Can I include in my academic CV that I have attended and completed the Coursera and Udacity classes I have been taking? I understand that these are not anything major, but the courses definitely gives a good overview and starting formal study on the subject becomes less cryptic. If I can include them without any negative impacts, then under what section should I include them?

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    Your question doesn't make sense to me: if you have a CV, then presumably you already have at least a bachelor's, and are working on some advanced degree. (Or you already have an advanced degree, and are working somewhere.) At any rate, what would the introductory-level courses offered by these sources do to help your CV and career status? Some more information would help clarify the situation. – aeismail Jul 8 '12 at 14:52
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    There are some courses which is not covered in the current course i am doing for example. – phoxis Jul 8 '12 at 15:07
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    Doing an introductory-level course probably won't matter much to someone hiring you in a different area. – aeismail Jul 8 '12 at 15:18
  • IMO, No. At best, it helps when explaining how you got interested in this field if someone asked (if that's not your primary field to begin with). – user107 Jul 8 '12 at 15:53

No. Specific coursework (whether formal or informal, online or in-person) does not belong in an academic CV.

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    I agree in principle, but disagree that the answer is absolute. I think that there is room for some types coursework, for example to demonstrate study beyond the degree, or attendance at workshops in advanced topics where the students are grad students, post docs, and young faculty. Especially when the workshops are selective and/or well known in the field and/or taught by well known faculty. – David LeBauer Jul 9 '12 at 3:19
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    I know exactly the kind of workshops you're referring to, and I think they should be included only if there is some prestige in being invited. Really, nobody cares which famous people have talked at you. – JeffE Jul 9 '12 at 4:33
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    I agree for the most part, but disagree with this somewhat. Those applying for postdocs in fields unrelated to their current research may want to include a brief list of "relevant course work" near the bottom of the CV to demonstrate that they are capable of the job. No need to do this for applying to grad school because the transcript already does this. No need to do this for applying to faculty positions because no one cares. – WetlabStudent Feb 14 '14 at 15:41
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    "relevant course work" near the bottom of the CV to demonstrate that they are capable of the job — I'm shocked by the suggestion that coursework would imply any indication whatsoever that an applicant is capable of a research job. If they have relevant research experience, why would I care what classes they took? Conversely, if they don't have relevant research experience, why would I care what classes they took? – JeffE Feb 14 '14 at 22:48
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    I also disagree. There are some specialized research skills that might be worth noting. For example, languages (human or computer): coursework in them if it's not obvious from the degree history might be good, e.g., in a c.v. for relevant grant applications to indicate ability to do the work. – Paul Gowder Jun 24 '15 at 3:39

If the online course is relevant to your current field of work/study it would help. For example, a graduate student of science could mention a course on scientific computing but a course taken on criminal law would be irrelevant. Also online courses taken can only be shown under professional development and not under academic qualifications since these are non-credit courses.


Yes. The certified courses that connect to skills that doesn't directly apply to your mainstream degree deserves to be in your academic CV. It will show, to an extent, an interdisciplinary qualification that you possess. There are many real life instances where this has helped a lot, especially in industrial placements, career change, and interdisciplinary research.

There are some courses from MOOC you ought not to add in your CV. These include those that overlaps the courses you've already completed as per your educational degrees, minor introductory courses, and those that wouldn't prove a significant impact in your career point of view.

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