GetSmarterGetSmarter
Updated September 2024

GetSmarter Review - Is it the right choice for you?

ReviewAlternatives
Janosch Herrmann

Written by
Janosch Herrmann

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Information

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Description

getsmarter is an online learning platform that partners with world-renowned universities all across the globe to create short courses on a variety of academic & professional topics.

Type
Education Company
Number of courses
250+
Pros
  • Collaboration with top universities
  • Industry-relevant courses
  • Professional certificates
Cons
  • Limited course selection
  • Courses are rather expensive
  • The user interface could use some improvements
Popularity

Relatively niche

Available categories
Business Analytics & IntelligenceData ScienceLeadershipManagementMarketing Analytics & AutomationDesign ToolsEntrepreneurshipFinanceProject Management
Available languages
English
Support options
  • Email
  • Phone
  • Chat
  • Community
  • Knowledge base
  • Learning support
  • Career support
Available apps
IOS logo
Ios
ANDROID logo
Android

Offering

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Types of courses
INDIVIDUAL LEARNING

Short Course

Short courses developed together with top universities. They usually take a couple of weeks to complete.

$500 - $3000 USD
6-8 weeks

Company

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Company name
GetSmarter
Company size

Medium

Founded in
2008
Headquarters

South Africa

🇿🇦
Founders
Sam Paddock, Rob Paddock
External reviews
ios logo
App Store
4.8531000 reviews
ios logo
Play Store

No reviews yet...

Our evaluation

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Course quality
GetSmarter
LowHigh
Course catalog
GetSmarter
BadGood
Affordability
GetSmarter
More expensiveHigher value
Career value
GetSmarter
Low valueHigh value
Customer support
GetSmarter
BadGood
Usability
GetSmarter
BadGood

7.4

10

Our conclusion

getsmarter offers a selection of high quality courses, in collaboration with some of the most prestigious universities worldwide. We particularly like the impressive roster of partners they work with. If you want to take their courses, you shouldn't be on a tight budget though, since the prices are fairly steep, which is understandable when you look at their partner universities, but nevertheless might be unaffordable for many. We therefore recommend getsmarter to professionals that want to learn new skills, and that have the disposable budget to afford their courses.

Go to GetSmarter

Detailed GetSmarter review

Is it the right choice for you?

Janosch Herrmann

Written by
Janosch Herrmann

skillfrontier is supported by learners. When you buy through links on our website, we may earn a commission. Learn more

getsmarter is an online learning platform that partners with world-renowned universities all across the globe to create short courses on a variety of academic & professional topics. With close to 2 million monthly visitors, it's a popular choice for high-quality online courses. It was founded by Robert Paddock in 2008 and was sold to 2U Inc. in 2017.

Let's see what they have to offer in this in-depth review!

getsmarter courses

getsmarter's main offering is their selection of 280+ short courses from universities like Harvard, London School of Economics and many other well-known universities. These courses mostly take between 4–10 weeks and are held through getsmarter's online campus, where you get access to course materials like video lectures, quizzes, assignments and support resources.

getsmarter course categories

getsmarter mobile app

getsmarter also offers a mobile app, so that you can take their courses whenever you're out of home as well.

getsmarter mobile app

Pro & Cons

ProsCons
Selection of 250+ short coursesNo applicable to university degrees
Developed with top universitiesRelatively expensive
Mobile app

Who is getsmarter for?

getsmarter is for professionals that want to add specific skills to their skill set and get certificates from top universities around the world. Their courses are in the sweet spot between regular (and often cheaper) online courses from platforms like Udemy and full degrees from platforms like edX and Coursera.

getsmarter pricing

Courses on getsmarter cost between $1,000.00 - $3,000.00 USD. If you don't want to pay upfront in full, you can have a look at their financing options, which allow you to pay for your course in multiple installments.

getsmarter pricing

Refund policy

If you're unhappy with a course you bought from getsmarter, you can get a refund from them within a certain time period. The exact terms depend on the length of the course you're taking, as well as other criteria. For a complete overview, check out getsmarter's FAQs.

getsmarter for businesses

getsmarter's business offering gives companies the option to upskill their employees while saving money through volume discounts.

With getsmarter for business, companies get:

  • 24/7 student support

  • Access management

  • Learning analytics

getsmarter for business

Instead of paying for a subscription, companies can buy tokens, which can be redeemed for any of the short courses on getsmarter, which allows for more learning flexibility, while giving companies access to volume discounts.

getsmarter for business pricing

getsmarter for students

getsmarter doesn't currently have a dedicated plan for students.

Learning & Customer support

If you have general questions about the getsmarter platform, accounts, billing and other common topics, you can check out getsmarter's FAQ. You also have the option to contact getsmarter's support team directly, both through email and phone.

When it comes to learning support, you get access to getsmarter's success advisers, who will give you administrative & technical assistance for the duration of the course. They also have a facilitation team, who can help with content support through the online campus.

Certification

When you complete a course on getsmarter, you will get a corresponding certificate of completion from the university that created the course. This certificate is approved by the university, making it widely recognized in the industry, so it can definitely be really helpful when looking for a job.

Keep in mind that even though these certificates are approved by the university that created them, they won't give you any credits you can use towards a degree. getsmarter certificates are meant to prove that you learned a job-relevant skill, not that you're earning credits for your Bachelor's.

If you want to earn credits towards a degree or even take a full online degree, check out platforms like edX and Coursera that offers these types of courses. You can also use our course search below to find the right courses for your needs directly through our platform :)

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  "_uid": "i-6295ebb3-e5eb-444d-b3d8-283c60c72504"
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Create a getsmarter account

To create your getsmarter account, click on the "Sign up" button in the top right corner of their homepage.

Create a getsmarter account

Popular courses on getsmarter

Compliance Management

Compliance Management - course on getsmarter

Gain a deeper understanding of compliance risk analysis and management in order to enhance your organization's operations with this course from the University of Cape Town. This course takes about 8 weeks and costs $930 USD.

Check out the course

Digital marketing

Digital Marketing - course on getsmarter

Learn how to design and implement an integrated digital marketing campaign with this course from the University of Cape Town. This course takes about 10 weeks and costs $930 USD.

Check out the course

Real Estate Economics and Finance

Real Estate Economics and Finance - course on getsmarter

Learn how to make more informed real estate finance and investment decisions with an in-depth understanding of markets, economics, and finance. This course is taught by the London School of Economics, takes about 8 weeks and costs $2,693 USD.

Check out the course

getsmarter instructors

Since courses on getsmarter are held by recognized universities across the world, most of the course instructors are academics from these institutions as well, making them highly qualified.

getsmarter universities

Here's an example of instructors for a course from SDA Bocconi, a world-renowned university from Milan, Italy. As you can see, all instructors are faculty members of the university. Overall, I think it's fair to say that getsmarter instructors are highly qualified.

getsmarter instructors

Summary: Is getsmarter worth it?

Yes, in our opinion, getsmarter is definitely worth it if you want to take high-quality courses from leading universities around the world and don't mind spending a bit more on your professional development.

If that's you, you'll love the platform for its:

  • High-quality courses

  • Knowledge from leading universities

  • Mobile app

GetSmarter logo

GetSmarter

Education Company

7.4

Visit GetSmarter

FAQ

GetSmarter alternatives

Coursera logo

Coursera

Best for Students, Professionals, Lifelong learners

8.8

Read reviewVisit Coursera
edX logo

edX

Best for Students, Professionals, Lifelong learners

8.6

Read reviewVisit edX
FutureLearn logo

FutureLearn

Best for Professionals, Students, Lifelong learners

8.5

Read reviewVisit FutureLearn
View all GetSmarter alternatives

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