gradfirst.com

What It Is

GradFirst is a global learning and upskilling platform supported by Mindlogicx, positioned around “industry-aligned courses, international certification, and career support.” Its courses cover creative fields, professional skills, and technology, targeting both students and working professionals with the goal of improving employability and global career opportunities. Key courses highlighted on the site include DBIMA Paris’s screenwriting program, along with offerings in digital marketing, generative AI, data science, cybersecurity, BFSI risk management and compliance, and related areas.

Core Courses and Learning Format

Based on the available site content, the platform emphasizes an AI-powered platform, a two-teacher methodology, mentoring, and career support. The delivery model is not purely pre-recorded: the site states that courses include live and asynchronous sessions. Taking the DBIMA Paris screenwriting course as an example, the total duration is 180 days. The first 3 months consist of 20 pre-recorded tutorial videos covering idea generation, character development, plot structure, dialogue, genre techniques, and industry formatting. The final 3 months are delivered through live online sessions led by a screenwriting professor, with feedback, one-on-one mentoring, assignments, and quizzes. The course has a relatively clear outcome focus: completing a short-film script, building a portfolio, and preparing for a career in film and television writing.

Certification, Instructors, and Pricing

Certification is one of GradFirst’s main selling points. The screenwriting course states that learners receive a “European-standard French higher-education certified diploma” upon completion, but the site does not further explain the accrediting body’s qualifications, certification number, or the scope of employer recognition. Buyers should therefore verify a sample certificate and the issuing entity before enrolling. In terms of instructors, the screenwriting course lists Abner Maximus Fernando, described as an award-winning Paris-based filmmaker, screenwriter, director, and producer. Pricing for this course is INR 49,998 at list price and INR 29,999 after discount. The site also mentions easy EMI options, but does not disclose specific payment channels or installment terms. Another listing, Test Course02, is priced at INR 1 and contains a lot of repeated content; it appears to be a test or placeholder course and has limited reference value.

Pros, Cons, and Who It’s For

The main advantages are its clear career orientation: courses are designed around projects, certificates, mentoring, career support, and portfolio building. The screenwriting course in particular has a fairly complete structure. Pricing is in Indian rupees, and the discounted price may be lower than comparable short courses from film schools in Europe or the US. The drawbacks are that many courses lack detailed syllabi, instructor information, contact hours, and learner reviews. Claims such as “international certification” and “global recognition” are not backed by external verification on the site. Refund policies, payment methods, class size, and the learning platform experience are also not clearly explained. GradFirst is better suited to learners who want to try internationally oriented career courses at a relatively low cost, especially those interested in screenwriting. If your goal is local employment in China or formal academic credential recognition, you should carefully verify whether the certificate will be accepted for your intended use.

Access from China and Alternatives

The site does not provide China-specific information on network access, payment, invoices, time zones, or Chinese-language support, so China access can only be rated as unknown. If enrolling from China, it is advisable to first test site accessibility, confirm whether international bank cards or other payment methods are supported, and ask about live-session time zones and replay policies. Alternatives can be chosen by subject area, including Coursera, edX, Udemy, FutureLearn, and MasterClass. In China, users may also compare options such as 网易云课堂 and 腾讯课堂.