University Of Texas, Coursera Launch Historic Micro-credential Partnership

The University of Texas and Coursera, the online learning platform and a pioneer of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS), are launching a large-scale, industry-recognized micro-credential program. The collaboration was announced today in a blogpost by Coursera.

Through the new partnership, every student, faculty, and staff (and even alumni) across all nine universities in the University of Texas (UT) System will gain access to Courser’s Career Academy for no additional cost to them.

The participating campuses include UT Austin, UT Arlington, UT Dallas, UT El Paso, UT Permian Basin, UT Rio Grande Valley, UT San Antonio, Stephen F. Austin State University, and UT Tyler.

As a result, more than 35 industry micro-credentials from companies such as IBM, Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Salesforce will become available to eligible participants. According to Coursera, the new collaboration could reach a potential 240,000 learners across the nine campuses, making it what the company called “the most extensive industry-recognized microcredential program from a U.S. university system.”

Through the Career Academy, UT students and alumni will have the opportunity to explore a wide range of career paths, such as Data Analyst, Cybersecurity Analyst, UX Designer, Application Developer, and Social Media Marketer, and develop specific workplace skills that will enhance their qualifications for the job market.

“We’re excited to partner with the University of Texas System to equip 240,000 Texans with in-demand industry skills, supporting local employment and the state’s economy.” said Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera CEO. “This system-wide industry micro-credential program sets an innovative blueprint for the future of higher education.”

The University of Texas System and Coursera launched a pilot of this program in December 2022. In the first semester, approximately 3,000 students spent 30,000 hours learning online, completing over 6,000 courses.

The individual campuses will integrate the certificates into their curricula in different ways. For example, UT Tyler is incorporating data analytics and project management certificates in its criminal justice courses, while the UT Dallas Jindal School of Business is offering students extra credit for completing certificates.

The initiative is part of the UT System’s Texas Credentials for the Future initiative and is the latest example of a traditional university trying to address emerging workforce needs by adding industry-driven instruction to a standard undergraduate curriculum. It reflects an increasing interest by colleges to provide undergraduate students with a broad education that’s supplemented with specific skills.

The initiative also addresses the Texas Higher Education Board’s goal of ensuring 60% of working-age Texans have earned a degree, certificate or postsecondary credential by 2030.

According to UT System Chancellor James B. Milliken, “Microcredentials are a powerful and effective tool in producing graduates who are both broadly educated and specifically skilled, giving them a competitive edge in the labor market while also enhancing their overall undergraduate experience. The UT System’s continued investment in microcredential courses is critical to meeting our state’s growing workforce demands while always preparing our students for success.”