to help learners launch their careers in self-driving cars. Towards the end of the course, you will have learned the skills needed to put you at the forefront of this fast-booming industry. 

During this specialization, you will learn in detail about the architecture behind self-driving cars, implementation methods for static and dynamic object detection, localization, mapping, and vehicle control. Learners will become acquainted with some of the best state-of-the-art practices that supplement the engineering behind self-driving cars. 

Containing 4 Coursera courses, you will begin with an intro to self-driving cars discussing design considerations and safety assessment for these automated vehicles. Learn about the various sensors used for state estimation and localization of self-driving cars. 

The next Coursera course discusses visual perception tasks in autonomous driving, including static and dynamic object detection. Finally, students learn about mission planning which is responsible for various related tasks in autonomous driving, such as safe behaviors, navigation, and finding the shortest path over a graph/map.

Provider: University of Toronto, Coursera | Format: Specialization
Level: Advanced | Duration: 7 months | Verdict: 4.7 ★★★★☆
Info: View course. Browse: Search all Coursera courses for computer science.

11. Finance For Everyone Specialization – McMaster University

Finance for Everyone (visit website) bundles together some of the best Coursera courses to teach you the foundation of the local and global financial system. Becoming financially literate is often a hassle due to confusing industry slang language and complex interrelations between nations, governments, companies, and markets.

Therefore, a focus is on financial vocabulary, the flow of money, capital and assets, and the impact of money on society and governments. Students will understand both the structure of the current financial markets and challenges and also how to make better decisions on a personal level. Financial literacy is the goal here.

There are 4 Coursera courses in total covering essential topics such as financial decision-making, understanding and acting in different types of financial markets, assessing value and making investment decisions, and last but not least, using the benefits of making debt to create value and assessing the risks to avoid getting too much of it.

From: McMaster University | Professional certificate: Yes
For: Beginners | Completion: 6 months | Verdict: ★★★★☆ | 4.7/5
Info: View course. Browse: Search all the best Coursera courses for finance.

12. Foundations of Positive Psychology Specialization – University of Pennsylvania

Foundations of Psychology (visit website) is a popular specialization containing five of the best Coursera courses to master the skills and psychology needed to thrive in today’s world. Apply positive and productive psychological concepts to your everyday life, identify opportunities for the well-being of everyone and test the efficacy of positive interventions.

Your journey will begin with a module on positive psychology where you will learn about Martin E.P. Seligman’s visionary science. From here, students will move to applications and interventions of positive psychology in their personal and professional lives. 

In the third module, learners will cover key concepts in positive psychology, namely, grit, character, and research methods. Once past this point, you will arrive at the next stage of “resilience” in your revamped psychological journey. The last module is based on positive psychology projects where students would be asked to design their “life for well-being”.

Provider: University of Pennsylvania, Coursera | Format: Specialization
Level: Beginners | Completion: 5 months | Review: 4.8 ★★★★☆
Info: View course. Browse: Search all the best Coursera courses for business.

13. Career Success Specialization – UCI

UCI Division of Continuing Education offers this specialization (visit website) to help learners build valuable skills for the workplace. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to enhance employability and acquire a competitive edge. 

You can take the Coursera courses individually and independently of any order. Your career advancement journey will begin with a dive into the essential elements of project management and leadership: the building blocks for success. Next, you will acquire some valuable insights into time management for personal and professional productivity.  

To help learners boost their confidence in the work environment, the next modules will cover communication in the 21^st century and finance for the non-financial. From here, the specialization will turn to appropriate business writing skills, the art of negotiation, and the fundamentals of management.

Learners will finally finish off with online courses on decision-making and entrepreneurship essentials. There is also a career success capstone project where learners can apply the methods, skills, and techniques picked up along the way to a real-life case.

Provider: Division of Continuing Education, Coursera | Type: Specialization
Level: Beginner | Duration: 8 months | Review: 4.6 ★★★★☆
Info: View course. Browse: Search the best Coursera courses for business.

14. Academic English: Writing Specialization – UCI

Academic English: Writing Specialization (visit website) is a beginner-level Coursera course designed for anyone looking to transform their writing skills. Students will become empowered to build a college-level repertoire that can be applied to any kind of research or use the skills for communication in the professional field.

This specialization contains five individual Coursera courses and will begin with a lesson on grammar and punctuation. Next comes essay writing, where students will learn how to craft effective thesis statements for the essays, write cause/effect sequences and argumentative essays, and create well-developed paragraphs.

From here, you will take your skills to the next level with advanced writing and learn about planning and arguing in a more sophisticated way, identifying plagiarism, and effectively using resources. The fourth module teaches the foundational concepts in college-level research writing. By the end, learners will be able to write detailed outlines for research papers, organize information, use appropriate and quality academic tone, etc.

As part of the final project in this specialization, students will be asked to write their very own research paper and implement the skills and techniques picked up along the way. This is one of the best Coursera specializations to improve your academic writing skills.

Provider: UCI, Coursera | Type: Specialization with professional certificate.
Level: Beginner | Duration: 6 months | Users: 4.8 ★★★★☆
Info: View course. Browse: Search all Coursera courses for social sciences.

15. Dynamic Public Speaking Specialization – University of Washington

Dynamic Public Speaking is a Coursera specialization (visit website) to master the art of effective presentation and skillful communication. By the end, you will be able to greatly increase your confidence in public speaking, apply audience-engaging techniques, prepare effective speeches, and master different speechwriting techniques. 

Since good speech is one of the most enduring skills in today’s dynamic environment, this Coursera specialization has carefully construed the most effective and proven techniques to become an excellent communicator. You will encounter a total of four Coursera courses beginning with an introduction to the fundamental concepts related to public speaking.

In the next class, Speaking to Inform, students will pick up on the skills needed to present complex ideas engagingly. Speaking to Persuade, the third Coursera course will cover the ways of motivating and convincing the audience with moving and persuasive language. 

The last module will cover the techniques to inspire audiences through speech. Authorized by the University of Washington, this specialization offers some of the most popular and best Coursera courses to become a more trained and professional public speaker.

Provider: University of Washington, Coursera | Type: Specialization
Level: Beginner | Time: 5 months | Student rating: 4.8 ★★★★☆
Info: View course. Browse: Search all Coursera courses for personal development.

Tip: Browse our lists of the best blockchain courses, cryptocurrency courses, machine learning courses or business courses, or entrepreneurship courses to get a better picture of what online courses are available for a specific skill or topic.

16. Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization – University of Illinois

The Strategic Leadership certification program (visit website) is directed at individuals who wish to create an immediate impact with their leadership and management skills. Enrollees will learn the techniques to lead people, teams, and organizations effectively, develop strategies for immediate impact, and capture value for sustainable advantage across a portfolio of businesses.

You will begin with a foundational course on effective leadership by exploring individual and group challenges in managing motivation. From here, you will move on to creating and applying a leadership framework to realistic situations that most businesses face. 

In the third Coursera course, learners explore the theories and principles that help leaders design effective organizations. Next comes organization management and strategizing for business. In the latter module, you will learn how to create value and capture the tools that will help you assess competition and cooperation from various angles for your business. 

The corporate strategy will be the next subject, followed by guided projects involving the development of a strategic leadership and management plan. This specialization contains some of the best Coursera courses to develop business leadership skills.

Provider: University of Illinois, Coursera | Format: Specialization
Level: Beginner | Time: 8 months | Verdict: 4.8 ★★★★☆
Info: View course. Browse: Search all the best Coursera courses for leadership.

17. Negotiation, Mediation and Conflict Resolution Specialization – ESSEC

This specialization (visit website) teaches participants to become successful negotiators and conflict managers. It will impart some of the golden rules for mediation and persuasion. Business professionals, employees from the public sector, organizations, and NGOs can draw upon the tried and tested techniques for greater success.  

Containing 4 Coursera courses, the path kicks off with negotiation fundamentals. Designed by Professor Aurélien Colson, the first module teaches learners how to prompt value-generating negotiations, avoid loopholes, and solve management issues. Learners will then move on to cross-cultural negotiation and communication in an international setting. 

Later on, enrollees will understand the key elements of mediation and conflict resolution. By the end, you will be able to successfully lead a mediation process, identify the typical challenges during mediation, and choose adequate strategies to resolve the dispute. 

In the final module, you will apply your new skills to a guided capstone project where you will mediate a dispute based on a real-life case scenario and then be asked to provide alternatives if the negotiation remains unsuccessful. This track offers some of the best Coursera courses to learn the art of negotiation offering many benefits in daily life.

Provider: ESSEC Business School, Coursera | Format: Specialization
Level: Beginner | Time: 5 months | Rating: 4.7 ★★★★☆
Info: View course. Browse: Search all the best Coursera courses for business.

18. Digital Marketing Specialization – University of Illinois

Businesses rely on digital marketing to reach clients and customers. Digital Marketing from the University of Illinois (visit website) focuses on brand communication and exposes students to the major concepts necessary for effective marketing in a digital world.

This path combines the best Coursera courses in digital marketing and is one of the most popular Coursera specializations on the platform. It also counts toward the iMBA offered by the University of Illinois if you want to pursue a formal degree.

The first course, Marketing in a Digital World, overviews how the digital revolution has dramatically shifted the role of marketing. Using case studies, the class discusses the digital tools essential for promoting, pricing, and distributing products and services.

The next 4 Coursera courses cover digital analytics (in theory and practice) and digital marketing channels (the landscape and planning). Students also learn how to translate data into effective marketing strategies and why channels like SEO and social media are essential. A capstone project addresses a problem chosen by the W. W. Grainger agency.

From: University of Illinois | Path: Coursera Specialization with professional certificate.
For: Beginners | Time: 8 months | Verdict: ★★★★☆ | 4.6/5
Info: View course. Browse: Search the best Coursera courses for business.

19. Big Data Specialization – UC San Diego

With large quantities of data available, organizations need people who can organize, store, and analyze large sets of information. This Coursera specialization (visit website) shows students how to navigate big data to help businesses make better decisions.

Completing these 6 Coursera courses will help you “ask the right questions about data, communicate with data scientists, and do basic exploration of large, complex datasets.”

Subsequent online courses cover all topics in big data. Learn how to model and manage data with standard tools like AsterixDB, Neo4j, and SparkSQL. Become familiar with data integration and processing and identify when these steps are required. The Coursera online courses also include an overview of graph analytics and machine learning.

In the capstone project, you will work with a data set collected from users playing an imaginary video game. Students may even get the chance to meet with recruiters and engineers from Splunk. No programming experience is required and much of the code needed to perform data analysis in common frameworks like Hadoop will be provided.

From: UC San Diego | Professional certificate: Yes. Specialization.
For: Beginners | Time: 8 months | Verdict: ★★★★☆ | 4.5/5
Info: View course. Browse: Search all the best Coursera courses for data science.

20. Introduction to Programming the Internet of Things (IoT) Specialization – UCI

IoT is a Coursera specialization (visit website) for beginners to learn how to frame and deploy an intuitive IoT device using Arduino and Raspberry Pi platforms. Those are two embedded systems used for building devices connected to the physical world.  

You will begin with an introductory Coursera course on IoT and embedded systems. This will be followed by a module on the Arduino platform and C Programming, where you will learn about the composition of the Arduino development board amid other related concepts. Once past this point, students will encounter interfacing with Arduino. 

The fourth module covers Python programming for the Raspberry Pi platform, and participants will write basic Python code. Module 5 covers interfacing with the Raspberry Pi, followed by guided projects to design a microcontroller-based embedded system. This path offers some of the best Coursera courses in physical science and engineering.

Provider: UCI | Type: Coursera Specialization with professional certificate.
For: Beginners | Completion: 6 months | Rating: 4.7 ★★★★☆
Info: View course. Browse: Search all the best Coursera courses for engineering.

21. Anatomy Specialization – University of Michigan

This is an excellent Coursera specialization (visit website) to learn the foundations of human anatomy. By the end, you will understand the major organ systems, their functions, and their relationships with the body. The primary subjects include joint classifications, clinical correlations, skeletal system anatomy, and skeletal muscle anatomy.

Consisting of 4 individual Coursera courses, the first module teaches the musculoskeletal and integumentary systems and how they protect our bodies. In the next course, you will cover cardiovascular, respiratory, and urinary systems and their interactive roles. This will be followed by a Coursera course on human neuroanatomy.

Finally, students will cover gastrointestinal, reproductive, and endocrine systems. Learn about the pathways of nerves and blood vessels, study clinical correlations, and explore them through videos and images from cadaveric and artistic materials. This specialization offers the best Coursera courses to expand your knowledge in health and science.

Provider: University of Michigan | Type: Coursera Specialization
Level: Beginners | Time: 5 months | Rating: 4.8 ★★★★☆
Info: View course. Browse: Search all Coursera courses for health and basic science.

22. Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Specialization – MoMA

MoMA offers a beginner-level specialization (visit website) that aims at instilling a deeper understanding of an artist’s and designer’s processes. Participants will develop the confidence to talk about art, understand the modes of experimentation and generate creative responses to technological innovations.

With 4 Coursera courses in this specialization, you will begin your journey with an introduction to modern art and ideas. It will entail looking at art through various themes, such as spaces, identity and object transformation, etc. The second module Seeing through Photographs looks at a collection of 100 photographs from The Museum of Modern Art and debates various perspectives on them.

In the third course, you will discuss the question of contemporary art through close scrutiny of more than 70 works of art produced between 1980 to the present time. In Fashion as Design, students will focus on 70 garments and accessories to explore the questions of form, function, craftsmanship, customization, standardization, and universality.

Provider: MoMA | Path: Coursera Specialization | For: Beginners
Pricing: Free audit. $59/month Coursera Plus. | Rating: 4.8 ★★★★☆
Info: View course. Browse: Search the best Coursera courses for arts & humanities.

23. Graphic Design Specialization – Calarts

We don’t want to cover Coursera online courses only from the technology and business department. For lovers of art and design, this is one of the best Coursera specializations (visit website) to study graphic design, though expect some tech topics here too.

Taking this specialization will help you become a graphic designer and use visual media and typography to communicate your ideas, stories and concepts. Key skills include interface design, motion graphics, and editorial design. Students will complete this track by taking capstone projects that also add value to their professional portfolios.

No previous knowledge is required, but expect to have additional learning curves when applying the principles of hierarchy and spatial organization to programs like InDesign. Calarts offers some of the best Coursera courses to learn graphic design here.

Provider: Calarts, Coursera | Instructors: Micheal Worthington, Anther Kiley
For: Beginners | Completion: 7 months | Verdict: ★★★★☆ | 4.7/5
Info: View course. Browse: Search the best Coursera courses for arts & humanities.

Coursera MasterTrack Certificates

What are Coursera MasterTracks? If you want to go beyond individual education to change a job or become better at it, MasterTrack certificates (browse tracks) offer university-issued credentials to spice up existing skills. When enrolling in a full master’s program, students also get credited toward a degree. It’s a step-by-step professional certification program and more affordable.

We briefly cover two popular MasterTracks to give you an idea, but it’s probably better to browse the list on their website. Costs for those professional certificates start from $2,000.

The Social Work: Practice, Policy and Research MasterTrack™ Certificate takes about 6-8 months to complete and will teach you practice methods, advocacy, and social justice frameworks. It’s for those who plan a career in social work and love working with people, families, communities, and organizations to contribute to a more sustainable society.

Graphic design students may also want to get certified in UX Design to offer a complete skill set. Coursera’s UX Design MasterTrack™ Certificate allows you to apply UX design theories to new projects. Learn to conduct and evaluate research in UX/UI and use the latest tools and strategies to improve the user experience of any given project

Platform: Coursera | Professional Certificate: MasterTrack
Level: Beginners-Intermediates | Time: 6-8 months
Info: View website to browse all MasterTracks. From $2,000.

Coursera Professional Certificates

Those who do not need a Coursera certification can access many of the best Coursera courses for free. You will get access to class material but will remain a rather silent learner. If you want to level up your career with a recognized education, the Coursera Professional Certificates (browse certifications) are a solid path to get your skills verified. The focus is on IT and data science and everyone can enroll for a monthly subscription fee.

IBM’s Data Science Professional Certificate, for example, is a 10-month Coursera certification to land a job in machine learning and data science professions. The core skills you will learn about include Python, SQL, data visualization, databases, statistical analysis, predictive modeling, and building machine learning models.

This popular professional certificate program consists of nine Coursera courses and offers hands-on practice in the IBM cloud.

Platform: Coursera | Certificate: Professional Certificate
Level: Beginners-Intermediates | Time: 4-10 months
Info: View website to browse all Professional Certificates. From $59/month.

Coursera Online Degree Programs

From taking the best Coursera courses for free to jumping on MasterTracks or getting professional certificate programs, this platform has a lot to offer to improve your skills and expertise. If you want a degree-certified university education but cannot attend in-person, Coursera Online Degrees (browse degrees) offer an excellent alternative here.

Not cheap but not as expensive compared to enrolling in-person, this track offers Online Masters’s and Bachelor’s Degree programs from the top universities worldwide and Coursera certificates will be recognized. Those paths may take 2-4 years to complete. The focus is on data science, computer science, public health and business degrees.

Platform: Coursera | Professional Certificate: Master’s or Bachelor’s degree
Level: Beginners-Intermediates | Time: 2-4 years
Info: View website to browse all Online Degrees. From $10,000.

Best Coursera Courses and Specializations – Summary

Wrapping up our in-depth tour of the best Coursera courses 2024. Coursera has built one of the most successful and popular platforms for MOOCs. Industry experts and professors from leading universities work together to produce valuable and practical content.

Coursera courses can be more expensive than other popular online learning platforms, but the materials are first-rate. You also have the option to audit many Coursera courses for free to make sure it fits your needs. A good alternative is Udacity nanodegrees.

If you are new to eLearning, you might try a single Coursera course like Programming for Everyone before diving into a full specialization. Most Coursera courses require only 4-6 hours per week to stay current, so it is not a major commitment of either time or resources. Once completed, Coursera certifications will make a great addition to your resume.

Universities teaching the Coursera courses or specializations above

Which topics can you learn with Coursera courses?

The Coursera catalog offers thousands of online classes and short courses that cover a wide range of topics, subjects and learning paths. The most important ones are:

• Programming, Development, IT, AWS Cloud Computing, Google Cloud
• Data Science, Data Analysis, Big Data, Business Analytics, Data Visualization
• Artificial intelligence, Deep Learning, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing
• Science, Human Genome, Biology
• Social Science, Finance, Business Analysis, Data Analytics
• Design, Arts and Humanities, Marketing, Management, Marketing Analytics
• Personal Development and Language Learning
• Project Management, Product Management

With any of the best Coursera courses online, you will get hands-on experience with knowledge, quizzes, exercises and panel discussions. Professional certificates are available through Coursera Plus.

What are Coursera specializations?

Instead of picking a micro-skill, specializations are learning paths that consist of individual Coursera courses and teach comprehensive skills or even a profession in one package.

Such paths are accompanied by capstone projects, assignments, exercises, discussions, and forums and will be issued with a professional certificate for those on a Coursera Plus subscription plan. Each Coursera Specialization consists of pre-recorded video lectures that can be taken at your own pace.

How long does it take to complete Coursera courses online?

Depending on the type of class, expect to spend a few hours on the individual online Coursera courses. Coursera Specializations and MasterTracks typically require 4-5 hours per week over a period of 4-6 months.

Degrees can be completed within six months to 2-3 years, depending on their structure and scope. Your Coursera certifications will be available as soon as you have completed your online course, specialization, or degree.

Are Coursera courses free? What do they cost?

What do Coursera courses cost? Well, you can join many of the best Coursera courses and study their subjects for free. Everyone can open an account and start learning. If you require official Coursera certifications for a job application, you can use Coursera Plus for $59/month. Coursera’s Master Tracks, Professional Certifications, and Online Degrees are not free and fees start from $2,000.

Do employers accept Coursera certificates?

Will potential employers recognize Coursera certificates? While there is no simple Yes or No answer here, many companies and organizations accept Coursera course certifications now. MasterTracks and Degrees are generally accepted as those Coursera certifications will be credited and issued by a university.

Further reading: What is Big Data? | What is AI?

What are the best Coursera courses in 2024? Have you tried any Coursera specializations, professional certificate programs, MasterTracks, or Degrees? What are important job relevant skills you would like to improve? We like to hear from you. Please comment below.

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