Free Online Classes, Courses, and Certifications You Can Take With All Your New Extra Time
By: Karla Leung ‘22
With classes nearing an end, internships being canceled, and being stuck inside, you probably have a lot more time on your hands. If you’re looking to put that time into learning something new, try taking advantage of these free courses, classes, and certifications, whether it’s to add something to your resume or just to get your feet wet in something you’ve always wanted to try.
Everything
Harvard Online Courses
Harvard has had hundreds of online courses for years, and now might be the perfect time to take advantage of them! If you’ve never taken a coding class before, try Harvard’s coveted CS50: Introduction to Computer Science, with over one million people currently enrolled in. Check out any topic you can imagine, including, including Fundamentals of Neuroscience, Science of Cooking, Shakespeare’s Life and Work, and Sustainable Business Strategy. Find the complete course list here! Note that the vast majority are free, but a few will cost anywhere from $30 to a few thousand, but you have the opportunity to earn certificates upon completion.
MIT OpenCourseware
MIT also offers hundreds of different courses you can check out, all you have to do is find a course you’re interested in and watch the online lecture videos. Some of their most popular courses include Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python, Blockchain and Money, and Principles of Microeconomics, but there are many others, including science, business, fine arts, humanities, and more. Find a course by topic or department here!
YouTube
We all love YouTube, and we can both entertain and enlighten ourselves with educational YouTube videos! Some of my favorite educational YouTubers include MinutePhysics CrashCourse, and The School of Life, and you can find a list of YouTube channels organized by subject here.
& more!
There are tons of websites that gather classes by subject and school, helping you quickly find the course you’re looking for! You can check out Class Central to find more free courses from lots of universities, both in the USA and abroad. There’s also edX, which provides a simple way to find the perfect course for you where you can filter by subject, course, and level, as well as in different languages, including Chinese, Russian, Italian, French, and Spanish. Additionally, check out Coursera, which has a number of courses you can power through and finish in only a few hours. If you can’t find a course you like, check out these websites to easily filter and discover the perfect class for you.
Business & Marketing
Google Skillshop (Certification)
Learn how to use Google products and earn certifications with Google Skillshop, a platform that allows you to take courses and become certified in Google Ads, Google Analytics Academy, and more! They’re always free, walking you through their lessons before you take your exam at the end. Check out their certifications here.
Microsoft Office Training
Lost on how to make a spreadsheet with Microsoft Excel? Have no idea how to make a Powerpoint presentation? Check out the Microsoft Office 365 Training Center, which walks you through every product they have and teach you everything from the basics to advanced tips. Start learning here.
Moz Academy
Moz Academy, which provides training on Marketing and Search Engine Optimization, which originally costed anywhere from $50 to $200 per course, but is now free for students! Browse classes including SEO Fundamentals or Client Onboarding at this link here, just use the code ‘wegotthis’ at checkout.
Hubspot Academy (Certification)
With your USC email, you can access a number of Hubspot Academy certifications, which consist of all things marketing, sales, and service. Simply provide your USC email when you sign up and you’re good to go! Check out the certifications here.
Facebook Blueprint (Certification)
If you’re interested in digital and social media marketing, check out Facebook’s certifications on the basics of managing and creating ads through Facebook (which also includes Instagram and Messenger) up to more advanced troubleshooting of Facebook products and ads. All you have to do is pick a certification, learn with their lessons, and take the exam at the end. Check out their free certifications here!
Art & Design
Nikon
Originally costing about $40 per course, Nikon is now offering free photography and videography courses, covering everything from how to get familiar with your DSLR to making your own music videos. Free through April, check out the list here and start learning.
Hubspot (Certification)
Hubspot not only has marketing and business related certifications, but a few design related ones as well. Get certified in making a WordPress site with WordPress Training Course, or in Growth-Driven Design, which helps you build and optimize websites to increase value and business growth. All you need is a USC email to get access to the certifications for free; check them out here!
SkillShare
If you’ve ever watched a YouTube video, I’m sure you’ve heard of Skillshare, the website that gives you access to courses and content in subjects including illustration, design, photography, and video They’re currently offering a free two months trial here.
Computer Science
Codecademy
If you’re starting to learn how to code or just want to try it out, Codecademy is a great first tool to begin learning. The free version is great already, where you can get introductions into learning a number of different languages. However, they’re now offering free Pro for 90 days, which gives you access to their more specialized courses, including web development or data analysis. All you need to get Pro is register here with your USC email!
LearnSQL
Until April 20th, LearnSQL is providing free access to their full list of courses on SQL, Structured Query Language. Not sure where to start? They provide a 10 step roadmap to help you get a better idea of the learning scheme. Click here to get the free courses and roadmap!
Harvard Online Courses & MIT OpenCourseware
Like I mentioned before, Harvard and MIT have a ton of online courses, and some of their most popular include their computer science courses! Learn the fundamentals with Harvard’s CS50: Introduction to Computer Science or with MIT’s Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python. Harvard’s free CS courses are more introductory, including an Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Introduction to Game Development. But MIT includes both introductory and advanced courses, including courses on specific programming languages, artificial intelligence, data mining, and software design. Check out MIT’s computer science courses here.
Health & Medicine
JHSPH (Johns Hopkins)
Johns Hopkins provides a number of short online courses related to the medical field, complete with lectures, PowerPoints, readings, homework, and exams if you’re really looking to test yourself. They’re perfect for learning a bit more about a possible specialization, including epidemiology, child health and development, or environmental health. Check out the full list of courses here!
FirstAidWeb
Although it doesn’t compare to training in person, you can take FirstAidWeb’s free and short course on CPR and First Aid, acting as a practical and simple guide in the case of an emergency. Check it out here!
Early Heart Attack Care (Certification)
This short course by Deputy Heart Attack teaches you the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, which could potentially save you or the people around you! Required by some hospitals, you can learn for yourself how to save hearts and lives here.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN),
With National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), you can take free courses and get certified in recognizing the signs and symptoms of both children and adults in psychological distress. You can take their courses here.
Social Science
Yale Courses
Yale provides a number of free online courses with Coursera. They cover a number of subjects, including history, English, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, and more. Check out Yale’s course catalogue here, and register for a class here. Plus, they offer a few courses in Chinese!
Music
MusicTheory.net
Whether you’re a complete beginner to music theory or you’re just looking to polish up your chord progressions, MusicTheory.net is a great free resource to get quick and interactive lessons to dive into music theory. In addition to lessons, they have plenty of exercises to keep your mind sharp.
JulliardX
Access free music courses from Julliard’s online course program, JulliardX. Known as the top music school in the country, they launched their free courses in 2017 and open new ones over time. As of now, you can take Introduction to Music Theory, Piano Preludes, and more. Check out the courses they’re offering here!
Language
Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone, well known as the go-to for learning a new language, is now offering free 3 months for students! Although it asks you for your parent’s name, I don’t think your parents will mind. Simply sign up here to access your free three months and start learning, with everything from Arabic to Vietnamese.
ASL Connect
Learn ASL, or American Sign Language, for free with Gallaudet University! They offer a ton of free video and interactive tutorials to help you learn the alphabet, words, and phrases. Click here to try!
Although a long list, this barely scratches the surface of the amount of free learning you can do online! If I missed what you’re looking for or you didn’t find anything interesting for you, be sure to go back to the ‘Everything’ section and check out those resources to find more! Happy learning :)
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