Frequently Asked Questions
What are the dates of the course?
There are no set dates for this course. It is offered as a self-paced course. As such, the content is made available in its entirety as soon as you enroll, and the course itself is not curated or attended by the faculty. Once you enroll, this course must be completed by August 31, 2023.
Are there due dates for the assignments?
For self-paced courses, edX suggests due dates for assignments and exams as a way to help you stay on track. These due dates are suggestions to help you plan and pace your studies. You can submit assignments or exams any time up until the final end date of the course. Learn more about edX suggested due dates here.
If you see an assignment you have not completed is Past Due, or you see a message that you have missed a suggested deadline on the course homepage or Dates tab, you can shift your due dates. You can shift your due dates using the Shift due dates button on the course homepage or Dates tab. This will not affect any of the progress you have made in the course so far.
I see that all the due dates are set in UTC. What is UTC?
All of the due dates and times are presented in UTC, which is Coordinated Universal Time, set equivalent to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). To convert the time in UTC to your time zone, please use a time zone converter, such as World Time Server.
How long will this course take?
As a guideline, we encourage students to spend approximately 6 hours per week. This allows students to engage with the content and get the most out of the course. This includes watching all of the video chapters for the lecture, completing the accompanying reading, and taking the quiz.
How am I eligible for a a Certificate?
In order to receive a Verified Certificate, learners must register for it via the edX platform and receive a proficiency score of 70% or higher on the overall course assessments. Click here to learn more about edX Verified Certificates.
What resources will I need for this class?
A strong internet connection will be helpful, but we will try to ensure materials are available for slower bandwidths as well. The course is optimized to run on the most recent versions of most browsers, and Google Chrome and Safari have been shown to work the best with the platform. No other computer programs or books are required. All the readings will be provided online.
What kind of background do I need for this course? Do I need a science background?
The course is open to all and is accessible to students without prior background in the topics; you do not need a science background.
Can I take this class for university credit?
No. While we encourage any lecturers to incorporate this material into their own courses, we cannot offer this course for university credit. Please contact your own institution if you have any questions regarding receiving credit for your participation.
How can I engage with the course beyond the lectures, readings, and quizzes?
Since this course is being offered in an on-demand format, the SDG Academy course team will not be responding to questions and facilitating discussion in the discussion forum. However, the forum will still be an open space, so we encourage you to use it to post thoughts, ask questions, and engage in discussion with fellow students.
Who do I contact with questions?
For specific questions related to the course, you can email at courses@sdgacademy.org. This includes any questions about the material or assignments. This email address is used for multiple courses, so please specify that you are asking about the "Planetary Boundaries" course.
For technical questions about the platform, please visit the edX Help Center.