IBM Professional Certificates on Coursera receive college credit recommendation from ACE

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IBM is pleased to share that we have earned official recognition from the American Council on Education (ACE). This recommendation will allow learners to translate their Data Science, Data Analysis, and Cybersecurity Professional Certificate completions for up to 12 college credits, or roughly one semester of college coursework, from participating academic institutions.

Why is this impactful for job seekers?

These programs offer a unique opportunity for learners to obtain job-ready skills aligned with “Future-fit” careers and fast-track their progress toward an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in pursuit of longlife employability. These career pathways are specifically designed for people without a 4-year degree or who have been out of the workforce for a few years.

“We are thrilled that IBM’s certificates have received ACE Credit Recommendation. Flexible pathways to higher education are a game-changer for learners who may not otherwise be able to pursue a college degree. Job-relevant certificates that map to a degree can help learners of all backgrounds access better educational and employment opportunities.” – Betty Vandenbosch, Chief Content Officer at Coursera

Programs recommended for college credits

IBM Data Science Professional Certificate

Credit Recommendation & Competencies: 12 Semester Hours

The course objective is to provide students with no prior experience or knowledge of computer science or programming languages with the latest job-ready tools and skills to pursue an entry-level data scientist job. Students learn data science through hands-on practice in the IBM Cloud using real data science tools and real-world data sets while building a portfolio of data science projects.

IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate

Credit Recommendation & Competencies: 12 Semester Hours

The course objective is to gain the job-ready skills for an entry-level data analyst role by analyzing real-world datasets, creating interactive dashboards, and presenting reports to share findings to gain confidence and a portfolio to begin a career as an associate or junior data analyst. Students also build the foundation for other data disciplines such as data science or data engineering.

IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate

Credit Recommendation & Competencies: 10 Semester Hours

The course objective is to give learners the technical skills to become job-ready for a cybersecurity analyst role. This eight-module course, hosted on Coursera, instructional content and labs delivered by IBM experts introduce learners to concepts including network security, endpoint protection, incident response, threat intelligence, penetration testing, and vulnerability assessment.

What is an ACE credit recommendation? 

It is a formal recommendation to colleges and universities, requesting college credit for specific courses, examinations, and certifications taken outside the college classroom. ACE Learning Evaluations recommendations for the workplace and alternative educational experiences are valid for three years.

Can all learners who have completed these programs on Coursera get credits for their completion?

The credit recommendation is valid on all completions for the courses mentioned above on or after October 1st, 2021. A comprehensive student FAQ on ACE can be found here

Career Resources:

Free Data Career Webinar – Skill Up with IBM: Get the Data Job You Want

Free Cybersecurity Career Webinar -Skill Up with IBM: How to Start Your Career in Cybersecurity

Start building career-relevant skills today with the IBM Cybersecurity Analyst, Data Analyst and Data ScienceProfessional Certificates.