Seeking to launch or advance your career as a COBOL programmer?
Look no further than this list of the best COBOL courses on Coursera.
These comprehensive Coursera programs cover all the essential topics you need to master one of the most enduring and widely-used programming languages in business computing today.
You’ll start by building a solid foundation in COBOL basics - its unique syntax, program structure, data types, and more.
From there, courses dive deeper into core COBOL skills like handling data tables, performing calculations, generating reports, and working with different data file types.
But it’s not just about writing code.
These COBOL courses and specializations also emphasize crucial programming practices like quality assurance testing, debugging techniques, project management fundamentals, and the complete software development lifecycle.
You’ll learn strategies for updating legacy COBOL systems and integrating modern technologies.
To reinforce concepts, these courses offer a wealth of hands-on labs and coding exercises using industry tools like Visual Studio Code.
By practicing what you learn, you’ll develop job-ready skills for roles in industries still reliant on COBOL like finance, insurance, government, utilities and more.
Whether you’re new to COBOL or looking to upskill, Coursera’s top-rated courses provide an accessible, structured path to becoming an in-demand COBOL programming expert.
IBM Mainframe Developer Professional Certificate
Exploring the IBM Mainframe Developer Professional Certificate on Coursera could be a pivotal step in your tech career, especially if you’re interested in the robust world of enterprise computing.
The journey begins with “Introduction to Enterprise Computing,” where you’ll gain foundational knowledge about mainframes, which are critical to the operations of major companies worldwide.
This course isn’t just theoretical; you’ll learn practical aspects of hardware and operating systems, and upon completion, you’ll earn a badge to validate your expertise.
Moving on to “IBM COBOL Basics,” you’ll delve into the essentials of COBOL, a language that’s vital to business applications.
This course demystifies COBOL’s structure and prepares you to write your first lines of code, setting a solid groundwork for more advanced studies.
As you progress to “IBM COBOL Core,” you’ll build on your initial COBOL knowledge.
Here, you’ll explore more complex features of the language, such as table handling and numeric operations.
This course is designed to deepen your understanding and prepare you for real-world programming challenges.
In “IBM COBOL Software Development Practices,” the focus shifts to the principles of writing high-quality COBOL code.
You’ll learn about the importance of quality assurance, project management, and maintaining existing codebases, which are crucial for any software development role.
Data management is a cornerstone of COBOL programming, and “IBM COBOL Data and File Management” equips you with the skills to handle data efficiently.
You’ll learn about file management and how relational databases integrate with mainframe environments, a skill set highly valued in the industry.
With “IBM COBOL Basic Testing and Debugging,” you’ll tackle the essential practice of ensuring your code is error-free.
This course teaches you how to identify and fix common issues, a critical skill that enhances the reliability and performance of software applications.
Finally, “IBM COBOL Software Development Process” offers a comprehensive view of the software development lifecycle.
You’ll gain insights into systems analysis, design, coding, and a range of topics that provide a well-rounded understanding of the development process.
This certificate can be a significant asset if you’re aiming to specialize in a field that’s at the core of global banking operations.
COBOL Programming with VSCode
This course is a practical, step-by-step guide to mastering COBOL, one of the most enduring programming languages in the business sector.
You’ll start by setting up VSCode, a modern code editor, and adding extensions specifically designed for COBOL.
This will streamline your coding experience right from the start.
As you delve into COBOL syntax, you’ll learn how to write code that’s both functional and organized.
The course breaks down COBOL Divisions, the essential sections of your program, and COBOL Variables, the core elements where your data lives.
Hands-on lab exercises begin with Lab 1, allowing you to apply what you’ve learned immediately.
You’ll continue to build your skills through practical labs, each one designed to reinforce a different aspect of COBOL programming.
You’ll tackle the Data Division, where you define what your program works with, and the Procedure Division, where you dictate what your program does.
You’ll also discover how to manage files and generate reports, crucial skills for any COBOL programmer.
The course doesn’t stop there.
You’ll learn how to structure your code with paragraphs and call other programs, making your code modular and efficient.
With labs 2 through 5, you’ll practice these new concepts until they become second nature.
Moving forward, you’ll get to grips with conditional and arithmetic expressions, understand the various data types, and use intrinsic functions to simplify common tasks.
By the time you complete labs 6 through 9, you’ll have a solid grasp of COBOL and the confidence to tackle real-world programming challenges.