edX offers free classes and affordable professional certificates from Harvard and other top universities around the world — here's how it works

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Connie ChenMay 5, 2020, 21:04 IST
edX offers free classes and affordable professional certificates from Harvard and other top universities around the world — here's how it works

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Online learning has made education more accessible than ever, but few platforms make getting a quality education easier or more affordable than the non-profit edX.

edX is a massive open online course (MOOC) provider founded by MIT and Harvard in 2012. By partnering with more than 90 of the world's leading universities, non-profits, NGOs, and corporations, it's able to offer free, high-quality courses across a large range of subjects.

edX's mission is to:

  • Increase access to high-quality education for everyone, everywhere
  • Enhance teaching and learning on campus and online
  • Advance teaching and learning through research

While you can learn anything from programming in java to the science of happiness for free, you can also pay a fee (ranging from $40 to $160) to receive a certificate of completion from each course. Other special programs include the Professional Certificate and MicroMasters Certificate, which are designed to provide specialized training and career advancement opportunities.

If you're interested in learning more about edX and how it works, keep reading. Read the original article on Business Insider
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Whether you're a high school student looking to get ready for college, a professional who wants to advance your career, or just a lifelong learner passionate about different subjects, edX offers the education to help you achieve your goals.

Whether you're a high school student looking to get ready for college, a professional who wants to advance your career, or just a lifelong learner passionate about different subjects, edX offers the education to help you achieve your goals.
Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images
Start taking online courses at edX here.Start a MicroMasters Certificate program here.Start a Professional Certificate program here.

Another way you can get ahead and stand out is with the Professional Certificate.

Another way you can get ahead and stand out is with the Professional Certificate.
edX

The Professional Certificate programs are designed to help you build your professional skills so you can succeed in the most in-demand jobs and industries today. Learning doesn't stop once you leave school, and as different industries continue to evolve, it's important to stay on top of the shifting responsibilities and skillsets that are expected of employees.

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Outside of individual courses, edX also offers a variety of programs, like the MicroMasters Certificate, which provides an accelerated, less expensive path to a Master's degree.

Outside of individual courses, edX also offers a variety of programs, like the MicroMasters Certificate, which provides an accelerated, less expensive path to a Master's degree.
edX

These programs are a series of graduate-level courses that dive deep into specific career fields. The credits you earn from passing these courses go toward a MicroMasters Certificate, which can count toward an on-campus degree.

The certificate doesn't guarantee admission to a full Master's program; instead, if you apply and are accepted into the on-campus or online program that is associated with your MicroMasters program, the MicroMasters credential will count toward the degree, reducing your requirements and financial burden.

Pursuing this certificate is significantly less expensive than a full Master's program, so if you find that cost is a prohibitive factor in your goal of getting a Master's, you should check out the MicroMasters programs on edX.

Each course is organized well, with clear communication of expectations, the class schedule, materials like videos, assignments, and discussion opportunities.

Each course is organized well, with clear communication of expectations, the class schedule, materials like videos, assignments, and discussion opportunities.
edX

Many courses are self-paced, which provides great flexibility for your busy life. At the same time, everything is structured enough so you won't feel lost or out of control with all this independence and flexibility.

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Once you choose to enroll in a course, you have the option to pursue a verified certificate or audit the course for free.

Once you choose to enroll in a course, you have the option to pursue a verified certificate or audit the course for free.
edX

The verified certificate, signed by the instructor and bearing the institution's logo, gives you the ability to highlight your new skills and knowledge on your resume or LinkedIn profile, plus gives you some extra incentive to finish the course. The certificate fee, which can cost $40 to $160 depending on the course, also helps support edX as a non-profit.

If you choose to audit the course for free, you still get complete access to all the course materials, activities, tests, and forums.

Itching to start learning? Visit the Courses page to browse more than 1,800 classes in a variety of disciplines.

Itching to start learning? Visit the Courses page to browse more than 1,800 classes in a variety of disciplines.
edX

On the courses page, you can filter by subject, proficiency level (e.g. intermediate), whether it's self-paced, credit eligibility, and even language.

edX offers the most courses in computer science, business and management, engineering, social sciences, and humanities, so definitely consider the platform if you're interested in these subjects.

These are some top courses from the site:

Other cool courses we found include:

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Ivy Leagues, top international universities, small liberal arts colleges, and music and performing arts schools are all represented in edX's impressive roster of institutions.

Ivy Leagues, top international universities, small liberal arts colleges, and music and performing arts schools are all represented in edX's impressive roster of institutions.
Jannis Tobias Werner/Shutterstock

Here are just a handful of names you'll recognize:

  • MIT
  • Harvard
  • Caltech
  • Cornell
  • Wellesley
  • Julliard
  • Imperial College London
  • The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
  • University of Oxford
  • Tsinghua University
  • University of Edinburgh

See a full list of schools and organizations here. You can click on each school to learn more about it and see which edX courses it offers.

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