Frequently Asked Questions
About the New Great Courses Experience
What happened to The Great Courses? Has the company been sold?
The Great Courses is still here and has not been sold. We're simply combining The Great Courses and The Great Courses Plus into one improved platform to make your learning experience simpler and more convenient.
Is this change permanent?
Yes. We’re fully transitioning to a unified site and app experience to simplify access and improve functionality across devices.
How do I contact you once The Great Courses website is merged with Plus? Will customer service change?
You can continue to reach our friendly customer support team as you always have—by phone, email, or app chat. There are no changes to our service or commitment to helping you. You can find our contact info and hours of operation here Contact Us
What is The Great Courses Plus?
The Great Courses Plus is our streaming platform, originally created to offer subscription access to our courses. Now, it’s becoming the new home for all learning with The Great Courses—whether you buy courses individually or subscribe for unlimited access.
I don’t want to subscribe to The Great Courses Plus—I already bought courses. Why and how would I use the new site?
The new website brings together all learning experiences in one place. Even if you don’t subscribe, you can still log in with your Great Courses account to stream your purchased courses, explore new ones, and enjoy free lectures—all without a subscription.
Why can’t I keep using The Great Courses site?
We understand that change can be disruptive, but this update is designed to make things better. By consolidating into one platform, we’re able to offer you a simpler checkout, an improved app experience, and fewer logins to remember—all while keeping the same great content and instructors.
Will there still be new Great Courses released in the future?
Absolutely! We’re continuing to develop and release new courses every month, featuring the same trusted professors and rigorous educational content.
Are there any changes to your website or social media accounts?
Yes—our primary website is now TheGreatCoursesPlus.com. There are no changes to our branding and social media handles.
My Account
Do I have to create a new account or change my email or password on the new website?
No. Just use your existing Great Courses email and password to log in at TheGreatCoursesPlus.com. There's no need to create a new account. You also have the option to update your email and password in your account settings at any time.
What if I already have a Great Courses Plus account?
Great! If you already have a Plus account, here’s what to expect:
If your Great Courses and Plus accounts share the same email address:
Just sign in using either your Great Courses or Plus password at TheGreatCoursesPlus.com.
We’ll automatically link your accounts for you on your first login—no additional action needed!
If your Plus and Great Courses accounts use different email addresses:
No problem. Simply sign into your Plus account, click on your user name in the upper right corner, select “My Account,” and scroll down to the “Link Account” option to connect your Great Courses account manually.
How will this change impact my account or membership?
Your account will work across a single, unified platform. You can continue purchasing courses or choose to subscribe, all in one place—no disruption to your membership or content access.
What happened to my account?
It’s still here! If you previously used TheGreatCourses.com, your account and purchases have transitioned to TheGreatCoursesPlus.com. Just log in with your Great Courses email and password to get started.
How do I update my account information?
Simply log in to TheGreatCoursesPlus.com, click on your user name in the upper right corner, and visit “My Account” to update your email, password, or personal information.
Will I still be able to access my order history?
Yes. Your full order history will remain available in your account. Just click on your user name in the upper right corner, select “My Account" and scroll down to "Order History".
Will my Wishlist move to The Great Courses Plus?
No, your Wishlist from The Great Courses website will not carry over. However, The Great Courses Plus offers a Watchlist feature that you can use to curate a new list of courses you're interested in. Simply visit any course page and click the "+ Watchlist" button to add it to your Watchlist.
Will I need to enter and save my credit card again on the new website?
Some valid payment methods have been securely carried over. However, for your protection, you may be asked to re-enter or re-authenticate your credit card during your next checkout on the new site.
How will this affect my current personal data and account information?
Your personal data and account information remain secure. All your existing purchases, login credentials, and basic account details carry over to TheGreatCoursesPlus.com.
Orders and Purchasing
Can I still buy individual courses without subscribing?
The new website brings together all learning experiences in one place. Even if you don’t subscribe, you can still log in with your Great Courses account to stream your purchased courses, explore new ones, and enjoy free lectures—all without a subscription.
Can I buy transcript books on The Great Courses Plus website?
Yes! We offer digital transcripts for many of our courses. If a transcript is available, you will have the option to add it during the final step of the new checkout process.
Where are the DVDs and Instant Audio formats?
As part of this transition, we’ve retired physical DVDs and Instant Audio formats. There is now a single option to purchase each course, which includes the ability to stream it in digital video format via our website or any of our apps. For those who prefer to just listen to the courses, audio-only streaming is available through the iOS and Android mobile apps.
Why can I only order one course at a time?
Our new checkout process has been streamlined for speed and simplicity—making it easier than ever to purchase a course with just a few clicks. You can complete as many purchases as you'd like, one at a time.
Will I receive email confirmations for my purchases?
Yes, just like before, you’ll receive an order confirmation email after each transaction.
Can I give a course to a friend or family member?
Individual course gifting is no longer available. However, we offer gift subscriptions to The Great Courses Plus—an ideal gift that provides unlimited access to our full course library. Choose from various durations to fit your needs. Just click your user name in the upper right corner, and select “Gift Memberships" to get started.
My gift recipient didn’t receive the course I ordered. Can it be resent?
If you purchased a gift from TheGreatCourses.com and the gift wasn’t received, please reach out to our customer support team. We’ll be happy to resend the gift confirmation and ensure access. Contact Us
What if I have issues with an order I placed through The Great Courses?
Don’t worry—we’re here to help. Whether your order was placed through the old site or the new one, our customer service team can assist with questions or issues. Contact Us
Streaming Your Courses
Can I still stream my purchased courses from the website?
Yes! All previously purchased courses are available to stream by simply signing in with your existing Great Courses account, clicking on your user name in the upper right corner, and selecting “My Purchases".
What devices can I use to stream my courses?
You can stream your courses via a web browser, iOS or Android device, or through our apps on Roku, FireTV, and AppleTV. Visit our apps page. For the best web experience, we recommend using the latest version of Firefox, Edge, Safari, or Chrome.
Will the The Great Courses apps still work?
No. The Great Courses apps are being retired and will be removed from app stores. Please download and use The Great Courses Plus app instead for the best experience. It’s available for iOS, Android, Roku, FireTV, and AppleTV. Just search for "The Great Courses Plus" in the app store or visit our apps page to learn more. You can log in with your existing Great Courses account to continue learning right away.
I’ve watched courses on TheGreatCourses.com. Will I lose my lecture progress or any content during this transition?
No. Your previously purchased courses and lecture progress are safe and will carry over when you log in to TheGreatCoursesPlus.com with your existing account.
Will I lose all the annotations I made in the guidebook PDF?
No. If you saved your annotated guidebooks, those notes remain intact. The move to the new platform will not affect your annotations!
Is the internet speed requirement for streaming on The Great Courses Plus different from The Great Courses?
No major changes! The streaming requirements are similar. For the best experience, we recommend a stable internet connection of at least 20 Mbps or better for an acceptable experience. For optimal performance, we recommend an internet connection speed of 40 Mpbs or higher.
Will new course purchases include the ability to download lectures?
As part of our effort to protect our content from piracy and streamline the experience, we are retiring the option to download individual lecture files with new purchases. However, you can still enjoy offline access through our mobile apps by downloading courses to stream without an internet connection.
What will happen to my previously purchased downloads? How do I access My Digital Library or my past courses?
Don’t worry—your previously purchased downloadable content is right here! Just sign into TheGreatCoursesPlus.com using your existing account. From there, click on your user name in the upper right corner, select “My Account" and scroll down to "My Downloads" to download files from the website (for purchases that included download rights).
I have downloads saved in The Great Courses app. How will I access them?
The Great Courses app will no longer be supported after launch. If you’ve downloaded courses there, they can't be transferred to the new app. We recommend installing The Great Courses Plus app (available on iOS and Android) where you can stream or re-download your courses using your existing account.
