Learn Something New During Your Coronavirus Break

As COVID-19 spreads throughout the United States, college students around the country are being asked to return home. Over 100 colleges have already announced that they are cancelling in-person classes, and many have even closed residence halls in an attempt to contain the virus.

That leaves plenty of students sitting at home with a lot more time on their hands. With no more frat parties to attend, what’s left to do?

If you’re stuck at home bored, why not take this opportunity to learn something new? Perhaps you’ve always wanted to learn to speak Korean, or maybe you finally want to learn the basics of computer programming. Maybe you’d like to sharpen your photography skills.

Whatever subject you are interested in learning about, there is almost certainly an online course to help you get started. Websites like Coursera and edX make it possible to take online courses in almost any subject, taught by leading professors at top universities, without having to risk getting infected.

Here are some of The University Network’s favorite online courses to take while your university is closed.

Online Courses on Korean

First Step Korean 

Offered by Yonsei University, one of the top colleges in South Korea, this course is designed for absolute beginners. This course consists of 5 lessons, covering skills like reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Through different types of quizzes and role-plays, this course will prepare you for everyday conversations in Korean. 

• College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarships: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 12 hours (5 weeks with 1-3 hours per week suggested)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English, French, Chinese (Simplified), Portuguese, Vietnamese, Russian, and Spanish 
• Vendor: Coursera

Note: Prices for all courses listed in this article are true on the date of publishing, but are subject to change.

Learn to Speak Korean 1

Also offered by Yonsei University, this course is designed for beginners, though previous familiarity with Hangul, the Korean alphabet, is preferred. Consisting of 6 lessons, this course covers vocabulary, grammar, and conversational expressions through video clips, quizzes, and a workbook. Other than the recorded materials, lecture notes, workbooks and vocab lists, which come with English, Chinese, and Japanese translations, are also provided. 

• College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarships: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 14 hours (6 weeks with 2-4 hours per week suggested)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English, Chinese (Simplified), Vietnamese, Russian, Spanish, Hindi, and Japanese 
• Vendor: Coursera

Online Courses on Computer Programming

Programming Foundations with JavaScript, HTML and CSS

This course by Duke University teaches fundamental programming and web development concepts via JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. The course begins by covering principal concepts such as functions, for loops, and conditional statements. You’ll then quickly move into using HTML and CSS to build basic web pages before beginning to work with JavaScript to create interactive web pages. By the end of the course, you will have built an interactive web page where users can upload images and apply filters to them. Because this course is based around JavaScript, which is often called the language of the web, this course is primarily recommended for aspiring web developers.

• College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarship: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 22 hours (3–7 hours per week suggested)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English
• Vendor: Coursera

CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science

CS50x is the online edition of Harvard University’s introductory computer science course, their largest class on campus. Students will work with four major programming languages: C, Python, SQL, and JavaScript plus CSS and HTML. But the course is much more than just a programming course. You will learn foundational computer science concepts such as abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development. If you’ve never programmed or taken a computer science course before, this is a great course for you. You’ll get a taste of a few main programming languages and learn not only how to program, but how programming works.

• College credits: NO — Verified Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a $90 fee to earn and buy a Verified Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarships: NO
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: 10 weeks (10–20 hours per week)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English
• Vendor: edX

Web Design for Everybody (Basics of Web Development and Coding) Specialization

If you’re interested in web development, this Coursera Specialization covers all you need to know to work in the field. The Specialization consists of five courses covering HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Designed for people with no background in computer science, it teaches these languages step by step. You will start out by learning how programming works and steadily begin to code, starting with HTML. Once you cover the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you will begin to work with some advanced web design concepts, such as responsive web design, which allows web pages to render well on a variety of devices and screens. The Specialization concludes with a capstone project, in which students design and develop a professional-quality web portfolio that functions on at least three platforms.

Course 1: Introduction to HTML5

Course 2: Introduction to CSS3 

Course 3: Interactivity with JavaScript 

Course 4: Advanced Styling with Responsive Design

Course 5: Web Design for Everybody Capstone

• College credits: NO — Specialization Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Specialization Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarship: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: 3 months (7 hours per week suggested)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English and Hindi
• Vendor: Coursera

Online Courses on Web Design

Web Design: Strategy and Information Architecture

When web designers begin a project, they first have to develop a strategy based on the needs of their client and the site’s users. This phase requires research, developing a strategy, setting a timetable, structuring content, and general planning. “Web Design: Strategy and Information Architecture” is designed to teach students an effective workflow for this stage of the web design process. The course, offered by CalArts via Coursera, is part of a multi-course specialization on user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design. UI/UX may include both web development and applications development. However, this course is primarily focused on designing responsive websites. You will learn about the typical workflow, best practices, and methodology of web design, and put your knowledge to the test in a project where you build a comprehensive plan for a website.

• College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarship: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 27 hours (2-5 hours/week for 4 weeks suggested)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English
• Vendor: Coursera

Responsive Web Design

This course covers both front-end web development and pure design concepts. It starts out covering some concepts in web design theory. You’ll learn the principles of user experience and strategies for building navigable and functional websites. As you move on, you will put theory into practice and learn how to build designs using code and Bootstrap. You’ll learn to incorporate interactivity with JavaScript and learn how to add content to websites. The course also covers building basic web applications such as a photo gallery (or slider) and a search function.

• College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarship: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 17 hours (5 hours per week suggested)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English
• Vendor: Coursera

Web Design for Everybody (Basics of Web Development and Coding) Specialization

If you have zero experience with web development, this Coursera Web Design Specialization will bring you up to speed on the major concepts and technologies in front-end web development and design. The course is composed of five courses covering HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and responsive design using Bootstrap, in that order. Designed for people with no background in computer science, it teaches these languages step by step. You will start out by learning how programming works and steadily begin to code, starting with HTML. Once you cover the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you will begin to work with some advanced web design concepts, such as responsive web design, which allows web pages to render well on a variety of devices and screens. The Specialization concludes with a capstone project, in which students design and develop a professional-quality web portfolio that functions on at least three platforms.

The 5 Courses:

Course 1: Introduction to HTML5

Course 2: Introduction to CSS3 

Course 3: Interactivity with JavaScript 

Course 4: Advanced Styling with Responsive Design

Course 5: Web Design for Everybody Capstone

• College credits: NO — Specialization Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Specialization Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarship: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 3 months (7 hours per week suggested)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English and Hindi
• Vendor: Coursera

Online Courses on Algorithms

Algorithms, Part I

This is the first of a two-part course by Princeton University on algorithms and data structures, with a focus on programming and problem-solving, with real-world examples and applications. Algorithms, Part I covers data types, sorting, and searching. First, you will learn about a variety of data types including stacks, queues, bags, union-finds, and priority queues. You will subsequently move on to common sorting algorithms such as quicksort, mergesort, heapsort, and radix sorts. Finally, it covers search methods such as binary search trees, red-black binary search trees, and hash tables. You’ll also learn some basic algorithm analysis and learn how to measure the running time of programs and use mathematical models to explain their behavior. On its own, Algorithms, Part I serves as a strong introduction to algorithms and data structures. If you’re interested in diving into more complex algorithms and data structures, consider moving onto the second module Algorithms, Part II.

• College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarship: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 33 hours (6 weeks, 6-10 hours per week suggested)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English, Korean, and Russian
• Vendor: Coursera

Algorithm Design and Analysis

This course, offered by the University of Pennsylvania via edX, is a four-week program that covers algorithms from scratch. Before taking the course, you should have a familiarity with Java, basic probability, and discrete mathematics. The course begins by covering relevant mathematical concepts as well as asymptotic analysis, recurrence relations, sorting and searching, and heaps and binary search trees. From there, you will study a few of the most common algorithm design paradigms, such as divide and conquer algorithms, dynamic programming, and greedy algorithms. You will then move on to graph algorithms, before ending with lessons on NP-completeness and approximation algorithms.

• College credits: NO — Verified Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a $149 fee to earn and buy a Verified Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarships: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: 4 weeks (6-8 hours per week)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English
• Vendor: edX

Algorithms Specialization

This specialization, offered by Stanford University via Coursera, is a comprehensive introduction to algorithms for students with basic programming experience. It consists of four separate courses and primarily approaches algorithms from a big picture and theoretical perspective. The program begins by covering commonly-used algorithms, including divide and conquer, sorting and searching, and randomized algorithms. As you move through each course, you’ll work with increasingly complex algorithms, data structures, and concepts, concluding with shortest paths, NP-completeness, and strategies for dealing with problems that can’t be solved efficiently with an algorithm.

The 4 Courses:

Course 1: Divide and Conquer, Sorting and Searching, and Randomized Algorithms

Course 2: Graph Search, Shortest Paths, and Data Structures

Course 3: Greedy Algorithms, Minimum Spanning Trees, and Dynamic Programming

Course 4: Shortest Paths Revisited, NP-Complete Problems and What To Do About Them

• College credits: NO — Specialization Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Specialization Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarship: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 4 months (8 hours per week suggested)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English
• Vendor: Coursera

Online Courses on Data Science

Programming for Data Science

This course, designed and taught by instructors from the University of Adelaide and available via edX, is an introductory course, focused specifically on data science programming. The course works with Processing.js, a Javascript-based language used to write visualizations, images, and interactive content. You don’t need any experience with programming — you’ll learn Processing.js from scratch, including basic commands and concepts like sequencing, iteration, and selection. You’ll learn to create basic data visualization skills built from real-world datasets, which you will use to solve simple data science questions.

• College credits: NO — Verified Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a $199 fee to earn and buy a Verified Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarships: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: 10 weeks (8-10 hours per week)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English
• Vendor: edX

Data Science Specialization

Offered by Johns Hopkins University via Coursera, this specialization is a comprehensive introduction to data science principles and practice. The specialization is designed for beginners. A basic familiarity with Python and statistics (specifically with regression) is recommended, but not necessary. The course consists of 10 courses, beginning with an overview on the key concepts and tools used in data science. Quickly, you will start learning the R programming language and working with real data sets, and cleaning and visualizing data. As you move through the course, you’ll learn about statistical inference and various data analysis methods. You’ll also work with some introductory machine learning concepts. The specialization concludes with a capstone, in which students build their own data product using real-world data sets.

The 10 Courses:

Course 1: The Data Scientist’s Toolbox

Course 2: R Programming

Course 3: Getting and Cleaning Data

Course 4: Exploratory Data Analysis

Course 5: Reproducible Research

Course 6: Statistical Inference

Course 7: Regression Models

Course 8: Practical Machine Learning

Course 9: Developing Data Products

Course 10: Data Science Capstone

• College credits: NO — Specialization Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Specialization Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarship: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 8 months (6 hours per week suggested)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), French, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Spanish, Turkish, and Vietnamese
• Vendor: Coursera

IBM Data Science Professional Certificate

This professional certificate from IBM is a comprehensive data science and machine learning program designed for beginners. The certificate covers data science theory as well as the most important tools and practices in modern data science. Throughout the program, you will work with technologies like Python and SQL to analyze data sets and perform data visualizations using Matplotlib, Seaborn, and Folium. The program also includes a full course on machine learning — one of the fastest growing areas of data science — and other lessons on principles of artificial intelligence. This program is particularly notable for its strong mix of practical and theoretical lessons. In addition to various technical courses, it also includes big picture courses that address the history of data science and, critically, data science methodology.

The 9 Courses:

Course 1: What is Data Science?

Course 2: Open Source Tools for Data Science

Course 3: Data Science Methodology

Course 4: Python for Data Science and AI

Course 5: Databases and SQL for Data Science

Course 6: Data Analysis with Python

Course 7: Data Visualization with Python

Course 8: Machine Learning with Python

Course 9: Applied Data Science Capstone

• College credits: NO — Professional Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Professional Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarship: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 3 months (12 hours per week suggested)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English, Arabic, German, Korean, and Turkish
• Vendor: Coursera

Online Courses on JavaScript

Programming Foundations with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS

This course, offered by Duke University via Coursera, is designed to teach students not only JavaScript, but its sister languages HTML and CSS. These three languages are the foundations of all front-end development. When making a web page, HTML codes the text and images, CSS is used to stylize the HTML elements, and JavaScript makes the page dynamic and interactive. This course is oriented around learning each of these components from the ground up. By the end of the course, you will have a strong understanding of the foundations of web development. You will also be able to build an interactive web page where visitors can upload images and apply image filters.

• College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarship: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 22 hours 
• Languages: English with subtitles in English
• Vendor: Coursera

JavaScript Introduction

This course, produced by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and available via edX, is a very strong introduction to JavaScript as well as HTML and CSS. You will learn the fundamentals of JavaScript and practical tools for using it in real life. The course is also built around a series of projects, beginning with a HTML/CSS/JS web page and ending with a small application. You’ll learn how to incorporate JavaScript code into a website, build interactive websites using the DOM API, build basic graphics and animations, and more.

• College credits: NO — Verified Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a $199 fee to earn and buy a Verified Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarships: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: 5 weeks (6–8 hours per week)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English
• Vendor: edX

Online Courses on Java

Java Programming and Software Engineering Fundamentals Specialization

Offered by Duke University, this Java Programming and Software Engineering Fundamentals Specialization is a 5-course path structured to teach you the basics so that you can take your “first step towards a career in software development.” Specifically, you can expect to learn core programming concepts, how to write programs to solve complex problems, how to test and debug your programs, and much more. Upon completion of the specialization, you will earn a certificate which you can show to prospective employers!

The 5 Courses: 

Course 1: “Programming Foundations with JavaScript, HTML and CSS”

Course 2: “Java Programming: Solving Problems with Software” 

Course 3: “Java Programming: Arrays, Lists, and Structured Data” 

Course 4: “Java Programming: Principles of Software Design”

Course 5: “Java Programming: Build a Recommendation System”

• College credits: NO — Specialization Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Specialization Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarship: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 4 months (9 hours per week suggested) 
• Languages: English with subtitles in English and Korean
• Vendor: Coursera

Object Oriented Programming in Java Specialization

Offered by Duke University and the University of California San Diego, this 4-course specialization is designed for those who already have programming experience in at least one other language, such as Python, JavaScript, or something similar. Throughout this specialization, you can expect to learn how to design programs that can manage large amounts of data, how to program with graphical user interfaces, and you’ll gain experience with BlueJ and Eclipse, which are two common Java development environments. Additionally, once you complete this course, you’ll be eligible to receive a certificate that can increase your employment perspectives. 

The 4 Courses: 

Course 1: “Java Programming: Solving Problems with Software”

Course 2: “Java Programming: Arrays, Lists, and Structured Data” 

Course 3: “Object Oriented Programming in Java” 

Course 4: “Data Structures and Performance”

• College credits: NO — Specialization Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Specialization Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarship: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 4 months (8 hours per week suggested) 
• Languages: English with subtitles in English, Korean, German, and Chinese
• Vendor: Coursera

Online Courses on React Native

CS50’s Mobile App Development with React Native 

This course, available via edX, is a Harvard course taught by Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice of Computer Science David J. Malan and software engineer Jordan Hayashi. The course begins with lectures on basic JavaScript before quickly jumping into advanced JavaScript, React, and finally, React Native. The course also includes guest lectures by two of the co-authors of React Navigation (including a member of the React Native core team) as well as Charlie Cheever, the founder of Expo. There are also lessons on Redux and Async Redux. The course includes a number of hands-on projects, including a final project in which you’ll create an app entirely of your own design. Because the course starts with lessons on Javascript, it is excellent for beginners with little programming experience, though students should be comfortable with HTML and CSS.

• College credits: NO — Verified Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a $90 fee to earn and buy a Verified Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarships: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: 13 weeks (6–9 hours per week)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English
• Vendor: edX

Multiplatform Mobile App Development with React Native

This course, taught by Jogesh K. Muppala, an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, focuses on using React Native and Expo SDK to create cross-platform, native iOS and Android apps. It is one of the most comprehensive and well-designed courses available, designed to give students a functional and working knowledge of React Native UI and its features — such as icons, gestures, animations, and more. You’ll also learn to utilize the Expo toolchain to simplify the development and testing of your React Native apps. This is an intermediate course, designed for students who have a working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and Javascript and are already familiar with Bootstrap 4, React, and Redux. This course is part of a Full-Stack Web Development with React Specialization that covers Bootstrap 4 and React. Although you can take this React Native course on its own, it is recommended that you take Bootstrap 4 and React prior to taking it.

• College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarships: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 4 weeks (6-8 hours per week suggested)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English
• Vendor: Coursera
  

Online Courses on SQL

SQL for Data Science

“SQL for Data Science,” offered by UC Davis via Coursera, is a comprehensive introduction to SQL and database management for beginners. The course is designed for all students. You don’t need any experience in computer science or data science, just a desire to learn about SQL. The course begins covering basic syntax rules and concepts, before diving into building queries and working with strings and numbers. Finally, you’ll learn different methods for analyzing and modifying data using SQL.

• College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarship: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 4 weeks (3-5 hours per week suggested)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English
• Vendor: Coursera
  

Databases and SQL for Data Science

This is a beginner-level course that emphasizes a hands-on learning approach. From the very beginning of the course, students work with real datasets, practicing basic SQL code. The course consists of four modules, including a final project in which students are tasked with analyzing data from multiple real datasets for the city of Chicago. You will learn the basic SQL syntax as well as intermediate and advanced concepts like searching data with string patterns and ranges and working with multiple tables using join operations. You will also use Python to connect to databases and analyze data. Offered by IBM via Coursera, this course is part of two Coursera programs — the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate and the Introduction to Data Science Specialization.

• College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarship: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 4 weeks (2-4 hours per week suggested)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English, Korean, and Arabic
• Vendor: Coursera

Modern Big Data Analysis with SQL Specialization

This Coursera Specialization takes a modern and forward-thinking approach to data management, focusing on working with massive datasets stored in distributed clusters and cloud storage. To query these kinds of datasets, you need to work with a type of SQL engine called “distributed query engines.” This Specialization focuses on using two of these engines: Hive and Impala. It consists of three courses, beginning with a course on the big-picture data management concepts in which you’ll learn about the structures of different kinds of databases and about the unique demands of big datasets. Moving on, you’ll cover the basics of the SQL syntax in Hive and Impala and any differences with other common database management systems like MySQL and PostgreSQL. Finally, you’ll cover how to manage big datasets. You’ll learn to load them into clusters and cloud storage, organize the data, and run queries using SQL engines.

The 3 Courses:

Course 1: Foundations for Big Data Analysis with SQL

Course 2: Analyzing Big Data with SQL

Course 3: Managing Big Data in Clusters and Cloud Storage

• College credits: NO — Specialization Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Specialization Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarship: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 2 months (9 hours per week suggested)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English
• Vendor: Coursera

Online Courses on R

Data Science: R Basics

This course, designed by Harvard and available on edX, is focused on building a foundational knowledge of programming with R. You’ll learn the R syntax and basic R programming concepts such as data types, vectors, arithmetic, and indexing. You’ll also learn about data wrangling using dplyr, data visualization using ggplot2, and more. Throughout the course, you’ll work with a real-world crime data set, allowing you to put the lessons into practice. The course is the first part of a HarvardX professional certificate in data science that later covers more complicated topics, such as probability, inference, regression, and machine learning.

• College credits: NO — Verified Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a $49 fee to earn and buy a Verified Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarships: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: 8 weeks (1–2 hours per week)
• Languages: English with subtitles in English
• Vendor: edX

R Programming

This course, designed by Johns Hopkins University and available through Coursera, is designed for people who already have a familiarity with Python and understand the basic concepts of regression analysis. The course teaches R from scratch, beginning with lessons on installing R, the history of the programming language, and its fundamental concepts. By the end, you’ll be using R to simulate data and utilizing the profiler in R to optimize your programs. Though this course is an introduction to R, the assignments may be challenging for students new to programming and is recommended primarily for people with a background in computer science and prior programming experience.

• College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarship: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 21 hours 
• Languages: English with subtitles in English, Arabic, French, Chinese (Simplified), Portuguese (Brazilian), Vietnamese, Spanish, and Japanese
• Vendor: Coursera

Advanced R Programming

This course from Johns Hopkins University teaches advanced concepts of R programming, such as functional programming in R, robust error handling, object oriented programming, profiling and benchmarking, debugging, and proper design of functions. The course is challenging, but a worthwhile investment for anybody who has experience with R and would like to go deeper. There are no visual lectures and assignments are difficult, but self-motivated students looking for a challenge will find it worthwhile.

• College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarship: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 12 hours 
• Languages: English with subtitles in English and Chinese (Simplified)
• Vendor: Coursera

Online Courses on Climate Change

Global Warming I: The Science and Modeling of Climate Change 

Offered by the University of Chicago, this online course teaches on the basic science of climate change and how humans have impacted the Earth’s climate. Though designed for beginners, this course offers a very thorough, comprehensive coverage of the topic, incorporating insights from a diverse range of related subjects, such as physics, chemistry, biology, earth and atmospheric sciences, mathematics, and even economics.  

• College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarships: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 56 hours
• Languages: English with subtitles in English 
• Vendor: Coursera

Our Earth’s Future 

Offered by the American Museum of Natural History, this course offers expertise and insights from climate scientists in various fields of climatology, oceanography, earth science, and anthropology. Before the end of the course, even the very beginners will be able to explain the phenomenon of climate change and especially the often controversial topic of human-induced climate change with vast amounts of sound evidence. 

• College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate 
• Financial aid or scholarships: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 8 hours (1–3 hours per week suggested) 
• Languages: English with subtitles in English 
• Vendor: Coursera

Making Sense of Climate Science Denial 

Offered by the University of Queensland, Australia, this course helps you understand the basics of climate science to provide proof against those who deny human induced climate change. You will learn how to recognize not only the current impacts of climate change on our society, but also what kinds of social and psychological factors drive climate change denial and how to effectively debunk this misinformation.   

• College credits: NO — Verified Certificate only
• Price: FREE, but but there’s a $99 fee to earn and buy a Verified Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarships: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: 7 weeks (2–4 hours per week)
• Languages: English 
• Vendor: edX

Online Courses on Drawing

Drawing Nature, Science and Culture: Natural History Illustration 101 

Offered by The University of Newcastle in Australia, this course teaches how to draw nature. You will not only learn the principles of natural history illustration, such as sketch development and proportion, but will also be guided step-by-step by two instructors teaching at the university. You will learn how to observe both artistically and scientifically and replicate it on paper by hand. 

• College credits: NO — Verified Certificate only
• Price: FREE, but but there’s a $49 fee to earn and buy a Verified Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarships: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: 6 weeks (3–6 hours per week)
• Languages: English 
• Vendor: edX

Exploring Art Supplies

Taught by Mary Jane Begin, a published and award-winning author and illustrator for children’s books and a professor at the Rhode Island School of Design, this 7-course program teaches on how and when to use different types of art supplies. You will get familiar with drawing mediums like watercolor, acrylic, and oil paints, graphite pencils, patels, ink, and more. With much fuller understanding and control over different kinds of art materials, you will be able to bring much diverse range of texture, mood and feel to your artwork.

The 7 Courses:

Course 1: Getting Started with Acrylic Paints

Course 2: Getting Started with Charcoal & Chalks

Course 3: Getting Started with Colored and Graphite Pencils

Course 4: Getting Started with Oil Paints

Course 5: Getting Started with Pastels

Course 6: Getting Started with Pen, Ink & Markers

Course 7: Getting Started with Watercolor & Gouache Paints

• College credits: NO 
• Price: $99 for 7-course bundle ($203 if purchased separately), or $39 a month for the Creator Pass
• Financial aid or scholarships: NO
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 13 hours 
• Languages: English 
• Vendor: Creative Live

How to Draw

Taught by a professional painter and illustrator, this online program is made of 3 courses and teaches the very basic skills of drawing for absolute beginners. With this program, you will get into a habit of drawing everything around you. 

The 3 Courses:

Course 1: Drawing Basics

Course 2: Drawing the Everyday Every Day

Course 3: Color Techniques for Drawing

• College credits: NO 
• Price: $49 for 3-course bundle ($87 if purchased separately), or $39 a month for the Creator Pass
• Financial aid or scholarships: NO
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 6 hours 
• Languages: English 
• Vendor: Creative Live 

Online Courses on Graphic Design

Graphic Design Fundamentals: Getting Started

“Graphic Design Fundamentals: Getting Started” is an 18-part course taught by Timothy Samara, a professional graphic designer and university lecturer. In this class, Samara will walk you through all of the fundamentals of graphic design, including form and image, color theory, typography, and layout and composition. What makes this class unique is that Samara shows you his professional portfolio and explains the business side of graphic design. This class could be useful for those who wish to make graphic design their profession. 

• College credits: NO
• Price: $29 on sale ($49 regular price) 
• Financial aid or scholarships: NO
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Time needed for completion: 18 classes ranging from 1 minute, 42 seconds to 42 minutes, 46 seconds
• Languages: English
• Vendor: CreativeLive

Graphic Design 

Offered by the University of Colorado Boulder, this Graphic Design course is the second course included in the Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation Specialization. Upon completion, those who take this course will develop the skills to effectively create graphics that could be added to and improve the quality of presentations displayed on PowerPoint and other mediums. 

• College credits: NO — Course Certificate only
• Price: Free to enroll, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Course Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarships: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: 7 hours
• Languages: English with subtitles in English, Italian, and Arabic 
• Vendor: Coursera

Graphic Design Specialization 

Offered by the California Institute of the Arts, this Graphic Design Specialization is a 5-course path structured to teach you the foundational tools that you will need to grow as a graphic designer. Upon completion, you will understand how to “communicate through image-making and typography,” and you will learn “everything you need to know to work in interface design, motion graphics, and editorial design,” among other things. 

The 5 Courses: 

Course 1: “Fundamentals of Graphic Design”

Course 2: “Introduction to Typography”

Course 3: “Introduction to Imagemaking” 

Course 4: “Ideas From the History of Graphic Design”

Course 5: “Brand New Brand” — A capstone project 

• College credits: NO — Specialization Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Specialization Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarships: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 6 months (4 hours per week suggested)
• Languages: English with English subtitles
• Vendor: Coursera

Online Courses on Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop CC: The Complete Guide

Adobe Photoshop CC: The Complete Guide is a foundational course taught by Ben Willmore, a renowned Photoshop expert. While no prior knowledge of Photoshop is needed to take this course, even those with an advanced understanding of the platform will walk away from this course knowing something new. Specifically, those who take this course can expect to learn how to layer masks, blend modes, use filters to fix problems, adjust colors, and much more! 

• College credits: NO
• Price: $59 on sale ($99 regular price), or $39 a month for the Creator Pass
• Financial aid or scholarships: NO
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: 21 classes ranging from 21 minutes, 50 seconds to 1 hour, 40 minutes
• Languages: English
• Vendor: CreativeLive

Adobe Photoshop CC Bootcamp

Adobe Photoshop CC Bootcamp, taught by Blake Rudis, covers all you need to know to enhance your images using Photoshop. The course starts with rudimentary information, such as how to set up and use the elementary tools on the platform. But in the second half of the course, you’ll have the opportunity to “dig in deep” and learn about layers, selections, filters, masks, and more. 

• College credits: NO
• Price: $119 on sale ($199 regular price), or $39 a month for the Creator Pass
• Financial aid or scholarships: NO
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: 118 lessons ranging from 4 minutes, 1 seconds to 27 minutes, 56 seconds
• Languages: English
• Vendor: CreativeLive

Photoshop for Photographers: The Essentials

This course is perfect for aspiring photographers who want to learn how to edit and enhance their images through Photoshop, hence the name. Instructor Ben Willmore will teach you about optimizing images, sharpening, retouching, black and white conversion, directing the viewer’s eye, and more. 

• College credits: NO
• Price: $29 on sale ($49 regular price), or $39 a month for the Creator Pass
• Financial aid or scholarships: NO
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: 1 hour, 23 minutes 
• Languages: English
• Vendor: CreativeLive

Online Courses on Photography

Fundamentals of Photography 

One of the most popular courses on Creative Live with more than 87,000 students having taken it, this course will help you lay a strong foundation for your photography practice. Before the end of the course, you will learn not only the technical basics of the camera, such as shutter speed, aperture, and image composition, but also how to plan, develop, and finalize your photography project. 

• College credits: NO 
• Price: $119 on sale ($199 regular price), or $39 a month for the Creator Pass 
• Financial aid or scholarships: NO
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 24 hours 
• Languages: English 
• Vendor: Creative Live  

Photography Basics and Beyond

Offered by the Michigan State University, this beginner program teaches the most fundamental concepts of photography, such as image composition and control of exposure. Regardless of the type of your camera, whether a smartphone or DSLR, this course will prepare you for both practical and creative works. 

• Number of Courses: 5 courses 
• College credits: NO — Specialization Certificate only
• Price: FREE to audit, but there’s a fee to earn and buy a Specialization Certificate
• Financial aid or scholarships: YES
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 7 months (suggested 4 hours per week) 
• Languages: English with English subtitles
• Vendor: Coursera 

Annie Leibovitz Teaches Photography 

Taught by Annie Leibovitz, the first woman to be named chief photographer at Rolling Stone and the last person to take a portrait of John Lennon, this program shares the skills and insider tips from the very expert of portrait photography. This program teaches you how to develop creative concepts for shoots, work with subjects, work with natural light, use your environment well, whether studio or field, and bring images to life in post-production. Liebovitz will share her own experiences of photographing famous subjects, such as Whoopi Goldberg and Amy Schumer. 

• Number of Courses: 15 courses 
• College credits: NO 
• Price: $90/class OR $15/month billed annually for “All Access” pass
• Financial aid or scholarships: NO
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Unknown
• Languages: English 
• Vendor: Master Class 

Fine Art Photography: The Complete Guide

Taught by an award-winning photographer, Brooke Shaden, this course is a comprehensive, start-to-finish guide to fine art photography. Following your instructor’s demonstration to creating a photo series from scratch, you will learn how to come up with and develop your ideas, tell a story through a series of photographs, scout for locations, shoot and edit your work, pitch your works to galleries and agents, price your work and, finally, print your works so they look like art.  

• College credits: NO 
• Price: $119 on sale ($199 regular price), or $39 a month for the Creator Pass
• Financial aid or scholarships: NO
• Mobile learning: YES
• Self-paced learning: YES
• Flexible deadlines: YES
• Time needed for completion: Approximately 29 hours  
• Languages: English 
• Vendor: Creative Live  

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.