Welcome to frequently asked questions

GetSmarter, powered by 2U, is an online learning expert with over 10 years' experience in developing premium online short courses from the world’s leading universities and institutions. We support you in unlocking life-changing learning opportunities through an immersive and high-touch experience. Powered by 2U means we work with leading universities and institutions and leverage our people, technology and resources to power your education and your potential. Read more about GetSmarter here and 2U here.

Whilst GetSmarter offers educational short courses in collaboration with some of the world's top universities, we are not an accredited educational institution and we do not have campuses. Our offices are located in Cape Town and London. All short courses offered are presented online, therefore you can complete a course from home or on-the-go, unless otherwise stated on the relevant course page and/or course prospectus, you just need a stable internet connection and enough time to complete your course. You can read more about how our online learning model works here.

The Cape Town office is the homebase of operations for 2U’s short course product, GetSmarter. GetSmarter was acquired by 2U, Inc. in 2017, and partners with the world's leading universities to select, design and deliver premium online short courses with a data-driven focus on learning gain. All GetSmarter courses are presented entirely online and are accessible from almost anywhere in the world.

This is not a scam. GetSmarter offers online short courses in collaboration with the world’s leading universities. The design of each online course is guided by university faculty and industry experts who will share their experience and in-depth knowledge with you throughout the course. This course affords you a Letter of Validation, issued by the university in question, as well as a certificate awarded by the university upon successful completion of the course. Should you have any further doubts, you can get in touch with the contact person of the university, the details of which will be on your Letter of Validation. You can read more about GetSmarter here.

All our short courses are presented online. You can complete course assignments (within the specified timeframes) in any environment that you choose to study in. Unless otherwise stated on the relevant course page and/or course prospectus, you just need a stable internet connection, a working computer and enough time to complete your course. You can read more about how our online learning model works here.

GetSmarter only offers online short courses. However, the broader 2U product offering includes Undergrad and Graduate degree programs, Professional Certificates and Boot Camps. You can find out more about them here on the 2U website. For more information on degrees offered by a university it is recommended that you contact the university directly.

Getsmarter online short courses lead to a certificate of completion, attendance or participation by the respective university. Only upon successful completion of a course will a student earn a certificate. The course content enables students to gain skills to remain confident, competent, and relevant in the workplace. The courses do not carry any credits towards a university degree or diploma qualification.

Some courses are endorsed by certain professional bodies, and/or may contribute towards one’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points, Continuing Education Units (CEU), Professional Development Units (PDU), or other similar learning units as detailed on the respective course pages.

As with any education, employment is not guaranteed. The courses presented by the various universities in collaboration with GetSmarter are approved by those leading universities and certification is confirmation of completion, attendance, participation, or other such similar designation issued by the respective university.

The online short courses from the world's leading universities, offered in collaboration with GetSmarter, result in a certificate of completion, attendance, participation, or other such similar designation issued by the respective university. These courses are non-credit bearing, unless otherwise specified on the particular course page or during course registration.

Some courses however are endorsed by certain professional bodies, and/or may contribute towards one’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points, Continuing Education Units (CEU), Professional Development Units (PDU), or other similar learning units as detailed on the respective course pages.

The courses are presented by various international universities in collaboration with GetSmarter and are approved by those universities that are internationally recognized.

We have an Online Campus for each university partner we collaborate with, which is where you’ll log in to find the course material. All registered students will receive their login details on the day that the course starts. If you have any problems with accessing your Online Campus, your dedicated Student Adviser will be able to assist. If you are looking for your Online Campus login, please see the list of university partner login pages here.

The role of an Enrollment Adviser is to ensure that the learning outcomes of the course match your needs. The Enrollment Adviser can answer any questions you may have relating to the course and the learning outcomes. To speak to an Enrollment Adviser, please complete the course query form.

You can either pay your course fees in full before the course starts or elect to make use of our part payment option which allows you to settle your fees over the duration of the course. The part payment option incurs an administration fee of 3% of the course cost should you elect to make use of this option. If you want to find out more about any of these options please contact an Enrollment Adviser.

The Online Campus will be your virtual classroom for the duration of your course. Through its easy-to-use interface you'll have access to a diverse variety of course content formats, including: interactive video lectures, module notes, practice quizzes, presentations, assignment briefs, and/or additional web resources. Each module is released on a weekly basis, giving you the opportunity to study at your own pace and in your own time.

GetSmarter partners with the world's leading universities to select, design and deliver premium online short courses with a data-driven focus on learning gain. Technology meets academic rigor in our people-mediated model which enables lifelong learners across the globe to obtain industry-relevant skills that are certified by the world’s most reputable academic institutions. GetSmarter was started in Cape Town, South Africa in 2008 and was acquired by 2U. in 2017. You can read more about GetSmarter here.

The online short courses offered by GetSmarter in collaboration with the world's leading universities result in a certificate of completion, attendance, participation, or other such similar designation issued by the respective university. These courses are non-credit bearing, unless otherwise specified on the particular course page or during course registration.

Some courses however are endorsed by certain professional bodies, and/or may contribute towards one’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points, Continuing Education Units (CEU), Professional Development Units (PDU), or such other similar learning units as detailed on the respective course pages.

Upon successful completion of the course, students will receive a certificate endorsed by the university they enrolled with.

You can pay online via our secure payment gateway which supports both Visa and Mastercard backed transactions. Should you want to make payment via electronic transfer or direct deposit, banking details can be provided on request.

In terms of bursaries or scholarships, we are not able to offer any funding. Our online short courses are aimed at upskilling professionals in their respective fields, and for this reason, there is no application process for funding.

Some of our students have approached their employers for part or full funding to assist them in upskilling for future growth within their organization. Speak to your learning and development manager and encourage them to contact our business-to-business team to inquire about courses suited to your industry or business.

Alternatively, we offer installment plans for the payment of our courses. If you want to find out more about any of these options please contact an Enrollment Adviser.

This is not a scam. GetSmarter offers online short courses in collaboration with the world’s leading universities. The design of each online course is guided by university faculty and industry experts who will share their experience and in-depth knowledge with you throughout the course. This course affords you a Letter of Validation, issued by the university in question, as well as a certificate awarded by the university upon successful completion of the course. Should you have any further doubts, you can get in touch with the contact person of the university, the details of which will be on your Letter of Validation. You can read more about GetSmarter here.

University academics and subject-matter experts guide the content and development of the courses, approve all course materials and assessments, and have oversight of the evaluation of the participant group. GetSmarter presents the course online in a way that is highly supportive, interactive and manageable.

As part of our commitment to your professional development, GetSmarter offers you a two-week period to change your course start date, or cancel and request a full refund if you’re not fully satisfied. Cancellations and start date deferrals must be requested before the release of Module 2 of your course. For further information please contact your dedicated Success Adviser or read our terms and conditions.

You can pay your course fees in full before the course starts, or opt for a part payment plan. For courses nine weeks or less payment can be split into two parts, and for courses 10 weeks or more a three-part payment plan is available. The part payment option incurs an administration fee of 3% of the course fee, should you select this option. Please get in touch with an Enrollment Adviser or contact us to discuss your payment options.

You can pay online via our secure payment gateway, or make payment via electronic transfer or direct deposit. For transfers, banking details can be found on your invoice once you've completed your registration. Please get in touch with an Enrollment Adviser or contact us to discuss your payment options.

Unfortunately, the overall cost of the course (or the installment of the payment plan) should be paid in one transaction. If your credit card payment limit is less than this amount, we would advise that you liaise with your credit card issuer to increase the payment limit on your card. Alternatively, you can make payment via a bank transfer. Please contact us to discuss your payment plan options.

Please ensure that all information entered when making payment is complete and accurate. If you are unsure of something within the payment process, please contact us with your query. If you have accurately populated the required information and the error message persists, we suggest you contact your bank to authorize the payment.

You will receive all course-related emails and your login details from your dedicated Student Success Adviser, on the course start date.

This is an online-based course and, therefore, no course material will be sent to your postal or physical address. You can access your course material through the Online Campus.

This may be due to the non-payment of the balance due by you on your part-payment arrangement. If your payment is not received within five (5) days of the part payment being due, you will unfortunately lose access to the Online Campus. You will also subsequently be removed as an active student five (5) days after first losing access if you do not settle the outstanding balance.

We encourage our students to make use of our payment gateways. Payments made via our payment portals are instantaneous, while payment made via direct deposit, electronic funds transfer or wire instruction can take anything up to five (5) days to reflect in our account.

Once payment is received a payment receipt will be emailed to you from our finance team.

Unfortunately, once payment is received and allocated to your student account, we are unable to change the payment plan.

Your participation in a specific presentation of our course is only secured once you have made the minimum payment necessary to complete the registration process. If you have made payment, but are not able to join us for the presentation you registered for, all you need to do is register for the next available presentation in order to be part of the next presentation’s intake. Please note: we cannot guarantee that there will be a next available presentation for the course you would like to register for.

You may defer your course start date or cancel your registration or participation and request a full refund at any time before Module 2 of your course is released. We do not guarantee that future presentations will be held and if you choose to defer to the next presentation, you do so at your own risk. For more information, please reach out to an Enrollment Adviser, your dedicated Success Adviser or read our terms and conditions.

The turnaround time for refunds is seven (7) working days once confirmation of banking details and all necessary documentation is received.

An administration fee equivalent to 3% of the total course price is charged when choosing the part payment option.

As a Capitec customer, you qualify for ZAR4,000 off any GetSmarter short course presented in collaboration with the University of Cape Town. As explained in the Capitec terms, you need to buy the course on the dedicated Capitec GetSmarter webpage and use your Capitec card to redeem the ZAR4,000 Live Better discount.

We are able to display your company’s purchase order number on your invoice, but unfortunately we do not accept Purchase Orders as a form of payment. All payments for course fees need to be received by the course start date to participate in the course.

Unfortunately, GetSmarter is not at liberty to provide you with the necessary documentation to enable you to claim a tax credit after completion of our short course offerings. GetSmarter offers non-credit-bearing educational short courses in collaboration with some of the world's top universities, but we may not be an "accredited educational institution" for tax purposes in your jurisdiction.

Our dedicated Success Advisers are here to support you from start to finish and will be available during university office hours to offer administrative and technical assistance for the duration of the course. When you need support outside of university hours, your team of Success Advisers is available to handle any general queries you may have. The Facilitation Team, who are our industry experts, provide content support via the Online Campus.

Each week you will have one or more activity submissions due, and on some of our courses there may be live online events that you need to attend. All submissions, live session times and dates will be shared ahead of time, upon the release of each module, so that you can plan accordingly. Although we recommend that you stick to the weekly deadlines in order to get the most out of your course, there is an extension request service available on the Online Campus for when you need additional time (T&C’s apply). Your Success Adviser is also always available to support you with any scheduling challenges.

Students can download the GetSmarter app on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Some activities are not yet supported on the app. If you try accessing any of these activities you will see the button. Tap this button to open the activity in your device's default web browser.

Please refer to How to view downloadable documents for more on this topic.

It is advised that you synchronize the app every time you open it. This will make sure that all your learning content, notifications, and discussion forums are up to date.

The app can send you push notifications about the following events:

• Assignment due dates
• Module releases
• Posts on forums to which you are subscribed
• When you have been tagged in a forum post

The extension service is not yet supported on the app. Navigate to the assignment or quiz for which you need an extension, click on the menu icon in the top right corner, and then Open in browser. This will open the activity in your device's default web browser where you can use the extension service.

The app may need to be refreshed before completion ticks are updated. Swipe down on your module page to refresh the app.

The app only allows you to view some public information on your profile. However, you can update your profile by using a browser to access the Online Campus.

To make sure that your learning content, notifications, and discussion forums are up to date, it is recommended that you synchronize your mobile app with the Online Campus every time you open it. Follow these step-by-step instructions on how to synchronize the mobile app with your profile on the OLC.

Step 1: Tap on the menu icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.
Step 2: Tap on App Settings -> Synchronization
Step 3: Tap on

Your mobile app is now synchronized with your OLC profile.

Review our courses to gain an overview of the different options available and to find the correct course for your team. You can search by university or by course category. You can contact us and we will put you in touch with an account manager to complete your purchase. Your account manager can also assist with selecting the correct course for your team or answering any further questions.

Our research model and data-driven approach ensure that our courses will service your current skills gaps. Our growing portfolio of courses addresses critical business needs including digital transformation, future-focused business operations, as well as impactful leadership.

Our account managers are empowered with research to give you insight and a high-level overview of the greatest requirements in your industry. This will assist you with selecting the most relevant courses for your team to set your business apart both now and in the future. Start the conversation and contact us.

The Online Campus is the virtual classroom for your employees during their course. Through its easy-to-use interface, they will have access to a diverse variety of course content formats, including: interactive video lectures, module notes, practice quizzes, presentations, assignment briefs, and/or additional web resources.

On the Online Campus, they will have the ability to ask questions and interact with fellow students and the Head Tutor through the discussion forums. They can also content their personal Success Adviser should they have any questions or technical issues.

GetSmarter's learning model is designed to help working professionals improve their skills without compromising their work. The course work is broken up into manageable weekly modules, with incremental deadlines, which will enable your team to pace themselves without requiring time out of the office.

Upon the release of each weekly module, your employees will be presented with all the course materials, notes and assignments necessary for completion. They can also contact their Success Adviser who will help offer support and field any administrative requests they might have.

Yes, they can. The GetSmarter app is available for download on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Our app offers students access to the Online Campus so that they can engage with (or download) course material while they are on-the-go. Find out more information under the GetSmarter mobile app section of Frequently Asked Questions.

Employees who successfully complete their online short course will receive either a physical certificate or electronic certificate (or both) from a world-leading university or institution. This is a confirmation of course completion, participation or attendance (or other such similar designation issued by the respective university or institution), and indicates the skills, knowledge and competencies they gained for on-the-job application in their industry.

Some courses are endorsed by certain professional bodies, and/or may contribute towards one’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points, Continuing Education Units (CEU), Professional Development Units (PDU), or such other similar learning units as detailed on the respective course pages.

Your account manager will provide you with performance reporting of your employees showing their progress, grades, and overall performance on the course.

Your employees will receive personalized support from their Head Tutor and Success Adviser throughout their learning journey to ensure course completion and learning gain. The Head Tutor offers academic support and responds to queries relating to the course material, and the Success Adviser assists with administrative queries such as extensions or possible challenges when uploading assignments.

Yes, the courses run throughout the year and we can schedule your team to be a part of the next course presentation. Your account manager can help resolve any other queries in this regard.

We have a few payment options available for companies that enable flexibility to meet your budgeting needs. One of our payment methods includes tokens – this is credit that can be purchased at any time and redeemed towards courses for employees to ensure that you can plan ahead and budget for your team’s ongoing training.

If you want to find out more about any of our payment options or you want to know which you qualify for, please get in contact with an account manager here.

You are able to defer a course start date or cancel and request a full refund at any time before Module 2 of the course is released. For more information, please reach out to the your account manager or read our terms and conditions.