About us and our purpose

GetSmarter offers market-led executive education courses with edX, a 2U company, delivering online education from world-leading universities and institutions to transform the lives of thousands of students across the globe. GetSmarter’s online certificate courses are designed to advance your career and fit in with your busy lifestyle. Each course is expert-led, fully supported and community-based, helping you build career-critical skills.

edX offers high-quality online education and services that span free courses to degree programs. To learn more about our approach to lifelong learning, visit edX.org.

Our global impact

170+

Online short courses

Data driven, market-led and designed for future work

18+

Leading universities

We partner with the world's most prestigious universities to deliver academic excellence

195

Countries worldwide

We enable a global network of professionals to stay relevant, competent and confident

Business impact

World-class executive education

GetSmarter for business enables organisations to lead with learning in an evolving business landscape

140,000

Lives improved

By 2030 we aim to improve 1,000,000 lives through better online education

University partners
We partner with the world's leading universities so that you can thrive in an ever-changing world.

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Experts in lifelong learning

Stay relevant, competent, and confident with edX’s portfolio of online learning options.

Short courses

Learn from the world’s leading universities with market-led online short courses from GetSmarter.

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Boot camps

edX Boot Camps partners with leading universities to help companies bridge their digital skills gaps.

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Degree programs

Engaging and interactive undergraduate and graduate degree programs can improve students’ lives on a schedule that works for them.

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LIFELONG LEARNING

Prepare for the future workplace

GetSmarter enables professionals to adapt to change in the workplace and stay ahead of trends in business and technology.

Our courses are tailored to the latest skills needed to prepare for the future and drive your career or business forward.

Every 5 years an employee’s skill set will only be half as valuable as it was previously

Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown

'The New Culture of Learning'

The GetSmarter story

2008

2U, Inc. was founded outside of Washington, D.C.

GetSmarter was founded in Cape Town, South Africa. The first online short course presented was Wine Evaluation in partnership with the University of Stellenbosch.

2013

30,000 working professionals gained new skills by completing a GetSmarter online short course.

2014

2U went public on the NASDAQ.

2016

GetSmarter started to partner with leading global universities including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

2017

After finding alignment in purpose and vision, 2U acquired GetSmarter, which was recognized as the largest acquisition of a South African EdTech company at the time.*

* Business Tech (2017) in a new tab

2019

Online boot camps became a part of the 2U portfolio.

2019

Over 100,000 students successfully completed GetSmarter online short courses.

2021

2U announced the acquisition of edX.

2030

GetSmarter aims to improve the lives of 1,000,000 working professionals through better online education.

Become a working professional who thrives with verifiable skills, competency and confidence.

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