Free Courses
A host of different organisations offer free courses that are a great way to help expand your knowledge, help you learn something new and support your personal development, without incurring large costs.
However, there are a few things to think about and be aware of:
Some platforms may look like they are offering free courses, but you find part way through the course that you can only get part way through without being blocked by a paywall, or having to pay at the end for your certificate.
Some people will just complete a course to get the certificate at the end. Whilst a certificate provides evidence that the course was completed, if you take this approach you probably haven't actually learned anything. Is there much point having a certificate to share when the reality is you have very little knowledge on the subject matter?
Some courses vary in quality as they're free, might not be as rigorous as paid courses or allow for interaction and live teaching. You might also be limited in the support offered when completing a free course.
If you'd like a specific qualification, it might be unlikely that there is free course available, but there are various Level 2 and 3 qualifications available for free so it's worth having a search if you know the exact course you'd like to complete. If not, if you're interested in a specific management course, whilst the official qualification might not be free, you could find a similar free course that will help build your skills and knowledge before you choose to splash the cash on a paid course if you wish too.
We have compiled a list and details of a range of different courses and course providers that you might want to explore that offer free courses, click each heading to find out more.
1000 courses to choose from, focusing on specific areas of learning or academic subjects. You can work through the courses at your own pace, and if you sign up you can track your progress and work towards a statement of participation. There are also no start or end dates, so you can get started right away or at a time that suits you.
There are three levels: Level 1 Introductory, Level 2 Intermediate and Level 3 Advanced.
Some courses are based on Open University course materials, whilst others are written specifically for OpenLearn.
You can check out their full Course Catologue, or filter through the range of course topics they offer.
University of York: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
Designed by York academics, MOOCs are free and open to everyone. By trying a MOOC you can join the global learning community, engaging on courses designed by world-leading academics giving an insight into a wide range of subjects. You can also study alongside York tutors and other learners on 'facilitated' courses at set dates across the year. MOOCs last between two to four weeks, and are delivered through videos, quizzes, case studies and discussion groups.
Find the full list of the online short courses available to all.
FutureLearn
FutureLearn provides over 1,000 courses across a range of subjects ran by global companies and education institutions.
One thing to note, many FutureLearn courses are only free for a limited period of time or have a paid for option if you want to receive a certificate. This might not be an issue if you'd just like to build your skills and knowledge and can do it within the limited time frame.
Explore all the FutureLearn courses here.
National Careers Service
The National Careers Service is a public service helping with your career, learning and training choices. Alongside advertising paid courses that you can search for based on your geographical location, they also have a Skills Toolkit with free courses to help you learn new skills or change jobs.
Courses range from coding to personal growth and wellbeing. You can see the full course list here.
Academic Skills Community
The Academic Skills Community, or ASC, is the University of York approach to learning and communication support designed to help you advance your academic, language and interpersonal abilities.
The Academic Skills Community brings together staff, workshops, and resources from across the University. These are:
the Library
the Writing Centre
integrity@york (for Integrity tutorials, referencing and Turnitin)