3. How long does it realistically take to complete, and can I pace it myself?

Q: 3. How long does it realistically take to complete, and can I pace it myself?

Coursera suggests 3 months at 10 hours per week , totaling around 120 hours of study. Columbia’s internal documentation estimates 20 weeks to complete the full specialization—depending on depth and pacing. The structure is fully flexible —you can do a course a month, fast-track it, or spread it out over several months. You can enroll in individual courses separately as well, so you're not locked into following the full sequence at once.

Coursera suggests 3 months at 10 hours per week, totaling around 120 hours of study.
Columbia’s internal documentation estimates 20 weeks to complete the full specialization—depending on depth and pacing.
The structure is fully flexible—you can do a course a month, fast-track it, or spread it out over several months.
You can enroll in individual courses separately as well, so you’re not locked into following the full sequence at once.