We don’t all have the grades to make it into Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but anyone with just basic course materials – a laptop, an internet connection, and a desire to learn can take classes taught by Massachusetts Institute of Technology professors and MIT faculty. There are dozens of MIT courses available online through online education provider edX — and they can all be audited for free. Students who take these Massachusetts Institute of Technology courses don’t receive college credit, but you can pay to receive a course completion certificate that you can list on your resume and on job applications. With MITx, anyone can gain a top-quality education, all from the comfort of their own home.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Here are 20 of the best free online courses taught by Massachusetts Institute of Technology professors and MIT faculty that are available through edX. 

MIT Free Online Courses on Business and Finance

Here is a list of Massachusetts Institute of Technology courses on Business and Finance.

Entrepreneurship 101: Who is your customer?

Designed for scientists, engineers, and product designers who are developing a business around a new product, this Massachusetts Institute of Technology course is all about the process of building a real business out of a kernel of an idea. The first in a series of entrepreneurship courses, this course teaches a methodology of creative entrepreneurship through a series of case studies of real Massachusetts Institute of Technology startup companies in a broad variety of industries. Covers customer research, market analysis, market segmentation, and customer profiling.

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $49
• Pace: Self-paced
• Time Commitment: 2-4 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 10 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Introductory
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

Financial Accounting

Part of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s MicroMasters Program in Finance, this course teaches fundamental accounting practices from a business perspective. Students are taught to read, analyze, and produce financial statements, and to use these statements to gather inputs to valuation models and for corporate financial decision making. Designed for undergraduate and graduate students interested in entering business or finance as general managers, financial analysts, financial advisors, quantitative researchers, asset managers, risk managers, and similar positions.

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $450
• Pace: Instructor-paced
• Time Commitment: 10-14 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 12 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Advanced
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

Foundations of Modern Finance 1

“Foundations of Modern Finance 1” is the first of a two-part course in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology MicroMasters Program in Finance. (“Foundations of Modern Finance 2” is the accompanying course.) The course provides a mathematically rigorous and comprehensive introduction to fundamentals of modern finance through which students learn about valuation, investments, and corporate financial decision-making. This is an advanced course, and students should have a background in probability, statistics, and calculus.

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $450
• Pace: Instructor-paced
• Time Commitment: 10-14 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 12 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Advanced
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

Supply Chain Design

This is an advanced-level course offered as part of the MITx MicroMasters Credential in Supply Chain Management. It covers all aspects involved in supply chain design, with four sections on the following topic areas: physical flow design, supply chain finance, information flow design, and organization/process design. This course is designed for students pursuing careers in supply chain management as a supply chain analyst, operations manager, or logistics coordinator.

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $299
• Pace: Instructor-paced
• Time Commitment: 8-12 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 13 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Advanced
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

Shaping Work of the Future

This Massachusetts Institute of Technology course focuses on trends in the modern working world, with the goal of understanding how globalization and the advent of new technologies will shape the future of work. Students learn about the history of work and employment policy in the United States around the world, the status of the current labor market, the role of business and public policy in shaping the labor market, and more. Through this course, students are taught a framework for understanding workplace trends and culture and be better prepared to navigate the workplaces of the future.

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $49
• Pace: Self-paced
• Time Commitment: 4-5 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 8 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Introductory
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

Just Money: Banking as if Society Mattered

How can banks use their position in the economy to generate positive change? This Massachusetts Institute of Technology course examines the role of so-called “just banks” — banks that leverage their role as intermediaries  between borrowers and lenders to promote positive social, environmental, and economic change. Taught by professionals and academics who have experience working in “just banks” all over the world, this course serves as an introduction to the banking system as a whole and to a new way of thinking about the role of finance in our economy. This is an introductory course that does not require students to have a background in finance or economics.

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $49
• Pace: Self-paced
• Time Commitment: 3-4 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 16 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Introductory
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

MIT Free Online Courses on STEM

Here is a list of Massachusetts Institute of Technology courses on STEM.

Introduction to Biology — The Secret of Life

Hosted by professor and MIT faculty member Eric Lander, one of the leaders on the Human Genome Project, this Massachusetts Institute of Technology course covers all topics taught in Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s introductory biology courses. The course begins by covering the function and structure of macromolecules such as DNA, RNA, and proteins. Students learn about how these macromolecules dictate heredity and communication between cells. They are also introduced to molecular biological techniques and their potential applications in the health and biological sciences.

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $150
• Pace: Instructor-paced
• Time Commitment: 5-10 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 16 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Introductory
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science

Data is the new oil, and so it is increasingly important (and lucrative) for computer scientists to have a strong foundation in data science. This intermediate-level computer science course provides an introduction to methods of using computation for real-world applications. Learn about advanced programming in Python 3, stochastic programming and statistical thinking, and Monte Carlo simulations.

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $75
• Pace: Instructor-paced
• Time Commitment: 14-16 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 9 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Intermediate
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

Global Warming Science

Learn about the phenomena driving global warming and the risks and uncertainties associated with climate change. In this Massachusetts Institute of Technology course, students learn about the Earth’s climate history, the greenhouse effect, natural and unnatural causes of climate change, and future projections of climate change.

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $49
• Pace: Instructor-paced
• Time Commitment: 2-4 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 14 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Intermediate
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

Introduction to Aerospace Engineering

This Massachusetts Institute of Technology course is designed to teach introductory aerospace engineering at a level that is accessible to the general public. In it, students will learn the basic principles of rocket science, orbital mechanics, and other concepts critical to aerospace engineering. Students will learn about environmental control and life support, the physical effects of weightlessness, and the fundamentals of spacewalking.

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $49
• Pace: Self-paced
• Time Commitment: 3-4 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 8 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Introductory
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

General Chemistry I: Atoms, Molecules, and Bonding

This Massachusetts Institute of Technology course is the first in a series of two Massachusetts Institute of Technology courses that cover first-year university-level chemistry. Here, students will learn about the fundamental principles of chemistry through the history of its study, beginning with the first experiments that revealed the dual wave-particle nature of energy and matter. Students will learn about the electronic structure of atoms, the combination of atoms into molecules through chemical bonding, the structure and geometry of molecules, molecular properties, and the interaction of different molecules.

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $149
• Pace: Instructor-paced
• Time Commitment: 10-12 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 15 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Intermediate
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

The Analytics Edge

Data analytics are rapidly changing the way that business, government, and industry operate and make decisions. This intermediate-level data analysis and statistics course looks at the use of data and analytics in a variety of industries, including social media, sports, health science, and internet streaming. Students learn about the following analytics methods: linear regression, logistic regression, trees, text analytics, clustering, visualization, and optimization. They will also be taught to use the statistical software and programming language R to build models and work with data.

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $199
• Pace: Instructor-paced
• Time Commitment: 10-15 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 13 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Intermediate
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python

Python is the most widely-used programming language. Relatively simple and easy to learn, it is popular in startups and in the fields of artificial intelligence, financial services, and data science. In this introductory computer science course, students are taught fundamentals of programming in Python and are introduced to a wide variety of foundational computer science concepts. The course is designed for students who may not have a programming background. However, it is academically and mathematically rigorous.

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $75
• Pace: Instructor-paced
• Time Commitment: 14-16 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 9 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Introductory
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

Introduction to Game Design

This Massachusetts Institute of Technology course serves as a practical introduction to game design. Students will learn about the basic tools and methodology of game design, from paper and digital prototyping to user testing. The course is designed for current and aspiring game designers who are interested in diving deeply into the game creation process. It is structured around a final course project in which students are tasked with creating a digital game or a board game. 

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $99
• Pace: Instructor-paced
• Time Commitment: 8-10 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 7 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Introductory
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

MIT Free Online Courses on Humanities, Social Sciences, and Language

Here is a list of Massachusetts Institute of Technology courses on Humanities, Social Sciences, and Language.

Introduction to Philosophy: God, Knowledge, and Consciousness

This philosophy course serves to introduce students to some of the core questions in the history of philosophy, including theories about the existence of God, the definition and origins of knowledge, the concept of consciousness, and more. The course aims to develop students’ critical thinking, reasoning, and argumentation skills. Students who opt to obtain a Verified Certificate (for a fee) for the course will have their work read and critiqued by a professional philosopher.

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $250
• Pace: Instructor-paced
• Time Commitment: 5-6 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 12 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Introductory
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

A Global History of Architecture

This Massachusetts Institute of Technology course seeks to understand and interpret human history through global architecture. The course tracks the development of various architectural styles and techniques across the world, from the First Societies through the 16th century. Students will analyze architectural developments in relation to the dynamics of culture, religion, technology, and politics. This is an introductory course with no prerequisites and is accessible to students with no background in architecture or history.

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $149
• Pace: Instructor-paced
• Time Commitment: 5-7 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 13 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Introductory
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

Disease, Climate Shocks, and Wellbeing: A Long History of Social Response to Crisis

How do societies respond to crises? In this Massachusetts Institute of Technology course, students learn about three main types of crises that human societies have contended with throughout history: epidemic disease, environmental crises (including depletion of resources and climate shocks), and interpersonal and intergroup conflict. Through this study, students learn about the benefits and challenges of social existence and develop a framework for understanding human history and addressing societal challenges.

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $29
• Pace: Self-paced
• Time Commitment: 4-5 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 4 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Introductory
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

Chinese Language in Culture

This Massachusetts Institute of Technology course serves as an introduction to Mandarin Chinese, the official language of mainland China and Taiwan and one of the official languages of Singapore. Designed for students with no familiarity with the language, students learn the basics of Mandarin, including pronunciation, Pinyin romanization, basic reading and writing skills, and basic conversation. Students will also learn about Chinese culture and cultural norms, such that they can start on a course toward cultural competence and language proficiency for successful participation in Mandarin-speaking societies.

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $98
• Pace: Instructor-paced
• Time Commitment: 5-6 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 7 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Introductory
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

Visualizing Japan (1850s-1930s): Westernization, Protest, Modernity

A collaboration between MITx and HarvardX and taught by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard, and Duke experts, this Massachusetts Institute of Technology course covers a pivotal time in Japan’s history. During the late 19th century and early 20th century, Japan transitioned from an isolated kingdom to an international presence, beginning with Commodore Perry’s expedition to Japan, which forced the Japanese kingdom to open its doors to trade with the United States and the western world, and ending during the Interwar period and the beginnings of World War II. The course covers the rapid westernization and modernization of Japan during the Imperial period and addresses the social dynamics and contentious domestic politics of the time.

• College Credits: NO — Course Certificate Only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $49
• Pace: Self-paced
• Time Commitment: 3-5 hours per week
• Time Needed for Completion: Estimated 6 weeks
• Difficulty Level: Introductory
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX

World Music: Balinese Rhythms

Balinese gamelan music is one of the world’s most unique and storied musical traditions. In this interactive course, students will learn the fundamental rhythms and techniques of Balinese gamelan by watching Balinese performances and by playing the “Jamelan” game, an online rhythm recognition game. Through the coursework and practices, students will learn about the cultural context of gamelan music and develop their ear for gamelan rhythms.

• College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit — Add a Verified Certificate for $49
• Pace: Self-paced
• Time commitment: 6-7 hours per week
• Time needed for completion: 10 weeks
• Difficulty level: Introductory
• Language: English
• Vendor: edX 

Looking For More Free Online Courses?

Check out TUN’s online classes search engine!

If you enjoyed this list of free online MIT courses by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and MIT faculty, check TUN’s list of curated classes, or use the online classes search engine to find the best free online courses in any subject.