The 15 best online courses and certificate programs you can take with a Coursera Plus subscription
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- Coursera Plus gives you access to 90% of the Coursera site for $399 a year or $59 a month.
- It includes single online courses and longer professional certificate programs and specializations.
- Find answers to Coursera Plus FAQs here.
Coursera Plus is an annual or monthly membership that gives you access to 90% of the Coursera site, including fun online courses, professional certificates, and more. An annual membership is $399, but Coursera recently introduced a month-to-month payment option of $59 per month.
A Coursera Plus subscription is worth considering if you think you'll be taking lots of classes or want to rack up multiple professional certificates at once.
It can also be a good option if your employer offers educational reimbursements that might cover the cost of membership. You can read more about whether Coursera Plus is worth it here.
Below, you'll find some of the most popular courses and programs included under the Coursera Plus umbrella. You can also browse the list of classes included with the Coursera Plus membership here.
While some of the most popular Coursera courses make an appearance below - like Yale's Science of Well-Being and the Learning How to Learn course - it's worth mentioning that you can typically audit single courses for free. You usually won't have access to perks like graded homework or certificates of completion if you stick to the free versions, so the calculus of which is a bigger perk is a personal decision.
15 popular courses and specializations included in Coursera Plus:
Alyssa Powell/Business Insider
Length: 19 hours
Offered by: Yale University
Based on the most popular course in Yale's history, this class combines positive psychology with behavioral science to increase your own happiness using concrete, productive habits.
Read our review of The Science of Well-Being here. For more tips on how to improve your happiness, read our interview with Laurie Santos, the course's professor, here.
Learning How to LearnWAYHOME studio/Shutterstock
Length: 15 hours
Offered by: Deep Teaching Solutions
Learning How to Learn gives students of all ages and educational backgrounds the foundational knowledge of how our brains store information and the related practical tools that help us get the most out of learning — whether through time management techniques or test-taking strategies.
Read our review of Learning How to Learn here.
Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday LifeAndriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images
Length: 28 hours
Offered by: The University of Chicago
This course teaches you about everyday neurobiology, including how the nervous system produces behavior and the neuroscience behind our common problems.
Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and SkillsLuis Alvarez/Getty Images
Length: 17 hours
Offered by: The University of Michigan
Learn key communication tactics, how to prepare for a negotiation talk, and the steps to creating a contract so you can become a better negotiator.
Introduction to PsychologyHinterhaus Productions/Getty Images
Length: 15 hours
Offered by: Yale University
This intro class (and the most popular psychology course on Coursera) provides students with a comprehensive overview of the scientific study of thought and behavior. Course topics include perception, communication, learning, memory, decision-making, persuasion, emotions, and social behavior.
Read our review of Introduction to Psychology here.
Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty & StressKlaus Vedfelt
Length: 10 hours
Offered by: Yale University
Designed for school staff in pre-K-12 schools, this short course teaches you the skills, strategies, and fundamental knowledge needed to both understand and manage your emotions and those of your students.
Specializations and professional certificates Python for Everybody SpecializationChalirmpoj Pimpisarn/EyeEm
Length: 8 months
Offered by: University of Michigan
This specialization introduces fundamental programming concepts including data structures, networked application program interfaces, and databases using the Python programming language.
In the fifth course, students complete a capstone project in which they apply what they've learned to design and create applications for data retrieval, processing, and visualization.
Google IT Support Professional Certificatealvarez/Getty Images
Length: 6 months
Offered by: Google
This five-course certificate program prepares you for an entry-level job in IT support through a curriculum developed by Google. The program is also ACE certified, so you can earn up to 12 college credits once you're finished.
Upon completion, those eligible to work in the US can share their information directly with potential employers through Google's exclusive Career Certificates Employer Consortium.
Read more about Google's Coursera certificate programs here.
Excel Skills for Business SpecializationThomas Trutschel/Photothek/Getty Images
Length: 6 months
Offered by: Macquarie University
Macquarie Business School lecturers teach Excel essentials to first-time or self-taught users in this class. Students practice in downloadable Excel workbooks to fill in any knowledge gaps and get hands-on training.
Improve Your English Communication SkillsLuis Alvarez/Getty Images
Length: 5 months
Offered by: Georgia Tech
Meant for those who want to boost their business interactions, this course teaches students the skills they need to feel more confident in writing emails, speaking at meetings and interviews, giving presentations, and networking online. The capstone project lets students practice with their peers and receive feedback.
Applied Data Science with Python Specialization5432action/Getty Images
Length: 5 months
Offered by: The University of Michigan
In five courses, this specialization takes early-level Python programmers through statistical, machine learning, information visualization, text analysis, and social network analysis techniques to expand their Python skills. Learners go over popular Python toolkits such as pandas, matplotlib, scikit-learn, nltk, and networkx to get better at data analysis.
Graphic Design SpecializationRawpixel.com/Shutterstock
Length: 6 months
Offered by: CalArts
This course builds the foundational skills needed to be a graphic designer — process, historical context, how to communicate via visuals and typography choices — and covers interface design, motion graphics, and editorial design.
UI UX Design SpecializationCavan Images/Getty Images
Length: 4 months
Offered by: CalArts
In this four-course specialization, students learn about every stage of the UI/UX development process to prepare them for a range of careers. You'll be familiar with applying user research to defining a project's strategy, scope, and information architecture, as well as developing sitemaps, wireframes, and more.
Data Science: Using R SpecializationPR Image Factory/Shutterstock
Length: 5 months
Offered by: Johns Hopkins University
Learn foundational data science tools and techniques, like how to get, clean, and explore data; program in R; and create reproducible research.
At the end of the five courses, you should be prepared to take the Data Science: Statistics and Machine Learning specialization, which teaches you how to build a data product using real-world data.
Preparing for Google Cloud Certification: Cloud Engineer Professional CertificateFABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images
Length: 4 months
Offered by: Google Cloud
This six-course professional certificate program builds the skills needed for a career in cloud architecture. It's designed as part of a pathway to earning your Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer certification — including sample questions and practice quizzes similar to those on the exam.