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    edX

    University courses, often free.

    What is edX?

    • Founded by Harvard + MIT.
    • 3,000+ university courses.
    • Audit free for most courses.
    • Pay $50-$300 for verified certificate.
    • Senior-friendly — learn at your pace.
    • 30+ million students worldwide.

    Audit free

    • Watch all video lectures.
    • Read course materials.
    • Some quizzes free.
    • No certificate without paying.
    • Learn for love of learning.
    • Stanford-quality at no cost.

    Senior-popular courses

    • HarvardX: The Civil War.
    • MITx: Introduction to Philosophy.
    • HarvardX: Justice with Michael Sandel.
    • Genetics + Genealogy courses.
    • Computer Science fundamentals.
    • Hundreds of liberal arts.

    Coursera alternative

    • Coursera — similar model.
    • Free audit on most courses.
    • $49/month for unlimited.
    • Both excellent.
    • Try both, pick favorite.
    • Different course catalogs.

    Senior auditing tips

    • Start with one course.
    • Don't commit to certificate first.
    • Watch at your pace.
    • Skip what doesn't interest.
    • Take notes if helpful.
    • No pressure — for joy.

    Find courses

    • Visit edX.org.
    • Browse by subject.
    • Filter by free.
    • Read course description.
    • Check time commitment.
    • Most courses 4-12 weeks.

    Free Harvard courses

    Many seniors don't realize they can audit Harvard, MIT, Stanford courses for FREE on edX. The same lectures, same readings as on-campus students. Skip certificate, get full education. Many seniors report this is the most stimulating retirement activity. CS50 (intro to computer science) is most popular — even at 70+ many enjoy it.