This could be useful for those seeking entry level employment in the IT industry, or those whom are self-taught and wanting a bit of paper to formalize their credentials.
Although the courses are introductory, the universities offering them are world class and will look good on any CV. At the very least, it shows some initiative and may distinguish you (at least initially) from your peers.
Who can take edX courses? Will there be an admissions process?
EdX will be available to anyone in the world with an internet connection, and in general, there will not be an admissions process.
Will certificates be awarded?
Yes. Online learners who demonstrate mastery of subjects can earn a certificate of completion. Certificates will be issued by edX under the name of the underlying "X University" from where the course originated, i.e. HarvardX, MITx or BerkeleyX. For the courses in Fall 2012, those certificates will be free. There is a plan to charge a modest fee for certificates in the future.
What will the scope of the online courses be? How many? Which faculty?
Our goal is to offer a wide variety of courses across disciplines. There are currently seven courses offered for Fall 2012.
Courses for Fall 2012:
Berkeley - CS169.1 - Software as a Service
CS169.1x teaches the fundamentals for engineering long–lasting software using highly–productive Agile techniques to develop Software as a Service (SaaS) using Ruby on Rails.
Classes Start Sep 24, 2012
Estimated Effort 12 hours/week
Berkeley - CS188.1x: Artificial Intelligence
CS188.1x is a new online adaptation of the first half of UC Berkeley’s CS188: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence.
It will introduce the basic ideas and techniques underlying the design of intelligent computer systems. A specific emphasis will be on the statistical and decision–theoretic modeling paradigm. By the end of this course, you will have built autonomous agents that efficiently make decisions in stochastic and in adversarial settings. CS188.2x (to follow CS188.1x, precise date to be determined) will cover Reasoning and Learning. With this additional machinery your agents will be able to draw inferences in uncertain environments and optimize actions for arbitrary reward structures. Your machine learning algorithms will classify handwritten digits and photographs. The techniques you learn in CS188x apply to a wide variety of artificial intelligence problems and will serve as the foundation for further study in any application area you choose to pursue.
Classes Start Sep 24, 2012
Estimated Effort 15 hours/week
Harvard - PH207x: Health in Numbers: Quantitative Methods in Clinical &
Public Health Research
Classes Start Oct 15, 2012
Estimated Effort 10 hours/week
Harvard - CS50x: Introduction to Computer Science
CS50x is Harvard College's introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming for computer science majors and non-majors alike. An entry-level course taught by Harvard Senior Lecturer David J. Malan, CS50x teaches students how to think algorithmically and solve problems efficiently. Topics include abstraction, algorithms, encapsulation, data structures, databases, memory management, security, software development, virtualization, and websites. Languages include C, PHP, and JavaScript plus SQL, CSS, and HTML. Problem sets explore the real-world domains of cryptography, finance, forensics, gaming, and beyond.
Classes Start Oct 15, 2012
Estimated Effort 9 problem sets (15 - 20 hours each), 2 quizzes, 1 final project.
MIT - 3.091x: Introduction to Solid State Chemistry
3.091x is a first-year course where chemical principles are explained by examination of the properties of materials. The electronic structure and chemical bonding of materials is related to applications and engineering systems throughout the course. The on-campus version of the course has been taught for over thirty five years and is one of the largest classes at MIT. The class will cover the relationship between electronic structure, chemical bonding, and atomic order, and characterization of atomic arrangements in crystalline and amorphous solids: metals, ceramics, semiconductors, and polymers (including proteins). There will be topical coverage of organic chemistry, solution chemistry, acid-base equilibria, electrochemistry, biochemistry, chemical kinetics, diffusion, and phase diagrams. Examples will be drawn from industrial practice (including the environmental impact of chemical processes), from energy generation and storage (e.g. batteries and fuel cells), and from emerging technologies (e.g. photonic and biomedical devices).
Classes Start Oct 15, 2012
Estimated Effort 12 hours/week
MIT - 6.00x: Introduction to Computer Science and Programming
6.00x is an introduction to using computation to solve real problems. The course is aimed at students with little or no prior programming experience who have a desire (or at least a need) to understand computational approaches to problem solving. Some of the people taking the course will use it as a stepping stone to more advanced computer science courses, but for many, it will be their first and last computer science course.
Classes Start Oct 01, 2012
Estimated Effort 12 hours/week
MIT - 6.002x: Circuits and Electronics
The course introduces engineering in the context of the lumped circuit abstraction. Topics covered include: resistive elements and networks; independent and dependent sources; switches and MOS transistors; digital abstraction; amplifiers; energy storage elements; dynamics of first- and second-order networks; design in the time and frequency domains; and analog and digital circuits and applications. Design and lab exercises are also significant components of the course.
Classes Start Sep 05, 2012
Estimated Effort 12 hours/week
Good stuff!
I've done most of the MIT - 6.00x: Intro to Comp. Science class through iTunesU. And be clear on the fact that these are the real classes that they teach at these universities (videos included). So with that understanding be prepared to put in quite a bit of work if you want a certificate. It is not an "easy" intro class by any standards, but well worth your time if you're interested.