This course covers cosmology – the study of our entire universe. Where did the universe come from? How will it end? What is the nature of space and time? For the first time in human history, we can give precise, reliable answers to many cosmological questions, thanks to a spectacular series of recent breakthroughs. But many of the most fundamental mysteries remain unsolved. In this course we will cover the latest advances and the unsolved mysteries. We will explain the recent observations, and with the help of guest speakers Lawrence Krauss and Brian Cox, we will explore the theories behind modern cosmology. This course is designed for people who would like to get a deeper understanding of astronomy than that offered by popular science articles and shows. You will need reasonable high-school level Maths and Physics to get the most out of this course. This is one of four ANUx courses which together make up the Australian National University’s first year astrophysics program. You can take these four courses in any order. These courses compromise the Astrophysics XSeries. Learn more about the XSeries program and register for all the courses in the series today!
An excellent online course offered by edX: how it works
edX courses consist of weekly learning sequences. Each learning sequence is composed of short videos interspersed with interactive learning exercises, where students can immediately practise the concepts from the videos. The courses often include tutorial videos that are similar to small on-campus discussion groups, an online textbook, and an online discussion forum where students can post and review questions and comments to each other and teaching assistants. Where applicable, online laboratories are incorporated into the course.
edX offers certificates of successful completion and some courses are credit-eligible. Whether or not a college or university offers credit for an online course is within the sole discretion of the school. edX offers a variety of ways to take courses, including verified courses where students have the option to audit the course (no cost) or to work toward an edX Verified Certificate (fees vary by course). edX also offers XSeries Certificates for completion of a bundled set of two to seven verified courses in a single subject (cost varies depending on the courses).
An edX learning programme under Other Experiences
