There are two distinct ways to learn at IDEO U — on-demand and cohort courses. Each has a different structure and schedule.
On-Demand
On-demand courses take between 2-10 hours to complete. They consist of a series of videos, activities, and small assignments. We provide 90 days of access from the date of purchase, so you may spread your learning over multiple weeks, or refer back to it multiple times during your 90-day access period.
Cohort
IDEO U’s 5-week cohort courses run on a set calendar, with fixed start and end dates. Course learning is self-paced within those dates and requires approximately 5 hours per week over 5 weeks. Courses consist of interactive videos, activities, assignments, access to course teaching teams, and feedback from a global community of learners.
While cohort courses are self-paced, we provide recommended due dates throughout the five-week experience to help keep you stay on track. All assignments are due by the final date of the course in order to receive an IDEO U Certificate of Completion. A good best practice is to start the course the day it opens and complete your lessons one week at a time.
Cohort courses also provide optional 1-hour video Community Conversations, held weekly by the teaching team. Hosted on Zoom, these calls are open to anyone in the course to join. They occur during set times, which are released during the first week of the course, and set to accommodate as many time zones as possible.
You can find syllabi for each of our cohort courses attached below: