Carnegie Mellon University
How do I get credit for completing an Open & Free Course?

Applies to: Students

The Open Learning Initiative does not provide credit, verification of completion or certification of any kind. This applies to both Open & Free Courses and Academic Courses.

However, an instructor from your home institution can create a custom Academic Course for you to work through. Your instructor would monitor your progress and assign any applicable grade. Any credit would come from the instructor's institution. You may also have to pay that institution's tuition.

There is no cost to the instructor - either for the instructor's account or the custom course section. Some of our courses carry a small per-student usage fee that you would pay when you register. Depending on the course, this cost could range from $15-$60.

Step by step

  1. Contact your school. Ask if you can make this kind of arrangement with an instructor.
  2. Your instructor can request an instructor's account and assistance building a course.
  3. Obtain the Course Key from your instructor and register for his or her course.

Tips

  • It is vital to have a clear agreement before you start working through the course. Make sure your instructor has created an Academic Course section for you and gives you a Course Key. No work done within the Open & Free Course will be accessible to your instructor or home institution.