4 Features You Can Now Get by Paying for MOOCs

While MOOCs are offered for free, credentials and multicourse series might be available for those who choose to spend the money.

By Jordan Friedman, Editor |April 8, 2016, at 9:30 a.m.

Some MOOCs offer a chance to earn course credit, such as in the Global Freshman Academy through edX and Arizona State University. (Rob Lewine/Getty Images)

Perceptions of massive open online courses, or MOOCs, are evolving, experts say.

While learners around the world turn to MOOCs for free information, some online students look to these courses to build additional skills that can boost their careers.

As a result, the major MOOC providers edX and Coursera are shifting to business models where students have options to pay for credentials and multi-course specializations, in some cases enabling them access to instructor feedback and student interaction that aren't typically offered otherwise. EdX and Coursera each partner with multiple universities to develop MOOC content in various disciplines.

[Learn why MOOCs have stirred up controversy.]

Given that MOOCs can be expensive to produce, it makes sense that providers would find ways to make a profit, says Ray Schroeder, associate vice chancellor for online learning at the University of Illinois—Springfield. Even when charging a fee, MOOCs are and will continue to be less expensive than paying for credit-bearing courses offered, for example, by colleges or universities in degree programs.

"In the beginning, the return to universities came in generally marketing and publicity and giving examples of quality lectures, and showcasing certain faculty members who work for certain departments to prospective students," Schroeder says. "And yet still, that was a rather high price to pay for just that kind of indirect benefit."

EdX and Coursera aren't alone in implementing both free and paid options. Udacity, a company that offers affordable technology and programming courses online, at first provided its content primarily at no charge but in October 2014 launched its "nanodegree" program, says Shernaz Daver, Udacity's chief marketing officer.

Nanodegrees enable students to earn a credential as they develop job-specific skills through project-based learning, and those who pay get additional benefits on top of the nanodegree, including access to live coaches.

Meanwhile, students who enroll in edX and Coursera MOOCs might now gain access to the following features, the availability of which vary depending on the class and discipline.

• Single-course verified certificates: Those who complete individual MOOCs offered by either edX or Coursera in collaboration with their various university partners can, in many cases, choose to earn a "verified certificate" that confirms their identity through a validation process and indicates successful completion and passage of a class. These certificates usually cost anywhere from $30 to $150.

[Discover five reasons to consider paying for a MOOC verified certificate.]

Rachel Lapal, director of communications for edX, says those who choose to pay for a verified certificate in a MOOC oftentimes view the course as having a direct career outcome. She says the certificates are appealing to show current or potential employers and can be displayed on social media:

• Specializations or course series: Students who take MOOCs through Coursera or edX and their university partners have options in some disciplines to sign up for what Coursera refers to as multi-course "specializations" and edX refers to as "XSeries," enabling those enrolled to build mastery in specific skills and earn a final certificate. Like verified certificates for individual MOOCs, these are usually attractive options for those looking to boost their job prospects. They are essentially equivalent to enrolling in and paying for multiple individual MOOCs.

Noelle Schmidt, a social media and administrative freelancer for small businesses and a San Diego resident, has completed MOOCs in the online social media marketing specialization offered through Coursera and Northwestern University in Illinois. She says she developed useful social media skills through the specialization as a result.

"I've actually been able to use some of the information that I've learned with some small startups already, so that's been encouraging," she says.

• Additional feedback and materials: In some cases, experts say, students who pay for credentials can gain access to additional services, though the exact offerings vary depending on the MOOC.

For instance, those who pay for the Coursera verified certificates or specializations might be able to receive extra feedback from instructors as well as supplemental readings and assessments, a Coursera spokeswoman says.

• Course credit: It's difficult to pinpoint the extent to which institutions provide course credits to students who earn verified certificates from MOOCs, experts say, though many agree that it does happen to some extent.

[Understand how the chance for course credit gives new life to MOOCs.]

EdX and Coursera additionally partner with accredited universities to offer MOOCs that can be directly translated to college credit. For instance, edX and Arizona State University offer credit-bearing MOOCs in their Global Freshman Academy, open to incoming and returning freshmen and other learners for a price if they want credit, though there is a free option to audit the MOOCs.

Coursera, meanwhile, has the iMBA program with the University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign, in which students can earn a fully-accredited MBA for a fraction of the usual cost by combining six Coursera specializations with an additional component.