CampusTalks Insights: How Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas Is Driving Student Success
Since 2021, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC) has been using micro-credentials and other content on Coursera to enrich its curriculum and prepare graduates for employment.
Highlights
The transformation of UPC's curriculum is a collaborative effort between enthusiastic students and faculty, in alignment with UPC’s foundational mission.
Faculty members bolster academic programs by integrating industry-aligned content through micro-credentials, and even use AI to create bespoke courses.
Students have earned more than 350K career credentials from Coursera’s academic and industry partners—building job-aligned skills and boosting employment outcomes.
UPC is also fostering lifelong learning through a new project with Coursera that allows alumni from Peru and the region to continuously reskill and upskill.
How is UPC transforming its curriculum to champion student success?
In pursuit of academic excellence and curriculum innovation, UPC seeks to "use technology not only as a means of elevating the learning experience for our students but also to bolster their competitive standing as professionals," says Dr. Edward Roekaert Embrechts, Rector.
"Our ambitions are centered on curriculum innovation, improving our graduates' employability through state-of-the-art program design, and offering 'internationalization at home'—or providing international learning experiences remotely," he adds.
With Coursera as its strategic partner, UPC embeds world-class content into its courses and programs, including Professional Certificates—a type of micro-credential from Coursera’s industry partners, like Google, Meta, and Microsoft. The plan is to not only equip students for job success upon graduation, but also to drive long-term career outcomes.
Faculty use Coursera's online tools to refine their teaching strategies and improve course design. The recent integration of Coursera’s AI-enabled Course Builder allows rapid integration of content from Coursera’s wide range of industry partners.
Access to Coursera’s incredible tools, particularly Course Builder, has catalyzed swift curriculum development, generating efficiencies.
Dr. Edward Roekaert Embrechts, Rector
To date, 107 undergraduate courses and 49 postgraduate courses at UPC have been enriched with Coursera content. Student response has been enthusiastic, as evidenced by a course completion rate of 84%. UPC also offers campus-wide access to Coursera’s Career Academy—giving young Peruvian professionals the tools to explore diverse career paths. Additionally, Coursera content is available in 12+ languages for learners. Dr. Roekaert says this is a “huge advantage.”
UPC’s latest initiative with Coursera reflects the institution’s commitment to lifelong learning: Alumni from UPC or other institutions, and learners at large, can now upskill and reskill, ensuring they remain competitive in the evolving job market.
UPC is preparing students for the future of work
In just three years, UPC has witnessed remarkable results from its integration with Coursera. Students have earned more than 350K Professional Certificates, and in the last year have completed over 655K hours of learning Coursera-enriched content. Two-thirds of learners have also taken more than one Coursera course.
“In some instances, this becomes the reason why an employer selects a UPC graduate over someone else—simply because these credentials demonstrate that our students are eager to learn beyond the scope of their degree programs,” Dr. Roekaert shares. Students are well-prepared for employment upon graduation.
This [Coursera content and certificates] becomes the reason why an employer selects a UPC graduate over someone else.
Dr. Edward Roekaert Embrechts
Since enhancing its curricula with Coursera, UPC has achieved:
A course completion rate that stands at 84%
A course satisfaction rating of 4.9 out of 5
Overall learning time that exceeds 655K hours
UPC has spearheaded curriculum transformation, improved its students' career prospects, and implemented its own version of international education experiences from home. Today, it proudly stands as the first Peruvian university to earn US accreditation through WASC, a regional accrediting agency.
Discover how your institution can enrich its curriculum with premier content, micro-credentials, and resources from Coursera. Watch UPC’s CampusTalks webinar now.
This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.