Bertelsmann Scholarship Program

If you couldn’t join our Info Session live, you can now watch the recording here: https://youtu.be/PK_Y4ee_8lA and also download the presentation slides here.

Over the next three years, Bertelsmann is once again investing significantly in scholarships, this time with an exclusive focus on our employees, with more seats and a new thematic focus. The program helps learners from all Bertelsmann divisions all over the world become future-ready by developing Tech, Data & Human-Centric skills, fostering both personal and professional growth.

Employees get to choose between 3 different content providers according to their learning or content preferences:

• Coursera (Tech & Data + Human-centric skills)
• Udacity (Tech & Data Nanodegrees)
• Harvard Online (1 fixed Tech & Data Course)

We encourage all learners to involve their manager and/or HR in their choice of content in order to make their upskilling commitment visible and explore suitable development steps to accompany their learning journey. Once accepted into the program, employees can start working towards their certificate without any further funneling process besides the activation deadlines.

Each year, we are offering the following seats to interested employees: 

• Coursera: 1,500
• Udacity: 400
• HBS: 250

• Coursera: 2-4 hours/ week
• Udacity: 4-6 hours/ week
• HBS: 5 hours/ week

We recommend a model of shared responsibility: 50% of the learning time may be completed during working hours, while the remaining 50% should be invested outside of work as personal study time.

The program language for courses with all providers is English. English subtitles are available and some Coursera courses are also available in additional languages.

Applications open on October 16, 2025 and close on November 30, 2025. 

The application must be submitted proactively on this landing page. Interested employees can go to the top of this page and directly choose the preferred provider. Applications can be submitted between October 16 – November 30, 2025.

All Bertelsmann employees, who want to expand their Tech & Data and Human-centric skills and are at least 18 years old. All necessary prerequisites for each Udacity Nanodegree are explained in the Nanodegree syllabus or in the Udacity FAQ section below.

First, learners must choose the learning provider they would like to apply for. Each application form is structured into different parts:

1. Background information (personal data) → Learners should be be prepared to enter their peoplenet ID
2. Motivational questions

• The main criterion is the answer to the motivational questions
• Besides that, seats will be divided among divisions and according to diversity criteria

Each employee can only take up one seat at a time. So, learners may choose the learning provider (and Nanodegree) that suits them best.

Yes. Participants can apply again for the same or another provider.

We will identify Bertelsmann employees with their peoplenet ID. And we are going to upload learner participation to peoplenet. HR departments view their scholarship participants through peoplenet. The peoplenet ID is only relevant during the application phase and does not have to be re-entered, later.

A completed Coursera online course, a Nanodegree or the Harvard Online Data Sience Principles course will also be uploaded on peoplenet and can be found in the respective peoplenet learning history.

The peoplenet ID can be found on peoplenet under “My Employee Files”. If the peoplenet ID is already required for logging in (no identity management), students should contact their local HR department. 

Learners can apply for three different learning provider: Coursera, Udacity or Harvard Online

Coursera: Learners get access to the learning catalog and if they prefer a little more guidance, they can choose one of the pre-curated learning paths for mission critical tech & data roles and human-centric skills.

Udacity: Learners have to choose one out of 5 Nanodegrees.

Harvard Online: Learners get acces to the 4-week Data Science Principles program. 

Find more information in the Provider FAQ section

Bertelsmann is funding the scholarship to build some of the most in-demand tech & human skills of our time and covers the costs from a central budget.

As an employee, you only need to invest your time. We recommend a model of shared responsibility: Organizations invest 50% of working time and employees co-invest 50% of their personal time. 

Application phase: October 16 – November 30, 2025

Announcement scholarship recipients: Mid of December 2025

Coursera access: January 15 – December 31, 2026 (1 year)

Udacity Nanodegree phase: January 15 – August 15, 2026  (7 months)

Harvard Online (Data Science Principles course):
Group 1: Janaury 15 – February 12, 2026
Group 2: June 3 – July 1, 2026 
Group 3: September 2 - 30, 2026 

The program takes place 100% online. Students can work from wherever they want to, as long as they have a working internet connection.

The learning content is extensive and requires a desktop computer. Udacity’s general technical requirements are listed here: www.udacity.com/tech-requirements. Coursera also offers a mobile app.

Learners should make sure to make continuous learning progress. Bertelsmann University reserves the right to remove inactive users from the program in order to give as many employees as possible the chance to take part in this learning initiative. Learners will be informed in advance and given the chance to activate their license in time.

• Coursera: There are two activation deadlines.
  • February 28, 2026: Participants must create their account on the Coursera platform and start at least one course to avoid being removed.
  • June 30, 2026: Participants must have completed one course to avoid being removed.
• Udacity: Participants need to complete the first project or 25% of the content/ concepts within the first ~10 weeks to avoid being removed from the program.
• Harvard Online: Weekly learning progress must be demonstrated by design of the course in order to successfully complete the program and receive a certificate.

Employees should only join this program if they are committed to learning and graduating within the defined timeline of the program. Nevertheless, if they are no longer able to learn (especially as a Coursera license holder), students should inform Bertelsmann University (university@bertelsmann.com).

Bertelsmann University will assign the participation to learners’ training plans on peoplenet shortly after the end of the application phase (December 2025) and update the learning history shortly after the end of course. HR departments will therefore have access to the names of participants in their specific units via peoplenet.

Participants can indicate in the application form if they agree that their individual learning progress is shared with their HR department. This helps HR departments to better target the support measures for participants within this program. Please see data protection note here: Coursera/ Udacity/ Harvard

Besides different opportunities such as a networking MS Teams group or check-in calls, most divisions are offering individual learner support.

You can find more detailed information at our comprehensive Info & Marketing page: https://www.bertelsmann-university.com/scholarship-program/scholarship-infos.html

This page is mainly designed for all divisional and local HR and communication departments to adjust the material for their needs and inform their employees about this initiaitve.

The Bertelsmann scholarship is exclusively for Bertelsmann employees.

If you are interested in becoming a Bertelsmann employee, please visit: https://createyourowncareer.de/

Generally, a Coursera scholarship gives learners 12-months unlimited access to most learning content on the Coursera platform, including a wide range of courses, skillsets, specialization and clips designed by Coursera in collaboration with more than 200 universities. Learners get access to an extensive course catalog on many different topics with a focus on AI, Data, Technology, Economics and Human-centric skills. If learners prefer more guidance as to what content to chose, they will find pre-curated learning paths for mission critical role profiles according to the Group-wide skills gap analysis on their landing page. To find content that matches their learning needs, learners can preview the Coursera catalog here.

• Start: Janaury 15, 2026
• Activation Deadlines: Febraury 28 & June 30, 2026
• End: December 31, 2026

• Coursera provides content in collboration with some of the world's leading universities (incl. University of Michigan, HEC and Johns Hopkins) and institutions (e.g. Google, BCG and Deeplearning.ai)
• Highest possible flexibility: learning any time and from any place at the learner’s individual pace
• Certificates of completion are issued by the institution that provides the content on the Coursera platform: a fast-track opportunity to obtain a sharable certificate from a top league university or renowned organization

The learning journey will be 1 year and self-guided. Learners can study at their own pace, with no specific class hours required. Courses include recorded and peer-reviewed video lectures, assignments, and discussion forums for peer exchange. Participants can choose to follow a predefined Learning Path, select courses from curated content, or access the full Coursera catalog.

Generally, the duration of the courses is very different and varies greatly, from as little as 1 hour up to around 180 hours. Coursera courses have been designed to allow learners to work at their own pace with bite-sized sessions and a self-paced learning model. The time varies by each course. Coursera keeps lectures and lessons short - with only a few minutes each - so learners can make meaningful progress in just a few minutes a day.

Learners should make sure to use their license actively. Bertelsmann University reserves the right to revoke the licenses of any inactive users to give as many employees as possible the chance to take 
part in this initiative. Learners will be informed in advance and given the chance to continue learning, accordingly. The following requirements must be met:

• Febraury 28, 2026: Learners must create their account on the Coursera platform and start at least one course.
• June 30, 2026: Learners must have completed one course.

Upon completion of a course, learners will be eligible to receive a shareable electronic course certificate. Certificates of completion are issued by the institution that is providing the content on the Coursera platform: a fast-track opportunity to obtain degree from a top league university or renowned tech organization.

Learners have the opportunity to earn a Bertelsmann Scholarship branded digital badge by completing all courses in a pre-curated learning path, which they can also share on social media.

Learners can choose from a defined set of Nanodegrees which are in line with some of the most in-demand skills profiles across the Bertelsphere. Learners need to indicate their chosen Nanodegree in their application. For the upcoming round, learners can choose between the following Nanodegrees (see more details in the questions below):

• Intro to Cyber Security (Beginner)
• AI Product Manager (Beginner)
• Agentic AI (Intermediate)
• Generative AI (Intermediate)
• Data Engineering with Azure (Advanced)

• Start: January 15, 2026
• Activation Deadline: March 2026
• End: August 15, 2026

• Learners benefit from interaction and exchange with the community
• Job-related projects by industry experts
• Focus on business-relevant skills
• Useful help from mentors
• Support from subject matter experts through live webinars
• Graduates earn an industry-recognized credential

• An interactive learning community composed of colleagues within your cohort
• Short videos and interviews with instructors and industry experts
• Activities like quizzes and exercises (quizzes are a tool to help students learn, and an ongoing resource, so learner can watch videos and try the quizzes as many times as they like)
• Real-world projects, which must be completed and submitted
• Live and asynchronous feedback and support from program mentors

The learning journey will be 7 months and self-guided with 4-6 hours of learning per week. Students can learn in their own time, and there are no specific class hours when they need to be online (unless they wish to participate in the optional live project walkthroughs). Throughout the entire learning journey, students will have access to an online community platform, where they will be able to ask tutors and other employee-students for support to help them through any learning difficulties! Students will also have live “webinars” for each project, where a Udacity tutor, who is a content expert, offers a project walkthrough and unblocks any questions learners may have.

Learners should make sure to follow the program schedule presented in the classroom and they will be on track to graduate from the Nanodegree Program on time. However, if students do not make sufficient progress within the first ~10 weeks, they risk being removed from the program. The criteria they must meet in order to avoid being revoked include submitting the first project or viewing 25% of the concepts.

Yes, students will have indefinite static access to the content after graduating the Nanodegree. Static access will include classroom content that will not be updated over time. Such access will not include access to projects that were not previously submitted, as well as certain services, such as community channels, project reviews, workspaces, labs, or quizzes. Also, please note that learners will lose access to the content if they fail to finish within the Nanodegrees final deadline.

Upon completion of the Nanodegree program, graduates receive an official certificate directly from Udacity. After the students have successfully completed their projects, their identity will be verified with a third-party provider, and students may be asked for a final interview. Once this procedure has been completed, the certificate can be viewed, printed and forwarded via the Udacity account.

Intro to Cybersecurity (Beginner)

The goal of the program is to build a solid foundation in cybersecurity, enabling learners to protect digital assets and manage risks effectively. Graduates of this program will understand how to identify and mitigate threats and vulnerabilities, apply best practices for defending and securing systems, and respond to incidents using industry-standard tools. In addition, they will gain knowledge in governance, risk, and compliance, preparing them to address today’s cybersecurity challenges in both business and professional contexts.

Please find more information here. 

Prerequisites: Basic understanding of network connectivity, operating systems (Windows or Linux), ins and outs of Windows operating systems, including CMD, virtual environments, and basic security practices is recommended.
Required Hardware/Software/Tools: Learners will use/ learn Azure, Nmap, Hashcat, Nessus, and Spektra Cloud Labs, along with standard applications like Excel, Google Sheets, Word, Google Docs.

AI Prodcut Manager (Beginner)

The goal is to prepare learners to manage AI products from concept to launch by learning AI integration, designing custom datasets, and developing strategies for Generative AI. Graduates will be able to create PRDs, build roadmaps, and explore the use of large language models in product strategies.

Please find more information here.

Prerequisites: General understanding of Product Management and AI is helpful, but not needed.

Required Hardware/Software/Tools: None.

Agentic AI (Intermediate)

The goal is to equip learners with the skills to design, build, and orchestrate advanced AI agents and multi-agent systems. Graduates of this program will be able to apply techniques such as Chain-of-Thought prompting and ReAct, implement agentic workflows in Python, integrate external APIs and databases, and create robust agent solutions with memory, reasoning, and coordination to solve complex real-world problems

Please find more information here.

Prerequisites: Learners should have basic Python skills (data types, functions, script flow), be comfortable using Jupyter Notebooks, and understand Large Language Models (LLMs) at a conceptual level.

Required Hardware/Software/Tools: Learners will use/ learn Python, Jupyter Notebooks, OpenAI API

Generative AI (Intermediate)

The goal is to equip learners with the skills to leverage generative AI technologies, enabling them to create innovative AI-powered applications and solutions. This program is designed to help professionals understand and implement advanced AI techniques, including large language models, image generation, and text-based AI tools, to solve real-world challenges and drive business innovation.

Please find more information here.

Prerequisites: Use Python at an intermediate level and have a high-level knowledge of machine learning, AI, and generative AI.

Required Hardware/Software/Tools: Learners will use/ learn Python, Jupyter Notebooks, OpenAI API, Stable Diffusion, Hugging Face

Data Engineering with Azure (Advanced)

The goal is to prepare learners to become cloud-ready data engineers by mastering Microsoft Azure. Graduates of this program will be able to design modern data architectures, build powerful pipelines, and leverage Azure Synapse, Databricks, and Data Factory to transform big data into real business insights.

Please find more information here.

Prerequisites:

• Intermediate SQL programming skills
• Intermediate Python programming skills
• Familiarity with the Azure cloud platform
• Experience with Github

Software and Hardware Requirements: Learners will use/ learn Azure, SQL, Databricks, Python, Postgres, Apache Cassandra, Spark

Learners within the Harvard Online cohort of the Bertelsmann Employee Scholarship Program will jointly take the Data Science Principles course on the Harvard Online platform. This course is a code and math free introduction to key data science concepts. It has been designed as a foundational course, enabling non-experts to successfully interface with experts in the field. At the end of the course, learners will:

• Comprehend the data science landscape and technical terminology to navigate a data-driven world
• Recognize major concepts and tools in the field of data science and determine where they can be applied with impact
• Appreciate the importance of curating, organizing, and wrangling data
• Explain uncertainty, causality, and data quality —and the ways in which they relate to each other
• Understand the consequences of data use and misuse and know when more data may be needed or when to change approaches

We are offering three start dates:

• January 15 – February 12, 2026
• June 3 – July 1, 2026
• September 2 - 30, 2026

Harvard Online is an online education platform which offers a unique and highly engaging way of learning. Harvard Online is committed to staying true to the Harvard mission: to educate leaders who make a difference in the world, using an active, social, and case-based learning model. Learners immerse themselves in real-world cases and debate with peers from around the world — all while learning from renowned Harvard Online faculty.

Employees with no prior experience who want to learn about and master basic data science concepts in order to converse with experts and transform their businesses.

Data Science Principles is a self-paced program delivered via the Harvard Online course platform. The platform features short videos by Harvard Online faculty and guest experts, interactive exercises and an exchange forum which learners will useto interact and engage with their cohort peers. Lessons are brought to life through real-world cases from a range of industry sectors.

Please see data protection notice here.

• Learners should create a Harvard Online account and enroll in the course within the deadline announcaed by e-mail.
• If participants fail to enroll on time, the seat may be given to another learner on the waiting list.
• It is a key requirement to complete 2 modules each week to unlock the next modules.
• Missing the deadline once is permissible but missing it a second time will result in being unable to complete the program successfully.

In order to earn a certificate of completion from Harvard Online, participants must thoughtfully complete all modules, including associated quizzes and peer engagement exercises within the given deadlines.

Content for this program is being unlocked successively on a week-by-week basis. Thus, constant classroom engagement is required. In between the weekly deadlines students can work to their own schedule.