== Foretningsmodellen ==
Kontrakten mellem Coursera og de universiteter der deltager, indeholder en "[[brainstorm]]" liste af muligheder for at generere indtægter. F.eks. diplomgebyrer, salg af informationer om de studerende (med disses samtykke) til mulige arbejdsgivere, vejlednings- og mentorordninger, sponsorater og studiebetalinger.<ref name="Schedule 1">{{cite web|title=Possible Company Monitization Strategies|url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/400864-coursera-fully-executed-agreement.html#document/p40|work=Schedule 1 of the contract between Coursera and the University of Michigan|publisher=The Chronicle of Higher Education|accessdate=20. juli 2012|page=40}}</ref>
<ref name=CHE71912>{{cite news|title=Inside the Coursera Contract: How an Upstart Company Might Profit From Free Courses|url=http://chronicle.com/article/How-an-Upstart-Company-Might/133065/|accessdate=20. juli 2012|newspaper=The Chronicle of Higher Education|date=19. juli 2012|author=Jeffrey R. Young}}</ref>
Pr. marts 2012 havde Coursera endnu ikke genereret nogle indtægter.<ref name='ihe'>{{cite web| title = An LMS for Elite MOOCs? | first = Steve | last= Kolowich | url = http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/03/07/stanford-professors-spin-company-support-free-online-courses |publisher = Inside Higher Ed | date = 7. marts 2012 | accessdate = 13. april 2012}}</ref>
I juli samme år undersøgtes muligheden for at udstede diplomer og sælge informationer til arbejdsgivere. Indtil nu er firmaet blevet støttet med $16 mio. i risikovillig iværksætterkapital, tildelt i april 2012.<ref>{{cite web| title = Stanford partners with Coursera to offer more online courses: It's what the faculty want | url = http://computinged.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/stanford-partners-with-coursera-to-offer-more-online-courses-its-what-the-faculty-want/ | publisher = Computing Education Blog | accessdate = 13. april 2012 | date = 13. marts 2012}}</ref>
John Doerr, den ene af de to investorer, den anden er Scott Sandell, antydede at folk er villige til at betale for “værdifulde, førsteklasses ydelser”.<ref name='nyt'>{{cite web| title = Coursera Plans to Announce University Partners for Online Classes | publisher=New York Times |url = http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/18/technology/coursera-plans-to-announce-university-partners-for-online-classes.html | accessdate = 2. maj 2012}}</ref>
Enhver indtægtskilde vil blive delt, så skolerne modtager en lille del af indtægterne og 20% af overskudet.<ref name=NYT71712>{{cite news|title=Universities Reshaping Education on the Web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/17/education/consortium-of-colleges-takes-online-education-to-new-level.html|accessdate=17. juli 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=17. juli 2012|author=Tamar Lewin}}</ref><ref name=CHE71912 />
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