Facebook has partnered with online learning platform Coursera to launch a new, certified course in digital marketing, which will help the growing amount of people looking for digital skills to both improve their own knowledge and understanding, and get industry-recognized education in the field.

As explained by Facebook:

“The Professional Certificate program is self-paced and designed to be completed within 20 weeks, which includes 100 hours of hands-on, project-based training in applied social media tools and general marketing skills. After completing the program, learners will receive an industry-recognized certificate that they can use to apply for entry-level social media marketing roles.”

Participants will learn by building campaigns, and undertaking training designed by Facebook and Coursera, which will guide them through all aspects of the process. 

Part of the broader focus of the program is also to provide digital skills and training to under-represented groups, with Facebook noting that diverse candidates are often overlooked for digital marketing roles due to lack of skills and training options available.

This new course will not only look to fill that gap, but it will also provide direct connection to open roles:

“After completing the certificate, learners will be able to share their information with a consortium of employers who have committed to sourcing diverse talent, including Havas Worldwide, L’ange Hair, Snow Teeth Whitening, Ruggable, Freelancer, and of course, Facebook.”

You even get a certification badge that you can share on your profiles:

But unlike Facebook’s various Blueprint training courses, this new, advanced certification is not available for free – at least not entirely. The course themselves, within the 20-week program, are available free of charge, but it will cost an additional $49 per month for “expert-grading, portfolio development and employer consortium”. So there are some costs involved, but you can get the basic training for free, if you need.

It could be a good option for those looking to make a career in the industry, or sharpen up their skills to ensure that they’re maximizing their own digital marketing efforts. And with so many elements to consider, and the constantly changing digital landscape, having a helping hand to guide you on the fundamentals could prove invaluable in some respects. 

You can find out more about the new Facebook/Coursera “Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate” program here.