Isn't this typically free if pursued not for credit?

Yes. I think it's the first specialization In have seen that is designed to address the skills that people need before entering the MBA.

Imperial also offers similar: https://www.edx.org/professional-certificate/imperialbusinessx-pre-mba-essentials-for-professionals
(As with coursera specializations, the same with edX, people must enroll on each individual course by using the "audit" option for it to be free)


Check out: https://www.classcentral.com/report/free-online-learning-coronavirus/
There are thousands of courses that are free right now to help with the corona situation. Some of them even give certificates of achievement for free. This is an amazing resource.

It would be a shame to miss this chance to learn something new while at lockdown

I like the Imperial course, it's very quant, but I think the London programme is more extensive and has the advantage of also including soft skills like time management and leading teams. Those are really important for people entering online MBAs.