Coursera launched our first premium product—Verified Certificates—more than two years ago. That launch was an exciting first step toward helping our learners showcase the knowledge and skills they were acquiring as a result of their work, and toward becoming a sustainable business. We chose the name “Verified Certificate” to highlight that the certificate could only be earned after a learner verified his or her identity each time they submitted a course assignment.

Starting next week, Verified Certificates will be renamed “Course Certificates.” We wanted to streamline our certificate names, and our research shows that this term is clearer to learners, and to everyone learners might want to share their Coursera certificates with, such as employers, colleagues, and friends. In addition, we’ve started to offer identity verification in many courses for free, realizing all learners and partners should have the expectation of academic integrity in our courses.

Our mission is to become a sustainable company offering everyone in the world access to the world’s best education. Our product will continue to evolve, but our mission will remain the same. Clearly named, recognized, and trusted credentials create value for our learners and for Coursera, helping us move forward in achieving that mission.

FAQ

What will the Course Certificate look like? Is it different from the old Verified Certificate?

The design is exactly the same, except for the change in wording.

What will happen to the Verified Certificates I’ve already earned?

If you’ve already earned a Verified Certificate, it will not change. It will still be called a Verified Certificate. It will count toward Specialization progress, and remain shareable.

Will I be able to share Course Certificates on LinkedIn? Will my already-earned Verified Certificates continue to show up?

Yes, you’ll be able to share Course Certificates on LinkedIn, and continue sharing any previously earned Verified Certificates.

What will happen if I’m in the process of earning a Verified Certificate in a course?

If your course start date was before August 3, 2015, you’ll earn a Verified Certificate. If your course begins after August 3, you’ll earn a Course Certificate. If you started a course on demand (i.e. no start or end date) and finish before August 3, you’ll earn a Verified Certificate; after August 3rd, you’ll earn a Course Certificate.

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