Getting Started - General

Udemy's mission is to create new possibilities for people and organizations everywhere. Our global marketplace features an extensive, multi-language library, which includes thousands of courses taught by real-world experts. You can take courses across a wide range of categories, some of which include: business & entrepreneurship, programming, academics, the arts, health & fitness, language, music and much more!

Below are answers to some of the frequently asked questions we receive about how Udemy works.

• What do Udemy courses include?
• How do I take a Udemy course?
• Do I have to start my Udemy course at a certain time? And how long do I have to complete it?
• Is Udemy an accredited institution? Do I receive anything after I complete a course?
• Is there any way to preview a course?
• How can I pay for a course?
• What if I don’t like a course I purchased?
• Where can I go for help?

What do Udemy courses include?

Each Udemy course is created, owned and managed by the instructor(s). The foundation of each Udemy course are its lectures, which can include videos, slides, and text. In addition, instructors can add resources and various types of practice activities, as a way to enhance the learning experience of students. 

Additional information on Udemy’s platforms and features can be reviewed here. 

For tips on how to find courses you may be interested in taking, please click here.

How do I take a Udemy course?

Udemy courses are entirely on-demand. You can begin the course whenever you like, and there are no deadlines to complete it.

Udemy courses can be accessed from several different devices and platforms, including a desktop, laptop, and our mobile app. 

After you enroll in a course, you can access it by clicking on the course link you will receive in your confirmation email (provided you’re logged into your Udemy account). You can also begin the course by logging in and navigating to your My learning page. 

Do I have to start my Udemy course at a certain time? And how long do I have to complete it?

As noted above, there are no deadlines to begin or complete the course. Even after you complete the course you will continue to have access to it, provided that your account’s in good standing, and Udemy continues to have a license to the course.

To learn more about our Lifetime Access policy, please click here.

Is Udemy an accredited institution? Do I receive anything after I complete a course?

While Udemy is not an accredited institution, we offer skills-based courses taught by real-world experts in their field. Every approved, paid course features a certificate of completion to document your accomplishment.

Is there any way to preview a course?

Yes! For steps on how to preview a course, and review key information about it, please click here.

How can I pay for a course?

Udemy supports several different payment methods, depending on your account country and location. More information on Udemy’s payment methods can be viewed here.

What if I don’t like a course I purchased?

We want you to be satisfied, so all eligible courses purchased on Udemy can be refunded within 30 days. If you are unhappy with a course, you can request a refund, provided the request meets the guidelines in our refund policy. For steps on how to request a refund, please click here.

Where can I go for help?

If you find you have a question about a paid course while you’re taking it, you can search for answers to your question in the Q&A or ask the instructor. 

Our Help Center has extensive information regarding Udemy’s various features, and articles with troubleshooting steps to help you quickly resolve any issues you encounter. Our Support Team is also happy to help. 

This article explains how you can sign up for Udemy on a desktop or laptop browser, and begin your learning experience today. 

• Review how to sign up and log in using the Udemy mobile app.
• Learn how to join or sign into your Udemy Business account.
• Learn how to troubleshoot login issues.

Sign up with an email and password

1. Click Sign Up at the top right of your desktop or laptop browser. Enter your name, your email address, and a unique password.
2. Select whether you wish to receive promotional emails and recommendations from Udemy. 
3. Click Sign up.

Log in with an email and password

1. On your desktop or laptop browser, click Log in at the top right.
2. Enter the credentials you used to sign up.
3. Click Log in.

Log in with Apple, Facebook or Google

1. If you have previously signed up for Udemy using the Apple, Facebook or Google option, click Log in at the top right of your browser.
2. Select Continue with Apple, Facebook or Google.
3. Follow the prompts to complete the sign in process.

Please note:

• When you sign up using the Apple, Google or Facebook option, no password is created for your Udemy account. If you wish to create a password for your Udemy account and log in with the same email address that’s registered with Apple, Google or Facebook moving forward, please follow the steps outlined in this article. You can access the email address that is registered for your Udemy account in your Account settings.
• The Google log in option will not work if third-party cookies are disabled on your browser or if you have opted out of third-party cookies through the cookie preference settings on Udemy. If you’re encountering an issue logging in, while trying the Google option, please ensure third-party cookies are enabled. If you do not want to enable third-party cookies, please select a different log in method.

How to log out of your Udemy account

If you’re accessing your Udemy account from a public or shared device, be sure to log out of your account when you’re finished studying. 

1. Move your cursor to your initials or profile image at the top right of the page.
2. Click Log out in the dropdown menu.

Having trouble logging in?

Learn how to troubleshoot login issues.

One of the best things about Udemy is that you can login to your account from virtually anywhere, whenever you want, and access your courses easily! We strongly believe that students will benefit from the limitless educational possibilities this feature presents.

Once you purchase a course, you'll have access for life, provided that your account is in good standing and Udemy continues to have a license to that course.

Lifetime Access: Commonly Asked Questions

Below are answers to questions we often receive regarding lifetime access.

• Will I continue to have access to the course even after I complete it?
• I bought the course on sale. Does this affect how long I have access to the course?
• Do free courses offer lifetime access?
• Will I have lifetime access to subscription content? 
• What if I used an instructor coupon to purchase the course? Does lifetime access still apply?
• What happens if the instructor removes the course from Udemy?
• Can my courses ever be removed from Udemy?

Will I continue to have access to the course even after I complete it?

Yes. You will continue to have access to the course after you complete it, provided that your account’s in good standing, and Udemy continues to have a license to the course. So, if you wish to review specific content in the course after you finish it, or take it all over again, you can.

I bought the course on sale. Does this affect how long I have access to the course?

No. Your access to a course is not affected by the price you paid for it.

Do free courses offer lifetime access?

Yes. Students also receive lifetime access to free courses, provided their account remains in good standing and Udemy continues to have a license to the course.

Will I have lifetime access to subscription content? 

You will have unlimited access to subscription content as long as you have an active subscription.  If you cancel your subscription, you will have access to the subscription content until the final date of your billing period, which is posted on your Subscriptions page.

What if I used an instructor coupon to purchase the course? Does lifetime access still apply?

Yes. Students receive lifetime access to a Udemy course regardless of what price they paid, or whether they used a coupon to enrol or not.

What happens if the instructor removes the course from Udemy?

We host thousands of courses on our online learning marketplace. Our marketplace model means we do not own the copyright to the content of the courses; the respective instructors own these rights. On rare occasions, instructors may remove their courses from our marketplace, or, Udemy may have to remove a course from the platform for policy or legal reasons. If this does happen to a course you're enrolled in, please contact us and we'll be ready to help.

Please note: occasionally instructors may decide to unpublish their course and close it to additional enrollments. For example, an instructor might unpublish an older course until they’ve had a chance to update the course content. In situations where an instructor unpublishes their course, however, the course content remains on the platform and is still accessible to students who are enrolled in the course.

Can my courses ever be removed from Udemy?

On rare occasions, Udemy may be required to remove a course from the platform due to policy or legal reasons. If this does happen to a course you're enrolled in, please contact us and we'll be ready to help.

One of the great things about learning on Udemy is that you can access your courses from several different devices and platforms, including a desktop, laptop, or our mobile app.

Course features by platform

The table below outlines which course features are available on which platform. For features listed as "No", it indicates that these items are not supported at the moment. 

* Feature is not available in free courses

** If enabled by the instructor of a paid course

Udemy’s mobile apps

Learn more about Udemy’s mobile apps.

Payment methods

Learn more about Udemy’s various payment methods.

Instructor features

You can access your Udemy courses from various devices and platforms, on both PC and Mac desktops / laptops, as well as Android and iOS mobile devices. Our system requirements for these follow below.