Online education has come of age. Online masters degrees are now commonplace, and even online bachelors degrees are beginning to be more widely accepted. But let’s be honest, an online degree is a big commitment in terms of both time and money. Many people may not be ready to make that commitment, but still want to enhance their skills, both professionally and personally.
With that in mind, today’s post will highlight 17 courses that meet the following criteria:
- Less than $200
- Less than 3 months time commitment
- Relevant to engineers skills (mostly!)
The advantages of individual development courses include:
- The ability to demonstrate or develop a very specific skill (e.g. Python programming, Six Sigma)
- The opportunity to “dip your toe in” to online education to see if you like it before making a commitment to a longer course of study.
- Lower cost and time commitment than a online degree
To be fully transparent, the courses listed below are from our affiliate partner Ed2Go, but there are other providers of similar courses, including another of our affiliate partners, Coursera.
Certifications
Certification doesn’t have to be expensive. Earn your PMP and Six Sigma Yellow credentials with these courses.
- Project Management Professional I
- Project Management Professional II
- Six Sigma Yellow Belt (Exam Included)
“Hey, wait a minute. That last one was $295. That’s not under $200!” I am counting it since it includes the certification exam in the cost of the course. My blog, my rules! 🙂
Get Started in Data Science
Other providers offer full multi-course certifications in data science, but you can start off by sampling these offerings.
- Introduction to Statistics
- Introduction to Python 3 Programming
- Advanced Microsoft Excel 2016
- Advanced CSS3 and HTML5
Security and Networking
Cyber security for industrial control systems is receiving increasing attention at both the corporate and national levels. Are you prepared?
- Introduction to Cryptography
- Introduction to PC Security
- Wireless Networking
- Understanding the Cloud
Be a Better Leader
Engineers are people too! Develop the soft skills to help become a more effective leader.
- Project Management Fundamentals
- Mastering Public Speaking
- Leadership
- Fundamentals of Supervision and Management
Personal Finance
With all of your new skills, you will want to know how to invest your ridiculous new salary
As always, check out relevant books from the store.