The Center for Workforce Professional Education develops high-quality, non-credit online courses to help learners build new skills and advance their goals. Delivered through the Coursera platform, these flexible, asynchronous courses are designed for anyone interested in expanding their knowledge and can be completed entirely online.

Learn brand strategy, positioning, and execution to build and grow a strong brand.

Learn how to build, position, and grow a brand with clarity and intention. You will develop a strong foundation in brand strategy, define a clear and differentiated position, and learn how to align messaging, teams, and decisions to support long-term growth. By the end, you will have a structured Brand Strategy and Growth Plan you can apply in your organization or business. 

3 Course Series:

Courses can also be taken individually!

What you'll learn:

  • Understand how brands shape perception, build trust, and create meaning in the minds of customers.

  • Translate brand positioning into clear messaging, narratives, and proof points for real-world decisions.

  • Operate and grow a brand consistently across channels to drive long-term alignment and impact.

Format: 100% online, self paced

Duration: 12 weeks at 2 hours a week

Credentials Offered: Non-credit course certificate

Price: Visit Coursera for details

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Build leadership skills in HR strategy, organizational design, and negotiation for business impact.

This three-course Business Leadership specialization equips learners with practical skills to lead people, design effective organizations, and negotiate with influence. Through courses in core human resources (HR) functions, organizational design, and proven negotiation strategies, learners gain the tools to align talent, structure, and strategy to drive business results.

3 Course Series:

Courses can also be taken individually!

What you'll learn:

  • Create effective organizational structures that support business goals.

  • Align roles, teams, and processes for maximum efficiency. 

  • Apply negotiation strategies to reach mutually beneficial agreements. 

Format: 100% online, self paced

Duration: 12 weeks at 2 hours a week

Credentials Offered: Non-credit course certificate

Price: Visit Coursera for details

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Build presence, lead teams effectively, and make decisions that drive measurable impact.

This specialization helps you develop a strong leadership presence, build trust, and communicate with clarity to influence people and shape team culture. You’ll learn to lead people and performance through effective listening, feedback, coaching, accountability, and conflict management.

3 Course Series:

Courses can also be taken individually!

What you'll learn:

  • Build leadership presence, communicate with clarity, and strengthen credibility to influence others and shape team culture. 

  • Develop skills to listen effectively, give feedback, coach performance, and foster accountability and collaboration within teams. 

  • Make confident, high-quality decisions and solve complex problems using practical frameworks to lead through ambiguity and drive impact. 

Format: 100% online, self paced

Duration: 8 weeks at 3 hours a week

Credentials Offered: Non-credit course certificate

Price: Visit Coursera for details

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Build skills in cyber risk, defense, and incident response for real world security challenges.

This specialization builds practical cybersecurity skills for professionals without a technical background who work with data, manage teams, or make operational decisions—including managers, office administrators, business owners, healthcare and legal staff, HR and finance professionals, and anyone responsible for protecting their organization's information and people.

3 Course Series:

Courses can also be taken individually!

What you'll learn:

  • Identify common cyber threats, scams, and human vulnerabilities that put organizations at risk. 

  • Apply practical defenses to protect networks, devices, data, and everyday business operations. 

  • Build a security-aware culture and execute effective incident response. 

Format: 100% online, self paced

Duration: 12 weeks at 3 hours a week

Credentials Offered: Non-credit course certificate

Price: Visit Coursera for details

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Master real world knowledge for United States (US) income, estate, and corporate taxation.

This specialization provides a foundational understanding of United States (US) federal taxation across its three core areas: individual income, estate and gift, and corporate taxation. Students progress from individual taxation fundamentals—including gross income, deductions, capital gains, and the AMT—through the unified transfer tax system and into C corporation taxation, entity choice, and state-level corporate income tax considerations. Real-world examples and policy analysis connect each concept to the legislative and economic forces shaping the modern tax system. Practical problem sets throughout prepare learners for careers in tax practice, financial planning, or corporate advisory roles.

3 Course Series:

Courses can also be taken individually!

What you'll learn:

  • Understand US individual taxation, including income classification, deductions, credits, and how to prepare a federal tax return. 

  • Analyze corporate taxation, including double taxation, entity choice (S vs. C Corps), and how tax policy affects business decisions. 

  • Apply estate planning strategies, including trusts, charitable giving, and transfer tax concepts to manage and preserve wealth. 

Format: 100% online, self paced

Duration: 20 weeks at 2 hours a week

Credentials Offered: Non-credit course certificate

Price: Visit Coursera for details

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Build the skills to lead clinical improvement projects from initiation through improvement.

This specialization prepares you to lead healthcare projects from initiation through evaluation and sustainment. You will learn how to identify project opportunities, define goals and success measures, analyze stakeholders, and create project charters that establish a strong foundation for success. The series uses a single narrative hospital that runs across all three courses, so every concept is grounded in a realistic scenario rather than abstract theory.

3 Course Series:

Courses can also be taken individually!

What you'll learn:

  • Plan and manage healthcare projects by developing project charters, schedules, budgets, and project management plans. 

  • Lead project execution by engaging stakeholders, managing risks, monitoring performance, and supporting organizational change. 

  • Evaluate and sustain project outcomes using data, performance metrics, governance strategies, and continuous improvement practices. 

Format: 100% online, self paced

Duration: 12 weeks at 3 hours a week

Credentials Offered: Non-credit course certificate

Price: Visit Coursera for details

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Build leadership, communication and team skills to manage, motivate and develop talent effectively.

This Specialization prepares new and aspiring managers with practical, real-world skills to lead teams effectively. Across four courses, you’ll build a strong leadership foundation by learning how to transition into management, communicate with clarity, build trust, and navigate change, conflict, and problem-solving with confidence.

4 Course Series:

Courses can also be taken individually!

What you'll learn:

  • Transition into management and build leadership mindset, credibility, and trust. 

  • Communicate effectively, resolve conflict, and strengthen workplace relationships.  

  • Manage performance, motivate teams, and develop talent for long-term success. 

Format: 100% online, self paced

Duration: 12 weeks at 3 hours a week

Credentials Offered: Non-credit course certificate

Price: Visit Coursera for details

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Learn to write clear and accessible technical content using AI tools in this 3-course series.

This specialization is for learners who need to brush up on technical communication skills within their current role or are interested in pursuing a career as a technical communicator, technical writer, usability specialist, project manager, content writer, or related role. In just three practical, hands-on courses, you'll learn how to translate complex technical information into clear, accessible content for non-expert audiences. You'll gain experience writing and editing a range of technical documents, with and without the help of generative AI tools, and manage technical content through a structured editing process.

3 Course Series:

Courses can also be taken individually!

What you'll learn:

  • Write clear, accessible technical content that communicates complex ideas effectively to non-experts and general audiences.  

  • Use generative AI tools to plan, write, and edit technical documentation faster and more effectively—no advanced AI skills required. 

  • Develop and apply a structured editing process to improve clarity, accuracy, and consistency in technical documentation. 

Format: 100% online, self paced

Duration: 12 weeks at 3 hours a week

Credentials Offered: Non-credit course certificate

Price: Visit Coursera for details

See the Specialization

Here are answers to the questions we get asked most often about our Coursera offerings.

What is Coursera?

Coursera is a leading online learning platform that partners with universities and industry leaders to offer high-quality courses, professional certificates, and specialization programs to learners around the world. With a focus on accessible, high-quality education, Coursera helps learners build in-demand skills and achieve their personal and professional goals through online, self-paced learning. Learn more at Coursera's website


Why is Mankato State University, Mankato partnering with Coursera?

The Center for Workforce Professional Education develops high-quality, flexible online learning opportunities that meet evolving workforce needs and support Minnesota State University, Mankato's mission of advancing learning and serving the state, region, and global community. Delivered through the Coursera platform, these courses developed by Minnesota State University, Mankato connect learners around the world with industry-relevant, career-focused education that supports lifelong learning, workforce development, and the opportunity to go further than they thought possible.


What is the difference between a course and a specialization?

A Coursera course is a single, stand-alone class focused on a specific topic. A specialization is a bundled series of related courses designed to help you master a comprehensive skill set.

How do I enroll in a Coursera offering?

You must enroll for an offering directly through Coursera's website. You can pay per course, suscribe monthly for a specialization, or preview/audit materials without a certificate.

Will I receive academic credit?

No. Coursera offerings do not currently qualify for academic credit. These courses are designed for professional development and continuing education, helping learners build skills and advance their personal and career goals.

How long will it take to complete an offering?

Completion times vary by offering. Coursera courses are flexible and can be completed at your own pace, allowing you to learn on a schedule that works for you.