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edX Calculus versus Distance Calculus

edX is a consortium of various universities (Harvard University, MIT, Boston University, University of Texas, University of California, Berkeley, et al) where their various online course offerings are presented together in one central location for students to find courses to take online.

The Calculus I course from edX is actually the MITx Calculus I course, from MIT's very impressive OpenCourseWare project.

Can you get academic credits for this edX Calculus I (MITx in disguise) course? It costs $225.

This question is very very murky. There are various pages on edX site that suggests credit is available, and that you can "purchase academic credits" but it is not clear if you do this after you finish your course, or before, or .... To our knowledge, none of the courses in MIT's OpenCourseware project offer real academic credits.

Other pages on edX.org suggest the "certificate" awarding for $100 for completion of these courses.
compare edx to distance calculus
A "certificate" with the instructor's signature is certainly not the same as accredited, transferable academic credits!

As far as we can tell, you cannot earn real, transferable academic credits by taking an edX/MITx Calculus course.

Earning Real Academic Credits for Calculus





Applied Calculus vs Calculus I





Distance Calculus - Student Reviews

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Date Posted: Apr 29, 2020
Review by: Harlan E.
Courses Completed: Calculus I, Calculus II
Review: I did not do well in AP Calculus during my senior year in high school. Instead of trying to cram for the AP exam, I decided to jump ship and go to Distance Calculus to complete Calculus I. This was awesome! I finished Calculus I in about 6 weeks, and then I kept going into Calculus II. I started as a freshman at UCLA with both Calculus I and II done!
Transferred Credits to: University of California, Los Angeles


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Date Posted: Apr 6, 2020
Review by: Paul Simmons
Courses Completed: Multivariable Calculus, Differential Equations
Review: I took Multivariable and Diff Eq during the summer. The DiffEq course was awesome - very useful for my physics and engineering course. I was unsure about Mathematica at first, but I got the hang of it quickly. Thank you Distance Calculus!
Transferred Credits to: University of Oregon


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Date Posted: Mar 16, 2020
Review by: Malia K.
Courses Completed: Applied Calculus
Review: Course was good and fast. I don't like math so I can't say it was fun or anything. Grader was very nice. Software was ok.
Transferred Credits to: University of Maine






Distance Calculus - Curriculum Exploration

Rational Polynomial Functions



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Distance Calculus - Freshman Courses
Freshman Mathematics Courses
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Distance Calculus - Soph Courses
Sophomore Mathematics Courses
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Distance Calculus - Lower Courses
General Mathematics Courses
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Distance Calculus - Math Major Courses
Mathematics Major Courses
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Distance Calculus - Student Reviews

Rachel H.★★★★★
Posted: Jan 15, 2021
Courses Completed: Probability Theory
Dr. Curtis gave helpful and timely feedback, and made the teaching videos very engaging! The course model and associated software was easy to acclimate to.
Transferred Credits To: Cedarville University
Henry R.★★★★★
Posted: Jul 12, 2021
Courses Completed: Multivariable Calculus
Fantastic and unique course, particularly good for visual/spatial thinkers. The course forces you to develop a real conceptual understanding of the math concepts, as opposed to just teaching math formulas like other courses tend to do.

There is a steep learning curve early on to get used to the software and the kind of course this is.

Ultimately, I feel like what I learned will allow me to actually use the math and build upon it in the future. If you care about learning, rather than just passing a requirement, this is a great course for you.
Transferred Credits To: Harvard University
Anonymous☆☆☆☆☆
Posted: Dec 31, 1969
Lauren B.★★★★★
Posted: May 5, 2025
Courses Completed: Linear Algebra, Probability Theory
You don’t just learn in this course you understand. As someone who has always struggled with math taking advanced courses was intimidating. Dr. Curtis and his TAs made math manageable and framed the questions in a way they were applicable to real world. Thanks again!
Henry F.★★★★★
Posted: Dec 18, 2025
Courses Completed: Differential Equations
Transferred Credits To: Saint Joseph High School
John ★★★★★
Posted: Nov 20, 2025
Courses Completed: Precalculus, Applied Calculus
Great course. Professor Curtis and the TAs graded quickly and gave really helpful feedback that made the class feel smooth and manageable. Definitely recommend it.
Transferred Credits To: Binghamton University (School of Managment)
Trevor★★★★★
Posted: Jun 19, 2025
Courses Completed: Calculus I
POSITIVES:
One of the best math classes I have ever taken. The lessons made the failures of my previous professors very apparent. In a few short minutes, things that I used to struggle with just clicked. This professor is top notch and really wants you to understand how to use the material.
NEGATIVES:
The SOFTWARE is extremely frustrating. Even after taking the time to learn, there are countless glitches. You learn to work around them, and overall, the software makes the math convenient, but its failures are sorely felt throughout the course. Make sure you save often as it crashes regularly, especially with graphs.
The assignments are easy enough but some of them don't line up with the taught material. Be prepared to do some of your own independent research to get a deeper understanding of why things are the way they are.
Transferred Credits To: US Army
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