WASHINGTON – Howard University announces a partnership with Coursera to provide online educational content to build a job-relevant course catalog, covering business, technology, and data science. Later this year, Howard will launch two Coursera courses leading to certificates: Information Systems for Business and Linear Algebra for Data Science.

“I am really excited about this partnership with Coursera, one of the preeminent purveyors of educational content in the 21st-century learning landscape, which will help us spread the vision and mission of Howard University beyond our campus,” said President Wayne A. I. Frederick, who is a member of Coursera’s University Advisory Board. “Historically, there has been a disconnect between companies and top-level talent from underrepresented communities who don’t have the same access and resources as other job seekers. These kinds of partnerships can help enhance opportunities for people of color by aligning their education with the needs of businesses.”

In 2020, Coursera strengthened their commitment to address systemic racism through learning. The company focused on creating social justice and anti-racism content and elevating Black voices in their instructor community.

“Howard University has a distinguished legacy in educating Black communities,” said Betty Vandenbosch, chief content officer at Coursera. “I am thrilled that our new partnership will enable learners around the world to gain job-relevant skills from Howard’s leading experts. Together, we are increasing access to top-quality education and empowering millions of learners with content that can truly transform their minds, their lives and the world.”

The Howard University courses offered through Coursera will give learners from all over the world a taste of the Howard experience with training provided by the institution’s world-class faculty for a nominal monthly fee.

“We anticipate that it will take Howard faculty four to five months to develop the classes that we will offer on Coursera, and they will be packaged into Coursera’s exceptional certificate programs,” said Barron Harvey, Ph.D., associate provost for academic innovation and strategic initiatives. “The best part is that students won’t have to wait until the beginning of a semester to join the courses because they will be available to take at your own pace and timing.”

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