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Coursera

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Grow Your Career Through Coursera

Learn new skills and techniques to engage with your current position and prepare you for future opportunities. Access select free courses through Coursera in dozens of specialty areas.

Access to a selection of free Coursera courses is available to University and SLAC employees with SUNet IDs.

Popular Courses

Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python) - Michigan University

This course aims to teach everyone the basics of programming computers using Python. We cover the basics of how one constructs a program from a series of simple instructions in Python.  The course has no prerequisites and avoids all but the simplest math. Anyone with moderate computer experience should be able to master the materials in this course.

The Science of Well-Being - Yale University

In this course you will engage in a series of challenges designed to increase your own happiness and build more productive habits. As preparation for these tasks, Professor Laurie Santos reveals misconceptions about happiness, annoying features of the mind that lead us to think the way we do, and the research that can help us change. You will ultimately be prepared to successfully incorporate a specific wellness activity into your life.

Inspiring and Motivating Individuals - Michigan University

In this course, you will learn how to create a shared vision for your team and effectively communicate it to your teammates. You will also learn how to set effective goals and expectations in a way that best enables your team to attain the shared vision. Finally, you will understand the most important needs and drivers of performance across cultures, and will learn to align rewards with desired behaviors so that your teammates are motivated to attain the team’s objectives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which courses can I access?

Stanford employees have free access to a subset of about 3,000 Coursera courses through the “Coursera for Stanford” partnership in areas like Arts & Humanities, Business, Computer Science, Data Science, Health, Language, Social Science, and others.

Why am I being prompted to pay for a Coursera course?

Although you have free access to the subset of courses included in the “Coursera for Stanford” partnership, many courses are available outside this partnership for an additional cost.

To ensure that you are viewing only the free courses available through “Coursera for Stanford,” login using your SUNet ID by clicking on the red button above. To confirm that you have logged into “Coursera for Stanford,” look for the Stanford logo in the top toolbar on Coursera. If you do not see the Stanford logo, it means that you are logged into Coursera’s commercial site, which includes courses that are not free to Stanford employees.

I know that Coursera offers degree programs. Do I get free access to these programs? Are these programs reimbursable through the Stanford Tuition Reimbursement Program (STRP)?

Degree programs are not included in “Coursera for Stanford” and are not available for free to Stanford employees.

For staff employees interested in earning a degree and plan to receive reimbursement through STRP, we advise that you do not enroll in degree programs through Coursera because Coursera degrees are not eligible for reimbursement. Please visit the STRP website for information about reimbursement-eligible degree programs.

I know that Coursera offers certificate and professional certificate (often called certification) programs. Do I get free access to these programs? Are these programs reimbursable through the Stanford Training Assistance Program (STAP)?

Certificate and professional certificate programs are not included in “Coursera for Stanford” and are not available for free to Stanford employees.

For staff employees interested in pursuing a certificate or professional certificate through Coursera, these options may be eligible for reimbursement through the Stanford Training Assistance Program (STAP). Please visit the STAP website for information about the reimbursement process.

How will my information be used?

Please review the Coursera Privacy Notice to be informed about how information is used.