EdX Provider Guide
1. What is EdX?
EdX is a massive open online course provider and a trusted platform for education and learning. Founded by Harvard and MIT, edX is home to more than 20 million learners, the majority of top-ranked universities in the world, and industry-leading companies. As a global nonprofit, edX is transforming traditional education, removing the barriers of cost, location, and access.
Fulfilling the demand for people to learn on their own terms, edX is reimagining the possibilities of education, providing the highest-quality, stackable learning experiences including the groundbreaking MicroMasters programs. Supporting learners at every stage, whether entering the job market, changing fields, seeking promotion or exploring new interests, edX delivers courses for curious minds on topics ranging from data and computer science to leadership and communications. edX is where you go to learn.
2. How to sign up for EdX
To sign up for Edx, visit Edx and press the register button on the top right.
Then you will have 4 different options:
- Sign up using your Facebook account
- Sign up using your Google account
- Sign up using your Microsoft account
- Sign up using your e-mail
Choose the option that is right for you, fill the forms, and your account will be ready
3. Does EdX offer a mobile app?
Yes, EdX offers mobile apps for both Android and iOS.
Android app:
iOS App:
4. Is access to a course for a limited time?
In EdX there are two tracks, the verified track(requires a fee) and the audit track(fee is not required).
4.1 Verified Track
Access to the course materials is not for a limited time, and you can access them even after the course has ended. Note that should EdX decides to remove the course from their website, you will lose access to the materials.
4.2 Audit track
With regard to the audit track, as soon as the course ends, you will lose all access to course materials, unless you upgrade the course to verified track.
5. Are EdX Courses Free?
In case you do not want to pursue a certificate, EdX allows you to audit the course for free. When you choose the audit option for a course, you can access the majority of its materials until the course ends. You can find the best paid and free courses on Edx here.
6. EdX Pricing for Courses
As it has already been clarified, Edx allows you to audit courses for free, however, Edx does not provide free certificates. The price of having access to all course materials and have the opportunity to earn a verified certificate varies and usually ranges between $50 USD and $300 USD.
7. Refund Policy for Courses
Edx’s refund policy is pretty straightforward, if you have paid for a course and you decide that it is not right for you, you just have to unenroll from it within 14 days since you paid for it or 14 days after the course starts(whichever happened later).
Since you have successfully unenrolled, you do not have to do anything else and the refund will be processed immediately( Usually it takes 5 to 10 days to appear in your account).
Note that if you have already earned a certificate, you will not get the refund.
To find more information on the matter, visit Refunds.
8. Does EdX provide certificates?
Yes, EdX does provide certificates if you agree to pay the required fee and successfully complete the assignments .
9. Can I get a BSc or MSc via EdX?
Edx provides fullly online Master’s Degrees. At the time of writing, it does not provide Bachelor’s Degrees.
To find the Master’s Degrees provided by EdX, visit Masters.
10. What are EdX MicroBachelors and MicroMasters
MicroBachelors are a series of undergraduate-level courses. While they are not complete Bachelor’s Degrees, completing successfully a MicroBachelors program, will allow you to apply for entering a specific Bachelor’s Degree. Once accepted, your MicroBachelors will count as a completed part of a Bachelor’s Degree.
The same applies for MicroMasters Degrees meaning that MicroMasters are a series of graduate-level courses which once completed, can count towards acquiring a Master’s Degree.
For more information, visit MicroBachelors and MicroMasters.
11. What is EdX XSeries Program?
EdX XSeries Program is some sort of premium courses, packed in one program. The goal of the XSeries Program is to offer in-depth knowledge of very interesting and high-demanding fields such as Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.
For more information visit XSeries Program.
13. What is EdX Professional Certificate Program?
EdX Professional Certificate Program is a group of industry-oriented courses, created by the collaboration of experts in the field and universities. The goal of the program is for learners to enhance their critical skills and be the best in their field.
For more informaton, visit Professional Certificate Programs.
14. How to get a Certificate almost for Free via Financial Aid.
EdX offers financial help for those who cannot afford to pay for the courses. To apply for a refund, you have to do the following:
- Enroll in the course you would like to get a certificate.
- Choose “Audit this Course” as shown in the image below.
- Visit the Financial Assistance Page.
- Complete and submit the application.
- The application will be reviewed within 4 business days.
- If accepted, you will receive a financial assistance code, providing you a 90% discount.
- Visit the Dashboard Page, and press the “Upgrade to Verified” for the course that you applied.
- Fill in the provided code to the “Add coupon code” field, on the left and the discount will be applied.
15. Are Edx’s certificates recognized?
There is much debate surrounding the question “Will a MOOC certificate give me an advantage on the job market?”. Today, recruiters and employers do not fully recognize a MOOC on the CV and the traditional degree is considered a much more valued asset, however, the MOOC recognition is getting higher as the time passes by.
One of the commonly discussed disadvantages of MOOCs is the high possibility for a learner to cheat and as a result, the knowledge acquired by this course cannot be verified.
On the other hand, a MOOC certificate has a lot of advantages. A person who has attended online courses can be characterized as self-motivated, dedicated and philomath, traits that are considered essential by employers.
At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is what skills you actually have acquired and how you can relate them to the certificates that you present in your CV. Being able to show your skills in action is far more valuable than any certificate that you might have and that is what the employers will value the most.
Sources:
[1] How Employers View MOOC Certificates in 2018
[2] EdX
