Coursera Career Academy Plus: New Opportunities for UTEP Faculty and Students
Enrich your courses with Coursera content
With the support of the University of Texas System, UTEP has expanded its Coursera partnership to Coursera Career Academy Plus at no cost to all UTEP faculty, staff, and students. Coursera Career Academy Plus expands opportunities for students to enhance their academic experience, explore career interests, and develop skills that are increasingly valued in today’s workforce. We now have access to an expanded catalog of over 14,000 courses, hands-on guided projects and labs, and industry-recognized professional certificates from leading organizations such as Google, Microsoft, and Novartis, as well as universities such as Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, and more.
Support student success through skills-based learning
Faculty are using Coursera in a variety of ways to enrich teaching and learning:
Supplement course content: Assign relevant modules, videos, or guided projects that reinforce key concepts and provide additional perspectives from leading universities and industry experts.
Build AI literacy across disciplines: Whether you teach business, healthcare, social sciences, engineering, or the humanities, AI-related content can help students develop foundational knowledge and practical skills that are increasingly relevant across professions and industries.
Introduce career-relevant skills: Help students connect academic learning to career pathways through industry-developed content and Professional Certificates that highlight in-demand skills and emerging areas of expertise.
Explore the future of higher education
If you are new to Coursera and would like to learn more about the role of microcredentials in higher education, consider enrolling in the self-paced course “Faculty, Skills, and the Future of Higher Education.” This course explores how changing workforce expectations are influencing higher education and examines how faculty can help shape institutional responses while preserving academic values. Participants who complete the course will receive a Coursera Course Certificate.
Learn a framework for curriculum integration
If you have questions about how to integrate Coursera into your course, you may also be interested in this resource: “Plan Your Program: A Five-Step Framework to Guide your Microcredentials Strategy.” This presentation introduces the 5 A’s of curriculum integration: aim, alignment, assessment, approach, and approvals. The framework is designed to help faculty ensure the content they select not only complements their current teaching but also meaningfully improves learning outcomes.
Get started with Coursera
You do not need to redesign your courses to get started. Many faculty members begin by incorporating a single module, recommending a professional certificate, or assigning optional content that complements existing coursework.
Whether you are looking to supplement a single assignment, introduce a professional certificate, strengthen AI literacy, or explore broader curriculum integration, Coursera offers flexible options that can support your teaching goals and enhance student learning. Access the UTEP Coursera catalog to create an account or sign in and begin exploring available resources.
And when you are ready, it’s easier than ever to integrate your selected Coursera content right into your Blackboard shell. Please see this step-by-step guide for embedding a Coursera course into Blackboard.
Contact us for support and additional resources
Need assistance? Extended University and the Center for Instructional Design (CID) can help faculty identify Coursera resources, align content with learning outcomes, and explore strategies for successful course integration. Please email CID at instructionaldesign@utep.edu for assistance.
