Description
Problem:
Not all OSSU classes have a certificate of completion, and certificates are useful when preparing for graduate school or showing to employers.
Duration:
This should most often be 1 month from the date of posting.
Background:
Many students are completing the OSSU computer science degree to prepare for a Master degree. Having accredited certifications on edx or Coursera give more credibility to students preparing for a masters program during the application process. Certain employers may prioritize applicants from non traditional CS backgrounds if they have a list of certifications on coursera and edx from computer science topics.
Proposal:
Add another column to each course with link to a paid version of each class. The free courses should still be the focus, but having a list of paid resources that give a certificate for graduate school could be included for students who want to showcase the coursework to their employers or graduate programs. The paid courses may not only be offered at certain times of year and could include multiple options with a star rating (5/5,4.5/5,2/5,etc) to help students choose the right course based on the calendar year.
Alternatives:
Only include courses that have a free and paid version. For example [Calculus 1A: Differentiation] is on Openlearning and MITX. Both links should be included.