Harvard CS50 in 2024: How to Get a Free Certificate
Harvard’s intro to computer science was just updated! Here’s what’s new and how to earn a free certificate.
With its over 5.4 million enrollments, CS50, Harvard’s Introduction to Computer Science, is one of the most popular online courses ever. And it’s one of Class Central‘s Best Online Courses of All Time.
Having taken the course myself, I can’t say I’m surprised. The course is excellent: it has a fantastic instructor; it offers a rich learning experience; and the course content is refreshed every year, on January 1st.
Most notably, the course is entirely free, and it includes a free certificate of completion. But understanding how to obtain it can be a bit confusing. So in this article, let’s discuss CS50 and explain how you can earn a free certificate.
(Harvard also offers other free courses on topics such as Python, web development, and AI. Learn more in our Harvard CS50 guide.)
CS50 Overview
CS50 is taught by Harvard Professor David J. Malan, who’s also been teaching the course on campus since 2007. Malan is a real showman. Forget dull PowerPoint presentations with monotone voice-overs. Malan takes the stage in Harvard’s beautiful Sanders Theater to enthusiastically teach computer science in front of a live audience.
It’s one of the most striking aspects of the course. It’s really well made. Malan paces the stage while filmed from multiple angles, using props to explain concepts, inviting students on stage for interactive demos, or standing at his laptop in front of a green screen for live coding sessions.
The course production values are off the charts, and Malan’s passion for teaching computer science is palpable. Naturally, this has contributed to the course’s success. Even by campus standards, CS50 stands out. With around 1,000 students enrolled every Fall, CS50 is the largest course on Harvard’s campus.
I think the main strength of the online course is that Malan treats it just like his on-campus course. The online and on-campus courses are one and the same, rather than the former being a lesser version of the latter. Both have the same lectures, same problem sets, and same final project. In terms of learning, it gets really close to the full Harvard experience.
What’s New in 2024
Another strength of CS50 is that the course is updated every year, allowing it to keep up with the latest trends in the field. More specifically, the course is recorded every Fall on campus at Harvard. Then, come January 1st, the online version is updated to use the new recordings. For instance, CS50 2024 uses the recordings made at Harvard in Fall 2023.
In my experience, annual recordings are exceptionally rare in online education. In the vast majority of cases, lectures are recorded once and reused throughout the lifespan of the course. The only other course I can think of that has annual recordings is MIT’s Introduction to Deep Learning. This seems to be a privilege restricted to a few, popular courses at rich institutions.
The annual recordings are also an opportunity for curriculum updates. In 2024, beside refreshing problems sets and centralizing practice problems, CS50 introduced an exciting new feature: an AI teaching assistant, in the form of an duck chatbot based on GPT.
As you can tell from the course mascot above, the CS50 folks are proponents of rubber duck debugging, a technique that consists in explaining your code to a literary rubber duck. By explaining it, one can gain a better understanding of its logic, and potentially discern bugs. Well, in CS50, the duck can now reply. You can try it out here, if you’re taking the course.
Like in previous years, CS50 ends with an open-ended software project — an opportunity for students to put into practice what they’ve learned throughout the course.
Different Certificate Types
So, you think this course is for you, and you’d like to get started. Great! But before, there’s one thing worth clarifying, because it often confuses learners. CS50 is offered on four platforms, but only one offers a free certificate.
❌ These three platforms offer CS50, but they do not include a free certificate of completion:
- EdX, which is the platform most people are usually familiar with. On edX, you can audit CS50 for free. However, edX doesn’t offer a free certificate. It only offers a paid verified certificate, which costs $219.
- Harvard Extension School, which is part of Harvard’s distance education division. Through this school, CS50 doesn’t include a free certificate. Instead, students can take the course for credit and receive a formal transcript, which costs $2040–3200.
- Harvard Summer School, which is also part of Harvard’s distance education division. Though this school, CS50 doesn’t include a free certificate either. Instead, students can take the course for credit and receive a formal transcript, which costs $3600.
✔️ This platform offers CS50, and it does include a free certificate of completion:
- Harvard OCW, which is Harvard’s open online course platform. On Harvard OCW, CS50 includes a free certificate of completion, like the one below. Note that the course content is exactly same as on edX, including all the assignments. The only difference is that the free certificate doesn’t involve ID verification.
Finally, to further confuse matters, even when you take the course via Harvard OCW, you’ll be asked to create a free edX account. To be clear, this is just a logistical step that will allow you to submit your assignments. You do not need to buy the edX verified certificate.
How to Get a Free Certificate
Since its launch, CS50 has maintained a firm stance toward openness through the Harvard OCW platform. In 2024, the course remains entirely free on the platform, including its certificate of completion. Above, you can see how the free certificate looks.
To unlock the certificate, you have to:
- Score 70% or more on all the problems sets. There are 10 problems sets, one per week.
- Score 70% or more in the final project, in the last week.
Note that you can resubmit assignments. So if you don’t pass on the first try, no problem. You can try again.
Ready? Here’s where to get started: Harvard CS50 — Week 0: Video Lesson & Problem Set. Then, simply go week by week. Happy learning!
Tags
Tommy
I am currently studying Information Technology and I just wanted to know your schedule so that I can be able to catch up with your programs since I am a new comer.
Pat Bowden
This course (like many others) is self-paced. You can join when you are ready. Lecture videos and other course materials can be accessed at any time of the day or night suitable for you.
Ibrahim Ahmed
CS50 is free with certification
Abel Zemo
I need to take the CS50 web development and to get verified certificate. How can I enroll?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
Note that the course in this article, CS50 Intro to Computer Science, covers some web development (including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Flask), but it covers a lot more: it’s a survey of all the main topics of computer science. If you’re interested in web development specifically, you might want to have a look at this guide: https://www.classcentral.com/report/best-web-development-courses/
The first course in the guide is CS50 Web Development, but in some regards, the course assumes you’ve taken the original CS50 course before (or an equivalent). So depending on your level, one of the other courses in the guide might be a better fit.
If you do want to take CS50 Web Development and get the free certificate, you don’t need to register per se. You just need a free GitHub account and free edX account, and then to complete the assignments week by week here: https://cs50.harvard.edu/web/2020. The first assignment has instructions on how to connect your GitHub and edX accounts to be able to submit the assignments, get your grades back, and eventually, unlock the free certificate.
Damian
Hi, is the certificate an edX certificate or does it actually indicate it is from Harvard?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
The free certificate looks exactly like the one in the article, but with the actual learner’s name.
Darian pariag
Can I purchase the verified certificate after I’ve completed the free courses
Manoel Cortes Mendez
Yes you can. But if you still want the paid certificate by the time you reach the final project, I’d recommend buying it just before submitting your project instead of just after, to avoid any processing issue with the certificate.
Thom
This course is not free. You have to pay $ 90 / or when You completed the course you earn a certificate?
Isaac
The course itself is free, but you can choose to pay $90 for a certificate at the end from edX if you would like to.
Manoel Cortes Mendez
You can take the course for free via Harvard OpenCourseWare here: https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2022/
Upon completion, you’ll earn a free certificate as explained here: https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2022/certificate/
Steve
Hi Manoel,
Thank you for your valuable article.
It surely helps me.
I’ve logged in to the page you’ve mentioned
https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2022/
but, can’t find the apply button for Harvard OpenCourseWare.
It only has
If interested in a verified certificate from edX, enroll at cs50.edx.org instead.
Where do I go for free certificate from Harvard?
Kindly, would you please guide me through.
Manoel Cortes Mendez
You’re on the right site. You can just go week by week, on the sidebar, completing each problem set. These have submission instructions – for instance: https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2022/psets/0/
Once you pass all problem sets and final project, you’ll unlock the free certificate.
Sham Shivani
Thank you!
Mike Ike Benjamin
Good day,
ild like to know which courses on business or leadership are available now for free and also if theres a free certificate of completion for them or how much it would cost at completion.
Regards,
Mike Benjamin.
Manoel Cortes Mendez
The Harvard CS50 team also offers a CS course for business professionals, which includes a free certificate of completion: https://www.classcentral.com/report/harvard-cs50-guide/#CS50B
You can also find free-certificate courses here:
– Business courses with free certificate: https://www.classcentral.com/subject/business?free-certificate=true
– Leadership courses with free certificate: https://www.classcentral.com/subject/leadership?free-certificate=true
seif
the site doesnot open when i click on the link
Manoel Cortes Mendez
Not sure why. With each annual update, they do create new links, but the old ones should still work. In any case, here’s the latest: https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/
James
Question please?
It won’t make any difference the free certificate vs the edX verified (paid) certificate? I mean , if you have to make all the verification, it should mean something more! I guess.
Manoel Cortes Mendez
@james
Supposedly the paid ID-verified certificate offers more assurances – less likely someone cheated if they were ID-verified. But in practice, I don’t think it makes much difference.
Toni
i cannot find the sign up link . How can it verified my name in certificate ?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
There’s no course signup. You will authenticate yourself when you submit your solutions to the problem sets, and that’s how they’ll keep track of your progress. Have a look at Problem Set 0, in Week 0. You’ll find detailed instructions there.
Aniee
is there a free certificate for CS50 business?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
Yes, you can find more information here: https://www.classcentral.com/report/harvard-cs50-guide/#CS50B
Siddhi Deshpande
Do we get a certificate after completing the course for FREE ? Like just a normal certificate which can be linked or is shareable ?
I
Manoel Cortes Mendez
Yes, as long as you take the course through Harvard OpenCourseWare, you’ll get a free certificate that you can share.
This is where you can take the course for free: https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/
Jonathan
Thank you, Manoel!
Aisha
The price p
of verified certificate was 90 dollar but why its showing 299 dollar now?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
The current price of an edX verified certificate seems to be $149.
But note that you can take the course for free and earn a free certificate by taking the course through Harvard OpenCourseWare here: https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2022/
ravi
Manoel
This is cool – is it only cs50x that is available via OCW? how to get the other courses – like CS50p? or AI?
Gracias
Ravi
ravi
Just checked – Python is available at
https://cs50.harvard.edu/python/2022/
but haven’t found AI
Manoel Cortes Mendez
And here’s AI: https://cs50.harvard.edu/ai/2020/
Martín
Traté de registrarme al de Python de la universidad de Harvard que recomendaste y explicabas como conseguir un certificado gratuito pero la opción no existe. Dice que es certificado de pago, aunque el material está disponible gratis incluso sin entrar al sitio de la universidad o edx, directamente por Youtube. ¿Cómo hago para conseguir el certificado de manera gratuita?
Que cursos de Python gratuitos para principiantes recomendas que tengan mucha practica. Me pasa que me cuesta bajar tanta teoría a la realidad.
Manoel Cortes Mendez
Puedes obtener el certificado gratis completando el curso a través de esta página: https://cs50.harvard.edu/python
Simplemente completa cada semana, en la barra lateral. Cuando tengas pasado todos los ejercicios, tendrás acceso a un certificado gratuito.
El certificado de pago es en edX. Es un certificado diferente, aunque la clase es estrictamente la misma.
Nathalie Aigil
Hi, I’m from Papua New Guinea and I just want to en-quire if I can take to course online as an International student.
Thank you.
Arjun Murthy
Yes, you can take the course from anywhere in the world.
Dane
Where to register and what is the enrollment procedure?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
If you want to take the course for free, just start here: https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2022/
You’ll submit the problem sets via edX, but you don’t need to pay for the verified certificate.
endeavour shrestha
The cost of certificate is 90$ but why is it showing 199$ in mine
Manoel Cortes Mendez
The price of a verified certificate seems to have increased. But note that you can take the course for free and earn a free certificate through Harvard OpenCourseWare: https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2022/
Michael
does Harvard OpenCourseWare certificate has a verification link?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
Yes it does. The free certificate has a verification link at the very bottom. You can see it, for instance, in the sample certificate: https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2023/certificate/
christina
is the CS50 certification an accredited one?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
@christina
No. It’s a legit certificate from the Harvard CS50 team, but it’s not “accredited” in the academic sense (like Harvard’s for-credit courses) nor in the professional sense (like a CompTIA A+ certification).
That’s said, that’s no different from most other certificates of this type – even the paid ones typically aren’t “accredited”.
Raphael Folorunsho
GREAT SITE! THANKS FOR THIS VALUABLE INFORMATION. FROM NIGERIA.
Siphokazi
I am from South Africa. I would like to know if you do take students from South Africa?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
Yes, the course is accessible to learners worldwide.
N. Luiz dos Santos
Olá tudo bem!
Seria Possível eu fazer um curso de (blockchain Crypton moedas, e inteligência artificial) com certificado sendo eu estrangeiro, no meu caso (Brasil) ?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
Harvard CS50 não oferece um curso de blockchain. Mas os cursos que eles oferecem, como este curso de ciência da computação acima, estão disponíveis em todo o mundo, inclusive no Brasil.
ReyFam
Hi,
I didn’t get that part where you said that the difference between the free version and the paid version, is ID verification?
Thank you
Manoel Cortes Mendez
The free certificate only requires passing all the assignments. EdX’s paid ID-verified certificate also requires taking a selfie and picture of your ID card.
Juoi Woens
Does this mean that the free certificate will NOT have your name on it?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
The free certificate will have your name on it. It just won’t be ID-verified. On edX, the paid certificate specifically mentions that they’ve verified your identity. The free certificate doesn’t mention that. It’s based on an honor system.
Ayodele Samuel Adebayo (unclebigbay)
Can someone upgrade the free certificate to an ID-verified version later?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
@Ayodele
The free and the paid verified certificates are independent. That said, the assignments you complete to get the free certificate are the same you complete to get the paid certificate.
So if you’ve earned the free certificate, you’ll have completed all the assignments needed to get the verified certificate. You’ll just have to pay for the certificate and resubmit your assignments.
Just keep in mind that the course is refreshed every year on January 1st, often with assignment changes. So if you want to “upgrade” to a verified certificate, you’ll want to do it in the same year you earned the free certificate. Otherwise, you may have to complete new assignments.
Luis
[[[So if you’ve earned the free certificate, you’ll have completed all the assignments needed to get the verified certificate. You’ll just have to pay for the certificate and resubmit your assignments.
Just keep in mind that the course is refreshed every year on January 1st, often with assignment changes. So if you want to “upgrade” to a verified certificate, you’ll want to do it in the same year you earned the free certificate. Otherwise, you may have to complete new assignments.]]]
Do you have to pay for the verified certificate before you start your course on https://www.edx.org/ ? Or you do so at the end?
**Also, if I were to start now https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2022/, that means I can upgrade to a verified certificate in 2023 without having to complete the new assignments?
If I had to complete the ‘new assignments’ (given the course is refreshed every year), that would be only for whatever changed in the new year or I would have to redo the course?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
@Luis
When taking CS50 on edX, you may upgrade to a verified certificate at any time. Technically, edX courses have an upgrade deadline (https://support.edx.org/hc/en-us/articles/227443947), but on CS50, that deadline is currently Dec 2023, and I think they keep pushing it back as it approaches.
On Jan 1st 2023, the new version of CS50 will be released. Past that date, you’ll need to complete the 2023 assignments to get a certificate, free or paid.
If you started the course in 2022 but didn’t finish, you’ll have to re-submit your assignments in 2023. And if new assignments are introduce in 2023, you’ll have to complete those too. Typically, only a one or two assignments change with each annual refresh, so I wouldn’t wait to get started.
Finally, if you paid for a certificate in 2022, you won’t have to pay again in 2023: you only pay for the certificate once, regardless of when you end up finishing. That said, since this course has no real upgrade deadline, you can just finish the course for free first, and later decide if you want to upgrade to a verified certificate.
Jeffrey Whewhetu
Thank you sir!!! For sharing this information. I’ve being looking for free certs to add to my resume and you have made my day. From Nigeria
Gert
Can you re-use this course.
on EDX it is part of multiple series like
Associated programs:
Professional Certificate in Computer Science for Game Development
Professional Certificate in Computer Science for Web Programming
Professional Certificate in Computer Science for Artificial Intelligence
Professional Certificate in Computer Science for Python Programming
XSeries in CS50’s AP® Computer Science Principles
Every one of these programs uses CS50. Is it sufficient to take it once, add another course and receive the professional certificate.
Manoel Cortes Mendez
That is my understanding, yes. If you complete CS50 first, then you’d only have to top it up with one extra course to complete each professional certificate. You won’t need to retake CS50.
Naomi Onasanya
Please what is the difference between the verified certificate and the Professional certificate? Also the EDX. I need some clarifications, please. Thank you.
Manoel Cortes Mendez
“Verified certificates” are certificates that require ID-verification. EdX certificates are verified certificates, so you’ll have to send a copy of your ID card to edX to get your certificate after course completion.
EdX “Professional Certificates” are a type of microcredential bundling several online courses. If you complete all the courses, you get a dedicated verified certificate for the whole microcredential, and you get individual verified certificates for each course.
CS50 can be taken individually or as part of several Professional Certificates on edX. In both cases, you’ll have to pay: edX verified certificates are paid certificates.
If you take the course through Harvard OCW instead of edX, then the certificate is free, but it isn’t ID-verified.
Marwan
So I get the point that if I take it on both platforms I get to learn the same thing, but what’s exactly the benefit of paying for the extra $150? I don’t get the point of the ID verification, would the free one be unacceptable in some cases or something?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
Supposedly, a verified certificate looks more official, more credible. Personally, I don’t think it makes much of a difference. I think the value is in the learning, and in this case, since the content of both courses is identical, I don’t see a good reason to pay for the verified certificate.
George Follett
Thank you for the info. Very helpful sir.
Luke Inze
I would like to know how to register on the harvard opencourseware, i’ve been to this link https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2022/ and still there is no where to register but the course video is available there. I would be glad if you could throw more light on how we would register there fro the free certification.
Manoel Cortes Mendez
The registration takes place when you submit your solution to the first problem set. You can find the instructions here:
https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2022/psets/0/scratch/
Cynthia
Manoel, thank you very much for all this valuable info. After I read it all, I can’t help but notice that you are very patient and answer the same questions more than once. Thank you for your patience and hard work here.
I just read your articles yesterday and I followed the instructions. Since I’d like to submit the course’s problem sets and final project for feedback, I created an edX account, and I read the course started on Thu, Jun 2, 2022. I’m wondering if it’s too late for me to join this year’s course? My major is not related to IT at all. Do you know on average, how long does it take for most people to finish CS50X?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
I don’t know how long it takes on average, but it’s a substantial course. I’d estimate the workload to be 50-100 hours, depending on whether you’re a complete beginner or not.
The course will be refreshed on Jan 1st. If you start now, your progress will carry forward, but if some problem sets change or new ones are introduced (1 or 2 every year, usually), you’ll have to submit the new versions to get the certificate.
More info here: https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2022/faqs/#if-i-dont-finish-the-course-before-31-december-2022-what-will-happen
Personally, I wouldn’t wait to get started, since most of the progress should carry forward anyway.
That guy 11
If you complete this course is there specific jobs or salaries you can earn after?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
I don’t think so.
This course is an excellent starting point to learn about computer science. And computer science can, in turn, lead to certain jobs – for instance, in education, research, or software development. But this course alone won’t take you there. You’ll have to do a lot of extra learning for that. It’s just a first step.
In addition, this is very much an academic course, as opposed to a career-oriented one. If your goal is getting job-ready as quick as possible, there are more suitable courses out there – for instance, courses that focus more on programming.
Amie
Hi, Do you have any recommendations for job ready courses to do?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
I think that would depend on the specific job you’re targeting.
If you’re interested in web development, my understanding is that having a good understanding of HTML, CSS, JS, a web development framework, and a few personal projects under your belt, would be a solid baseline for starting to look for, say, a freelance job. FreeCodeCamp and The Odin Project have some comprehensive free certifications in this area, and you can find more course recommendations here: https://www.classcentral.com/report/best-web-development-courses
If you’d like to work in IT, I believe that some formal certifications like those offered by CompTIA or cloud providers like Google/AWS/Microsoft are well-established. So taking a prep course might be a good idea. You can find some free options here: https://www.classcentral.com/report/free-developer-it-certifications
So I think it all starts by figuring out the sort of “computer job” you’d be interested in. If you don’t know yet, then CS50 is a good starting point to get a taste of the different facets of computing/IT: hardware, programming, webdev, cybersecurity…
Nyx
What is the age required to enter this course?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
In their FAQ, they say 13 and up. Personally, I couldn’t have handled this course at that age.
https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2023/faqs/#is-my-child-too-young-to-take-cs50x
Harsumeet Singh
Very polite guy and funny too.
P.S. Everyone is not Sheldon Cooper.
Jhanu
Hii!
I want to know that only Cs50 is the only free certification course by the Harvard University Online
Manoel Cortes Mendez
There are more. Currently, the CS50 team at Harvard offers 9 courses that include a free certificate of completion, on topics such as Python, web development, and AI. You can find more details here: https://www.classcentral.com/report/harvard-cs50-guide/
Konstantina
Why the harvard extention school certification and harvard summer school certification is that much more expensive that the edx certification? Do they have the same value? Are they equal? The certification from edx is from harvard
Manoel Cortes Mendez
Because they include academic credit, a formal transcript, and support from Harvard staff.
J.
Hi, I was looking at the CS50x site (following the link you provided) and there’s a red banner indicating that this is the 2022 version of the course, with a link to the updated 2023 version. I’m guessing the 2022 one is the one you describe in this article, with an option for free certification, and the link they have to the 2023 one would be the current course that does not offer the option for a free certification. Does that sound right to you? Couldn’t find any info about it on the site.
Thanks!
Manoel Cortes Mendez
The free certificate is available every year, including in 2023. The article currently discusses the 2023 edition of the course. But in the comments, you might also find links to previous editions, since I update this article annually.
Here’s the link you’ll want to follow in 2023: https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2023/
Elliot
Can I get a free certificate for cs50 web development course?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
Yes, here: https://cs50.harvard.edu/web/
And you can find more explanations about the course and its certificate here: https://www.classcentral.com/report/harvard-cs50-guide/
Marius
Hello
I need to login on Harvard OCW?
If so, How do I do that ?
I don’t understand how to login on Harvard OCW from EDX.
Manoel Cortes Mendez
You don’t need to log in per se. You just need a free GitHub account and free edX account to submit your assignments and get your grades back. You’ll first need these when you submit your initial problem set. You can find the instructions here: https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2023/psets/0/
Marius
Thank you very much.
Marcin
How would we know if for python course also 2023 version is in plans? Is there any release calendar?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
I don’t think there’s a specific release calendar. The main CS50 course is updated annually. But the other courses in the lineup are updated more irregularly. When a course is updated, the new version is released on January 1st. The Python course doesn’t seem to have been updated in 2023.
Tshepo
Does this course have credits, is it recognised in South Africa?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
No, the free certificate doesn’t carry academic credit, nor formal academic recognition in South Africa (or elsewhere).
The courses from the Harvard Extension and Summer Schools do have credit, but they’re paid courses.
Chinwe
Hi are there free courses in law?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
As it happens, the Harvard CS50 team also offers a free CS course for lawyers: https://www.classcentral.com/report/harvard-cs50-guide/#CS50L
If you’re talking about law in general, you can find free law courses here: https://www.classcentral.com/subject/law?free=true
Ali Ali
I have taken this cs50 course via edX. How will I get the free certificate after completion?
Do I have to register via other platforms?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
If you’ve passed all the assignments and final project, whether via edX or directly via the Harvard OCW platform, you should be able to access your free certificate here: https://certificates.cs50.io/
Ernest
Thank you for this info. But I will like to know the difference between the free and verified certificate?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
The paid verified certificate entails ID verification: you’ll need to take a picture of an identity card and send it to edX.
https://support.edx.org/hc/en-us/sections/115004157948-About-Identity-Verification
This is supposed to make your certificate more “official”, but personally, given the cost, I don’t think it’s worth it. I’d just go for the free certificate.
Bartosz
Hello,
I have account in git hub I’ve tried to do all things you guide how to get into the course and get free certificate, I tried everything and I really don’t know how I can have access to cyber security course can you guide :)?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
The CS50 cybersecurity course isn’t live yet; it’s currently being recorded. You can find more information here: https://www.classcentral.com/report/harvard-cs50-guide
Bartosz
Thanks a lot for reply ! Then I’m waiting forward for some news 🙂 Are you guessing maybe approximately date when realese :)?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
I don’t know when the course, and the potential free certificate, will be released. I believe CS50 cybersecurity hasn’t started filming yet. You’ll be able to attend the recording via Zoom. You can register here: https://www.classcentral.com/report/harvard-cs50-guide/#upcoming
Once filming concludes, the recordings will take some time to edit, and then the actual course website and potential free certificate would launch. I’d expect a full launch at the latest in Spring 2024, but hopefully it happens before that.
Bartosz
Thanks a lot for your time to reply !
Vinay
So can somebody send the link of this ocw cause i can’t find it anywhere for Harvard .
Manoel Cortes Mendez
https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/
Aldo
Hola Manoel,
Estoy intentado entrar al punto de programacion en Python y en verdad no se si elegir entre el curso de data science de IBM, google y actualmente esta nueva opcion.
Me dedico a la economia e inversiones, por lo tanto el analisis de datos es bastante importante en mi rubor, tambien el tema de probar nuevas estrategias en el mercado.
Que opinas sobre los cursos que te comente, cual elegirias tu?
Saludos y gracias por tu contenido.
Manoel Cortes Mendez
Cuando se trata de aprender un nuevo lenguaje de programación, siempre aconsejo empezar con un curso de carácter “generalista”. Una vez que se han adquirido los fundamentos, puedes orientarte hacia temas más específicos, como el análisis de datos o las simulaciones de mercado.
Yo, en tu lugar, comenzaría con este curso de Harvard. Es académico, riguroso, utiliza la última versión de Python, el profesor es excelente y es gratuito, incluyendo los ejercicios.
Después, para “especializarte”, te recomendaría “Modern Python” de Raymond Hettinger (https://learning.oreilly.com/videos/modern-python-livelessons/9780134743400/). Él es un “Python core developer” y ha escrito algunas de las librerías de Python más utilizadas en el análisis de datos. Su conocimiento del lenguaje es fenomenal y, además, explica los conceptos de manera muy clara. Lo interesante de este curso para ti es que la primera mitad (lecciones 1 hasta 6) está orientada hacia el análisis de datos.
El curso de Hettinger no es muy reciente, pero el contenido sigue siendo igualmente útil. Se ofrece a través de la plataforma de O’Reilly, que no es gratuita, pero su “free trial” de 10 días es más que suficiente para terminar todo el curso, o al menos, las lecciones 1 hasta 6.
(Si prefieres saltarte el curso de Harvard e ir directamente al de Hettinger, puedes hacerlo completando primero el tutorial oficial de Python, que solo requiere una o dos horas: https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial)
Finalmente, el análisis de datos y las simulaciones de estrategias de mercado no suelen hacerse con Python puro, sino que se utiliza Python con librerías especializadas, principalmente Numpy y Pandas. Hay muchas maneras de aprender a usar estas librerías una vez que has adquirido los fundamentos del lenguaje.
Si prefieres hacerlo a través de un curso en línea, la primera parte del curso “Machine Learning for Trading” de Tucker Balch en Udacity (https://www.udacity.com/course/machine-learning-for-trading–ud501), introduce Numpy y Pandas en el contexto de simulación y análisis de mercado. En las siguientes partes, crearás una simulación de mercado, diseñarás estrategias de mercado y las pondrás a prueba en tu simulación. Puedes ver los ejercicios del curso aquí: https://lucylabs.gatech.edu/ml4t/
Si todo esto te parece demasiado (es verdad que es mucho), te aconsejo hacer lo siguiente: tutorial de Python -> curso de Hettinger, lecciones 1 hasta 6 -> curso de Balch, primera parte. Esto debería representar unas 10-20 horas en total, dependiendo de si solo ves los videos, o si programas a medida que los vas viendo.
ely
So what if i create a edx account with a different name or email id ( not my actual name) to take the course, will i still get to change my name before i get the certificate? Or will they use the edx registered name for the certificate?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
When you unlock the free certificate, you’ll be asked to pick the name you want on the certificate.
By contrast, paid certificates on edX use the “full name” in your account settings. You can change it, but you may have to go through ID-verification again.
Manoel Cortes Mendez
For the free certificate on Harvard OCW (https://cs50.harvard.edu/x), they’ll ask you what name you want on the certificate once you unlock it. For the paid certificates on edX, they’ll use the name in your edX account.
Motasim Fuad
I’m currently a Flutter developer. As im from a non-cse background, should i take this course? Im not sure how much it will help me in my career. I didn’t have plans to learn Python, but always wanted to explore the backend field with node, express.
Please suggest to me what should I do now.
Manoel Cortes Mendez
If you want to learn computer science fundamentals, this course is a great option. But if your interest is rather vocational and practical, while the course discusses multiple programming languages / frameworks, it might not be the best fit. In particular, it doesn’t discuss Node nor Express.
Personally, I like having solid foundations, so I’d recommend this course to anyone with an interest in computing. But it’s a big time commitment. So if you’d rather go straight to what’s relevant to your interests and career, you might be better served with a course about JavaScript and its frameworks:
JS: https://www.classcentral.com/report/best-javascript-courses/
Frameworks: https://www.classcentral.com/report/javascript-online-courses/
CC
HI Manoel ,
I am confused with this course CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science, I saw EDx have this course but needs to pay for Certificate.
But you mention when complete https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2023/weeks/0/
can gain free Certificate if your score is 70%
Am I right, that the best way is to complete Harvard OCW https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2023/.
so when access https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2022/weeks/0/, what’s the next step, just click on each week to complete right?
thanks
Manoel Cortes Mendez
That’s right, you just need to go week by week, watching the lecture and completing the corresponding problem set. Each problem set has instructions on how to submit it.
You will need a free GitHub account and a free edX account. You won’t be taking the course through edX, but a free edX account is nonetheless needed for bookkeeping reasons.
Once you’ve completed all the problem sets and final project, you’ll unlock the free certificate.
Edouard
Hi, it seems to me that you don’t have access to the course anymore through https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2023/? Thanks
Manoel Cortes Mendez
It seems to work same as usual on my end. On that website, you take the courses by going week by week in the sidebar.
Selase
Hello, I am new to computer science, and I was wondering if you could recommend a good place for me to start. Also, could you guide me on where to go next?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
CS50 would be a good place to start. It doesn’t have any formal prerequisites. You can start here, and go week by week in the sidebar: https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/
selase
Thanks , where can i go after that
Manoel Cortes Mendez
CS50 offers a number of follow-up courses that are also completely free, including the certificate. You can learn more about them in our guide:
https://www.classcentral.com/report/harvard-cs50-guide/
Jay
It’s necessary to complete the CS50 course in 12 weeks ? If I want to complete CS50 in less than 12 weeks with their final projects? Than can I earn free certificate?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
You can complete it as fast as you want. All the videos and assignments are available.
Ollie
I just want to thank you so much for taking the time to write this review. Thank you for explaining the options. As someone who has just been made redundant and is next week moving into a new home, I’m extremely motivated to become the Product Manager who understands coding, and to land the next role.
I plan to complete CS50S, then continue on to Python, Business, AI etc via Harvard OCW and then EdX for certificate.
You sir have absolutely helped me on this journey. Thank you. 🙂
Miream
Hello, I would like to know the time limit to which we can complete the course. I have tried to submit every week but I also have school and work so it’s been hard. Can I still get certificate if I am not ready until January 1st?
Thank you for your kindness and have a good day!
Manoel Cortes Mendez
There’s no time limit. However, the course is refreshed on January 1st every year. That doesn’t mean your progress will reset, since most assignments remain the same, most progress should carry over. And even when assignments change, the underlying concepts tend to remain the same, so your progress would be maintained. For instance, you can see the “carryover” rules from 2022 to 2023: https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2023/faqs/#how-will-work-i-completed-as-part-of-cs50x-2022-carry-forward-into-cs50x-2023
You can expect a similar approach between 2023 and 2024.
Edouard
Hello, I’ve begun my CS50 course “understand technology” on Edex with the goal of obtaining a certificate upon completion. However, I’ve noticed that the cost has increased from 149 USD to 299 USD! Is it possible for me to switch to the alternative method of obtaining a free certificate while retaining my progress in the course? Thank you.
Manoel Cortes Mendez
You may take the course here for free and get a free certificate upon completion: https://cs50.harvard.edu/technology/
You may have to resubmit your assignments, though as I understand it, CS50 courses all use the same “backend” for keeping track of assignment completion. When you go to submit assignment 1 (https://cs50.harvard.edu/technology/2017/assignments/1/), you’ll be asked to fill your edX username (just the free account is enough), so your progress should be maintained.
Edouard
Hello, I have several questions: I’ve just started the Understanding Technology course on EdX, but I prefer the option of obtaining a free certificate rather than paying the current 299 USD fee! (how come?) Can I switch to the other platform and keep my progress, or do I have to start over? Could you please provide the link, whether it is possible or not? I’m having trouble finding the course from this address: https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2023/. If I don’t have time to finish it before December 31, 2023, will I lose all my progress? Thank you.
Manoel Cortes Mendez
I replied here: https://www.classcentral.com/report/cs50-free-certificate/#comment-341108
S
I just started today. I cannot finish by 1/1/24. What should I do?
Manoel Cortes Mendez
Your progress should carry over (or at least, most of it). You can find more details here: https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2023/faqs/#will-the-work-i-completed-for-cs50x-2023-carry-forward-into-cs50x-2024
Hariharan S
How Many Months to take to complete cs50w, i try to submit but it shows verification begins at 2.1.2025 . why am thinking it take one year , any one here for clearing my doubts please,
Vida
Hello sir, I had a question that every time I submit my problem set , it threatens me to read the honest policy I am a beginner and I don’t have anyone to help me. Sometimes I get help from the chat GPT , but not in general But I am afraid they will suspect me
I really always try to learn in any way, but every time I am afraid that with all these problems on the Internet, I will be considered unreasonable.
Manoel Cortes Mendez
I recommend using CS50’s own free AI chatbot (https://cs50.ai/) rather than ChatGPT directly. Its level of helpfulness has been tuned to support learning without giving away too much, so accidental plagiarism shouldn’t be an issue.
Sasha
Hello I feel a bit confused and I would be happy if someone gives me a short explanation. So Ive made an account on edx and yeah..the certificate there is paid.. I checked the website that you gave :
https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2024/
But I dont understand how I make registration there to do the course and have my progress saved and etc. It might sound funny but really Im not sure how to start and if someone explains this to me I would really appreciate it.
Manoel Cortes Mendez
There’s no formal registration process. They will start tracking your progress when you submit your first assignment, which will require free GitHub and edX accounts. More specifically, here’s the point at which you’ll “log in”: https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2023/psets/0/scratch/#step-1-of-2
Pavithra G
Hi sir I started with course from watching the videos in youtube and I m not able to find the problem sets so I can submit and get a free certificate can you please guide me with this were to find the problem sets of week 0 , 1 currently I m in week 2 lecture