UND partners with Coursera Career Academy

Through UND Office of Extended Learning, Coursera’s expansive library of courses is now available at low introductory price

Editor’s note: In the UND LEADS Strategic Plan, the “Equity” core value includes a call to “implement flexible working and learning options that make UND more accessible to a broader, more diverse population.”

The following story, which was first published in UND Today on April 16, describes a new, flexible-learning UND partnership that has made Coursera’s high-quality courses and certificates much more accessible and affordable than they used to be.

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The University has long held lifelong learning as central to its mission — the education that continues past the four-year or advanced degree, supporting professional growth and development.

The Office of Extended Learning, in turn, has fostered the partnerships and in-house expertise that’s made more than 600 courses available in its Personal & Professional Development program.

Its latest partnership with Coursera Career Academy essentially doubled that figure.

But perhaps even more impactful is the low barrier of entry to the high-quality, industry-developed courses and certificates available through Coursera.

As part of UND’s partnership, a six-month Coursera subscription is available at an introductory rate of $99, compared to the standard subscription cost of $59 per month (or $354 for 6 months).

This offering, available to the UND community as well as the public, has “something for everyone,” said Julie Zikmund, associate director of the Office of Extended Learning.

Coursera Career Academy boasts cutting-edge, job-relevant professional certificates developed by world-leading companies such as Google, Meta, Microsoft and IBM, all of which are available to complete online.

“Whether you’re in college, younger, older or mid-career, this is a really great opportunity for re-skilling, re-tooling and even exploring general interests,” Zikmund said. “We have a variety of partners that our office works with in different areas, but Coursera has a focus on workforce development that we find valuable.”

Flexible, affordable, accessible

Moriah Opp, coordinator for Personal & Professional Development, said the partnership reflects UND’s commitment not just to lifelong learning, but to making learning accessible to everyone.

Opp spoke with UND Today about her personal experience with Coursera as someone “constantly looking to learn things.”

“It’s flexible, it’s affordable, it’s on your time and it’s easily accessible — I use my tablet to work on courses,” she said. “You can have it wherever you go, and classes are not super long.

“With today’s workforce demands and emphasis on continuous skill development, I think Coursera can help learners stay competitive … You can really boost your resume for what basically amounts to $16 a month.”

Opp also spoke to the agility of many course offerings on Coursera. Content is regularly updated, Opp said, which is helpful when trying to learn about the latest and greatest in burgeoning career fields. The close ties to prestigious companies also help learners get an idea of standards and expectations in those fields.

Some of those fields include high-growth areas such as data and analytics, software engineering, cybersecurity, information technology and business.

Additional coursework is available in fields including bookkeeping, public relations, graphic design, digital marketing, payroll, human resources, leadership and essential computer skills, among many others. Learners can earn micro-credentials, professional certificates and other industry-recognized credentials upon completion.

Zikmund added that prior college-level credentials aren’t required for learning using Coursera. And for those who are already into or past their college careers, certificates and further credentials can be a competitive edge.

“Someone’s resume could move closer to the top if they’ve completed some of these courses,” she remarked. “And down the line, those experiences and credentials can help set up for promotion and better pay.

“For $99 to get a better job or make a change, that could open doors for some people.”

Further information on courses and links to enroll are available on the Office of Extended Learning website.

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