A Compass for Navigating Professional Challenges. Many successful people know the content of Professional IQ; you should, too!

4.8

stars

66 ratings

C. K. Gunsalus

2,800 already enrolled

Offered By

Professional IQ: Preventing and Solving Problems at Work SpecializationUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Skills you will gain

Professional
Decision-Making

About this Specialization

In this Specialization, Professional IQ: Preventing Solving Problems at Work, learners use real-world dilemmas and ethical problems experienced by professionals around the world to clarify and articulate their personal values as a foundation for the issues they face. Many successful people use these skills every day—and you should too: making strong decisions; recognizing and avoiding career-damaging pitfalls; preventing and resolving conflicts so as to be value-added members of teams; knowing how and when to apologize effectively; knowing how to ask constructive questions that advance work; and honing leadership skills—whether for being influential at work or holding a position of authority. Learners develop a Personal Leadership Credo, as part of a portfolio applying the skills from the course in situations that learners develop themselves. This Specialization features guest speakers from the following organizations: The University of Illinois Community Credit Union; ZipDX; Rosentreter Group; University of Kansas; Studio Helix Medical Exercise and Bodywork, LLC; Advanced Micro Devices; Vedder Price, P.C.; Circuit Court of Cook County; Sierra Training Associates Inc.; and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For the names and biographies of individual guest speakers, please see the "Guest Experts" page within each course.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

No prior experience required.

Approximately 4 months to complete

Suggested pace of 6 hours/week

English

Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, Arabic

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

No prior experience required.

Approximately 4 months to complete

Suggested pace of 6 hours/week

English

Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, Arabic

How the Specialization Works

Take Courses

A Coursera Specialization is a series of courses that helps you master a skill. To begin, enroll in the Specialization directly, or review its courses and choose the one you'd like to start with. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. It’s okay to complete just one course — you can pause your learning or end your subscription at any time. Visit your learner dashboard to track your course enrollments and your progress.

Hands-on Project

Every Specialization includes a hands-on project. You'll need to successfully finish the project(s) to complete the Specialization and earn your certificate. If the Specialization includes a separate course for the hands-on project, you'll need to finish each of the other courses before you can start it.

Earn a Certificate

When you finish every course and complete the hands-on project, you'll earn a Certificate that you can share with prospective employers and your professional network.

There are 4 Courses in this Specialization

Course1

Course 1

Foundations of Professional Identity

4.8

stars

52 ratings

•

19 reviews

Many find themselves frustrated in their careers by lack of preparation for dealing with predictable dilemmas that regularly arise in the world of work. Two in five professionals fired in their jobs after college are terminated for lying, or misuse of technology. Easy to avoid! Or is it? What if you find you have to compromise your values to keep your job? What if they ask you to lie or cheat, even though you know if you are found out you will be fired? What if you find out the company is breaking the law?

Successful people know about and have the skills taught in this specialization. You should, too. Those who wish to make a difference, build positive reputations, become leaders, and advance in their careers must cultivate professional success skills, along with their specific job skills. The central themes of this course – knowing yourself and your values, recognizing and meeting ethical challenges, using an analytical decision-making framework, identifying potential pitfalls, and developing tools to use in the moment – are essential soft skills for succeeding at work. In short, an ethical framework is necessary, and not just nice; smart ethics, as we define them, are integral to success.

Course2

Course 2

Shaping Your Professional Brand

4.9

stars

30 ratings

•

10 reviews

You've thought about who you are and how you want your career to be. You have some soft skills to deal with situations that could cause problems. What about the team around you? How do you build functional and constructive professional relationships? How can you add value? What do employers look for when they are promoting?

Skill-building in this course will include asking questions, listening, developing likeability (you’d better be stellar if you’re difficult), identifying cognitive bias, apologizing, receiving apologies, and the basics of whistleblowing. After this course, you will be able to: - assess your own listening and reactions and retune them in advance or on the spot for a more constructive outcome - add value at work by keeping situations easy instead of difficult - manage your own approach - be prepared when things go wrong The prerequisite for this course is Course One of the Specialization "Professional IQ: Preventing and Solving Problems at Work".

Course3

Course 3

Leadership and Influence

4.5

stars

46 ratings

•

10 reviews

The only thing you get to change is yourself, and in the prerequisites to this course we’ve given you real tools to do that. Now, use those tools to influence the course of your future, your team's future, and your organization's future. Make a plan for yourself that will help you help others, and learn skills to make it happen.

Listening and being sure of your values underpins everything that comes with professional influencer and leadership soft skills. We’ll go on to look at self-assessment and leadership planning, negotiation, addressing and resolving conflict, and successfully identifying and promoting circumstances you want. After this course, you will be able to: - state your own mission and plan with confidence - negotiate and persuade - deal with difficult people - contribute to crafting a working environment you want to work in The prerequisites for this course are Courses One and Two of the Specialization "Professional IQ: Preventing and Solving Problems at Work".

Course4

Course 4

Professional IQ Capstone

The capstone project, for those wishing to earn a certificate, is to design a Personal Leadership Credo: personal values, quotes and beliefs; a personal dilemma in 2MC style that gets worked through using DMF and TRAGEDIES; some personal scripts; and a personal leadership development plan.

Instructor

C. K. Gunsalus

Director of the National Center for Professional and Research Ethics (NCPRE), Professor Emerita of Business, and Research Professor at the Coordinated Science Laboratory

15,663 Learners

4 Courses

Offered by

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a world leader in research, teaching and public engagement, distinguished by the breadth of its programs, broad academic excellence, and internationally renowned faculty and alumni. Illinois serves the world by creating knowledge, preparing students for lives of impact, and finding solutions to critical societal needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the refund policy?
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Can I just enroll in a single course?
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
Can I take the course for free?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.
Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
How long does it take to complete the Specialization?
Time to completion can vary widely based on your schedule. Most learners are able to complete the Specialization in 4-5 months.
How often is each course in the Specialization offered?
Each course in the Specialization is offered on a regular schedule with sessions starting about once per month. If you don't complete a course on the first try, you can easily transfer to the next session, and your completed work and grades will carry over.
What background knowledge is necessary?
No background knowledge is required. This Specialization is designed for anyone interested in having a career to be proud of, helping teams get things done, and inspiring and influencing those around them.
Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?
It is recommended that the courses in the Specialization be taken in the order outlined. Some courses do list other courses as prerequisites. In the Capstone Project, you will have the opportunity to synthesize your learning in all three courses and apply your combined skills in a final project.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
No, university credit cannot be earned by taking the courses in this Specialization.
What will I be able to do upon completing the Specialization?
· make strong decisions
· recognize and avoid career-damaging pitfalls
· navigate challenging situations successfully
· prevent and resolve conflicts so as to be value-added members of teams
· know how and when to apologize effectively
· ask constructive questions that advance work objectives
· hone leadership skills now and for the rest of your career
· influence others effectively for constructive group outcomes

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Professional IQ: Preventing and Solving Problems at Work Specialization

Skills you will gain

About this Specialization