Less than a year ago, The University of Texas System launched the nation’s most comprehensive industry-recognized microcredential program with education partner Coursera, providing more than 240,000 students from UT’s nine academic institutions free access to augment their current degree plans with professional certificates in high-demand jobs. This fall, the program will expand to include nearly 15,000 students enrolled at UT’s five health institutions: UT Health Houston, UT Health San Antonio, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, UT Medical Branch, and UT Southwestern Medical Center.
This expanded partnership with the online learning platform Coursera is a key piece of the UT System’s Texas Credentials for the Future initiative, enabling students to incorporate industry-recognized credentials into their degree programs. More than 255,000 students enrolled at UT’s institutions will have free access to Coursera’s Career Academy that offers over 45 Professional Certificates in partnership with companies like Google, IBM, Microsoft, and Salesforce. UT institutions are also making the Career Academy on Coursera available to faculty, staff and alumni at no cost. Rollout schedules for students, faculty, staff and alumni will vary by institution.
The UT System launched its initiative with Coursera in December 2022 with a pilot program that included 3,000 students who completed more than 6,000 courses. To date, UT students have spent more than 111,000 hours learning online through the initiative with more than 18,300 courses completed.
“The strong response to our Texas Credentials for the Future initiative already underway at UT’s academic campuses made expanding access to students enrolled at our health institutions an easy decision and natural next step,” UT System Chancellor James B. Milliken said in a news release. “In today’s dynamic healthcare landscape, many students may wish to supplement their current health-related degree plans with credentials for work in the biotechnology, biomedical engineering, bioinformatics and pharmaceuticals industries. We’re all in for any way we can help our students expand their career opportunities.”
According to Coursera research, 86 percent of U.S. students said that earning an industry microcredential would help them stand out to employers and secure jobs when they graduate. U.S. employers agree – they are, on average, 75 percent more likely to hire a candidate who has earned both a degree and a certificate.
“Career paths are evolving, even for advanced healthcare professionals. In today’s competitive and fast-changing job market, those with specialized knowledge, high-demand professional skills, and a willingness to learn will stand out,” Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera CEO, said in the release. “We’re excited to expand our partnership with the UT System to provide industry microcredentials to all students from all UT institutions, enriching the broad-based curriculum and preparing graduates to become future leaders in various industries.”
To learn more about Texas Credentials for the Future, visit utsystem.edu/sites/texas-microcredentials. To learn more about Coursera, visit coursera.org.
