Looking for an unbiased Coursera Review? Then you are at the right place. You must have come across various platforms to learn in-demand skills to elevate yourself. Then, Coursera would surely have been one of the considerations. But, Is Coursera worth it in comparison to other platforms?
Or is it just like any other platform that stays in the game to earn by selling mediocre, overpriced materials with no practical application in the real world, which we’ll find out?
In this article, you will get a complete overview of Coursera; how Coursera works; the instructors of Coursera, the pros and cons of Coursera, and much more.
Coursera Review: In a Nutshell
It is an e-learning-based platform that comes with some brilliant courses from top-ranked universities in the world, like Harvard, Stanford, and Yale.
Started in 2012 by two professors from Stanford University to provide quality education accessible to all the people in the world, irrespective of their geographical location, cultural and social diversity, and economic constraints.
Coursera brings premium quality courses from prestigious universities around the world at a slashed price. Providing an excellent opportunity to learn the latest in-demand skill and elevate yourself in your career trajectory from the comfort of your home. All of this without the burden of heavy student loans.
Instructors of Coursera – Coursera Review
Coursera brings premium quality education courses to the platform, which is clearly reflected in the quality of their instructors.
The major reason for the success of Coursera is the quality it brings out for the learners and instructors on the platform. It has partnered with top-ranked universities and professors from their prominent domains to stream their lessons on Coursera.
For becoming an instructor on Coursera, there’s a strict review process in place that has to be qualified by the applicant to get officially approved by Coursera as an instructor.
Instructors on Coursera are
- Authors
- Practicing Experts
- Working professionals
- Academics from Ivy League
- Executives from the world’s leading companies.
In respect of the quality of the courses which are available on Coursera and the insightful modules by their instructors. Coursera is promising and trustworthy.
How Does Coursera Work? – Coursera Review
Most of the courses on Coursera take 4 to 12 weeks to complete, and they contain video lectures that last for one to two hours every week. Like any other online course, these courses also contain assignments, quizzes, weekly exercises, and some courses also have a final exam at the end of the course.
There are also some courses that you can get on demand, which means you can finish them at your own pace. You can take your time to complete lessons without worrying about meeting any deadline. Coursera offers more than 100 on-demand courses along with guided projects. These projects usually take 2-4 hours to complete, and you can also complete them at your own pace.
What Does Coursera offer? – Coursera Review
Coursera has a plethora of knowledge to offer. Trust me, I’m not exaggerating.
Coursera provides access to a lot of free courses from different domains, whether it be computer science, marketing, data science, business, the arts, or health.
Once you have made a choice, you’ll surely be able to find everything you need to know about a specific subject.
There are many ways that Coursera provides through which you can learn at a time of your convenience.
- Access the free resources available on the Coursera platform.
- You can also buy an individual course and a certification.
- Buy Coursera Plus for $399 and get access to all the courses on the platform.
You can explore the platform to find out which option suits you the most. Just provide your email address and password to sign up for free. A smooth and effortless process of joining the biggest online learning platform.
Coursera Guided Projects, Specialization, and Degree
I said Coursera has a lot to offer. I wasn’t exaggerating at all. Coursera does a prominent categorization for the particular needs of the learners.
Apart from the free resources available on the Coursera platform and a subscription plan that costs you around $399 annually.
It also provides several other options, such as
- Guided Projects
- Specializations
- Professional Certificates
- Master track
- Degree
We’ll talk about each one of them in detail. To find out which option suits you best,
Coursera Guided Projects – Coursera Review
Guided projects by Coursera is a brilliant program to learn practical and technical skills in a short span with much less investment and a certification of completion from the industry-accepted standards.
In the guided projects, a split-screen workspace is established by the instructor and the learner to follow the step-by-step guide to complete a project with visual guidance and a hands-on learning experience.
They are generally 2–8 hours long, within which you learn a skill from an industry-credible instructor and earn a certificate.
For the guided projects, you can pay as per the course you would like to take. You will pay only for the specific course and earn a certificate at the end. Guided projects by Coursera start at $9.99.
Coursera Specialization – Coursera Review
Specialization by Coursera is a program to help you master a skill and get certified as a specialist.
In this, you’ll get to learn through several courses, hands-on projects, and assignments. A Specialization program of Coursera may take around 2-4 months within which you learn a skill in its core depth and get certified with a specialization certificate.
You can pay monthly for the specialization, which starts at $39.
Coursera Professional Certification – Coursera Review
Professional certification by Coursera helps you to learn an in-demand skill real quick with minimal investment. It gets your job ready most efficiently with the least time investment.
Professional certification by Coursera may take around 4-8 months to get the acknowledgment of the course & curriculum. In this, you’ll go through several courses, hands-on projects, assignments, and a professional certificate, along with access to job search resources.
You can pay monthly for the professional certification, which starts at $39.
Coursera: Master Track
Master Track by Coursera helps you to take your master’s from the top-ranked universities and professors. It gives you credit for a complete degree.
Master Track programs by Coursera may take around 4-10 months to complete the curriculum of the course. It includes video content, live classes, team-based learning, and projects.
For the master track by Coursera, you can pay monthly or as per the course of the program. The master track starts at $1,999 for the complete master’s program.
Coursera: Degree
Coursera Degree provides a complete bachelor’s and master’s degree from the top-ranked universities in the world. It may take around 2-4 years to get a degree.
With this, you’ll get online classes, live interaction with the professors and co-learners, access to an online student support team, and a degree at the end.
For the degree program offered by Coursera, you can pay as you move ahead in the curriculum in the term. The degree program starts at $9,000 and it can be up to $50, 000.
How Much Does Coursera Cost?
In a nutshell, Coursera can be accessed for absolutely free. The platform has tons of courses from different domains available which you can take up without spending a single penny. Here’s the detailed breakdown of Coursera’s cost.
On Coursera, Guided projects start from $9.99, specializations and professional certification programs start from $39, master tracks start from $2,000, degree programs start from $6,000, and lastly, the subscription plan of Coursera Plus costs you around $399 annually and $59 monthly.
Coursera Vs Coursera Plus – Coursera Review
If you wanna save a few bucks on Coursera Plus, then check our working Coursera Plus discount here.
Coursera has several courses available on its platform. Even the free version of Coursera has tons of courses from prestigious universities like Stanford, Yale, and Duke. The courses from different domains are available, whether it be computer science, marketing, financial, business, arts, or health. The only catch is that the free version of Coursera doesn’t provide certificates on completion.
Whereas, With Coursera Plus you get unlimited access to all the courses, specializations, and professional certification programs available on the platform along with a certification of completion. Coursera Plus doesn’t include bachelor’s and master’s programs.
If you’re someone who has a knack for learning about stuff and also wants to get rewarded for your efforts, Or if you want to advance your career trajectory by learning new skills and earning certificates from a credible platform. Then Coursera Plus must be your choice. As Coursera Plus gives you unlimited access to more than 3,000 courses across different domains and industries with certification only for $399 annually.
How to Choose the Right Course on Coursera?
If you’re unsure about which course to take on Coursera, there are plenty of options available to choose from. Then don’t worry, I got the most simple and effective way for you.
Follow this short 5-step guide to choose the right course for yourself.
1. Filter
Coursera has an amazing feature of cluttering out all the courses that don’t fall into your interest bracket. Using this feature, you’ll only see the courses available on your chosen domain.
Let’s say you’ve chosen “finance” as your category. Along with a few other filters of language such as English, skills such as entry, etc. Then, by clicking on the apply button. You’ll see the relevant courses related to your filter search.
2. About the Course
In the about section, you can read the description of the course given by the instructor, which includes the topics to be covered. You may also check the number of modules it has been divided into. With the specifics of each module along with the duration of each module,
3. Instructor of the Course
Coursera has a wonderful feature where you can check out the instructor of the course. You can read about their experience in the field, prior experiences, and other courses they have taken on the platform. It also includes their personal website and social media handles.
4. Reviews of the Course
All courses on Coursera have a review and rating feature from the learners who have previously taken the course. It can provide you with comprehensive insight into the course without actually taking it.
5. Try for free
All courses on Coursera come with a 7-day full access free trial period in which you can claim your refund within 7 days. If you’re not satisfied with the course in any way.
Does Coursera have a free trial? – Coursera Review
Yes, Coursera provides tons of free courses from different domains available on the platform. It provides you with self-paced learning modules and a well-structured curriculum.
The content of the course is free, and you can visit it again and again whenever you feel like getting the gist of it.
There are 2,000+ courses available on the platform for free. It can be from different domains, such as business, marketing, finance, data science, health, etc.
Do you get certification from Coursera on completion?
Yes, Coursera provides certification on completion of the course. But, you won’t get the certification for free courses available on the platform. You have to pay to get the certification.
Guided projects, specializations, professional certificates, master’s track, and degrees by Coursera come with a certification.
Pros of using Coursera
Definitely, Coursera provides a premium learning experience in association with top-ranked universities around the world. In my experience of using Coursera, what I like about Coursera
1. Free Courses
Coursera provides a lot of courses from prestigious universities for free. Even the free courses available on Coursera are promisingly relevant and informative. Unlike other platforms,
You can explore the platform for its access to free resources. That would be a ton of it. The courses are of high quality and structure, and the duration of the courses is along with other benefits.
2. Degree
Coursera is one of the learning-based platforms that provide a real degree to its students.
As for their specialization, master’s track and degree programs are well designed and structured with an adequate curriculum.
3. Download
This feature is a savior if you have an unstable internet connection or you easily get distracted by other notifications while learning. Coursera has got it covered for you.
You can download the lessons and even the complete course to avoid unnecessary internet lags and buffering.
4. Platform Availability
You can access the course content on the platform from any device with an internet connection. Whether be it through a mobile, laptop, or desktop.
Cons of using Coursera
I’ve had a great experience using Coursera, but nothing is perfect, and Coursera is not any different.
I’ve noticed a few problems that other users of the platform have also mentioned.
1. No Constant Quality
In my experience of using Coursera, the difference in the quality of each course was evident. Although it wasn’t bad. The difference was crystal clear.
The quality is not constant throughout the platform. It might not be a considerable problem for everyone, but you’ll notice it for sure.
For Whom is Coursera Suitable?
Coursera ensures that its platform is attractive and accessible to everyone present at different levels. with a special focus on beginners who struggle to get started with a specific course.
After analyzing the wide spectrum of courses that Coursera provides through its free and paid resources and programs, I’ve come to know that Coursera only looks for people who are interested in upskilling themselves. They might be
- Students who want to learn the latest in-demand skills.
- People looking for job opportunities.
- People who want to switch their careers from one domain to another.
- Anyone who wants to get certified by the platform of global experts.
In my opinion, Coursera is relatively an easy-to-access platform, so it is suggested to everyone for its simplified and engaging curriculum.
Is Coursera Worth It?
In my opinion, definitely yes.
It provides access to courses from prestigious universities around the world. Coursera is a big platform with a huge spectrum of courses to choose from as per your interest and inclination towards a particular subject.
Coursera Alternatives – Coursera Review
Everyone might not like Coursera for many reasons. If you’re looking for other learning platforms, I have a few alternatives to suggest.
1. Udemy
If there’s a strong competitor of Coursera out there. That’s Udemy.
Udemy provides excellent courses with premium quality across different domains and languages. You can get courses at Udemy at a much lower cost compared to Coursera.
Udemy only offers independent courses from individual instructors. In this, Coursera got the lead with their specialization, professional certificates, master’s track, and degree programs.
2. edX
You may find edX a lot like Coursera. As it has fairly similar features compared to Coursera.
Unlike Coursera, edX provides an extra feature of auditing the courses available on their platform for free.
3. Pluralsight
After using both Pluralsight and Coursera for a while. I found apparent differences between the two.
I’ve found Pluralsight to be more suitable for technical learning courses like web development, data structures, cyber security, and operations.
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Final Thoughts: Coursera Review (2024)
Coursera is a unique and reliable platform that comes with some brilliant courses from prestigious universities around the world, which you can take up from the comfort of your couch while sipping your morning coffee.
You can get certified from an industry credible platform, Coursera also provides lifetime access to their students on their courses.