EDX is a massive open online course provider that launched in 2012. You can think of it as Coursera, Udacity, and Khan Academy combined into one place, but what is EDX and how does it work?
The courses are free, and there are no upfront costs. Instead, you pay $150 per semester once you complete the program. If you want to take a class, just go ahead and register.
Once you finish a course, you receive a certificate that you can add to your LinkedIn profile or resume There are over 2,500 courses available now.
What’s offered?
EdX offers a variety of courses and programs across a range of subject areas. Topics include the art of persuasive speaking, game design, web programming, data science, and much more.
The free courses are sourced directly from top institutions and organizations like Harvard University, MIT, UC Berkeley and others.
The classes are designed to help you learn skills that employers want to see in candidates today. You can take courses in subjects ranging from computer science to history to marketing.
There are also specializations within many of the classes where you can focus on specificLingala, careerLimburgish, and paths. Lepcha,
For example, there are courses about how to become a softwareLozi, developer, how to start a startup and what it takes to build a successful career as a product manager.
How Does It Work?
EDX offers online classes taught by professors at universities around the world. These courses are generally made up of weekly modules with pre-recording video lectures that you can watch on your own schedule or at your leisure.
There are supplemental readings and student discussion forums, as well as additional homework assignments and assessments like quiz questions.
Costs
So, how much does it actually costs to enroll? Here’s everything you need to know about EDX pricing (see also ‘Is edX Worth It?‘).
The courses themselves are free. You just have to pay a small fee to verify your identity and receive a digital certificate upon completion.
This verification process is required because some people try to cheat by registering multiple times under fake identities.
For instance, Harvard University’s CS50 introductory computer science class is completely free to take, but a verified certificate costs around $90.
Other schools include MITx ($150), Stanford Online Education ($250), UC Berkeley Extension ($300), Georgia Tech OpenCourseWare ($200), and Coursera ($120).
Longer programs like MicroMasters require a one-time enrollment fee. However, you can always audit the individual courses for a semester or even a year without paying anything else.
EdX charges a per-course fee of $20 to $30 depending on the length of the program. So, for example, Harvard’s CS50 Intro Course costs $40, while Georgia Tech’s MicroMasters Program costs $80.
Worth it?
Certificates are a popular way to show off what you know and prove your expertise in certain subjects. But do they really help boost your career prospects?
A recent study found that people who earned a certificate in computer programming were less likely to find jobs than those without a credential.
The researchers looked at data from over 20 million students enrolled in online courses offered by MITx, HarvardX, Coursera, and Udacity (see also ‘Is Udacity Worth It‘).
They found that while earning a certificate boosted graduation rates, there was no significant difference in employment outcomes. In fact, the employment rate among graduates dropped 8 percentage points compared to those who didn’t take a course.
So why did earning a certificate make some people more employable and others less? The researchers think it could be because employers prefer hiring someone with experience rather than someone with a certificate.
And even though most certificates don’t lead directly to a job, they still offer value. If you want to learn about something, a certificate provides evidence that you’ve done the work and you can use that to differentiate yourself.
Refund policy
The EDX refund policy applies to students who complete a course. Students must decide whether they want to continue studying based on their personal learning goals.
If a student decides to withdraw from a course, he or she can request a refund within 14 days after enrollment or up to six months, whichever is later. A full refund will be given to students who do not use the remaining credits.
Adding certificates to Resume/Linkedin
When looking for new jobs, companies ask themselves whether the individual they want to hire can add value to their business.
This question is particularly important because as we mentioned earlier for some companies employment outcomes may not be different but many companies are struggling to find qualified employees.
As a result, people are increasingly turning to online learning platforms like EDX to learn new skills.
According to the EDX 2020 impact report, learners who completed a course on EDX received job offers after including it on their résumés and on their LinkedIn profiles, proving that the certificates earned from EDX can differentiate individuals and make them more attractive to potential employers.
In addition, online courses added on EDX provide a clear example of the knowledge and experience of the learner.
Therefore, it is best to include the certificates from EDX on your résumé. You can use them to show that you have mastered the skills required for the position you are applying for.
If you are looking to improve your LinkedIn profile, there are some things you can do to make sure your EDX certificates are visible. You can either upload your certificate directly into your profile or add it to your news feed.
If you choose to add your certificate to your news feed, you can include information such as what courses you took and how many hours you completed each one. This allows people to see your progress over time.
You can also add your certificate to your education section on LinkedIn. In addition to including information about the courses you take, you can also list the certifications you earn.
For example, if you have earned certificates from Coursera, Udacity, Edx, etc., you can include those under your education section.
Conclusion
Certificates are an excellent way to demonstrate your expertise in a particular field and although they don’t guarantee you a job, they allow you to prove your ability to perform certain tasks and help you stand out among other candidates. An EDX course can help you do that.