Frequently Asked Questions about the UX Micromasters Program Updates
Hello edX UX MicroMasters Learners,
We have greatly enjoyed providing this program, and hope that your own experience has been excellent. While we are closing the MicroMasters program, we hope to minimize disruption of the experience for existing verified learners, and allow all learners currently enrolled in the program an opportunity to verify and complete the full experience.
To that end, we have created the following set of FAQ’s to help you assess your options for either completing, or transitioning into a new User Experience Research and Design Specialization:
What is happening to the UX MicroMasters program?
The UX Research and Design MicroMasters is being discontinued. However, we are providing an opportunity for everyone currently enrolled to finish the program. All courses will now end on the dates provided below. This will provide learners time to finish any remaining courses they may need to complete in the MicroMasters series before it ends. If you intend to complete the program but have not yet enrolled in all of the UX MicroMasters courses, you must do so before enrollment closes on November 6, 2018. If you intended to upgrade to the verified track in any of our UX MicroMasters courses, but have not yet done so, you will have until November 30, 2018. Remember, you cannot earn the MicroMasters credential without verified certificates in all 9 courses.
We are aware that this change of end date may force some learners to adjust their timelines for completing their coursework. We apologize for the potential for inconvenience and encourage all learners who are able to complete the courses by the appropriate course end dates.
What are the end dates for each course in the MicroMasters series?
New enrollments end: November 6, 2018
Verified Certificates purchase deadline: November 30, 2018
Ending January 31, 2019
Introduction to User Experience (UX501x)
Principles of Designing for Humans (UX503x)
Evaluating Designs with Users (UX504x)
Ending March 15, 2019
UX Design: From Concept to Wireframe (UX505x)
UX Design: From Wireframe to Prototype (UX506x)
Ending April 30, 2019
Understanding User Needs (UX502x)
UX Research Surveys (UX507x)
UX Research at Scale: Analytics and Online Experiments (UX508x)
Ending June 30, 2019
UX (User Experience) Capstone (UX509x)
What are my options?
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If you’re already verified and intend to complete the full MicroMasters series:
You must be sure to enroll in all 9 UX MicroMasters courses. Enrollment is open until November 6, 2018. You will then need to complete each course by its end date.
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If you are only interested in completing and auditing your current course:
Please remember you’ll need to do so by its end date. If you need more time than that you’ll want to consider a similar course from the UX Specialization on Coursera .
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If you haven’t verified yet, and you are unable to complete all 9 the courses by its end date:
We invite you to consider the UX Specialization on Coursera . The UX Specialization is shorter than the MicroMasters program, but contains much of the same material.
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If you haven’t verified yet, and you would like to complete the MicroMasters program:
Please remember you must enroll in all courses by November 6th and verify by November 30, 2018. You must then complete the courses by the appropriate course end dates (see above).
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If you are not able to meet this timeline you could consider enrolling in the UX Specialization on Coursera instead. Although that program does not offer credit (see below for details), it covers similar material.
What is the new UX Specialization on Coursera?
If you need more time to review the UX material, you may want to consider registering for the new UX Specialization on Coursera , or a particular course within that program.
The specialization features much of the same topics and content as the original MicroMasters, but is arranged into 6 Courses, including a newly redesigned Capstone.
Does the new UX Specialization on Coursera offer the same credit at the U-M School of Information as the edX MicroMasters program?
No, a key difference of this new program is that it does not offer course credit if you pursue studies at the U-M School of Information.
You can, however, earn a certificate for completion of the courses to verify you completed the Specialization. This does not convert into course credit at the U-M School of Information.
What if I have questions?
We hope this FAQ will address most questions, but if you have a concern we didn’t mention, you can use this form to contact the U-M UX Research and Design support team .
The sections below pertain to you if you are:
Existing Verified MicroMasters Learners
What if I am unable to complete the UX MicroMasters Program by the time it ends? What are my options?
If you were taking all the courses in the MicroMasters with the goal of earning credit at the U-M School of Information: you must complete the UX MicroMasters program according to their respective end dates (see above).
What if I have only verified in some, but not all of the MicroMasters courses?
You must enroll in all 9 MicroMasters courses by November 6, 2018, and verify in all 9 MicroMasters courses by November 30, 2018.
If I complete the MicroMasters program before it ends, will I still receive course credit if I enter into the Master of Science in Information program at the U-M School of Information?
Yes, credit will still be available to learners who complete the full MicroMasters program before June 30, 2019 and successfully apply for Fall 2020 admission to the Master of Science in Information program at the U-M School of Information.
No credit will be offered for learners who join the new UX Specialization on Coursera .
Existing Auditing Learners
When do I need to decide if I want to verify and complete the MicroMasters program?
If you want to complete the MicroMasters program specifically, you need to verify immediately (by no later than November 30, 2018), so that you can complete the full MicroMasters program by June 30, 2019. However, you may want to consider the UX Specialization on Coursera instead, as this will give you more time to earn a certificate.
While the UX specialization provides you the opportunity to learn much of the same information as the MicroMasters program, please note that the certificate earned in the specialization does not convert into course credit at the U-M School of Information.
I want to complete the full program, but I can’t with the new course end dates. What should I do?
Please consider the UX Specialization on Coursera instead, as this will give you more time to earn a certificate.
While the UX specialization provides you the opportunity to learn much of the same information as the MicroMasters program, please note that the certificate earned in the specialization does not convert into course credit at the U-M School of Information.
Future UX Learners
I wanted to enroll in the UX MicroMasters, but I can’t. What should I do if I really wanted to learn the material?
We encourage you to enroll in the UX Specialization on Coursera instead.
The UX Specialization is an abbreviated 6 course version of the courses contained in the UX MicroMasters and covers many of the same topics. It may make sense to complete the UX specialization instead of the MicroMasters if you have not already enrolled in the MicroMasters program.
While the UX specialization provides you the opportunity to learn much of the same information as the MicroMasters program, please note that the certificate earned in the specialization does not convert into course credit at the U-M School of Information.
If you are interested in completing the series for University of Michigan School of Information course credit, you must enroll in all 9 courses on edX by November 6, 2018, verify by November 30, 2018, and complete all 9 courses by their respective end dates (see above). While it is possible to do this, you will need to progress quickly through the material.