Coursera Expands Specializations

Three weeks after the massive open online course provider asked its university partners to produce career-focused content, Coursera on Wednesday introduced 18 new Specializations in topics ranging from digital marketing to healthcare informatics. Students can complete the Specializations -- which usually consist of a handful of connected courses and a capstone project -- for a Specialization Certificate. In a blog post, Coursera said Specializations have attracted 1.5 million learners since their launch this January, and 60 percent of the students completing a course sequence have opted for the special certificate.