Many edX courses remain available as archived courses after the course ends. In an archived course you can view most of the course materials, such as lectures and readings for free in the audit track.
However:
- You cannot complete assignments for a grade (the Progress score won't update)
- The course staff will not be active on the forums
- You cannot upgrade to the verified track or earn a certificate
- Some assignments or links may no longer work
If you enroll in the verified track while a course is active, you'll still be able to access the course after it is archived.
How do I know if a course is archived?
Before you enroll
On the course enrollment page, if a course session is archived there will be a message This course is archived.
If enrollment is still available, there will be a button View course materials.
If enrollment is no longer available, there will be no button but a message Future dates to be announced.
After you've enrolled
From your dashboard, the link to view the course will show View Archived Course.
If you're viewing the course, you can check if the course has ended in multiple places. The final course end date is posted on the course homepage and on the Dates tab. On the mobile app, you can check the Dates tab.
On the course homepage, you can find the end date under Important Dates labelled Course ends. If the course is archived there will be a message 'This course is archived, which means you can review course content but it is no longer active.'