Coursera offers hundreds of courses online for free, many of which are taught by professors from prestigious universities around the world. The topics covered are seemingly endless, making it easy for nearly anyone to learn something new. Whether you’re bored and want to take an interesting class or are looking to pick up a new skill to advance your career, Coursera has a free course for you.
Here are 30 of the best free online courses on Coursera that you can take at your convenience.
Computer Science and Programming
Computer Science: Programming with a Purpose
Taught by Princeton University professors, this course is essentially an introduction to programming. The course starts with fundamental programming elements, including variables, conditionals, loops, arrays, and I/O. From there, it moves onto functions and introduces concepts such as recursion, modular programming, and code reuse. Then it presents a “modern introduction to object-oriented programming.” The course uses Java programming language, but it focuses on fundamental, general programming concepts, not Java alone.
- College credits: NO
- Price: FREE to audit — There is no course certificate upon completion
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 88 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: Princeton University
The professors also teach a follow-up course titled: Computer Science: Algorithms, Theory, and Machines, which you can also audit for free.
Machine Learning
Taught by a Stanford University instructor, this course will teach you effective machine learning techniques and give you practice implementing them. In addition to teaching the theories behind machine learning techniques, this course will prepare you to effectively apply the techniques you learn. By the end of the course, you will have a solid understanding of some of Silicon Valley’s best practices and be able to use learning algorithms to build smart robots, among other things.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 60 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), English, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: Stanford University
Algorithms, Part I
Taught by Princeton University professors, this course will give you an introduction to algorithms and data structures. Throughout the course, you can expect to learn about elementary data structures, sorting, and searching algorithms. The course also uses Java programming, so you can expect to improve your Java skill set.
- College credits: NO
- Price: FREE to audit — There is no course certificate upon completion
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 54 hours
- Difficulty level: Intermediate
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Korean, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: Princeton University
The professors also teach a follow-up course titled: Algorithms, Part II, which you can also audit for free.
Internet History, Technology, and Security
Taught by a University of Michigan professor, this course dives into the history of the internet. You can expect to learn how the internet was created, who created it, and how it works. According to the course description, “you will realize that the internet and web are spaces for innovation and you will get a better understanding of how you might fit into that innovation.”
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 15 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: The University of Michigan
Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies
Taught by a Princeton University professor, this course dives into Bitcoin so that you have a better all-around understanding of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. It breaks down Bitcoin works on a technical level and provides answers to questions that you may have surrounding what makes Bitcoin different, how secure Bitcoins are, the anonymity of Bitcoin owners, what determines the price of Bitcoins, and what the future of cryptocurrencies looks like. In addition to developing a fundamental understanding of the cryptocurrency, the course description states, “you’ll have the conceptual foundations you need to engineer secure software that interacts with the Bitcoin network. And you’ll be able to integrate ideas from Bitcoin in your own projects.”
- College credits: NO
- Price: FREE to audit — There is no course certificate upon completion
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 23 hours
- Difficulty level: Intermediate
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: Princeton University
Cryptography I
Taught by a Stanford University professor, this course is an introduction to Cryptography. It dives into the inner workings of cryptographic systems and teaches you how to correctly use them in real-world applications. Throughout the course, you’ll develop an understanding of cryptographic history, technologies, techniques and more.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 23 hours
- Difficulty level: Intermediate
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: Stanford University
The professor also teaches a follow-up course titled: Cryptography II, which you can also audit for free.
Personal Development
The Science of Well-Being
Taught by a Yale University professor, this course is designed to help you improve your own happiness and increase your productivity. The professor dives into misconceptions about happiness, why our mind tricks us into thinking the way we do, and ways to help us change. The course will help you incorporate wellness into your life.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 19 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Persian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese
- University: Yale University
Learning How to Learn: Powerful Mental Tools to Help you Master Tough Subjects
Taught by professors from McMaster University and the University of California San Diego, this course teaches you powerful learning techniques used by expert artists, musicians, writers, mathematicians, scientists, athletes, and others so that you can master tough subjects. The course dives into the “illusions of learning” and offers memory techniques and tips on dealing with procrastination, among other things.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 15 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish with subtitles in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Simplified), Dutch, English, Estonian, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese (European), Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese
- University: McMaster University and UC San Diego
Business
Financial Markets
Taught by a Yale University professor, this course provides an “overview of the ideas, methods, and institutions that permit human society to manage risks and foster enterprise.” You’ll receive an introduction to risk management and behavioral finance principles so that you can better understand the operations of securities, insurance, and banking industries.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 32 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Korean, Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: Yale University
Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills
Taught by a University of Michigan professor, this course will teach you the art of negotiation. You’ll learn how to prepare an effective negotiation strategy, the tactics for successful negotiation, how to create a contract, and how to evaluate your negotiation after it is completed. While this course will undoubtedly help you win arguments at home or with your friends, it is mostly meant to help you in your business endeavors.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 17 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese
- University: The University of Michigan
Private Equity and Venture Capital
Taught by a professor from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, this course dives into the fundamental concepts in private equity and venture capital. The course dives into subjects such as legal issues and taxation, management of funds, and deal-making. While you don’t need to have prior knowledge of private equity and venture capital, you should have an understanding of corporate financing accounting principles to take this course.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 10 hours
- Difficulty level: Intermediate
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: Università Bocconi
The Strategy of Content Marketing
Taught by an instructor from the University of California Davis, this course dives into the strategies that content marketers use to attract and retain customers. Throughout the course, you will learn how to develop and implement content marketing strategies. You’ll leave the course with the ability to analyze and measure the effectiveness of content marketing, write great copy, and build your own personal brand.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 19 hours
- Difficulty level: Intermediate
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Serbian, Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, and Spanish
- University: UC Davis
Arts and Humanities
Introduction to Philosophy
Taught by professors from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, this course is meant to introduce you to some of the primary areas of research in contemporary philosophy. The course starts with a brief overview of what philosophy is. After the introduction, you’ll receive an overview of a few different areas of philosophy, including epistemology, philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, political philosophy, moral philosophy, and metaphysics.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 19 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, Dutch, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, Turkish, and Vietnamese
- University: The University of Edinburgh
Feminism and Social Justice
Taught by a professor from the University of California Santa Cruz, this course explores the definition of feminism by diving into three specific events in American history, the Empire Zinc strike of 1951, the 1971-1972 trial of Angela Davis, and the #MeToo movement.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 8 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: UC Santa Cruz
In the Studio: Postwar Abstract Painting
Taught by an instructor from the Museum of Modern Art, this course explores some of the 20th century’s most celebrated artists, including Willem de Kooning, Yayoi Kusama, Agnes Martin, Barnett Newman, Jackson Pollock, Ad Reinhardt, and Mark Rothko. You’ll learn about the artists’ materials, techniques, and approaches and develop a fundamental understanding of the era and how it influenced their art. The course also provides optional studio sessions for inspired students to work on their own abstract paintings.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 27 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: The Museum of Modern Art
Write Your First Novel
Taught by a Michigan State University instructor, this course is for anyone who wants to write a novel. Essentially, this course will walk you through the process of writing a novel and keep you motivated every step of the way. You will learn how to write a novel, and you will leave the class with a full-length novel of at least 50,000 words.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 127 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: Michigan State University
Fundamentals of Music Theory
Taught by instructors from the University of Edinburgh, this course will introduce you to music theory and provide you with what you need to know to read, write, interpret, and analyze Western music. You’ll learn all about pitches and scales, intervals, clefs, rhythm, form, meter, phrases and cadences, and basic harmony.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 7 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, Catalan, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: The University of Edinburgh
Greek and Roman Mythology
Taught by a University of Pennsylvania professor, this course dives into Greek and Roman mythology as a way of exploring the role of myths and how they impact individuals, societies, and nations. The course seeks to answer a number of fundamental questions about mythology by investigating topics such as the creation of the universe, the relationship between gods and mortals, human nature, religion, the family, sex, love, madness, and death.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 25 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Romanian, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: The University of Pennsylvania
Introduction to Ancient Egypt and Its Civilization
Taught by a University of Pennsylvania professor, this course explores the “mysteries and wonders” of Ancient Egypt. The course is set in the Penn Museum, where the instructor pulls out many original Egyptian artifacts to accompany his lectures and help students discover and better understand Ancient Egyptian culture.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 8 hours
- Difficulty level: Intermediate
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: The University of Pennsylvania
Health
Stanford Introduction to Food and Health
Taught by a Stanford University instructor, this course is a dive into food and health. Throughout the course, you’ll be given all the information you need to make informed decisions about which foods support your health and which damage it. You’ll be given all of the information and skills that you need to enhance the way you eat.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 7 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Persian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese
- University: Stanford University
Positive Psychiatry and Mental Health
Taught by an instructor at the University of Sydney, this course explores the aspects of good mental health and gives an overview of mental disorders, including their causes, treatments, and how to seek help. The course features lectures from many mental health experts and survivors. After taking the course, you’ll walk away with an understanding of what you need to do to improve your own mental health.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 20 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: The University of Sydney
Understanding Medical Research: Your Facebook Friend is Wrong
Don’t fall for fake medical news. Taught by a Yale professor, this course will teach you how to effectively interpret medical studies and “determine for yourself the difference between good and bad science.” The course dives into topics such as study design, research methods, and statistical interpretation. Additionally, it covers the “dark side of medical research,” including fraud, biases, and common misinterpretations of data.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 17 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: Yale University
Science And Engineering
Chemistry
Taught by instructors from the University of Kentucky, this course covers subjects that you would expect to see in an advanced high school chemistry course. It covers topics such as atomic structure, periodic trends, compounds, reactions and stoichiometry, bonding, and thermochemistry.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 22 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: The University of Kentucky
The professors also teach a follow-up course called Advanced Chemistry, which you can also audit for free.
Wind Energy
Taught by a group of professors and lecturers from the Technical University of Denmark, this course is an introduction to the engineering behind wind energy technology. It answers fundamental questions such as, “how tall is a modern wind turbine and how can it possibly generate power from the wind?” You’ll walk away from it with a fundamental understanding of wind energy engineering and, through hands-on projects, have a grasp on how to perform wind energy calculations.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 36 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: The Technical University of Denmark
Astronomy: Exploring Time and Space
Taught by a University of Arizona professor, this course will give you an overview of modern astronomy. You’ll learn about the most recent astronomical discoveries. Additionally, the instructor provides introductory information for those who have no background in science.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 43 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: The University of Arizona
Understanding Research Methods
Taught by instructors from the University of London, this course explains the fundamentals of conducting research. The course is perfect for any postgraduate student or professional who needs an understanding of research approaches and skills. However, the course is for everyone. No prior research experience or knowledge is needed.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 6 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, Catalan, English, French, German, Italian, Javanese, Persian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu, Uzbek, Vietnamese
- University: The University of London
Social Sciences
An Introduction to American Law
Taught by University of Pennsylvania professors, this course dives into six different areas of American law, including Tort Law, Contract Law, Property, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and Civil Procedure. According to the course description, you will “gain insight into the complexities and dilemmas that arise from the application of law in different settings, and what is distinctive about American approaches.”
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 12 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: The University of Pennsylvania
Moral Foundations of Politics
Taught by a Yale University professor, this course explores the Western answers to the question, “When do governments deserve our allegiance, and when should they be denied it?” It dives into the political theories of the Enlightenment, including Marxism, Utilitarianism, and the social contract tradition. From there, it addresses anti-Enlightenment theories, and the last part of the course goes over democratic politics and their relationship to Enlightenment and anti-Enlightenment thinking.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 45 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Romanian, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: Yale University
Mathematics
Introduction to Mathematical Thinking
Taught by a Stanford University instructor, this course will teach you to “think the way mathematicians do.” According to the course description, “mathematical thinking is not the same as doing mathematics.” This course will teach you to think about mathematics from a problem-solving, out-of-the-box perspective.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 39 hours
- Difficulty level: Beginner
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: Stanford University
Introduction to Calculus
Taught by a professor from the University of Sydney, this course is essentially high school calculus condensed into five weeks. You’ll become fluent with the methodologies behind functions, tangents, limits, and more calculus staples. Throughout the course, the instructor attempts to find a balance between theory and application.
- College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
- Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
- Pace: Self-paced
- Time needed for completion: 59 hours
- Difficulty level: Intermediate
- Languages: English with subtitles in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese
- University: The University of Sydney
Conclusion
All of the courses in this article will enable you to learn from some of the world’s most renowned professors. And the best parts are, the courses are completely free and allow you to learn completely at your own pace. No matter where you are in your education or your career, these courses will benefit you. All you need to do is enroll.
For more online courses, check TUN’s list of curated classes, or use the online classes search engine to find the best online courses in any subject.
