I'm asking for a friend who is looking to pivot careers into CS, or at least bolster their resume in their current field by adding programming to the mix. They'

I'm asking for a friend who is looking to pivot careers into CS, or at least bolster their resume in their current field by adding programming to the mix. They're a long way from having an open source portfolio, but want to be able to signal some baseline value on their resume, the same way a degree does. Online courses/certifications seem like they could be that signal, without the immense time demand and expenses of going back to college. Are there any universities' whose online certifications are taken seriously?