Can I Download Udacity Courses (Step-By-Step)

Jobs today are so far removed from that of our parents that it is hard to comprehend how much things can change each decade.

Cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity are all areas that require a new wave of employees with specific skill sets. 

Udacity is a platform where people can come to learn specific technical skills to give them opportunities in the tech space they may not have otherwise.

Not everyone has the time or money to go back into full-time education, and sometimes they just need to learn what is relevant to their jobs. 

When using these platforms for the first time, it can be a little confusing to navigate. This article will discuss your question that is ” Can I Download Udacity Courses” and how students can download Udacity course content onto their devices. 

The methods to download videos and lectures for personal use is just like downloading youtube videos!

What Is Udacity?

Udacity is an educational organization that focuses on digitally upskilling students in various areas.

The aim of the company is to enable individuals to learn new skills and keep up with the ever-changing working landscape. 

Individuals, businesses, and government organizations can use the platform. Businesses and government departments may offer their employees access to the site in order to up-skill in various ways relevant to their jobs or to qualify them for a new position.

As it is a for-profit business, not all Udacity courses are free. The main bulk of the courses are behind paywalls and they even offer a Nanodegree program which is a micro-credential. 

How Does Udacity Work?

Once students have made an account and signed up for a course, learning can begin. 

The courses feature a number of pre-recorded lectures that students can watch at their convenience as well as interactive quizzes and activities. Throughout the courses, there will be exercises for students to complete to consolidate their learning. 

One of the great things about the platform is the addition of projects that students can complete. These can be added to the student’s portfolio and shown to prospective or current employers to demonstrate their new skills.

Projects could be anything from creating a blog, game, or app. 

What Courses Does Udacity Offer?

The courses are split into different ‘schools’ such as artificial intelligence, data science, and product management. Each of these is split into further subcategories which makes the site easy to navigate. 

Nanodegree programs are long courses that enable students to develop the right knowledge and skill set to bridge the gap between learning and their career development goals.

Many of these take a few months to complete, depending on how much free time the student can commit to the program a week. 

There are also single-paid courses that are shorter and more targeted. The right course for the individual will depend on what they want to gain from the course.

If someone just needs to know how to use new software, then a singular course will suffice. However, someone entering a new field would benefit from enrolling in the Nanodegree.  

Downloading Course Content

All the course content is available via the website and is split into sections which allow students to easily follow the narrative of the course. The materials can be downloaded if required, which is easy to do through the student portal. 

To download course content, follow these simple steps: 

• Go to the lesson page where the video lectures can be found
• Open the ‘Resources’ section on the left-hand menu 
• Under ‘Lesson Resources’ there are different file links for video and transcripts of the latest version of the lecture, click the download content icon (arrow pointing down)
• Other resources may be available in this section depending on the type of course such as articles and journal publications

Anything downloaded will transfer to a device’s download section as any normal file would. When students have finished with their course, they may still download course content to save for later. 

To do this, simply press ‘Download’ on each element of the course. Although the workspace will be unavailable, the files can still be downloaded in this way.

Downloading content this way will also automatically go into a device’s download folder. 

Downloading To Mobile

To work on lessons offline, students can download Udacity videos and their lectures and work on them whenever they wish via their mobile devices.

The process is almost identical to downloading to a desktop. Simply open the lesson that needs to be downloaded, click download and the file will automatically open up ready to be used. 

When a lesson is downloaded in this way, opening up the file will not use up mobile data. This makes it easy to have the files ready when on the go and won’t cost a fortune.

To make things even easier, Udacity videos are also available as an app. Therefore, the workspaces are optimized for either iOS or Android operating systems.

To download videos can also be downloaded so students can watch them offline. Those that are fitting their learning around their commute or other commitments will highly benefit from this.

How Long Do You Get Access To Course Content?

For those that do not graduate lifetime access is permitted up to 12 months from the end of the last billing cycle of the course.

As an example, if a student last paid for their subscription in March 2022, then they would still be able to access the course in March 2023. Those that graduate will have indefinite access to their courses. 

Course content generally only stays on the platform for 12 months as Udacity constantly tries to update the Udacity classroom experience. This means that files, quizzes, and content are updated to provide the best possible learning for students. 

As a result, Udacity encourages students to download materials whilst they are taking courses to avoid being let down in the future. Previous students may not have access to the most updated materials. 

The Bottom Line

Udacity is the first port of call for many who are looking to improve their tech skills or break into the industry. The course content can be downloaded and kept indefinitely for those that have graduated.