What Are The Two Course Enrollment Tracks?
The MITx Online Platform features two Enrollment Tracks, which offer learners slightly different experiences. All MITx Online courses, with very few exceptions†, offer an Audit (free) Enrollment Track. Many, but not all, MITx Online courses also offer a Verified/Certificate (Paid) Enrollment Track.
- The Audit Enrollment Track offers free access to the Courseware, but free learners cannot pass the course or earn the Course Certificate
- The Certificate Enrollment Track offers paid access to the Courseware, and Paid learners can pass the course and earn the Course Certificate
For MITx Online course sessions which offer a Certificate Track, learners may either enroll into the paid Certificate Track directly, or enroll into the free Audit track first, and Upgrade later. To enroll in or upgrade to the Certificate (Paid) Track, learners must submit payment of the Course Fee—which varies by course. Only learners on the Certificate Track are eligible to earn a Course Certificate. MITx Online does not offer any free Certificates
- For more information about the Audit and Certificate Enrollment Tracks, see this FAQ article
What Are Course Certificates?
MITx Online courses that offer a Certificate (Paid) enrollment track allow learners the opportunity to earn a Course Certificate, to demonstrate their commitment to continuous learning, and to highlight their proficiency in the course's subject matter. The Course Certificate is a digital certificate issued by MITx, recognizing learners who have successfully completed and passed an MITx Online Course on the Verified/Certificate (Paid) Enrollment Track.
MITx Online certificates are recognized globally and can be shared on resumes, CVs, applications for work or school, and professional networking platforms like LinkedIn. Many employers, educational institutions, and professional networks value the rigorous curriculum and high standards upheld by MITx Online courses. Whether you are seeking new job opportunities, aiming to advance in your current career, or pursuing further education, displaying your MITx Online certificate can enhance your credibility and set you apart from other candidates.
Course Certificate Availability Timeline
Instructor-Paced course sessions generate and release Course Certificates for all passing learners at the same time—at or after the end of the course session. When exactly this occurs may differ between courses; timelines range from as soon as the session ends to several weeks afterward (typical when substantial additional scoring is required, such as for a Proctored Exam). You should expect to receive communication from the Course Team about when Course Certificates will be released.
Self-Paced course sessions typically generate and release Course Certificates for each learner individually, soon after they achieve the passing criteria. You should expect their Certificate to become available around 24-48 hours after they cross the passing threshold—though it can sometimes take longer (common when the course involves peer review or manually graded elements).
However, some Self-Paced course sessions may choose to release Course Certificates all at once, as Instructor-Paced sessions do. When this is the case, you should expect the Courseware to explicitly communicate the expected timeline, as is the case in Instructor-Paced sessions.
- For instructions on how to access MITx Online Course Certificates, see this FAQ article
What Are Program Certificates?
In addition to individual courses, the MITx Online Platform also offers multi-course Programs. Learners who earn all of the Course Certificates required to complete a multi-course program also earn its Program Certificate (referred to as the "Program Credential" for MicroMasters Programs). Program Certificates typically become available as soon as the final Course Certificate needed to complete the program is released. See above for more information about the availability timeline of Course Certificates.
MITx Online Programs have specific completion criteria, which may vary. Some programs simply require learners to earn the Course Certificate for all of the program's courses; others programs include a set of Core Courses and a set of Elective or Track Courses, and require learners to earn the Course Certificates for all of the Core Courses and a certain number of the Elective/Track Courses.
Some programs, like the DEDP MicroMasters Program, offer different Program Tracks. Each Track is represented as its own program on the MITx Online Catalog and the MITx Online Dashboard (see image below), and different Tracks contain different sets of courses. Typically the set of Core Courses is shared, but different Elective/Track courses are available for each Program Track. Learners are welcome to complete the requirements of multiple Program Tracks, and will earn a Program Certificate for each Track they complete!
- For instructions on how to access MITx Online Program Certificates, see this FAQ article
The images below show an example of an MITx Online program with two Program Tracks listed in the MITx Online Program Catalog, and presented on the MITx Online Dashboard
- Each Program Track is listed as its own program: "Data, Economics, and Design of Policy: International Development", and "Data, Economics, and Design of Policy: Public Policy"
- The two Program Tracks belong to the DEDP MicroMasters Program, indicated by both the names of the tracks and the "MicroMasters®" badge displayed above their names in the Catalog
- The two Program Tracks contain different courses, indicated by the different number of courses on the Dashboard (one shows "6 courses", the other "5 courses")
MITx Online Certificate Details
MITx Online Course & Program Certificates are stored on and maintained by the MITx Online Platform and are delivered exclusively in digital form. Once earned, learners can access their Certificates via the MITx Online Dashboard. Learners can share their Certificates electronically, and may also download and print them out.
- For more information about how to access, download, and print MITx Online Course Certificates, see this FAQ article
- For more information about how to share Course and Program Certificates, see this FAQ article
- MITx Online multi-course Programs, in addition to the Program Certificate, also offer learners a Program Record, which features additional sharing options. For more information, see this FAQ article