Coursera Review: What Is Coursera?

Coursera is an online learning platform that offers students worldwide affordable access to thousands of courses, certificates, and degrees from leading companies and world-class universities, including Yale, Imperial College of London, IBM, and Google.

Coursera was founded in 2012 by two Stanford professors who decided that there was a gap in the market for a new online learning platform. Coursera soon became a popular choice for learners thanks to its connections with prestigious institutions. These include Stanford University, the University of Michigan, and John Hopkins University to name a few. Combining these accredited universities with a wide range of courses has meant that Coursera has now become one of the most popular online learning platforms.

The difference between Coursera and other learning sites is that Coursera is able to offer full degrees from universities across the globe, accessible by anyone. They boast over 7,000 courses ranging from short courses that only last 4 weeks to Bachelor's and Master's degrees that take up to six years. 

How Does Coursera Work?

Coursera offers courses taught by experts at 250+ prestigious universities and companies all across the globe. Right now, there are over 7,000 courses in the catalog divided into eleven categories: Data Science, Business, Computer Science, Personal Development, Information Technology, Language Learning, Health, Math and Logic, Social Sciences, Physical Science and Engineering, and Arts and Humanities.

On Coursera, you learn skills that can help you achieve your career goals and at the end of each paid course earn a Certificate. There are hundreds of free courses as well, plus you can get started with a free trial.

What I like about Coursera is that you can learn at your own pace. You get on-demand lectures for your computer or cellphone and watch them on your schedule.

Coursera Courses

What sort of courses does Coursera offer?

Coursera is not just for people wanting to gain a degree in a traditional subject. The platform has plenty of choices when it comes to courses and all of them are from accredited institutions.

Guided Projects

Average time: 1-2 hours

Price: from $9,99 a month

Good for: learning job skills fast

Guided Projects are aimed at people who need to learn and master job-relevant skills in a matter of hours. It's a hands-on learning experience where you use a tool called Rhyme to work on a project in a virtual workspace. 

Courses

Average time: 4-12 hours

Price: free

Good for: learning certain skills and gaining new knowledge

There are around 1,700 free courses in the Coursera catalog right now. With free courses, you get access to all materials, but if you want to earn a Certificate or have access to graded assignments, then you will have to pay extra. Some courses are rather short, while others can take weeks and even months to complete.

Specializations

Average time: 1-3 months

Price: from $39 a month

Good for: mastering a specific skill

Specializations are a series of related courses created for people who are already working within a certain industry and need additional knowledge to help them with their careers. Some Specializations include three courses and take a few months to finish, while others include more than ten courses and take up to a year to complete.

Professional Certificates

Average time: 1-6 months

Price: from $39 a month

Good for: learning new skills for an in-demand career

Professional Certificates are a selection of courses that have been selected to help people get further in their business. If you need to develop a certain skill in order to get a promotion, or you want to plan ahead for your career then the Professional Certificates is a great way to do that. 

MasterTrack Certificates

Average time: 4-7 months

Price: from $2,000

Good for: earning credit towards a degree and a university-issued Certificate

MasterTrack Certificates are aimed at helping learners earn degree credits through a flexible and interactive format. MasterTrack Certificates are made of portions of Master’s degree programs from top universities. They feature team-based learning, live expert instruction and feedback, and collaboration with peers. If you enroll in MasterTrack Certificates you will also be able to create work samples and demonstrate your skills through real-world assignments and projects.

Degrees

Average time: 2-4 years

Price: from $9,000

Good for: earning Bachelor’s or Master’s degree

Coursera offers Bachelor's and Master's degrees from some of the world's most prestigious universities. All programs are 100% online so you can earn a degree anytime and anywhere in the world. Coursera offers Bachelor's degrees in Computer Science, Marketing, Business Administration, and Applied Arts and Sciences; and Master's degrees in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Data Science, MBA, Entrepreneurship, Public Health, Public Policy, International Relations, Accounting, Finance, and more. If you complete a MasterTrack Certificate, it can be counted towards degree learning.

Coursera FAQ

Is Coursera free?

Coursera is not free, but there are almost 1,700 free courses available on the platform. These are the courses from top universities, and many of them are really good. 

What are the best free courses on Coursera?

• Brand Management: Aligning Business, Brand and Behaviour: University of London

• Introduction to Statistics: Stanford University

• Introduction to Psychology: Yale University

• Machine Learning: Stanford University

• Indigenous Canada: University of Alberta

• Writing in the Sciences: Stanford University

• The Science of Well-Being: Yale University

• Financial Markets: Yale University

• Stanford Introduction to Food and Health: Stanford University

• Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills: University of Michigan

How to enroll in a Coursera course?

If you want to take a course on Coursera, you first need to choose an enrollment option (there are often both free and paid options available depending on the course).

• Course Certificate - you take a single course for a Certificate

• Specializations - you enroll in a Specialization, a series of related courses that will help you master a topic of your choice. Specialization courses include a free trial, and you can pay for all courses right away or pay by the course.

• Coursera Plus - you can sign for a Coursera Plus membership that offers unlimited access to over 90% of all courses on Coursera. This is, in my opinion, is the best option. Coursera Plus also comes with a 7-day free trial.

• Financial Aid or Scholarship - you can apply for Financial Aid or a Scholarship. Most of the courses on Coursera offer this option.

• Audit only - you can choose to audit courses and get free access to course materials. You won't get your work graded and won't be able to submit some of the assignments. You also won't get a Course Certificate.

• Full course, no certificate - you can take a full course without earning a Certificate for free. In case you decide to get a Certificate you will be able to pay for it any time during or after the course.

Once you choose one of the options above go to the course information page and click Enroll. After you do that, you can start taking a course at any time. If you decide to take a break, don't forget to reset your assignment deadlines afterward.

After you complete a paid course, you won't have access to its paid content anymore. You will still have access to the free content, which includes downloading transcripts and videos.

How to find which course to take on Coursera?

Coursera has a pretty good search function, so it is easy to find which course to take. You can browse Coursera's catalog by sub-topics and subject areas. Usually, Specializations are listed first, before individual courses with upcoming sessions. 

The catalog lists all Coursera Specializations and courses, even the ones that are not open for enrollment at the moment. However, you can use the filters to find courses that are either starting soon or available right now.

Are Coursera courses good?

I have taken my fair share of online courses on different platforms, and I can tell with certainty that Coursera courses are really good (at least the ones that I took). All courses are offered by top universities in the world, and the quality is usually very high. Of course, once in a while, you can come across an outdated course, so I recommend always reading reviews before enrollment. 

Are there deadlines on Coursera?

Most courses on Coursera have deadlines that are generated based on a personalized schedule that begins after you enroll in a course. If you miss a deadline, it usually won't affect your grade or your eligibility for earning a Certificate. You can also use a Reser Deadlines option to switch to a new course schedule.

Degree programs have specific start dates and hard deadlines for assignments that cannot be reset and can include late penalties.

Does Coursera refund money?

That depends. If you purchased an individual course or a Coursera Plus annual subscription, you can request a refund within 14 days of your payment. However, you can’t get a refund if you have already earned a Course Certificate. Also, if you subscribed to a Course or a Specialization, then your payments are not refundable, but you can cancel your subscription to avoid any future charges.

Are Coursera courses accredited and recognized?

Most short Coursera courses are not accredited. For me, that is not a big deal, because I use Coursera and other learning platforms to gain knowledge rather than credentials. However, if you are interested in earning credentials, you might want to look into Coursera degree programs and MasterTrack Certificates.

Does Coursera have an age limit?

Learners must be at least 13 years old to take courses on Coursera (some European countries have a higher age limit, check the Coursera website for more information). If you are under 18 years of age you must also have parental supervision.

How to get free Certificates from Coursera?

Normally, you have to pay to get a Certificate from Coursera. However, if you complete a course during a free trial, you will be able to get a Certificate. Also, sometimes Coursera runs promotions and offers free Certificates for certain courses.

Does Coursera offer financial aid?

Yes. If you want to earn a Certificate but cannot afford to pay for it, you can apply for Financial Aid or a Scholarship. If your application gets approved, you will be able to access all of the course materials and complete assignments that are required to earn a Certificate. Certain courses do not offer Financial Aid, but most of them do. While your application is being reviewed, you cannot start a free trial, otherwise, the application will be canceled.

If you want to apply for Financial Aid for a Specialization, you will need to submit separate applications for each course. Financial Aid cannot be transferred across different courses.

Is Coursera legit?

Coursera was founded a decade ago and is now considered to be one of the most reputable online learning platforms. So to answer this question, yes, Coursera is legit.

Do Coursera courses count for credit? 

No, short Coursera courses don't count for college credit. However, there are MasterTrack Certificates that do.

Is paying for Coursera worth it?

Even though there are almost 2,000 free courses available in the Coursera catalog, I still think that paying for a Coursera Plus subscription is worth it. This way, you will get full access to almost all courses and Specializations and earn Certificates for each one of them.

How do you get discounts on Coursera?

Coursera doesn't run promotions very often. The best way to get a discount on Coursera is by purchasing a Coursera Plus annual subscription for $399 which will save you over $300 (the monthly subscription costs $59 per month which comes down to $709 per year).

Is Coursera free for university students?

Coursera offers The Coursera for Campus Students plan that allows college and university students to get free access to unlimited Guided Projects and one course per year. This plan is available to full-time, part-time, community college, and university students who have a university or college-issued email address.

Can I get a Certificate from Coursera after auditing?

Yes, you can upgrade at any time during or after an audit to get a paid Certificate.

Can I complete a Coursera course in 7 days?

It usually takes at least a few weeks to complete a course, but if you want, you can do it faster.

Can I use a Coursera Certificate in my resume? 

Yes, you can use a Coursera Certificate in your resume or college application to showcase your skills.

Is Google Coursera free?

No, Google Professional Certificates on Coursera are not free. The IT Support, User Experience Design, Data Analytics, and Project Management Certificates cost $39 per month with a Coursera subscription.