Professional Certificate Programs: Delivering real job impact and critical skills you need to stand out

April 25, 2017 / edX team

Today, we are proud to announce the launch of Professional Certificate programs, the latest offering to further our mission to increase access to education that today’s global, connected learner demands.

Professional Certificate programs are a series of in-demand courses designed to build or advance critical skills for a specific career. Created by industry leaders and top universities, Professional Certificate programs help develop the skills and actionable knowledge needed for today’s top jobs through a flexible and affordable online learning experience.

Offered in exciting fields, like digital marketing, virtual reality and data science, edX Professional Certificates are endorsed by corporations, including HSBC, GitHub and The North Face, and recognized for real career relevancy.

Meeting the Needs of Today’s Learner

After surveying our learners, we recognized that there was a need and desire for career-focused, professional content programs that deliver meaningful and impactful job-related results. Professional Certificate programs were developed to match this demand, offering programs that focus on skills, job competencies and professional development from the world’s top universities and industry leaders. Shorter in length compared to MicroMasters® programs, usually 2-6 months long, Professional Certificate programs allow you to quickly gain the skills you need to advance your career or position yourself for a new job.

Providing Expertise Valued by Employers

Professional Certificate programs are tailored for specific jobs and particular career paths, offering skills-based education in the fields where today’s employers are seeking top talent. After completing a Professional Certificate program, you can be confident that you have gained the actionable knowledge you will need to make a powerful impact on an organization. You can demonstrate this skillset to employers by including your Professional Certificate on a resume, CV or LinkedIn profile to showcase your achievement and stand out from the crowd.

Adding Immediate Pathways to Advance Careers

As an innovator in education, edX is always exploring how to further our mission to expand access to and improve the quality of learning. We launched the MicroMasters initiative in September 2016, and it marked a new and exciting step toward furthering this mission. MicroMasters programs were developed to bridge the gap between education and corporations, providing learners with the opportunity to begin down a path of advanced study through a credential with a pathway to credit.

Professional Certificate programs, which mark the next innovative step in our mission, are typically shorter than MicroMasters programs and are designed to provide learners with a more immediate path to reskill or upskill quickly in order to advance their career or position themselves for a new job.

15 New Professional Certificate Programs

I’m thrilled to share with you 15 Professional Certificate programs from 13 universities and companies across the globe! Explore the new program offerings in the most in-demand fields and gain the skills you need to stand out in your field today.