Summer Microcredential Opportunity

July 14, 2023

Calling all Charlotte students to challenge themselves this summer and earn a Google Career Certificate by August 20. Through a partnership with Coursera, UNC Charlotte is providing access to a limited number of free licenses for students to enroll in one of six Google Career Certificates in high demand areas of IT and marketing. The certificates are all self-paced and delivered online through the Coursera platform.

"These professional certificates complement the high quality degrees students earn from UNC Charlotte and help to demonstrate to future employers that they are job-ready," said Asher Haines, associate provost of the School of Professional Studies.

A new survey conducted by Coursera found that students and employers view skills as the pathway between education and employability. The survey data further reveals that industry micro-credentials, such as certificates offered by Coursera, provide a valuable link between students and employers.

Students have likely already heard the term "microcredential" or "professional certificate" as this type of verified learning gains popularity in the workplace. An Opportunity@Work blog post shared that "90% of HR professionals say that workers who hold skilled credentials bring value to the workplace and help those employees gain credibility."

UNC Charlotte students are able to select from the 6 certificates this summer:

Data Analytics (8 courses)
Data analysts collect, transform and organize data in order to help make informed business decisions.
Good choice if you like uncovering trends and patterns, visualizations

Project Management (6 courses)
Project managers ensure projects within an organization are managed and completed with maximum value.
Good choice if you like solving problems, organization, working with people

IT Support (5 courses)
IT Specialists troubleshoot problems so computers and networks run correctly.
Good choice if you like solving problems, helping others

UX Design (7 courses)
UX designers make digital and physical products easier and more enjoyable to use.
Good choice if you like understanding people, drawing, thinking creatively
Digital Marketing & E-commerce (7 courses)
Digital marketers use online tools to reach customers. E-commerce specialists grow online sales.
Good choice if you like connecting with people online, building an online presence
Cybersecurity (8 courses)
Cybersecurity analysts are responsible for monitoring and protecting information and systems.
If you like investigating, solving puzzles

How does this work?

  • All learners with a Charlotte.edu email address are welcome. Enroll here.
  • Certificate content is provided by Google and hosted by Coursera.
  • All certificates are open to learners with no prior experience in the subject area.
  • Earn a sharable digital certificate at completion to use on your LinkedIn profile or resume.
  • Free access through August 20, 2023. One certificate can take several weeks to complete and an extension into the fall term is available for students who are close to completing the certificate.
  • A maximum of 500 learners are able to enroll at any one time. If a license is not available when you attempt to enroll, submit a request to get on the waiting list. Due to a limited number of available licenses, enrolled learners who are inactive for more than 30 days will be removed from the program.
  • Questions can be sent to distanceEd@charlotte.edu.