Blockchain is defined as a ‘system in which a record of transactions made in bitcoin or another cryptocurrency is maintained across several computers that are linked in a peer-to-peer network’.
You might wonder how you can be certified in this and how to pursue a career in this increasingly popular industry.
Here we will evaluate the best blockchain certification that can help to acquire the necessary skills to pursue a career as a blockchain professional.
The choice available can be a little intimidating and confusing.
There are many different avenues you can choose from such as development, engineering, project management, and web design. Hopefully, you will be able to find the right course for you.
Best Blockchain Development Course
Ethereum and Solidity: The Complete Developer’s Guide is a course hosted by the online learning platform Udemy.
It is one of their best-selling courses that helps you build production-ready apps based on blockchain technology (see also ‘Best Blockchain Courses‘).
Students will learn about front and back-end programming, as well as gain a better understanding of smart contracts.
Students are given practical examples of what blockchain and mining are and how to test, design, and employ blockchain applications.
Learning occurs over the course of 267 lectures which totals around 24 hours to complete. Obviously, as learning is online, this can be completed at the student’s convenience.
This course is ideal for programmers that are looking to use blockchain technology as leverage for advanced apps as well as engineers that want to understand how to build apps with Ethereum.
Students will need a basic knowledge of Javascript and NPM and access to a computer.
Pros
- Udemy offers students a 30-day money-back guarantee
- Offered in more than 12 different languages making it accessible to almost everyone
- Highly rated amongst previous students
- Affordable
Cons
- Intermediate/advanced course so not suitable for beginners
Best Blockchain Engineer Course
Although the title suggests the course is more suited to blockchain developers, it is also perfect for aspiring engineers.
Working with Bitcoin and Ethereum protocols, students will learn how to build projects with real-world applications. Further, essential skills will be gained to pursue a career in this dynamic field.
The course is estimated to take around 4 months to complete, with students spending around 10 hours a week learning. Once enrolled, individuals can tailor a learning plan around their lives in order to learn at their own pace.
Students should be comfortable with object-oriented programming and Javascript to get the most out of the course.
More details on this can be found under the course requirements sections. If a student feels they are in need of more preparation, Udacity provides a list of resources that can help bring them up to speed.
With Udacity, students will have access to technical mentor support to help with learning, answering questions, and keeping students on track.
There are also essential career services that can be accessed to help students optimize their LinkedIn profiles, and give portfolio reviews to achieve the ultimate goal of advancing their career and getting their dream job.
Pros
- Students receive a lot of support and help with their careers
- Learning occurs with industry experts
- Highly rated course among a vast number of previous students
Cons
- On the expensive end of the scale compared to others, even with the website offers available
Best Blockchain Project Management Course
Blockchain Training Alliance offers a Project Management course that can be completed from the comfort of your own home.
The course focuses on a number of topics relevant to project managers, helping them to use their initial management skills and apply this to blockchain and Web 3.0 decentralized projects.
Project managers don’t have to be programmers to complete this course, as there is no programming section. It is targeted at managers familiar with technical and software initiatives.
Over 10 hours of training and quizzes, students can take as much time as they need to absorb the material which comes in the form of slides and videos.
At the end of the course, a certificate of completion will be awarded to students who pass their final exam. There are a few courses recommended as prerequisites which can be found in the course summary.
The Certified Blockchain Project Manager Exam is completed through the student portal and consists of 70 multiple choice questions which should take around 1.5 hours to complete.
Students are allowed one free retake if they do not pass, but after this, you must pay for subsequent retakes.
Pros
- Affordable course with up to 15% off the total price on the website at the time of writing this article
- Limited prerequisites are needed to understand the course, along with a free blockchain overview course provided by Blockchain Training Alliance
- Student Portal and Discord channels provided
Cons
- Students only have access to the course for one year after completion
- You have to pay for additional exam sittings if you fail twice
Buyers Guide
Getting the most out of your course is essential to developing your skills and knowledge to advance your career.
Required Knowledge
With some blockchain courses, there is a certain level of knowledge students are required to have due to the nature of the content.
For example, experience with Javascript might be needed to understand some of the modules.
If you’re a complete beginner to blockchain and generally have more technical knowledge that comes with this industry, you may need to do some basic homework before you start your course to ensure you’re getting the most out of the material.
All blockchain courses will indicate a difficulty level and refer to the prerequisites you may need to know of before starting the course.
Some may even provide you with some handy additional resources to get you started.
Student Support
When learning online, having access to the right support is essential for students to get the most out of their learning experience.
Both the Blockchain Training Academy and the Udacity courses provide students with support and forums to discuss their learning and receive help if needed.
In terms of support during and after the course, the Udacity course is the best for this. From what our research shows this is the only one that offers help with career advice and information for their students.
The Blockchain Academy doesn’t indicate on their website or on the course program whether or not they offer student support or career services, so if you’re thinking about enrolling in this course it’s best to double-check that these services are available if it’s something you think you require.
Access
Time limitations are imposed by some course providers, so if you’re looking for a course that provides long-term access to the materials then double-check this is available with the learning provider.
Price
Price is always going to be a deciding factor when it comes to purchasing something important.
Spending a significant amount of money on an online course that leaves you feeling like you didn’t really learn anything afterward can be extremely frustrating.
Many of the courses listed here have offers and coupons to get money off when you first go onto the websites.
Keep your eye on various deals before committing to a purchase as you’ll definitely be able to save some money.
Udemy’s course also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you are unsatisfied with the course content which can be a huge bonus.
Luckily, the courses featured here are well-rated by a number of previous students so hopefully, no one is unsatisfied with their purchases.
Asking your employer (see also our article on OSHA 30 Online) to pay for courses related to your job title is a great way to advance your career development so that you can provide more assets for yourself and your company.
Many employers encourage career development and extra learning as a way to keep their employees motivated and increase morale.
Final Thoughts
Furthering your learning will always be beneficial, whether that be in blockchain or not.
There are many different online blockchain courses in a variety of subjects available, and choosing the one that suits you and your needs is the most important thing.
We hope you found this article interesting and informative, giving you a better understanding of what is on offer when it comes to blockchain certifications and which one could be right for you.