Coursera has millions of users around the world learning new skills and pursuing careers they’ve always dreamed of, and now there are ways to make money from Coursera, too!
Take advantage of these unique opportunities to make some extra cash on the side while you learn the skills you want to master. The best part? You can do it all online and at your own pace! Here are seven ways to make money from Coursera.
Ways To Make Money From Coursera
1) Paid Course
The first way to make money from Coursera is to create a paid course. When building your curriculum, think about topics that you know a lot about, and topics for which people are willing to pay good money. The more comprehensive and in-depth your course is, and the more it requires of students in terms of time commitment or real-world applications, the higher price you can charge for it.
Start by getting paid by Coursera itself. If you’re interested in creating an online class that people can pay to take through Coursera but that is not accredited by one of its university partners, they will allow you $50 per class (in addition to unlimited royalties) just for making it available on their platform.
This is a great way to get started as long as you have an audience ready to sign up for your classes. Reach out directly to learners: Another way to make money from Coursera courses is directly from learners themselves.
You could try reaching out directly via email or social media channels, asking if they would be willing to pay for access to your course material outside of the framework of any official certificate offered by Coursera, and offering them a special discount in exchange for signing up early.
This can be tricky since anyone who has taken your course through Coursera might also ask for access at no cost!
2) Mentor
You can make money from Coursera in a variety of ways. First, there’s making money directly through course sales. Second, you can offer mentorship services or create materials (tutoring) and sell them directly to students. Or, you can get your students hired: nearly 1/3 of all hiring companies list their job postings on sites like LinkedIn and Indeed – if you have a following in these channels, I’d recommend sharing your job openings.
Finally, there are sponsored spots or banners where people sell tools (software or other training products). You could get sponsored there as well and make some extra money!
3) Supplemental Materials
What if you could make money from Coursera by doing nothing more than being a student? That’s exactly what one Harvard University professor did, and it’s certainly possible for others.
In an informal survey of people who work in academia, on average they listed 10-15 hours per week spent grading papers, exams, and other assessments, said Lyndsey Schlax, a senior at Harvard Business School who conducted her own study about making money through MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course).
4) Paid Tutoring
Tutoring online can be a great way to make money from Coursera. All you need is a background in your field and some basic software (most of which is free). If you’re teaching, be sure to set your schedule so that it coincides with when classes are most active on platforms like Coursera.
If you’re learning, check-in with peers at least once every week or two. And remember: don’t forget about quizzes and exams! They can take up valuable study time but they also reward those who participate early and often.
Don’t wait until after class has ended to start studying for an exam. It’s better to get ahead than try to play catch-up later. According to one estimate, around 75% of people who sign up for a course on Coursera fail within four weeks; if you want to make money from Coursera, make sure you keep studying after class ends!
5) Commission based Sales
You can’t make money from Coursera without first making money with Coursera. Commission-based sales are one of your biggest options, but you won’t be able to get away with just signing up for courses and promoting them.
You should have a good understanding of marketing strategy before entering into sales – if you don’t, now is a great time to learn before getting in too deep.
In order to make money from commissions on course sales, you need customers who are ready and willing to spend money on said products; marketing and launching are skills unto themselves, but hopefully, you already have experience either way.
Become an Affiliate: The easiest (and most common) way to make money from Coursera is through affiliate links. This means creating a link that sends users to another website (for example, Amazon) where they will buy something, usually related to whatever it was they were studying on Coursera.
If someone buys something using your affiliate link, you make some money off of it – easy as that! As an added bonus, people will likely trust an affiliate link more than other types of promotional material so you’re more likely to convert people through it as well.
6) Job Board
One way you can make money from Coursera is by advertising on your profile page. You will receive a portion of the fees for any new subscription, refund or cancellation paid for by a visitor (Coursera). While their job board is currently full, there may be an opportunity in the future.
If you’re teaching an in-demand topic, maybe it’s time to consider what you have to offer as a course provider. An additional way of making money from Coursera is through affiliate links and sponsored ads. I’ve even heard about some tutors earning $1,000 per month with these things!
7) Classified Ads
If you’re looking for a quick way to make money from Coursera, consider posting a classified ad offering services like editing papers or answering course questions. Some students are willing to pay for help getting their assignments in on time, so don’t be shy about asking for it.
A lot of people come onto sites like Craigslist and CourseHero looking for just that. Just make sure you tell your potential clients upfront that you’re not actually enrolled in those courses.
Once they’ve verified your work (or your friendliness), they’ll be happy to pay up! Use these tips and turn your free time into a profit center by working on Coursera. Who knows? Maybe someday it could become your full-time job.
Conclusion
There are a variety of methods you can use to earn money with Coursera. Your best option will depend on your existing skills and resources, your goals and time constraints, and how much time you’re willing to put into this to generate more income.
It doesn’t matter which of these options you don’t want because there are so many other ways to make money online that don’t require an educational startup-like Coursera. and don’t forget: Some quick cash can come at the cost of aligning with your core values. Click here for more.