Coursera is a great resource of online learning and an effective resource for getting specific skills and knowledge fast. The job market is becoming increasingly competitive, especially given the present international situation.
So, students and fresh graduates looking for a job can benefit a lot from Coursera courses, which can be great additions to their CV. Coursera studies are great both as introductions into new subjects but also for studying topics more in-depth.
Most Coursera courses can be studied for free, but if you want a diploma to attest your studies, you will have to pay for it. So, if you want to learn a lot in a short amount of time and want to get a diploma for your completed studies, regular Coursera might get expensive. That’s where the Coursera Plus advantage comes in.
How Coursera Plus can save you money if you plan on intensive studying
Coursera Plus is a yearly subscription that offers unlimited access to all Coursera classes. This means also getting access to all materials and specializations sometimes unavailable in the free version. Another great advantage is that each course you graduate will provide you with a diploma for no extra cost.
With regular Coursera, you will need a monthly subscription to get a diploma after completing the course. A monthly subscription costs 40 USD per month, and you will need it to get access to the best specializations and certificates. So, a regular Coursera diploma will cost between 40-120 USD, depending on how much time it takes to complete the course.
This means that if you study 4 hours weekly for a course that takes 3 months to complete, you will pay 120 USD for your graduation diploma. If you study 4 courses in a year, this means 480 USD for 4 diplomas.
Since the yearly Coursera Plus subscription is 400 USD/year, that gives you the potential of getting a lot of diplomas in one year of intensive learning at lower costs. If you study faster than 3 months per course, that’s an even better deal for your money.
Is there another plus side? If you already have a job and a development budget, your employer can pay for your studies and you don’t need to spend anything out of your own pocket.
So, if you want to really improve your skills fast for a new profession or for a professional upgrade, you can take a lot of courses in the same discipline and gain a complete arsenal that will look great on your resume.
Best courses covered by Coursera Plus that can help you specialize
So, here is a list of some of the best Coursera courses to consider taking in 2020 and beyond, grouped by main disciplines. Study them online individually or in bulk, and save money with Coursera Plus:
Courses in Business and Management
- AI For Everyone
- Business Foundations
- Excel Skills for Business
- Project Management Principles and Practices
- Digital Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
- Coaching Skills Manager
- Marketing in a Digital World
Courses in Computer Science
- Python for Everybody
- Web Design for Everybody
- Self-Driving Cars
- Security in Google Cloud Platform
- Internet of Things
- Blockchain Revolution for the Enterprise
Courses in Data Science
Courses in Personal Development
- The Science of Well-Being
- Learning How to Learn: Powerful Mental Tools to Help You Master Tough Subjects
- Career Success
- Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills
- Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential
- Effective Communication: Writing, Design and Presentation
- Dynamic Public Speaking
Courses in Economics
- Financial Markets
- Game Theory
- The Power of Macroeconomics: Economic Principles in the Real World
- The Power of Microeconomics: Economic Principles in the Real World
- Model Thinking
- Trading Strategies in Emerging Markets
- The Global Financial Crisis
- Economics of Money and Banking
MasterTrack and full degrees from Coursera can also help your career
Coursera Plus might be a good deal, but it still doesn’t offer everything. A Coursera Plus subscription doesn’t include the cost of studying a MasterTrack programme or a Master’s degree. Those types of programmes have separate costs.
But if you are planning to take a specific Master’s degree from a university that also offers a MasterTrack on Coursera, you can consider this option as well, as MasterTrack courses offer academic credit towards completing your Master’s degree at the university.
Check out a list of all the online MasterTrack and online Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees offered through Coursera.