What courses can I do online?

There is a wide range of free online courses available, which Universities around the world and other organisations offer. Courses are offered in a variety of different subjects from Social Media, to coding, digital marketing, science and languages.

How can I get free online courses?

1. Universities around the world offer free online courses for anyone to participate in. Top universities such as Harvard and Yale offer some of the most popular free online courses. 2. General Assembly has a wide variety of free online courses. From design to coding and product management, they offer courses in multiple subject areas, taught through video tutorials and live-streamed sessions. 3. MOOCs List has compiled a variety of University free online courses in one site, making it easy for you to find a course that is right for you. 4. If you're interested in learning a language for free, Duolingo is a great site. Their interactive features makes learning fun and focused.

Are Universities offering free online courses?

Many Universities across the world offer free online courses for anyone to participate in. You can find courses on University websites or many universities offer free classes via a MOOC platform, such as MOOCs List, edX, and Udemy.

Why should I complete a free online course?

• Bridge the skills gap: If you’re applying to graduate roles but find you’re often lacking some of the essential skills required, participating in an online course is a great way to bridge the skills gap. If your graduate CV is also a little lacklustre, completing online training courses is a great way to include more skills and qualifications you’ve completed. • Boosts your employability: Participating in an online course is attractive to employers and can give your applications the edge, boosting your employability. It shows employers you’ve taken the initiative to study outside your degree or job and demonstrates that you’re genuinely interested and passionate in a field. • Helps in deciding your career path: If you’re unsure what graduate role is right for you, completing an online training course is a great way to highlight certain aspects and subjects you enjoy and in reverse, what you don't enjoy as much - giving you more of an insight into what you want from a graduate job. Undertaking a graduate program is another great way to help you decide what career path you want to pursue, check out our blog for more of the reasons you should consider a graduate program. • Increases your career options: Completing online courses in multiple sectors can be beneficial if you're looking to transition into another role in a different sector. Online courses can broaden your skill-set, making you more versatile and giving you greater options in your career.

7th November 2022

Free online courses for students and graduates 💻

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Investing time in learning new skills and self-development has many benefits to your professional growth, from highlighting what you’re passionate about and discovering new interests, to allowing an easy transition into different roles and boosting your employability.

An easy way to develop a range of new skills it to participate in an online training course, and with thousands of free online courses available, it has never been easier to build up your skillset in your spare time.

From coding, to astrophysics and graphic design, we’ve put together our top picks of the best free online courses for students and graduates that are available. Whether you’re applying to graduate roles, trying for a promotion at work, or find yourself twiddling your thumbs, take part in an online course and build up your skillset for free.

If you’ve graduated from University and you’re now looking to start your career, Search Graduate Jobs in Australia.

Why complete a free online course?

Bridge the skills gap

If you’re applying to graduate roles but find you’re often lacking some of the essential skills required, participating in an online course is a great way to bridge the skills gap.

If your graduate CV is also a little lacklustre, completing online training courses is a great way to include more skills and qualifications you’ve completed.

There are some skills that are hard to gain at university, and need specialist courses. These might be completely online computer science courses, or, for example, automotive courses in Sydney.

Boosts your employability

Participating in an online course is attractive to employers and can give your applications the edge, boosting your employability.

It shows employers you’ve taken the initiative to study outside your degree or job and demonstrates that you’re genuinely interested and passionate in a field.

Helps in deciding your career path

If you’re unsure what graduate role is right for you, completing an online training course is a great way to highlight certain aspects and subjects you enjoy and in reverse, what you don’t enjoy as much – giving you more of an insight into what you want from a graduate job.

Undertaking a graduate program is another great way to help you decide what career path you want to pursue, check out our blog for more of the reasons you should consider a graduate program.

Increases your career options

Completing online courses in multiple sectors can be beneficial if you’re looking to transition into another role in a different sector. Online courses can broaden your skill-set, making you more versatile and giving you greater options in your career

Apply for graduate jobs

Are online University courses free?

Australia’s top universities and other credited universities around the world offer free online university courses, otherwise known as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course).

Taught by talented professors who are experts in their field, these online university courses cover a diverse range of stimulating topics. If you wish to receive a certificate of completion, some universities will ask for a small fee.

Do I have to be a student to take an online university course?

Online university courses are available to everyone, despite being run by a University, you do not have to be a student or a student of the specific University to participate in a course.

Most organisations simply require you to create an account which allows you to take part in the range of free courses.

What online University courses are there?

All University run online courses are completely free, however, if you wish to receive a certificate of completion some universities will ask for a small fee. Here are some of the top online university courses available:

1. University of Queensland

Recognised for its teaching excellence and world standard specialised research – winning more Australian awards for University teaching than any other in the country, the University of Queensland has an excellent hub of online university courses.

Their online learning hub lists free online courses in a number of exciting sectors, covering relevant topics from the anthropology of current world issues to essential tools for the low-carbon economy.

They also have several courses designed to help you with your future career, from how to unlock your employability to IELTS academic test preparation.

2. Deakin University

With over 40 years of experience in distance and online learning, Deakin University has built up a community of 60,000 online learners taking part in their range of online courses.

Each course page includes useful information on what topics the course will cover, what you’ll achieve along with who the course is best for, allowing you to decide on the best course for you.

Wendy Palmer, Director of Deakin Global Studio comments that the courses are designed to give you a confidence boost and allow you to engage with global learners in your chosen field.

3. ‘OpenLearn’ from The Open University

OpenLearn is a great hub of free online courses produced by The Open University, a world leader in online and digital learning.

The site boasts over 1000 free courses in 8 different subject areas, including languages, technology, sports, business, and the environment, all available to start straight away.

Users can receive a free statement of participation once completed any of the courses, which is useful to demonstrate to an employer.

If you’re looking for free online courses with printable certificates, OpenLearn’s courses are a great option.

OpenLearn also offers ‘badged courses’, these are highly engaging courses covering a range of core subject and professional skills that are essential to the workplace.

Once all sections have been completed and the assessments have been passed, users receive a free Open University digital badge which can be displayed on your LinkedIn profile and other eportfoilo platforms.

4. Harvard University

Consistently ranking as one of the worlds’ top universities and regarded as one of the most prestigious universities, it’s not surprising that Harvard University’s free online courses are some of the most popular.

Harvard University’s free online courses delve into some of the most interesting and relevant topics facing society, from ‘Mechanical Ventilation for Covid-19’, to ‘The Science of Weather’ and ‘Improving Global Health’.

Many of Harvard’s free courses cover exciting data science and technology topics.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn to code, learn about the development of 3D interactive games or brush up on your computer science knowledge, what better way to learn than for free by top industry professionals.

5. Class Central

Class Central is a fantastic hub offering thousands of free online courses from top universities around the world, such as MIT, Stanford, and Yale.

Their range of online university courses cover an extensive range of topics, from Artificial Intelligence to Entrepreneurship, Journalism and Visual Arts.

The site also has a great selection of communication skill-based courses, including presentation skill courses, public speaking courses and, business writing courses, all valuable skills to develop for future careers.

Many of Class Central’s courses also offer free online courses with printable certificates, which is great to add to your CV and demonstrate to an employer your completion of a course.

Free online courses

As well as a range of free online university courses available, there are also some great free online courses on offer from other organisations, here are some of the best free online courses:

MOOCs List

MOOCs List ia great site compiling some of the best free online courses from top providers and universities in a wide range of categories and subjects.

It can be difficult to know what free online course you should take part in with thousands on offer, which is why MOOCs List has helpfully created a customisable search bar where users can easily filter a search for their course criteria and find the right course for them.

Duolingo

Knowing more than one language is highly beneficial when it comes to applying to graduate jobs, with foreign languages amongst the most in-demand skills globally.

Duolingo is an excellent platform offering a tried and tested method for users to learn a language fast, and for free.

Through features such as ‘test yourself’ quizzes, earning virtual coins and mini-games, DuoLingo allows users to stay motivated and focused on learning their language(s).

Learning new skills is a great way to boost your graduate CV, increase your employability and help you discover a new passion.

Whether you’re interested in graphic design, coding, marketing, or business, there are a huge range of free online courses available.

Be sure to check out our pick of the top sites offering some of the best free online courses for students and graduates.

Applying to graduate jobs? Discover the latest graduate jobs in Australia today.