Twelve Google and IBM Professional Certificates on Coursera receive ECTS credit recommendations

FIBAA certification paves the way for higher education institutions across 49 member nations to award credit for job-relevant credentials

By Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera CEO 

As the job market becomes more competitive, universities and employers are turning to online learning to help graduates fill in any skills gaps. However, the diverse standards of different countries can make it difficult to recognize these online qualifications. This presents a challenge for governments and institutions who are striving to achieve consistent recognition for non-traditional credentials, online education, or time spent studying abroad.

Today, Coursera is excited to announce that the Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation (FIBAA) has certified 12 Professional Certificates from Google and IBM, with European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credit recommendations available exclusively on Coursera. Now, ministries, higher education institutions, and students can accept and transfer university credit for eligible industry micro-credentials on Coursera at institutions across 49 member nations in the ECC/Bologna process. This cross-sector initiative represents a major step toward establishing a global ecosystem for credit recognition of online learning and industry micro-credentials. 

“Industry micro-credentials offer individuals of varied backgrounds a clear path to future career readiness, and FIBAA certification provides certainty to stakeholders that each Professional Certificate is a quality-assured education and training programme,” said Diane Freiberger, FIBAA Managing Director. “This certification simplifies credit recognition for higher education institutions, increases employer trust in the skills of applicants, and reassures learners that their educational investment will be recognized.” 

ECTS certifications by FIBAA help learners earn academic credit for courses completed outside of academic institutions by evaluating the quality and creditworthiness of non-traditional content. For ministries and higher education institutions, the recognition of ECTS credits for industry micro-credentials makes it easier to offer ‘career electives’ that count as credit towards a college degree and prepare students for jobs when they graduate. For individual learners taking Professional Certificates on Coursera, ECTS credit recommendations remove barriers to earn credit for prior learning should they decide to pursue a degree later on. 

Entry-level Professional Certificates on Coursera, designed by leading global companies to prepare students without prior work experience for in-demand digital jobs in fields such as data science, cybersecurity, and UX design, have been certified by FIBAA and are recommended for recognition of the following ECTS credits: 

“We’re proud that the Google Career Certificates are now certified for ECTS credits,” said Amanda Brophy, Director, Grow with Google. “This is a significant step forward to ensure that global learners can obtain credit while learning job-ready skills for growing fields like cybersecurity and data analytics. We’re excited that more students can increase their career prospects by learning from experts at Google while pursuing a degree.”

“Earning ECTS credit recommendations for IBM Professional Certificates on Coursera signifies our dedication to maintaining high-quality education standards and empowering individuals to secure their careers with globally-recognized qualifications,” said Leon Katsnelson, Director & CTO, IBM Skills Network. “The collaboration between industry and academia, exemplified by our FIBAA approval, allows learners to not only obtain job-ready credentials but also use their learning to progress toward a degree, bridging the gap between education and industry needs.”

Higher education must collaborate with industry to meet the rapidly changing needs of employers and students, and industry micro-credentials with ECTS credits are a simple and easy way to do that. Coursera is committed to partnering with leading institutions and credit recognition agencies like FIBAA to close the higher education and workforce gap and provide flexible and accessible ways for learners to seek credit for their online learning investments. 

Learn more about ECTS Credit Recommendations on Coursera here and ACE Credit Recommendations on Coursera here. For more information about Coursera for Campus, visit coursera.org/campus.