Extended Reality for Everybody Specialization

• What is the refund policy?

  If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.

• Can I just enroll in a single course?

  Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.

• Is financial aid available?

  Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

• Can I take the course for free?

  When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.

• Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?

  This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.

• Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?

  This Specialization doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.

• Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?

  No, but there is a lot of value in completing the specialization in order and we have carefully designed it to support those seeking breadth rather than depth in the topic. However, all courses also offer honors tracks to allow you to go deeper on specific issues, apply the principles in design and development, and practice recommended methods and tools.

• Do I need to know how to program?

  No. To complete the main track of the specialization, it is ideal if you already have experience with developing web or mobile applications but it is not required. To complete the honors track, you should be willing to work with AR/VR software tools. Many aspects of these tools are often experimental and not very well documented. This makes it hard for beginners. However, we provide many examples and code as a starting point. Even simple adaptations of our examples will help you build more confidence and feel productive. If you have previously created an XR app, this course should still help you develop a broader understanding of possible development approaches and strategies.

• Will I learn how to build XR applications

  Yes! We want everybody to be able to do XR. You will be able to create your own XR applications. We realize that some more so than others may care about the technologies themselves and may want to start developing right away. There’s a lot of material in the third course for that, but the first two courses are important stepping stones. Others may care a lot about design and XR’s potential to disrupt the user experience, in both good and bad ways. We made this a particular focus of the second course, but the first course raises a lot of issues that ought to be considered in design.

• Do I need access to AR/VR devices?

  No. To complete the main track of the specialization, it is recommended but not required. However, to complete the honors track, you will need access to AR/VR devices. For marker-based AR, you need to have access to a computer with a webcam and/or a smartphone. For marker-less AR, you will need access to an ARCore or ARKit capable phone. For VR, we recommend a 6DOF headset like Quest, Rift, or VIVE. For a basic VR solution of the assignments, it would be sufficient to use a Google Cardboard compatible display wrapper that turns your smartphone into VR goggles.

• What is 'XR"?

  XR stands for Extended Reality which refers to the spectrum of virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, and extended reality, You will learn more about what each of those terms mean and how they related to each other in the first video of the first course.

• Do I need experience with XR to take this specialization?

  No! We want everybody to know about XR. You will be able to participate in discussions about XR. Whether or not you consider yourself an XR creator, we want you to understand the potential and limitations of XR as a user. The first course with its focus on underlying concepts, enabling technologies, and key applications provides a fundamental basis for all things XR. There is a lot of value in completing the specialization and we have carefully designed it to support those seeking breadth rather than depth in the topic. However, all courses also offer honors tracks to allow you to go deeper on specific issues, apply the principles in design and development, and practice recommended methods and tools.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.