MBA Career Academy

Introducing MBA Career Academy!

MBA Career Academy offers students a flexible, free, customizable learning experience by completing courses at their own pace.

Students can complete a single course in an area of interest or complete a series of courses to earn an industry certificate from leading companies, including IBM, Google, Meta and more.

By completing a set series of courses, students can earn micro-credential professional certificates as a digital badge that can be added to their LinkedIn profile. These micro-credentials can be an effective and valuable way to highlight additional skills and knowledge that might not be immediately obvious on your resume or LinkedIn - which is especially helpful in career pivots and post-grad job searches. 

Course topics include but are not limited to:

How it works:

Alberta School of Business students can request to be added to the MBA Career Academy on a rotating term-by-term basis, Spring/Summer, Fall, and Winter, with new groups of users being added at the start of each term. Students will have the entire term to access and complete whichever MBA Career Academy courses they wish before being removed to make space for incoming users at the start of the following term.

To sign up for a term of access, please complete the sign-up Google Form here.

You will receive an invitation to MBA Career Academy through Coursera when it is your turn to be added.

What are the Benefits?

• Experience flexible, tailored learning at your own pace.
• Undertake single courses or series to earn industry certificates from renowned companies like IBM, Google, Meta.
• Earn micro-credential digital badges to highlight unique skills on your LinkedIn profile.
• Utilize micro-credentials as powerful tools for career transitions and job searches post-graduation.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How do I sign up for MBA Career Academy?
Click here to sign up using the Google Form. Please note only current UofA MBA students are eligible for MBA Career Academy.

Is there a cost to take courses or a micro-credential?
No, the courses and certifications offered in the MBA Career Academy are offered at no-cost to students. The resulting LinkedIn badges are complimentary with the courses, however, some certifications offer an option for a formal certificate at the end of the courses. If you would like to obtain this certificate, you will be responsible for the extra cost.

When will my access begin/end?  
We will add/remove users on the first day of classes each term. 

For the Spring/Summer 2023 term, we will register users on an ongoing basis throughout the term, pending space availability. Spring/Summer user access will end Sept 5, 2023.

Starting with the 2023/24 academic year, students will be added to MBA Career Academy on the first day of the corresponding term. For example, the first day of class for Fall 2023 is September 5, and the first day of class for Winter 2024 is January 8.  So if you request access for the Fall term, you will have access starting September 5 and be removed on January 8.  Please check the University Calendar to stay informed on the first day of class for other terms to plan accordingly for your access time period. 

Can I reapply for another term of access at a later date?
Yes, you can reapply for another term of access.  However, we aim to ensure that all students interested in accessing MBA Career Academy are able to do so at some point throughout their program.  If we reach the maximum number of seats available in the MBA Career Academy for a particular term, priority access will be given to those who have not yet had a chance to access the program.  If there are additional seats available after that, they will be allocated to students who are reapplying for another term of access.  

If you’d like to apply for an additional term of access after completing one or more previous terms, please email mbaexp@ualberta.ca, and we will advise on a case-by-case basis.  

What if there’s a Coursera course I want to take, but it’s not part of the MBA Career Academy curated collection of courses?
We are open to suggestions for adding additional courses to the collection!  Please email mbaexp@ualberta.ca with the course information, and we can look into adding it.

Am I still able to see my accomplishments and access my credentials once my access is removed?
Once a learner is removed from MBA Career Academy, they are still able to access their account and see their previous accomplishments and access their credentials. 

Will my progress in a course be saved once my access is removed?
Yes, your progress will be saved in your account, and you are able to resume where you left off if you are re-added.

Can I resume and/or complete the courses I started after I graduate?
You will still be able to access your account and see courses you have started, but you will need to pay to resume and/or complete any courses after graduation yourself.

Can I complete a certificate in Coursera?
Yes! We have included sections within the MBA Career Academy that contain individual courses that comprise a larger certificate. For example, the “IBM Project Manager Professional Certificate” section includes all of the courses required for the IBM Project Manager Professional Certificate. If students successfully complete all the individual courses that comprise a certificate, they are then able to be awarded the professional certificate credential. This credential can then be added to your LinkedIn profile.

* Please note, our office reviews course offerings on an annual basis and the courses comprising a certificate are subject to change by Coursera or the Organization providing it; students need to do their own due diligence on what the certificate requirements are to ensure they’re successfully completing the right courses required if that is their goal.

Can independent courses or professional certificates in Coursera be counted toward my academic credit requirements for my degree?
No, Coursera courses and professional certificates do not count toward your degree’s academic credit requirements.

Coursera suggests the timeline for Certificate completion is 10hrs/week for 6 months… Can I complete it quicker?
Absolutely! Students can complete courses within the MBA Career Academy at their own pace. Feel free to work quicker if you would like to do so.

What if I have questions about which course(s) and/or credential(s) will best support my professional growth?  
Please connect with your MBA Career Coach who will be happy to advise and provide individualized guidance. Full-time students can contact Paul Taylor (paul.taylor@ualberta.ca) or Tiffany Baker (tiffany.baker@ualberta.ca ), and part-time students can connect with Justin Pritchard (justin.pritchard@ualberta.ca).  

Have questions about the MBA Career Academy? Email mbaexp@ualberta.ca.