University of North Texas to Offer Non-Credit Courses Through Coursera

closeup of hands on laptop

In an effort to expand access to online learning, the University of North Texas is partnering with Coursera to offer non-credit courses in the massive open online format. The institution plans to launch three to five MOOCs within the next year, according to Adam Fein, UNT vice president of digital strategy and innovation.

Created and taught by UNT faculty, the courses will be self-paced, allowing learners to engage on their own schedule. Students can access the courses and course materials for free, and have the option to pay a fee to receive a Coursera Course Certificate upon completion.

The courses are also designed to help students prep for actual for-credit courses at UNT. "Engaging with courses on the Coursera platform gives learners access to the subject matter but also a sense of ethos of being a UNT student and exposure to UNT faculty who care deeply about teaching students and quality learning outcomes," noted Karen Bollinger, UNT assistant vice president of digital growth, in a statement.

"In support of our mission to provide access to education, our plan is to continue to explore options to give North Texas students and learners from around the globe flexible learning options and more ways to help them reach academic and career goals," commented Fein.

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs AI Content Safeguards into Law

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed off on a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • close-up illustration of a hand signing a legislative document

    California Passes AI Safety Legislation, Awaits Governor's Signature

    California lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved a bill that would impose new restrictions on AI technologies, potentially setting a national precedent for regulating the rapidly evolving field. The legislation, known as S.B. 1047, now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk. He has until the end of September to decide whether to sign it into law.

  • illustration of a VPN network with interconnected nodes and lines forming a minimalist network structure

    Report: Increasing Number of Vulnerabilities in OpenVPN

    OpenVPN, a popular open source virtual private network (VPN) system integrated into millions of routers, firmware, PCs, mobile devices and other smart devices, is leaving users open to a growing list of threats, according to a new report from Microsoft.

  • interconnected cubes and circles arranged in a grid-like structure

    Hugging Face Gradio 5 Offers AI-Powered App Creation and Enhanced Security

    Hugging Face has released version 5 of its Gradio open source platform for building machine learning (ML) applications. The update introduces a suite of features focused on expanding access to AI, including a novel AI-powered app creation tool, enhanced web development capabilities, and bolstered security measures.