On October 5, Mountain View, California headquartered Coursera, the global leader in online education, announced 60 new affordable courses and specialisations that offer a wide range of career-related skills, from data analytics for business, to user interface design, to beginning Chinese. Coursera specialisations are a series of courses designed to build skill or subject mastery; learners who complete a specialisation receive specialisation certificates from world-renowned schools such as Stanford University, Yale University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, and Rice University. 
According to a survey published in Harvard Business Review last year, 87 percent of people who completed online courses on Coursera with the intention of advancing their careers reported benefits including a promotion, a new job, or a salary raise. Coursera’s newly launched courses and specialisations that are now open for enrollment include: 

Computer Science 
Functional Programming in Scala, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne 

Scala is a new functional computer programming language increasingly being adopted by companies for its versatility and ability to integrate with existing Java platforms. Demand for engineers with this skill is high, with Scala developers earning a 22 percent pay boost on average according to PayScale. In this specialisation, learners get to learn Scala from the person who invented this programming language. 

Other new computer science specialisations include: 

Algorithms, Stanford University 
Mastering Software Development in R, Johns Hopkins University 
User Interface Design, University of Minnesota 
Cybersecurity: Developing a Program for Your Business, University System of Georgia 

Data Science and Analytics 
Applied Data Science with Python, University of Michigan 

There’s a reason why the Harvard Business Review named data scientist the sexiest job of the 21st century – and it’s not just because of its high pay check. Master data science basics with this five-course specialisation, which also covers the fundamentals of Python computer programming. 

Other new data science specialisations include: 

Data Visualization with Tableau, University of California, Davis 
Probabilistic Graphical Models, Stanford University 
Data Analytics for Business, University of Colorado, Boulder 
Foundations of Marketing Analytics, Emory University 

Business & Management 
Engineering Management Certificate, Part 1: Leadership, Rice University 

Leadership skill development is often overlooked for engineers but is equally as important as technical skills. This is Part 1 of a series of specialisations that result in a Certificate in Engineering Management from Rice University designed specifically for professional engineers who are interested in advancing into leadership and management roles. 

Other new business and management specialisations include: 
Financial Management, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 
Investment and Portfolio Management, Rice University 
Construction Management, Columbia University 
Supply Chain Management, Rutgers University 

Personal Development 
Learn Mandarin Chinese, Shanghai Jiao Tong University 

Mandarin Chinese is spoken by more than 1 billion people, making it the most-spoken language in the world today. Learn the basics of this global language with this four-course beginner specialisation, which also prepares you to pass the HSK (the only official proficiency test of Chinese language) level 1 or 2. 

Other new personal development specialisations and courses include: 
Developing Your Musicianship, Berklee College of Music 
Journey of the Universe: A Story for Our Times, Yale University 
Designing Your Personal Weight Loss Plan, Case Western Reserve University 

Coursera’s newest offerings bring the total number of courses and specialisations available on the platform to over 1,500 and over 150, respectively. All of the new courses and specialisations are open for enrollment right now. 

In addition to new content, Coursera launched several new features this month, including new progress bars and course checklists to help learners track their work and plan ahead; new, personalised course recommendations based on individual interests and goals; and an in-browser coding experience that allows learners to practice writing, testing, and debugging code in computer science and data science courses. These enhancements join Coursera’s suite of unique features, such as flexible course sessions that fit to any schedule and a robust mobile app that allows learning on-the-go, that make it easier than ever to learn and develop new skills online. 

To see all of the new courses and specialisations on Coursera, or to register for an upcoming session, visit Coursera.org. 

Coursera is an online education company that offers courses and learning experiences from the world’s top universities and education institutions. For more information, visit www.coursera.org.