Grow With Google

Free Courses and Certificates for Chico State Students, Staff, and Faculty

 

Boost Your Career |  Professional Certificates |  Get Started |  FAQs

The California State University system has partnered with Google to offer access to eleven Google Professional Certificates through the Coursera learning platform. This opportunity allows us to provide access to these certificates for all Chico State students, staff and faculty at no cost. This partnership will be in effect through the end of 2027.

Grow With Google LogoThese professional certificate programs offered through Coursera are on-demand and self-paced. Please see each of the certificate program descriptions below to learn more, and click the PDF links for each program to get more details, course information, potential employment outcomes, and more.

Google Career Certificates

Google Career Certificates are flexible, online training programs designed to equip individuals with job-ready skills for high-demand fields, without requiring prior experience or a college degree. Developed by Google and hosted on Coursera, these certificates aim to bridge the gap between education and employment by providing practical, hands-on learning experiences.​

These programs are taught by Google employees, hands-on and rigorous, and created to be completed in under six months on a part-time basis. Completing these programs can add value to your resume, differentiate you in your area of study, and help prepare you for a future career in several high-growth fields.

How to Get Started

Sign up today to participate in the Grow With Google program! Licenses are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please note: Do not try to enroll in these programs through the program links below, or you will be prompted to pay the Coursera enrollment fee.

To enroll in one or more of these programs at no cost to you:

  • Click the Get Started button to request a course.
  • You will be emailed enrollment instructions by Professional & Continuing Education.
  • Click the enrollment link in the email.
  • Once enrolled in the program, you will have access to all eleven Google Career Certificates.
  • Choose the certificate you’d like to take and click the "enroll" button.

Choose From These Certificates

Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate

Data Analytics

Data analytics is the collection, transformation, and organization of data in order to draw conclusions, make predictions, and drive informed decision-making. The Google Data Analytics Certificate teaches learners how to prepare, process, and analyze data to help inform business decisions.

This 8-course certificate program is highly interactive. Through a mix of videos, assessments, and hands-on labs, you’ll get introduced to analysis tools and platforms and key analytical skills required for entry-level jobs in the field of Data Analytics. This includes data analyst, operations analyst, and business systems analyst.

Beginner • Professional Certificate • 3–6 Months

Course Details

Image - Google IT Automation with Python

IT Automation with Python

The Google IT Automation with Python Certificate is for learners familiar with basic IT concepts. This stackable credential is designed to teach you how to program with Python and how to use Python to automate common system administration tasks. You'll also learn to use Git and GitHub, troubleshoot and debug complex problems, and apply automation at scale by using configuration management and the Cloud.

The 6-course certificate can prepare you for in-demand jobs such as IT support II, systems administrator, site reliability engineer, senior IT support technician, or advanced IT technician.

Beginner • Professional Certificate • 6 Months

Course Details

Image for Google UX Design Professional Certificate

UX Design Professional

User experience (UX) designers focus on the interaction that users have with products, like websites, apps, and physical objects. They make those everyday interactions useful, enjoyable, and accessible. The Google UX Design Certificate teachers learners the
foundations of UX design, including empathizing with users, building wireframes and prototypes, and conducting research to test your designs.

By the end of the 7-course certificate program, you will have a professional UX portfolio that includes three end-to-end projects, so that you’re ready to apply for jobs.

Beginner • Professional Certificate • 6 Months

Course Details

Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate

Cybersecurity Professional

Organizations must continuously protect themselves and the people they serve and they rely on cybersecurity to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their internal systems and information. Cybersecurity analysts use a collection of methods and technologies to safeguard against threats and unauthorized access — and to create and implement solutions should a threat get through.

In the 8-course Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate, you’ll learn from cybersecurity experts at Google and gain in-demand skills that prepare you for entry-level roles like cybersecurity analyst, security operations center (SOC) analyst, and more.

Beginner • Professional Certificate • 6 Months

Image - Google Project Management

Project Management

Project managers are natural problem-solvers. They set the plan and guide teammates, and manage changes, risks, and stakeholders. The Google Project Management Certificate prepares you in-demand roles such as project coordinator, Scrum master, project analyst, and technical project manager. 

This 6-course program qualifies you for over 100 hours of project management education, which helps prepare you for Project Management Institute Certifications like the globally-recognized Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®.

Beginner • Professional Certificate • 6 Months

Course Details

Image - Google Advanced Data Analytics

Advanced Data Analytics

Advanced data professionals are responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting extremely large amounts of data. These jobs require manipulating large data sets and using advanced analytics including machine learning, predictive modeling, and experimental design.

This 7-course certificate builds on your data analytics skills and experience to take your career to the next level. It's designed for graduates of the Google Data Analytics Certificate or people with equivalent data analytics experience. Expand your knowledge with practical, hands-on projects, featuring Jupyter Notebook, Python, and Tableau.

Advanced • Professional Certificate • 6 Months

Course Details

Image - Google Digital Marketing and E-commerce Certificate

Digital Marketing and E-Commerce

The 7-course Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Certificate teaches learners how to manage digital marketing campaigns, attract and engage customers, and sell products online. 

Learn from subject-matter experts at Google and build your own portfolio with projects like customer personas and social media calendars to show to potential employers. You will gain in-demand skills that prepare you for an entry-level job and learn how to use tools and platforms like Canva, Constant Contact, Google Ads, Google Analytics, Hootsuite, HubSpot, Mailchimp, Shopify, and Twitter. 

Beginner • Professional Certificate • 6 Months

Course Details

Image - Google IT Support Certificate

IT Support

Get professional training designed by Google and get on the fast-track to a competitively paid job. Through a mix of videos, assessments, and hands-on labs, the 5-course Google IT Support Certificate will introduce you to troubleshooting, customer service, networking, operating systems, and security — foundational IT skills required for an entry-level position.

The program also prepares you for the CompTIA A+ exams, the industry standard certification for IT.

Beginner • Professional Certificate • 6 Months

Course Details

Image - AI Essentials Certificate

AI Essentials

This self-paced course is designed to help people across roles and industries get essential AI skills to boost their productivity, zero experience required. The course is taught by AI experts at Google who are working to make the technology helpful for everyone.

After you complete the Google AI Essentials Course, you’ll earn a certificate from Google to share with your network. By using AI as a helpful collaboration tool, you can set yourself up for success in today’s dynamic workplace — and you don’t even need programming skills to use it.

Beginner • Stand-alone Course • 6 Hours

Course Details

Image - Google Business Intelligence Certificate

Business Intelligence

Business intelligence professionals collect, organize, interpret, and report on data to help organizations make informed business decisions. Some responsibilities include measuring performance, tracking revenue or spending, and monitoring progress.

This Google Business Intelligence Professional Certificate builds on your data analytics skills and experience to take your career to the next level. It's designed for graduates of the Google Data Analytics Certificate or people with equivalent data analytics experience. Expand your knowledge with practical, hands-on projects, featuring BigQuery, SQL, and Tableau.

Advanced • Professional Certificate • 2 Months

Course Details

Image - Prompting Essentials Certificate

Prompting Essentials

Want to use generative AI tools but not sure where to start? Google Prompting Essentials teaches you in four modules how to give clear and specific instructions to generative AI - known as prompting. In 5 easy steps, you'll learn how to prompt effectively and unlock more of AI’s benefits. Throughout the course, you’ll build a library of reusable prompts, so the next time that you need a little help from AI, you’re not prompting from scratch.

Beginner • Stand-alone Course • Under 10 Hours

Course Details

 

75% of certificate graduates report a positive career outcome (e.g., new job, promotion, or raise) within six months of completion. Based on program graduate survey, United States 2024.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Professional Certificate from Google?

The Google Career Certificate program is an online training program that offers professional certificates in fast-growing, high-demand technology fields. The program is designed by Google and taught by experts in the areas of IT, user experience design, project management, and more, and combines skills training with hands-on practice. In addition, job seekers receive support and practical tips for resumes, interviews, and job searches, helping them to land jobs in the technology sector.

Who designed the Google Career Certificates?

Google Career Certificates were designed and built by subject-matter experts and senior practitioners at Google from each of the job fields. Every certificate has been created to equip learners with theoretical and practical knowledge and real-life problem-solving skills to be successful in an entry-level job. Expert industry organizations and platforms - like the Project Management Institute for project management, Tableau for data analytics, and Figma for UX design, to name a few - consulted and collaborated on material.

What background knowledge is necessary?

None! Whether you’re completely new to the field or have had some exposure, this is the right program for you. If you’re already familiar with the subject matter, you can skip directly to the graded assessments.

How long do Google Professional Certificate programs take to complete?

You can learn at your own pace when taking these certificate programs. If you average about 10 hours of study per week, you can complete these programs in 3 to 6 months.

What is Coursera?

Coursera is a global online learning platform that offers access to online courses. Google has worked with Coursera to make Google Career Certificates available on their platform. 

Is Coursera affiliated with Google?

Coursera is a global online learning platform that offers access to online courses, and while the Certificates are hosted on their platform, Coursera is not part of Google or Alphabet.

Do Google Career Certificates include AI training?

Google Career Certificates include practical AI training to help you work smarter. With our online program, you’ll learn job-ready skills and get practical AI skills specific to your field from Google industry experts.

Digital Marketing and E-Commerce Prepare for a new career in the high-growth fields of digital marketing and e-commerce! You will gain in-demand skills that prepare you for an entry-level job and learn how to use tools and platforms like Canva, Constant Contact, Google Ads, Google Analytics, Hootsuite, HubSpot, Mailchimp, Shopify, and Twitter. You will learn from subject-matter experts at Google and have a chance to build your own portfolio with projects like customer personas and social media calendars to show to potential employers. IT Automation with Python Prepare for a career in the high-growth field of IT! This program builds on your IT foundations to help you take your career to the next level. It’s designed to teach you how to program with Python and how to use Python to automate common system administration tasks. You'll also learn to use Git and GitHub, troubleshoot and debug complex problems, and apply automation at scale by using configuration management and the Cloud. IT Support Professional Prepare for a career in the high-growth field of IT! Get professional training designed by Google and get on the fast-track to a competitively paid job. Through a mix of videos, assessments, and hands-on labs, you’ll be introduced to troubleshooting, customer service, networking, operating systems, and security — foundational IT skills required for an entry-level job. This program also prepares you for the CompTIA A+ exams, the industry standard certification for IT. UX Design Professional Prepare for a career in the high-growth field of UX design! User experience (UX) designers focus on the interaction that users have with products, like websites, apps, and physical objects. They make those everyday interactions useful, enjoyable, and accessible. You will create designs on paper and in digital design tools like Figma. By the end of the certificate program, you will have a professional UX portfolio that includes three end-to-end projects, so that you’re ready to apply for jobs. Data Analytics Professional Prepare for a new career in the high-growth field of data analytics! Data analytics is the collection, transformation, and organization of data in order to draw conclusions, make predictions, and drive informed decision making. The content is highly interactive and exclusively developed by Google employees with decades of experience in data analytics. Through a mix of videos, assessments, and hands-on labs, you’ll get introduced to analysis tools and platforms and key analytical skills required for an entry-level job. Advanced Data Analytics Prepare for a new career in the high-growth field of data analytics! Advanced data professionals are responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting extremely large amounts of data. These jobs require manipulating large data sets and using advanced analytics including machine learning, predictive modeling, and experimental design. This certificate builds on your data analytics skills and experience to take your career to the next level. It's designed for graduates of the Google Data Analytics Certificate or people with equivalent data analytics experience. Expand your knowledge with practical, hands-on projects, featuring Jupyter Notebook, Python, and Tableau. Cybersecurity Professional Prepare for a new career in the high-growth field of cybersecurity! Organizations must continuously protect themselves and the people they serve from cyber-related threats, like fraud and phishing. They rely on cybersecurity to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their internal systems and information. Cybersecurity analysts use a collection of methods and technologies to safeguard against threats and unauthorized access — and to create and implement solutions should a threat get through. You’ll learn from cybersecurity experts at Google and gain in-demand skills that prepare you for entry-level roles like cybersecurity analyst, security operations center (SOC) analyst, and more. Business Intelligence Professional Prepare for a new career in the high-growth field of business intelligence! Business intelligence professionals collect, organize, interpret, and report on data to help organizations make informed business decisions. Some responsibilities include measuring performance, tracking revenue or spending, and monitoring progress. This certificate builds on your data analytics skills and experience to take your career to the next level. It's designed for graduates of the Google Data Analytics Certificate or people with equivalent data analytics experience. Expand your knowledge with practical, hands-on projects, featuring BigQuery, SQL, and Tableau. Project Management Professional Prepare for a new career in the high-growth field of project management! Project managers are natural problem-solvers. They set the plan and guide teammates, and manage changes, risks, and stakeholders. This program qualifies you for over 100 hours of project management education, which helps prepare you for Project Management Institute Certifications like the globally-recognized Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®. AI Essentials Google AI Essentials is a self-paced course designed to help people across roles and industries get essential AI skills to boost their productivity, zero experience required. The course is taught by AI experts at Google who are working to make the technology helpful for everyone. By using AI as a helpful collaboration tool, you can set yourself up for success in today’s dynamic workplace — and you don’t even need programming skills to use it. AI Prompting Essentials Want to use generative AI tools but not sure where to start? Google Prompting Essentials teaches you how to give clear and specific instructions to generative AI - known as prompting. In 5 easy steps, you'll learn how to prompt effectively and unlock more of AI’s benefits. Throughout the course, you’ll build a library of reusable prompts, so the next time that you need a little help from AI, you’re not prompting from scratch   1.6M job postings across certificate fields and $96k+ median salary across certificate fields. Source: LightcastTM US Job Postings, (2023: Jan. 1, 2024 - Dec. 31, 2024)Are Google Career Certificates recognized? Do employers recognize Google Career Certificates?

Yes! Google Career Certificates are recognized by more than 150 employers in the U.S., including companies like Deloitte and Verizon. Certificates help graduates stand out to recruiters and interviewers–in fact, 75 percent of program graduates report an improvement in their career within six months of certificate completion². And, by completing a Google Career Certificate, students can earn a recommendation for up to 12 college credits, the equivalent of four undergraduate courses. 

Can I get college credit for taking Google Career Certificates?

The Google Career Certificates offer a recommendation from ACE® of up to 15 college credits, the equivalent of 5 college courses at the bachelor’s degree level. Schools like Northeastern, Purdue University Global, and the University of North Texas provide college credit for the Google Career Certificates. This aims to help open up additional pathways to learners who are interested in higher education, and prepare them for entry-level jobs. Please note that the decision to accept specific credit recommendations is up to each institution and is not guaranteed.

 

Tags: