This list of FAQ is updated based on questions students ask via email, the discussion forum, the Facebook group, and other channels. It is intended to help you better understand and navigate the course structure, content, requirements, and deadlines.
How much does it cost to take the course? The course is free, and all necessary materials will be provided within the Courseware. However, students who want a higher level of proof that they have completed the course, such as for their school or employer, can pay for a Verified Certificate of completion.
Can I register for a Verified Certificate even if I initially registered to "audit" the course? Yes, even if you initially registered to "audit" the course for free, you can still switch your registration to the Verified option anytime before May 17, 2015--two weeks before the end of the class. You must pay a fee to earn a Verified Certificate, which edX makes available particularly for those students who want to use the course for job applications, promotions, or school applications.
When will the course content first become available? For how long will it be available to me? In this self-paced version of "The Science of Happiness," all course material will be posted to the edX Courseware on December 1, 2014. It will then remain online so you can proceed through the course at your own pace.
All of the course material will be available to you indefinitely--for as long as you maintain your account with edX.
The deadline to complete all graded assignments is May 31, 2015. You must complete all problem sets, the midterm, and the final exam by then in order to receive a certificate of completion. The discussion forums will also close after that date.
However, the course material will still be available to you after that date so you can review it at your own pace.
I am unable to dedicate as much time as I thought, how long will this information be available for? Please see above. Once you have registered for this course, its content will be available to you indefinitely, even after the deadline (May 31, 2015) for graded material.
What type of computing environment do I need for this course? You need to have a computer running one of the following operating systems: Microsoft Windows, version XP or greater (XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7); Apple OSX, version 10.2 or greater; Linux, most distributions that have been released within the past two years should work.
Will I be able to interact with the course instructors? Because this is a self-paced course, students are able to proceed through the material on their time, at a pace that suits their personal schedule. As a results, while they can interact with fellow students on the discussion boards, there are not opportunities to interact directly with the course co-instructors.
Are the discussion forums moderated? The discussion forums are run with minimal moderation in this course. That means that the discussions are mostly student-led, with limited oversight by course staff and no involvement of course instructors. A team of volunteer Community TAs will be helping the course staff monitor the discussion boards. But due to the high volume of students and discussion posts in the course, we will not be able to review (let alone respond to) all posts. If you have an urgent matter, you can get the attention of course staff by putting [STAFF] in the title of your post; if you want to call our attention to a problematic post, please click the Report button (with the flag icon) on that post.
What is the format of the class? The class consists of lecture videos, broken into small chunks, that feature the two co-instructors, along with "guest lecture" videos featuring outside experts on the science of happiness. Its other main components will include readings, discussion forums, and weekly "happiness practices"--research-tested activities for boosting happiness that you can try on your own.
Throughout the class you'll also find graded questions that test your comprehension, along with ungraded "emotion check-ins" that help you track your emotional state over the duration of the class. Individual videos, readings, and other material are presented as “units” within the course; each week contains several "sequences" (or “sub-sections”) made up of a series of units. You can proceed through all of this material at your own pace. The course is not “live”--you can view the material whenever you’d like, not only at certain times.
Are exams open or closed book? Exams are open-book, meaning you can use whatever material from the course you need to respond to exam questions.
How can I learn more about the course content? Review the course syllabus for a more detailed outline of the course's content and components, including some key readings (and suggested supplemental readings). You can learn even more about the science of happiness by checking out the website of UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, which is producing the course.
Will certificates be awarded? Yes. Online learners who achieve a passing grade of at least 60% will earn a certificate of mastery. These certificates will indicate you have successfully completed the course, but will not include a specific grade. Certificates will be issued by edX under the name of BERKELEYx, designating the institution from which the course originated.
Certificates for the course will be issued on these three dates: February 2, 2015; April 1, 2015; and June 1, 2015. On those dates, certificates will be posted for anyone who has completed the course (with a passing grade of at least 60%) but has not yet received a certificate of completion.
To access your certificate on or after those dates, visit your Dashboard in edX. There you will find a Download Certificate button next to our course name. Click it to download your certificate.
How can I earn continuing education (CE) credits for participating in this course? Our course is approved for 16 CE credit hours for psychologists, therapists, social workers, counselors, nurses, and members of NIRSA. You can also earn 6 CE credit hours for completing a shorter section of the course. Here are more details about the accrediting bodies from which you can receive CE hours.
Once you have registered for "The Science of Happiness" on edX.org, in order to earn CE credit hours for participating in this course you must:
1. Register for CE credit through the course's continuing education co-sponsor, R. Cassidy Seminars (RCS), paying for either 16 CE credit hours or 6 CE credit hours. When you register for CE credit, you will create a login through the RCS website.
2. Complete a self-test measuring your understanding of the course material. You can access the self-test through the R. Cassidy Seminars website at any time. You can answer test questions while you're still taking the course or after you've completed the entire course, and you can stop the test at any time--you'll just need to click the Submit Answers button before leaving the page.
When you next log in, you will return to the page that follows your last submitted answers. A score of 75 percent is required to pass the test. Should you score less than 75 percent, you will have the opportunity to view your incorrect responses and retake the test immediately.
3. Once you pass the test, an evaluation form will come up on your screen. Please fill this out completely, as it is a requirement of each licensing board.
4. A continuing education certificate of completion will appear on your screen after you've passed the self-test and filled out the evaluation. We recommend that you print it for your records, though R. Cassidy Seminars does maintain a record of your course completion and your certificate in case you need it in the future.
I can no longer take this course. What do I do? If you can no longer take the course, you can unregister from the course by going to your dashboard and unregister yourself. Or you can stay registered in the course to have access to the materials later.
Will the text of the lectures be available? Yes, transcripts of the course are available alongside each video.
Do the videos have accessibility related accommodations? Yes, all of the videos have closed captioning; their transcripts are available for download.
Can I meet other students in the course? You can connect with other students through our course's discussion forum and Facebook group, but we will not specifically organize any events or ask you to participate with others in the course.
I registered for this course with friends. Can people watch it together on one computer or does everyone have to be logged in and on their own computer to participate? You can all watch the videos together, but your individual progress will be tracked through you own accounts. So you can watch the videos together and then do the work on your own.
Will this course be available at a later date? We are hoping to relaunch a live version of this course in the fall of 2015, but we have not finalized this. We will email you once we have more details.
Where can I reach you for questions or help? All questions, inquiries, and comments can be sent to us at happinesscourse@berkeley.edu.