As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, an increasing number of universities are giving free online college courses for credit via MOOC (massive open online course) providers.
Many of these courses are part of bigger degree programs at online and traditional colleges and are intended to give students a taste of what it’s like to be a member of their complete programs.
In this article, we are more interested in free courses that can be converted to credit at no cost. These credits are equivalent to roughly one semester of a master’s degree program at several universities.
What Is Credit in College?
College credit is a recognition for having taken a course at a school or university; it is used to determine if a student has completed enough hours to graduate.
In this post, we will discuss some free online college courses available for undergraduate and graduate students in various disciplines of study extensively. This post will educate you about the majority of these free online college courses.
The Advantages of Free Online College Courses for Credit
There are numerous advantages to taking online college classes. Below are some of these benefits:
- Taking online college classes is quite inexpensive, and in some circumstances, free. This reduces tuition costs because you can earn credit to transfer into a degree program before enrolling.
- While enrolled in a college degree program, students can take free online college courses for credit, which expedites degree completion and better prepares them for the job market.
- Taking an online college course before enrolling in a college degree program will provide you with experience and help you enhance your study abilities and discipline.
- Students achieve advanced standing and satisfy prerequisites, allowing them to begin college with advanced standing.
- Students have the option of pursuing a variety of academic options.
Free Online College Courses for Credit
All of the courses on the list below are absolutely free to access as long as you have an internet connection, and they are provided by some of the world’s most prestigious universities. After finishing these courses, you will only obtain college credit if you enroll in a university or degree program. If you were going to enroll in a full program anyhow, these courses could save you a lot of money. However, even if you do not intend to enroll, it is important to note that you can take the same courses that other paying students are taking for free on your own. Below are some of these courses:
1. Supply Chain Fundamentals Hosted by edX and offered by MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is regarded as one of the most prominent universities in the United States. Because of their 7% acceptance rate, most people will never get the opportunity to attend this prestigious college.
However, with edX, you may take classes at MIT without ever applying or going. edX is one of the most well-known and easily accessible MOOC providers, linking consumers to both free and commercial courses from major institutions such as MIT.
This course is part of a broader degree program called “MITx MicroMasters Credential in Supply Chain Management,” which you might pursue if you are deeply interested in the course’s subject matter. During this 13-week course, you will learn the fundamentals of supply chain management and logistics.
2. Business Model Thinking Hosted by Future Learn and offered by Coventry University
If you want to turn your huge ideas into real business plans, go no further than Future Learn’s online course. This course will show you how to turn your ideas into something that will make a difference, and you will learn everything for free!
Future Learn, like some of the other MOOC providers on this list, rotates their course catalog based on the universities and institutions with which they are connected at the time.
Future Learn is completely free to join, and the majority of their lessons are completely free to enroll in and complete. This course will take you roughly two weeks to finish if you work three hours per week, and further advantages such as a certificate of achievement will cost you $74 more.
3. Advanced Operating Systems Hosted by Udacity and Offered by Georgia Tech
Udacity is a MOOC site that generally offers largely paid courses. However, this course on Advanced Operating Systems offered by Georgia Tech course is currently available for free.
Udacity’s mission is to link students and professionals with the learning tools they need to further their careers, and the site primarily focuses on professional skills courses such as coding, web development, and security.
The Georgia Institute of Technology is an Atlanta-based public research institution that has established itself as one of the best technologically focused universities in the United States.
This Advanced Operating Systems course is part of Georgia Tech’s computer science degree, and you should have some prior experience in an OS course or in the OS field to take it.
This five-week course includes ten lectures covering important OS subjects such as OS structure, virtualization, distributed systems, internet-scale computing, and system recovery. During this free online college credit course, you will investigate all of the technological advances that have resulted in the advanced operating systems we know today. The course also covers a number of operating platforms, including cell phones and cloud computing.
3. American Government, Available through Modern States and edX
This CLEP course covers the content typically covered in one semester of an introductory course in American government and politics at a university. It discusses federal government structures and policy processes, federal courts and civil freedoms, and political parties and interest groups.
This program is provided by Modern States, a non-profit organization that has teamed with edX to offer a “Free Freshman Year.” All courses, texts, and materials are available online and for free, and they prepare students for the main Advanced Placement (AP) or “College Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations given by the College Board, which allow students to earn credits toward a degree before enrolling.
4. AP Environmental Science – Part 1: The Living World -Available through Modern States and edX
This course, which is part of a comprehensive sequence on the living world and evolution, prepares students for the AP Environmental Science exam. This initiative is part of Modern States, a non-profit organization that has teamed with edX to offer a “Free Freshman Year.” All courses, texts, and materials are available online and for free, and they prepare students for the main Advanced Placement (AP) or “College Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations given by the College Board, which allow students to earn credits toward a degree before enrolling.
5. Communications and Networking – Available through University of the People (UoPeople)
This course covers the foundations of communication networks, such as the OSI model and various communication protocols, such as the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP protocol) and basic Internet concepts. This course is part of the Computer Science Associates Degree curriculum at Institution of the People, the world’s first tuition-free, accredited, all-online American university.
In order to take free classes, students must first enroll in the University of the People. The application process is completed online, and you must give some basic information about your identity, schooling history, English proficiency completion and score (if applicable), and a non-refundable application fee of $60.
Tuition at The University of the People is absolutely free. Many colleges throughout the world accept transfer credits from UoPeople, including the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), a school partner.
6. Understanding Barriers to Learning – Available through University of the People (UoPeople)
Understanding Learning Barriers is a course that will teach you how to identify and overcome learning barriers.
This course examines the unique demands of different students in a single classroom, as well as how the single-classroom approach can impede learning. It addresses obstacles to learning that students may face, including physical and sensory disabilities and health impairments; cognitive, emotional, and psychological variations; and racial/ethnic, gender, cultural, socioeconomic, and linguistic heterogeneity.
This course is part of the M.Ed. program. – Online Master of Education in collaboration with the International Baccalaureate Program at Institution of the People, the world’s first tuition-free, accredited, all-online American university.
7. Introduction to Power Electronics Hosted by Coursera and offered by University of Colorado Boulder
UC Boulder, Colorado’s leading public research university, offers this electrical engineering course. Over 85,000 students have already registered in the course, and approximately 40% of those who have completed it have begun a new job.
Furthermore, around a quarter of the students who completed this course experienced some form of tangible career boost as a result of their participation.
Coursera is widely regarded as the most comprehensive and trustworthy MOOC platform, as it provides both individual courses and large degree programs through institutions on a paid and free basis.
This engineering course takes about 12 hours to complete, and upon completion, customers will receive a shareable certificate that can be readily shared with companies or included on a résumé. This top free college credit course can be used to earn academic credit for CU Boulder’s ECEA 5700 courses, which is part of the university’s master’s degree in electrical engineering.
By the end of the course, you will have learned about the fundamental concepts of circuits as well as how to transform electrical power with high efficiency.
8. Programming for Data Science, hosted by edX and offered by The University of Adelaide
Any kind of employment in data science or data analysis requires programming expertise, and this course from The University of Adelaide may help you get there.
The course is part of what edX refers to as a MicroMasters program in Big Data; thus, finishing it will get you one step closer to obtaining a real certificate in a highly competitive sector.
If you work eight to ten hours each week, you should be able to finish this online free course for college credit in around 10 weeks. Three professors teach the course from The University of Adelaide’s computer science department, all of whom are more than competent to teach you about big data. While a validated certificate costs an extra $199, you always have the option of obtaining one at the end of your course.
How Can I Transfer My Courses for Credit?
Every school has its transfer credit policy and procedure. The best way to find out if a school will accept your transfer credits (from any program) is to contact the institution and speak with an admissions representative or transfer advisor. Typically, a school’s website will include a page dedicated to its transfer policy, including the number of credits accepted and other restrictions.
It’s a good idea to conduct your homework before enrolling in any program that offers free or low-cost online college credits. Choose only reliable programs that are accredited or affiliated with an accredited school and can certify that their credits will be accepted by other universities.
Accreditation indicates that a school meets certain educational qualification requirements. The accreditation status of a school may influence whether other institutions accept credit transfers from them or if you are eligible for financial help.
Free Online Courses
One of the most significant advantages of the Internet is the vast volume of information at our disposal. You may utilize this knowledge to learn more and improve your chances of landing one of the finest jobs.
To help you get started, we’ve collected a list of 10 free online programs that will teach you how to make money.
1. LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning has over 16,000+ online courses taught by experts in the area. LinkedIn Learning is a godsend for both job seekers and working professionals. The first month of this paid subscription program is free, and it provides an excellent learning experience.
The courses are presented through high-quality video and range in difficulty from beginner to advanced. As you complete courses related to your area, you may include them on your LinkedIn resume to show prospective employers that you are committed to learning.
2. Skill Success
Over 2,000 video-based courses are available from Skill Success to help you improve in your job. Among the themes covered are a business, technology, and career development. The majority of the material is geared toward newcomers.
The first 30 days of access are free, and it could be a terrific way to get a rapid overview of a range of things you’ve been meaning to investigate. This learning platform is particularly well-known for its basic creative courses in areas such as piano and photography.
3. Coursera
Coursera.org is a well-known supplier of MOOCs (massive open online courses). It is a website that collaborates with colleges and organizations worldwide to bring a wide range of topics and opinions into a single searchable database. This provides the site with an unusually diverse set of in-depth courses.
Some Coursera courses offer certificates of completion to demonstrate that you completed the course. Coursera is an excellent place to start if you prefer learning in an organized classroom-style environment and want to do it from home.
4. The Khan Academy
Khan Academy, which collaborates with several post-secondary institutions, provides a user-friendly, well-organized interface. Khan Academy, which also curates many courses from throughout the web, provides amazing depth on a wide range of topics. The lectures are brief and only cover a little amount of knowledge at a time, but they build on each other as you proceed.
5. Udemy
Udemy is an online learning platform that provides courses taught by top experts. Udemy’s free courses are comparable to Coursera’s concept, but users can also create personalized courses from lessons. Working with several notable professors and colleges, the site combines the configurable platform of other sites with a strong emphasis on high-quality information. However, this is another site that combines free and paid content.
6. MIT OpenCourseWare
MIT OpenCourseWare is a treasure mine of course material from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; it contains lectures, lecture notes, homework assignments, sample examinations, and a variety of other materials from genuine MIT courses. If you want to learn more about science, computer science, and engineering issues, MIT OpenCourseWare stands out from the crowd, as MIT is one of the finest universities in those fields.
Conclusion
In this post, we discussed some free online college courses for credit extensively. These courses are free, so you don’t have to pay a thing to participate, and you can choose to take more than one.
These free online college courses for credit will provide you with first-hand experience on the course you are about to study in college or university so that when you finally enroll in the program, you will be able to grasp and progress swiftly.
In any case, keep in mind that credit transfer has different restrictions depending on the institution, level, and program of study.
As a result, you must conduct additional research on credit transfer for your institution, program, and level of study. You can find out more by speaking with your lecturers or the head of your faculty.