Benefits and Costs of Participation in MOOC-Based Alternative Credentials:
MicroMasters and Specializations
Benefits and Costs of Participation in MOOC-Based Alternative Credentials:
MicroMasters and Specializations
Research Question: Will MOOC-based alternative credentials bring learners career, financial, educational, or other benefits that outweigh the direct costs and opportunity costs of participation?
Data Sources:
25,891 survey responses were collected from learners embarking on six Coursera Specializations and 2 edX MicroMasters offered by public and private universities in the U.S. between February 2017 and September 2021. 2,288 survey responses were collected from participants as they completed their programs between April 2018 and November 2022. The programs were on topics related to business, marketing, professional advancement, finance, or data science.
Conclusion:
Almost all learners who earn MicroMasters and Specializations credentials gain new knowledge, despite already being well-educated. Over a third of learners report improving their job performance. Financial returns to these programs are less apparent for learners as they represent a substantial investment of time for which most participants are not compensated. More employers should consider supporting employees in participating in these programs as a low-cost alternative to traditional talent development.
Additional reports on this topic
Employer Support for Employee Participation in Alternative Credentials (2023)
This research brief provides a deeper dive into data from the study Benefits and Costs of Participation in MOOC-based Alternative Credentials exploring the extent to which employers encouraged or supported employees in participating in Specializations or MicroMasters.
Benefits of Earning Alternative Credentials: One-Year Follow-up (2023)
This brief summarizes findings from the third and final survey in a longitudinal study of the benefits and costs to learners of participating in MOOC-based alternative credentials.