Frequently Asked Questions

You probably accessed the course on Coursera or edX through their main homepage, and the sites are not recognizing you as a U-M community member. If you are a U-M community member, you must first enroll through Michigan Online. Click on the button labeled “U-M Free Access” under the “Cost & Enrollment” section on the course or series page. Once you have logged in with your U-M uniqname, you will be able to create a Coursera or edX account and access the free offerings. If you go to the Coursera or edX homepage in the future, be sure to log in with your U-M account.

Canvas, Coursera, and edX are online platforms for learning experiences. The University of Michigan uses these and other technology platforms to offer learning opportunities developed at U-M to learners around the world. When you select a learning opportunity, you may be directed to one of these platforms to enroll in the course.

Merging accounts: If you already have a Coursera account and it’s not associated with your @umich.edu email address, you should:

1. Log into your current account on coursera.org.

2. Navigate to settings under your profile.

3. Update your primary email address to be the @umich.edu address.

It is important for validating your free access that your @umich.edu email be your primary email. You can contact Coursera for support using their Learner Help Center.

Refunds: Please review the Coursera refund policies for the latest information.

Taking a course through Michigan Online ensures that you experience the course as the U-M faculty and instructional team intended. Some learning activities may be specifically designed for the Michigan Online learning platform. In addition, completion of Michigan Online courses, series, and certificate programs hosted on the Michigan Online learning platform result in a credential issued directly by the University of Michigan. Similar University of Michigan courses and series may also be available on Coursera and edX. Each course and series is designed by the same U-M faculty and instructional staff. The learning experience and content may vary across learning platforms, reflecting the unique aspects of each platform.

Michigan Online is available on a computer and mobile devices. For the best experience, please use one of the following browsers:

Google Chrome

Firefox

Safari

Microsoft Edge

Note: Michigan Online does not support Internet Explorer 11. For more information on other platform's technology recommendations, please visit the Coursera or edX help pages.

For U-M students, staff, and faculty, Michigan Online x Coursera enables free access to virtually the entire Coursera catalog of courses and specializations created by academic institutions. Some exceptions apply, including some courses, professional or industry certificate programs, and online degree programs, which are not available for free enrollment.

All current University of Michigan faculty, staff and students at the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses are eligible for access. U-M alumni are able to access open online courses and series created by the University of Michigan and hosted on Coursera or edX for free via the course page on Michigan Online.

All that is needed to enroll is a valid U-M email address. Eligible U-M Community members can click the “U-M Free Access” button in the Cost & Enrollment section of the course or series page to gain access using their existing U-M uniqname and password.

Current U-M students, faculty, and staff will have indefinite access to courses in the Michigan x Coursera catalog, so long as they are affiliated with the university and the given course remains in the catalog. Should any course be excluded from the catalog in the future, as dictated by the university offering the course, you will have a minimum of two months to complete the course before its removal from Coursera’s catalog. Graduating students will continue to have unlimited access to courses and series created by the University of Michigan and hosted on Coursera or edX once they transition to alumni.

Enrollment and participation in a free open online course through Michigan Online x Coursera will not impact your U-M grades or your transcript.