MOOCs vs Graduate Certificates

[rlw74]

How would MOOCs be viewed in the employment world? Are they on point with Graduate certificates? Some of them are so affordable and it looks like you can earn certificates too. I was thinking about using some of them to brush up on some skills. I know they may not "count for anything" as far as transfer credits etc. but I'm just wondering about utility for employment if I wanted to show I have recent educational experience in certain topics, even without a degree behind those specific skills.

[bluebooger]

"Are they on point with Graduate certificates?"

not even close 

here's a professional certificate from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and edx  

https://www.edx.org/professional-certifi...arketing-0

https://www.edx.org/professional-certifi...-0#courses  

if you already have a job it might help you get promoted within the company, but in no way would it compare with even one course in a Masters program 

or this one  "Microsoft Professional Program in Data Science" 
https://www.edx.org/microsoft-profession...ta-science 

the entire thing is really not even on the level of a single graduate course

[Life Long Learning]

In the Federal Gov't neither has any meaning to getting a job.

[rlw74]

I was looking at one from Columbia University - 3 courses, 160 hours each. That sounds on par with most masters courses. But maybe they aren't all equal?

[Life Long Learning]

I was looking at one from Columbia University - 3 courses, 160 hours each. That sounds on par with most masters courses. But maybe they aren't all equal?

Link?

[cookderosa]

How would MOOCs be viewed in the employment world? Are they on point with Graduate certificates? Some of them are so affordable and it looks like you can earn certificates too. I was thinking about using some of them to brush up on some skills. I know they may not "count for anything" as far as transfer credits etc. but I'm just wondering about utility for employment if I wanted to show I have recent educational experience in certain topics, even without a degree behind those specific skills.

I agree with everyone else, apples and oranges.

BUT, I have a really robust "Relevant Professional Development" section on my resume, and it's full of brand name MOOCs. If or when they offer a CEU/certificate, I usually get it unless it's too $$$. I have a lot more than I list, and I tailor it to the job. This is a copy/paste from the version of my CV sent to a community college applying for an adjunct position teaching a health and wellness course (teaching job for a college credit course, not for CE course- that matters) Master's was required (which I have) but my master's is in nutrition, not "health" specifically. Hard to say if adding these in contributed to the job offer, but it certainly didn't hurt - and I did get the offer.

RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (2016-2017)
Prescription Drug Misuse CEU. Stanford University School of Medicine, CA
Food and Health CEU. Stanford University School of Medicine, CA
Child Nutrition CEU. Stanford University School of Medicine, CA
Lifestyle Medicine: Nutrition CEU. Harvard Medical School, MA
Prevention & Screening for Maternal Anemia CEU. Harvard Medical School, MA

[bjcheung77]

Haha, Wow, great work Cookderosa, you've got so many "Harvard" and "Stanford" CEU's! That's awesome!

[cookderosa]

Haha, Wow, great work Cookderosa, you've got so many "Harvard" and "Stanford" CEU's! That's awesome!

Everything on that list total was under $40 I'll edit, it might have been $50 all in, but it was cheap. Most of those were free. I love the Harvard Medical School classes - also very cheap.
I have classes in other areas besides health, but if you collect these in the various areas you have an expertise, you can tailor them to the job requirements.

Since we're talking about it - here are 3 in my cart ($0) through Harvard that award 24 CME credits (all around drug / addiction / treatment which can link into social sciences or health)


Collaborative Care Approaches for Mgmt. of OUD - 8 CME Credits
HarvardMedGlobalAcademy - OUDEP3

Identification, Counseling, and Treatment of OUD - 8 CME Credits
HarvardMedGlobalAcademy - OUDEP2

Understanding Addiction - 8 CME Credits
HarvardMedGlobalAcademy - OUDEP1

[burbuja0512]

I think it depends on your field. In international business or B2B sales, all that stuff is generally just to get you in the door. It might help on a professional development assignment, let's say for your annual review... or something like that.

In my experience, it would be more "what does my boss think about this?" or "How can I sell this new accomplishment internally so others view me as an expert?" That might be volunteering for projects or doing solid, measurable things that you CAN put on a resume to impress someone regardless of what a given recruiter or hiring manager might think about the MOOC or certificate. In my industry, it's really the experience that counts, so use it as a tool to be entrusted with the projects that get you experience.

[icampy]

Awesome thread. Looking for some emergency medicine/prehospital CEU's for work, hopefully harvard or stanford will release some in those categories.