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EdX Certificate Programs Aim to Deliver Immediate Pathways to Careers

Massive open online course (MOOC) provider edX yesterday launched a new line of programs that are designed to build or advance critical skills for in-demand careers like software development and data science.

Professional Certificate programs “provide learners with a more immediate path to reskill or upskill quickly in order to advance their career or position themselves for a new job,” according to the announcement. Each offers a series of courses created in collaboration with industry professionals and universities, focusing on job competencies and professional development in fields like computer science, data science and digital marketing.

According to the edX announcement, “certificates are endorsed by corporations like HSBC, GitHub and The North Face, and recognized for real career relevancy.”

The initial offering includes 15 Professional Certificate Programs from 13 universities and companies. The University of Pennsylvania, for example, has launched “Computer Science Essentials for Software Development” to equip students with skills like Java and JavaScript for careers in software development and web development. There are four courses in the PennX program, each priced at $149, and each one takes about four weeks to complete. Another program from the University of California, San Diego teaches learners virtual reality app development. Microsoft launched a program in data science.

Professional Certificate programs are shorter in length compared to edX’s MicroMasters program, which usually take two to six months to complete. edX last month introduced 16 new MicroMasters programs in in-demand fields like big data, digital marketing and more.  

About the Author

Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].

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