In fact, most people in these situations – primarily those that don’t have any real-world experience for the job they are looking at – rarely ever get the position they were seeking. Generally, if they want to grow in that area, they often have to take a position with less responsibility and pay, or outright find a job freelancing.
Many of these issues are resolved if the person has received a properly accredited certificate stating that a legitimate place of learning has recognized them and their ability to do the job. Unfortunately, these types of online schools are very rare as well as fairly difficult to come by. One of these rare schools is known as Simplilearn.
Simplilearn is an online educational “Bootcamp” that offers a plethora of different classes and certification courses focused on IT, web development, and software programming.
But is it worth it? In this review, I will go over the history of the online platform as well as its different features and costs. I will then talk about who will get the most benefit from the course before finally answering the question on whether or not the course is legitimate and, if so, is it the right platform for you.
So, without further ado, let’s see just how Simplilearn stacks up as an online course.
First started in 2010 by Krishna Kumar, Simplilearn originally was nothing more than an online technology blog site geared around project management training. Over time, the platform began to grow and evolve, eventually bringing in actual course content as well as later including some instructor-led classes. By 2015, the platform was full-on training students and even had several live on-demand courses available.
Currently headquartered in San Francisco, California, Simplilearn in 2021 has over 2 million students throughout over 150 different countries.
As with many other massive open online courses (MOOCs), Simplilearn primarily focuses on computer programming and IT classes. They have programs in Digital Marketing, Software Development, Cyber Security, Cloud Computing, and many more.
They also have several different programs to choose from. These range from Certification Courses, Master’s Programs, and Post Graduate Programs. Each program varies in the level of certification it offers its students. While beginners can enjoy the less intensive Foundational Certification Courses, individuals seeking a higher degree of credentials can look into their Master’s or Post Graduate Programs.
Because Simplilearn is primarily focused on the computer science fields, this naturally makes it a highly specialized MOOC compared with other less-focused sites like Skillshare or LinkedIn Learning. While anyone can benefit from many of the classes and programs available, it is specifically tailored to individuals interested in acquiring the technical skills required for computer programming or software development.
If that is something you are interested in, Simplilearn is one of the more promising avenues available for people that want to translate their certification into an actual job or career.
One of the unfortunate results caused by the ever-increasing number of MOOCs available is that there are many that just don’t hold any value. And while there are more than a few online platforms out there that, while offering quality material, simply aren’t accredited, there are many more that don’t even offer that. Depending on where you find yourself, you can end up spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on an illegitimate website, learning information that is not accurate or useful. In other, more dire scenarios, there are outright scam sites that don’t even pretend to offer any real value for the money “spent”.
So where does Simplilearn sit?
Thankfully, not only is Simplilearn an actual, legitimate platform that offers real-world value for your time and money, but it also goes a step beyond many of the more popular MOOCs and is actually a recognized and accredited online classroom that can hold weight in a job interview or as a request for a higher position in a business.
As is the case in a physical school, an accredited MOOC is an online classroom that is officially recognized by most governing bodies as a legitimate source of information and education.
More often than not, many online learning platforms – even some of the more famous and well-respected – cannot offer their students an accredited certificate upon completion.
This means that, while the information may have a tangible use, it does not guarantee a company or business will recognize it as a legitimate form of education.
Simplilearn is a rare exception to this rule. Not only are their courses very useful and highly regarded, but certificates that are given upon completion hold considerably more weight when applying for a job or petitioning for a higher position. They are backed by globally recognized institutions like AXELOS and PMI and can be added to your CV, Resume, or LinkedIn profile as a serious and legitimate accomplishment, and something employers will take into consideration.
In the world of online classrooms, Simplilearn truly does stand head and shoulders above many of its competitors and alternatives. A student that goes through the site for higher learning is given access to, Higher Quality Learning, Social Forums, Easy-to-Use Platform, Responsive Customer Support, and Multiple Available Platforms
#1. Higher Quality Learning
Expert Instructors
Consistently regarded as the most impressive aspect of the platform, Simplilearn has an amazing library of courses and programs to learn from. The classes are taught by accredited experts in their registered fields and specialized areas and are the reason the platform itself is highly regarded compared to other similar MOOCs.
These teachers can often be asked questions to help you more thoroughly understand the information and offer live virtual classrooms so you aren’t strictly learning from a pre-recorded video.
Varied Programs
As I mentioned earlier, there are different programs available for students depending on what they are looking to get out of their course. There are three separate programs to choose from.
Certification Courses: The standard individual courses offered to students. These classes are meant to establish or build upon your current understanding of computer programming. These include a Foundational Introductory Course as well as additional Advanced Courses.
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- The Foundational Intro Courses are great for helping introduce different programming and technical terms to complete beginners. They are generally only a few lessons and considerably easier to get through than the advanced lessons. They can be studied at the student’s pace and do not have a deadline for completion.
- The Advanced Courses further expand on the Foundational Courses and focus on a specific area. As an example, the AI & Machine Learning course has an intro course and two advanced courses. These courses are often 50+ hours of content and are helmed by an industry expert instructor.
- Online Bootcamp is a separate option given for Advanced Courses. In addition to all of the benefits offered in the standard Advanced Course, it also offers live classes with top instructors in a virtual classroom. They have set schedules and go for 90 days of intensive projects so that you more fully understand the information.
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Master’s Program: After the Certification Courses are the Master’s Programs. These go into even more depth on a specific area and include live Master Classes and Direct ‘Ask Me Anything’ course sessions to ensure that you understand the information. They are often around 180+ hours of information and have set schedules for when each course period starts.
Post Graduate Program: Meant for those that want to fully master a course, the Post Graduate Program is often between 3 and 12 months and is the most complete and advanced of all the courses. Those that complete the course are given a University Certificate, that acts nearly identical to an actual degree from a college or university, as well as active support in finding a career. This means you will not only have the knowledge and the credentials of an expert but will be given actual assistance in putting yourself in place to leverage those credentials into getting a high-paying job.
#2. Communal Interactions
Hands-On Projects
One of the most engaging aspects of Simplilearn is that it offers students information in a way that isn’t just theoretical, but practically applicable as well. While it is true that all of the work is performed on the computer, away from other students and teachers, these applied projects will help students more fully understand the information at a deeper level.
These projects will be scenarios and situations that are likely to take place when actually in a professional setting at the job. By having it understood here, students will see what they will actually have to do on the job rather than just from a curriculum.
Virtual Classrooms
Despite being entirely online, Simplilearn helps bring the learning process more in line with more physical classroom settings. The platform offers live virtual classrooms, something very rarely seen on other sites. Whereas the majority of other MOOCs present classrooms as either impersonal screen views without much interaction between the student and the teacher, or as outright pre-recorded videos with no way to speak with a teacher in real-time, Simplilearn offers students the chance to learn in live class settings alongside the professor and other classmates.
Social Forums
In addition to virtual classrooms and real-world applicable projects, Simplilearn includes social forums on the site among students. This helps to keep a student engaged as they are able to chat and work together with your classmates on a problem or challenge. This makes learning more fun and interactive as you know there are other, real-life people that you can turn to in order to fully master the subject, similar to a physical college campus experience.
#3. Easy-to-Use Platform
The process for using the site and creating an account is incredibly easy and fairly straightforward.
New students will need to add their Name, Email, and Phone Number. If you have a LinkedIn account, you can also directly create an account by connecting it to the site. This makes creating an account almost instantaneous.
One thing that makes Simplilearn stand out compared to many other MOOC platforms is that you won’t be required to immediately include any payment information before completing your account. This is great, as it means you can more resolutely look over exactly what the platform has to offer before making any type of monetary decision or commitment. This makes actually jumping in easier as well as less of a mental barrier you may be dealing with.
As for the site itself, Simplilearn is one of the accessible platforms to navigate. There are numerous ways to contact Support meaning you are never going to be in a bind on the off chance you do get lost.
#4. Responsive Customer Support
For most people, the different features and classes will be fairly simple to traverse and navigate. If you are one of the few that may have an issue or get confused about where to start or what to do, Simplilearn has a highly renowned support system that you can access at any time, 24/7.
This is something that isn’t talked much about regarding other platforms yet is consistently spoken of in high regard when it comes to Simplilearn. Compared to other MOOC sites, Simplilearn’s support team makes a point of helping students find what they are looking for or clear up whatever issue they are dealing with.
To contact the support, you can either use the live chat or, depending on the issue, contact them over the phone.
#5. Multiple Available Platforms
Because Simplilearn is completely online, your account is not geo-restricted nor are you locked to only one computer. So long as you have your account, you can improve your education while being anywhere in the world. Not only are you able to use any laptop or desktop to access your lessons, but Simplilearn also has a mobile app for smartphones and tablets. It is available for both Android as well as IOS.
When it comes to Simplilearn’s pricing, how you view it will largely depend on what you have thought of the things mentioned above. While it is not on the level of a full-blown college course, it’s certainly much more expensive when compared to a non-accredited MOOC option. These prices generally start at around $400 for the Intro Course and can reach up to around $1,700+ for a single Post-Graduate Program.
For just some quick numbers, let’s use the AI & Machine Learning example from before. If you wanted to start from a complete beginner to a Post Graduate, here is the breakdown:
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- Intro Course (3.5 hours): $400
- Advanced Course #1 (58 Hours): $700
- Advanced Course #2 (90 Days): $800
- Masters Program (12 months): $1,000
- Post Graduate Program #1 (12 months): $3,000
- Post Graduate Program #2 (4 months): $1,700
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So, if someone were interested in getting a complete education in AI & Machine Learning, from beginner to Post Grad, it would take over 2 years and 7 months* and $7,600.
In addition, if you were expecting to enjoy a free trial, as with other MOOCs, you’re going to be disappointed. And if you’re thinking about getting your money back -if you’ve read over 25% of the content, downloaded the ebook, or held onto the course for over 7 days- that’s not happening either.
As you can see, Simplilearn is much pricier than the majority of online learning platforms on the market and has much stricter rules for getting a refund. Ultimately, you will have to decide whether the value offered is equal to the costs. One thing they do emphasize is the income someone is likely to make with the certification pursued. Using the earlier example, while it would take nearly 3 years and $8,000 to complete, the projected income Simplilearn argues you would make is an annual average of $121K with a minimum of $79K and a maximum of $163K.
*(Measured Hourly Lessons at One Hour per Day)
Pros
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- Fully Accredited
- Live Classroom and Practical Course Projects
- Assistance & Support Finding a Career
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Cons
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- Price is Quite High; Difficult to get Refund
- No Free Trial to Test Classes
- Limited Number of Course Subjects
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Probably the biggest hurdle for many will be the price tag and the small number of course subjects offered. And while I understand that its price is high, what it offers can’t be ignored.
If you are someone that knows what they want and are willing to invest some money to put yourself in the right place for it, I think Simplilearn is definitely worth it.
If you are unsure of exactly what you want to do with your life, are lukewarm about computer and software development, or are too put off by the price, I would suggest considering another option even if it may not hold as much weight in the work world.
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