Coursera for Illinois gives Illinois students, staff, and faculty free access to more than 170 non-credit online courses and Specializations. Created by Illinois faculty, Illinois' Coursera courses provide opportunities to advance your career, explore your interests, or expand your skill set. With Coursera for Illinois you can take any course you want, whenever you want, the way you want. Complete the course and receive an Illinois/Coursera course completion certificate to post on resumes and LinkedIn ©.
FAQ
How is Coursera for Illinois different than taking a course on Illinois on Coursera.org?
Coursera for Illinois has the same content as Coursera.org, but entering via Coursera for Illinois means you don’t have to pay for certificates that you would typically pay for on Coursera.org. In addition, at no cost, you not only have access to the content, but also the quizzes and exams. With free access to the quizzes, you can pass the course and receive a course certificate -- all for free.
Can I receive university credit or a transcript for Illinois Coursera courses?
Illinois’ Coursera courses are not official courses at the University of Illinois. Created by Illinois faculty, Illinois' Coursera courses provide opportunities to advance your career, explore your interests, or expand your skill set. To learn more about Coursera certificates, please see Coursera’s page on Course Certificates. Coursera certificates do not represent university credit or continuing education units from Illinois and do not come with a University of Illinois transcript.
Will this affect my academic performance or work evaluations? Can I earn credit?
No, you cannot earn academic credit with these courses. Certificates earned from Illinois on Coursera are non-credit. However, Coursera certificate badges are the second most-posted microcredential on LinkedIn. You can absolutely post your certificates on LinkedIn, in your resume/CV, etc.
Though you may use your accomplishments on Coursera for Illinois courses to further your studies or career, your professors, advisors, supervisors, etc. cannot see your performance. You will not earn credit or change your GPA by taking these courses.
The degree programs and MasterTrack certificate programs that lead to University of Illinois credit are not available under Coursera for Illinois. These affordable for-credit graduate options are available separately. Learn more by visiting Coursera.org.
Can I take these courses if I don’t have access to Coursera for Illinois?
Yes! Anyone can access Illinois courses hosted on the Coursera platform. Illinois created content on Coursera.org is the same as the content on Coursera for Illinois. The difference is that you will need to pay to access certain content and quizzes or to receive a credential for your learning. Most courses offer an option to “audit,” which gives free access to a portion of the learning content, but no course certificate
I thought this was free, but I’m being asked to pay. What should I do now?
You likely entered Coursera through its main homepage, and not through the entrance that will identify you as a Coursera for Illinois user. If you are looking for the option of free course offerings/certificate opportunities for current Illinois students, faculty, and staff, you'll need to do that directly from this page and select the Login with University of Illinois option.
Is this available to Illinois alumni?
While Illinois alumni are not currently eligible for Coursera for Illinois, alumni can sign up for Illinois’ Coursera courses through the main Coursera website.