August 21, 2024

Back to School with 200 Top Free Courses from Coursera

It’s back to school time and we wanted to add some new free courses to our LearnOutLoud.com Free Courses Collection, which now features over 1,100 free audio & video courses you can take online. For these new free courses, we turned our attention to the best massive open online course (MOOC) provider out there which is Coursera. If you’ve not heard of Coursera, in the past decade they’ve partnered up with more than 300 universities and companies to offer over 7,000 courses on their site (both free and paid courses). To get access to all 7,000 courses and earn certificates you can join Coursera Plus with a 7-day Free Trial at the link below:

Check Out Coursera Plus with a 7-day Free Trial

But if you want to dip your toe into this massive education resource, then there are hundreds of courses you can join and start taking immediately, absolutely free! Browsing the Coursera website can be a bit daunting as there are so many courses and subjects to explore. So we’ve done the work for you by browsing all 7,000 courses, going through them university by university, and picking out the free courses that are the highest rated and we thought would be the best for our LearnOutLoud audience.

Since we’re an audio and video learning website, we focused mostly on the courses that were primarily video learning. Coursera has great apps for iOS and Android to take their courses on and watch their videos, and you can also take them right through a web browser. Most of their courses combine videos, readings, and quizzes that walk you through the courses step by step. For our list of the top 200 free courses, we chose ones that had mostly video content.

Coursera offers tons of courses in the areas of data science, computer science, and information technology. While those are very popular courses on their site, we didn’t add many of them to LearnOutLoud currently, since our site isn’t really focused on these specific technical areas. Instead, we focused on their categories covering health, personal development, business, history, science, arts and humanities, religion, philosophy, social sciences, and language learning.

So let’s get back to school and show you this list! Note that to take Coursera’s free courses you’ll need to sign up with a free Coursera account. And we recommend downloading their free mobile apps for iOS and Android to take the courses. For many course pages on our site, we’ve added a video of the course trailer that tells you what it’s all about. We’ll list all 200 free courses by category below with the professor names and the university they’re from. We’ll start with the self development category:

30 Free Self Development Courses on Coursera:

The Addicted Brain by Professor Michael Kuhar (Emory University)

Alexander Technique by Professor Michelle Obrecht (University of Michigan)

An Introduction to the U.S. Food System by Professors Keeve Nachman, Robert S. Lawrence, & Pamela Rhubart Berg (Johns Hopkins University)

The Arts and Science of Relationships by Professor A. Ka Tat Tsang (University of Toronto)

Biohacking Your Brain’s Health by Professor Karima Benameur (Emory University)

Child Nutrition and Cooking by Professor Maya Adam (Stanford University)

Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success by Professor Peter Childs (Imperial College London)

Emotional Intelligence: Cultivating Immensely Human Interactions by Professor Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks & Cheri Alexander (University of Michigan)

Everyday Parenting: The ABCs of Child Rearing by Professor Alan Kazdin (Yale University)

Finding Purpose and Meaning In Life by Professor Victor J. Strecher (University of Michigan)

Food Ethics by Professor Andrew Chignell (Princeton University)

From Sleep Disorders to Sleep Health by Professors Ronald Chervin, Shelley Hershner, and Megan Acho (University of Michigan)

Health Behavior Change: From Evidence to Action by Professor Marney White (Yale University)

Ignite Your Everyday Creativity by Professors Cyndi Burnett & John F. Cabra (The State University of New York)

Life 101: Mental and Physical Self-Care by Professor Mahtab Jafari (UC Irvine)

Major Depression in the Population by Professors William Eaton, Wietse A. Tol, and Ramin Mojtabai (Johns Hopkins University)

Mindfulness, Dignity, and the Art of Human Connection by Professor Ramaswami Mahalingam (University of Michigan)

Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential by Professor Barbara Oakley & Terrence Sejnowski (McMaster University)

The Nature of Genius by Professor Craig Wright (Yale University)

Positive Psychiatry and Mental Health by Professor Sonia Kumar (The University of Sydney)

Psychological First Aid by Professor George S. Everly, Jr. (Johns Hopkins University)

Removing Barriers to Change by Professor Jonah Berger (University of Pennsylvania)

Schizophrenia by Professor Matt Kurtz (Wesleyan University)

Science of Exercise by Professor Robert Mazzeo (University of Colorado Boulder)

The Science of Generosity by Professor Femida Handy (University of Pennsylvania)

The Science of Success: What Researchers Know that You Should Know by Professor Paula Caproni (University of Michigan)

The Science of Well-Being by Professor Laurie Santos (Yale University)

The Science of Well-Being for Teens by Professor Laurie Santos (Yale University)

Sleep: Neurobiology, Medicine, and Society by Professor Ralph Lydic (University of Michigan)

The Social Context of Mental Health and Illness by Professor Charmaine Williams (University of Toronto)

Stanford Introduction to Food and Health by Professor Maya Adam (Stanford University)

Understanding Psychosis by Professor Adrienne Lapidos (University of Michigan)

15 Free Business Courses on Coursera:

Advertising and Society by Professor William M. O’Barr (Duke University)

Brand Management: Aligning Business, Brand, and Behaviour by Professor Nader Tavassoli (University of London)

Connected Leadership by Professor Peter Boyd (Yale University)

Economics of Money and Banking by Professor Perry G. Mehrling (Columbia University)

Financial Planning for Young Adults by Professors Nicholas Paulson, Kathryn L. Sweedler, & Charles R. Chaffin (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Finding Your Professional Voice by Professor Emmy Broomfield (University of London)

How to Network by Professor Klementina X. Sula (University of Michigan)

Introduction to Finance by Professor Xi Yang (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Introduction to Negotiation by Professor Barry Nalebuff (Yale University)

Launch Your Online Business by Professor Joan Decollibus (The State University of New York)

The Manager’s Toolkit by Professor Chris Dewberry (University of London)

Microeconomics: The Power of Markets by Professor Rebecca Stein (University of Pennsylvania)

Narrative Economics by Professor Robert J. Shiller (Yale University)

The Strategy of Content Marketing by Professor Sonia Simone (UC Davis)

Successful Negotiation by Professor George Siedel (University of Michigan)

Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content by Professor Jonah Berger (University of Pennsylvania)

10 Free Philosophy Courses on Coursera:

Ancient Philosophy: Aristotle and His Successors by Professor Susan Sauve Meyer (University of Pennsylvania)

Ancient Philosophy: Plato & His Predecessors by Professor Susan Sauve Meyer (University of Pennsylvania)

Effective Altruism by Professor Peter Singer (Princeton University)

Introduction to Philosophy by Professor Duncan Pritchard (University of Edinburgh)

Know Thyself: The Examined Life by Professor Mitchell Green (University of Edinburgh)

The Modern and the Postmodern, Part 1 by Professor Michael S. Roth (Wesleyan University)

The Modern and the Postmodern, Part 2 by Professor Michael S. Roth (Wesleyan University)

Moralities of Everyday Life by Professor Paul Bloom (Yale University)

Philosophy and Religion by Professors Orestis Palermos, Duncan Pritchard, Mark Harris, J. Adam Carter, and Mog Stapleton (University of Edinburgh)

Philosophy of Science by Professor Michael Weisberg (University of Pennsylvania)

Reason and Persuasion: Thinking Through Three Dialogues By Plato by Professor John Holbo (National University of Singapore)

Science and Philosophy by Professors Orestis Palermos, Duncan Pritchard, Mark Harris, & J. Adam Carter (University of Edinburgh)

10 Free Religion Courses on Coursera:

The Bible’s Prehistory, Purpose, and Political Future by Professor Jacob L. Wright (Emory University)

The Fall and Rise of Jerusalem by Professor Oded Lipschits (Tel Aviv University)

A Journey through Western Christianity: From Persecuted Faith to Global Religion by Professor Bruce Gordon (Yale University)

Religion and Science by Professors Orestis Palermos, Duncan Pritchard, Mark Harris, J. Adam Carter, and Mog Stapleton (University of Edinburgh)

Science & Religion 101 by Professor Denis Lamoureux (University of Alberta)

Soul Beliefs: Belief Systems by Professors Daniel M. Ogilvie & Leonard W. Hamilton

Soul Beliefs: Historical Foundations by Professors Daniel M. Ogilvie & Leonard W. Hamilton

Soul Beliefs: How Does It All End? by Professors Daniel M. Ogilvie & Leonard W. Hamilton

The Talmud: A Methodological Introduction by Professor Barry Scott Wimpfheimer (Northwestern University)

10 Free History Courses on Coursera:

The American South: Its Stories, Music, and Art by Professor William Ferris (The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

The Ancient Greeks by Professor Andrew Szegedy-Maszak (Wesleyan University)

Big History: From the Big Bang Until Today by Professor Esther Quaedackers (University of Amsterdam)

The Holocaust, Part I: Nazi Germany: Ideology, The Jews, and the World by Professors Havi Dreifuss & Na’ama Bela Shik (Tel Aviv University)

The Holocaust, Part II: The Final Solution by Professors Havi Dreifuss & Na’ama Bela Shik (Tel Aviv University)

The Holocaust: The Destruction of European Jewry by Professors Murray Baumgarten & Peter Kenez (UC Santa Cruz)

Introduction to Ancient Egypt and Its Civilization by Professor David P. Silverman (University of Pennsylvania)

The Modern World, Part One: Global History from 1760 to 1910 by Professor Philip Zelikow (University of Virginia)

The Modern World, Part Two: Global History since 1910 by Professor Philip Zelikow (University of Virginia)

Paradoxes of War by Professor Miguel A. Centeno (Princeton University)

Reconstructing America’s Story by Professor Kermit Roosevelt (University of Pennsylvania)

Russian History: From Lenin to Putin by Professor Peter Kenez (UC Santa Cruz)

Understanding 9/11: Why 9/11 Happened & How Terrorism Affects Our World Today by Professor David Schanzer (Duke University)

Wonders of Ancient Egypt by Professor David P. Silverman (University of Pennsylvania)

10 Free Politics Courses on Coursera:

America’s Written Constitution by Professor Akhil Reed Amar (Yale University)

Civic Engagement in American Democracy by Professors Bruce W. Jentleson, Deondra Rose, & more (Duke University)

How to Change the World by Professor Michael S. Roth (Wesleyan University)

Introduction to Key Constitutional Concepts and Supreme Court Cases by Professor Kermit Roosevelt (University of Pennsylvania)

Magna Carta and its Legacies by Professor Emmett Sullivan (University of London)

The Making of Modern Ukraine by Professor Timothy Snyder (Yale University)

Politics and Economics of International Energy by Professor Giacomo Luciani (Sciences Po)

Reducing Gun Violence in America by Professors Daniel W. Webster, Cassandra Crifasi, Alex McCourt, and Jon S. Vernick (Johns Hopkins University)

Revolutionary Ideas: Borders, Elections, Constitutions, Prisons by Professor Alexander Guerrero (Rutgers University)

Revolutionary Ideas: Utility, Justice, Equality, Freedom by Professor Alexander Guerrero (Rutgers University)

Free Language Learning Courses on Coursera:

Chinese for Beginners by Professor Xiaoyu Liu (Peking University)

English for Business and Entrepreneurship by Professors Amy Nichols & James Riedel (University of Pennsylvania)

English for Career Development by Professors Brian McManus & Robyn Turner (University of Pennsylvania)

First Step Korean by Professor Seung Hae Kang (Yonsei University)

Learn to Speak Korean by Professor Sang Mee Han (Yonsei University)

Miracles of Human Language: An Introduction to Linguistics by Professor Marc van Oostendorp

Free Literature Courses on Coursera:

Greek and Roman Mythology by Professor Peter Struck (University of Pennsylvania)

Introduction to Who Wrote Shakespeare by Professor Ros Barber (University of London)

Modern & Contemporary American Poetry by Professor Al Filreis (University of Pennsylvania)

Modern American Poetry by Professor Cary Nelson (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Plagues, Witches, and War: The Worlds of Historical Fiction by Professor Bruce Holsinger (University of Virginia)

William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night: Comedy, Conflict, and Community by Professors David Glimp & Kevin Rich (University of Colorado Boulder)

Words Spun Out of Images: Visual and Literary Culture in 19th Century Japan by Professor Robert E. Campbell (University of Tokyo)

15 Free Arts & Entertainment Courses on Coursera:

Age of Cathedrals by Professor R. Howard Bloch (Yale University)

Approaching Music Theory: Melodic Forms and Simple Harmony by Professor Marc Lowenstein (CalArts)

The Blues: Understanding and Performing an American Art Form by Professor Dariusz Terefenko (University of Rochester)

The Camera Never Lies: Film, Images & Historical Interpretation in the 20th Century by Professor Emmett Sullivan (University of London)

Fundamentals of Music Theory by Professor Thomas Butler, John Philip Kitchen, & More (University of Edinburgh)

History of Rock, Part One by Professor John Covach (University of Rochester)

History of Rock, Part Two by Professor John Covach (University of Rochester)

Music as Biology: What We Like to Hear and Why by Professor Dale Purves (Duke University)

The Music of the Beatles by Professor John Covach (University of Rochester)

The Music of the Rolling Stones: 1962-1974 by Professor John Covach (University of Rochester)

Music’s Big Bang: The Genesis of Rock ‘n’ Roll by Professor David E. Carlson (University of Florida)

Postwar Abstract Painting by Professor Alex Roediger (Museum of Modern Art)

Understanding Memory: Explaining the Psychology of Memory through Movies by Professor John Seamon (Wesleyan University)

Understanding the Music Business by Professor Jen Gunderman (Vanderbilt University)

Write Like Mozart: An Introduction to Classical Music Composition by Professor Peter Edwards (National University of Singapore)

15 Free Social Sciences Courses on Coursera:

Classical Sociological Theory by Professor Bart Heerikhuizen & Danny de Vries (University of Amsterdam)

Conspiracy Planet by Professor Matthew Lasar (UC Santa Cruz)

Feminism and Social Justice by Professor Bettina Aptheker (UC Santa Cruz)

From Freedom Rides to Ferguson: Narratives of Nonviolence in the American Civil Rights Movement by Professor Bernard LaFayette, Jr. (Emory University)

Indigenous Canada by Professor Paul L. Gareau (University of Alberta)

International Women’s Health and Human Rights by Professor Anne Firth Murray (Stanford University)

Introduction to Psychology by Professor Steve Joordens (University of Toronto)

Know Thyself: The Unconscious by Professor Mitchell Green (University of Edinburgh)

Living with Dementia: Impact on Individuals, Caregivers, Communities and Societies by Professors Nancy Hodgson & Laura N. Gitlin (Johns Hopkins University)

Positive Psychology by Professor Barbara L. Fredrickson (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

Psychology of Popularity by Professor Mitch Prinstein (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

Social Psychology by Professor Scott Plous (Wesleyan University)

Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life by Professor Peggy Mason (University of Chicago)

Understanding Violence by Professor Deb Houry & Pamela Scully (Emory University)

35 Free Science Courses on Coursera:

21st Century Energy Transition by Professor Brad Hayes (University of Alberta)

Analyzing the Universe by Professor Terry A. Matilsky (Rutgers University)

Animal Behaviour and Welfare by Professor Nat Waran, Fritha Langford, and More (University of Edinburgh)

Astro 101: Black Holes by Professor Sharon Morsink (University of Alberta)

Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life by Professor Charles S. Cockell (University of Edinburgh)

Astrobiology: Exploring Other Worlds by Professor Chris Impey (University of Arizona)

Astronomy: Exploring Time and Space by Professor Chris Impey (University of Arizona)

Bugs 101: Insect-Human Interactions by Professor Maya Evenden (University of Alberta)

Chimpanzee Behavior and Conservation by Professor Emily Boehm, Anne Pusey, & Kara Walker (Duke University)

Confronting The Big Questions: Highlights of Modern Astronomy by Professor Adam Frank (University of Rochester)

Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology by Professor Philip John Currie (University of Alberta)

Emergence of Life by Professor Bruce W. Fouke (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Extinctions: Past, Present, & Future by Professor Anthony Martin (Emory University)

From the Big Bang to Dark Energy by Professor Hitoshi Murayama (University of Tokyo)

Game Theory by Professor Matthew O. Jackson, Kevin Leyton-Brown, & Yoav Shoham (Stanford University)

How Things Work: An Introduction to Physics by Professor Louis A. Bloomfield (University of Virginia)

Introduction to the Arctic Climate by Professor Paul G. Myers (University of Alberta)

Introduction to Genetics and Evolution by Professor Mohamed Noor (Duke University)

Introduction to Mathematical Thinking by Professor Keith Devlin (Stanford University)

Introduction to Reproduction by Professor Teresa K. Woodruff (Northwestern University)

Introduction to Statistics by Professor Guenther Walther (Stanford University)

Introduction to Sustainability by Professor Jonathan Tomkin (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Introductory Human Physiology by Professor Jennifer Carbrey & Emma Jakoi (Duke University)

Journey of the Universe: The Unfolding of Life by Professor John Grim & Mary Evelyn Tucker (Yale University)

Knowing the Universe: History and Philosophy of Astronomy by Professor Chris Impey (University of Arizona)

Medical Neuroscience by Professor Leonard E. White (Duke University)

Mountains 101 by Professor Zac Robinson (University of Alberta)

Our Earth: Its Climate, History, and Processes by Professor David M. Schultz & Rochelle Taylor (University of Manchester)

Our Earth’s Future by Professor Debra Tillinger (American Museum of Natural History)

Paleontology: Ancient Marine Reptiles by Professors Michael Caldwell & Halle P. Street (University of Alberta)

Paleontology: Early Vertebrate Evolution by Professor Alison Murray (University of Alberta)

Paleontology: Theropod Dinosaurs and the Origin of Birds by Professor Philip John Currie (University of Alberta)

Planet Earth and You by Professors Stephen Marshak & Eileen Herrstrom (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Roman Art and Archaeology by Professor David Soren (University of Arizona)

Understanding Plants, Part I: What a Plant Knows by Professor Daniel Chamovitz (Tel Aviv University)

Understanding Plants, Part II: Fundamentals of Plant Biology by Professor Daniel Chamovitz (Tel Aviv University)

Welcome to Game Theory by Professor Michihiro Kandori (University of Tokyo)

15 Free Education & Professional Courses on Coursera Covering Medicine, Law, Teaching, Writing, and More:

Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers by Professors Jeanette M. Tetrault, Robert Krause, and More (Yale University)

AIDS: Fear and Hope by Professor Richard Meisler (University of Michigan)

American Education Reform: History, Policy, Practice by Professor John L. Puckett & Michael Charles Johanek (University of Pennsylvania)

An Introduction to American Law by Professor Anita Allen, Shyam Balganesh, and More (University of Pennsylvania)

Applying to College 101 by Professor Whitney Soule, Sean Vereen, & Sara Woods (University of Pennsylvania)

Dentistry 101 by Professor Russell Taichman & Rogerio Castilho (University of Michigan)

English Composition by Professor Denise Comer (Duke University)

Essentials of Global Health by Professor Richard Skolnik (Yale University)

The History of Medicine by Professor Grant Hartzog & Greg Gates (UC Santa Cruz)

Hot Topics in Criminal Justice by Professor Christopher Slobogin (Vanderbilt University)

Introduction to Breast Cancer by Professor Anees Chagpar (Yale University)

Introduction to International Criminal Law by Professor Michael Scharf (Case Western Reserve University)

Introduction to Nonprofit Law by Professor John M. Bradley (University of Pennsylvania)

A Law Student’s Toolkit by Professor Ian Ayres (Yale University)

Learning How to Learn by Professor Barbara Oakley & Terrence Sejnowski (Deep Teaching Solutions)

Overcoming Dyslexia by Professor Sally Shaywitz & Bennett Shaywitz (Yale University)

Understanding Clinical Research by Professor Juan H. Klopper (University of Cape Town)

Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body Is Telling Us by Professor Connie B. Scanga (University of Pennsylvania)

Writing in the Sciences by Professor Kristin Sainani (Stanford University)

Free Biography Courses on Coursera:

Age of Jefferson by Professor Peter Onuf (University of Virginia)

Benjamin Franklin and His World by Professor Ezekiel J. Emanuel (University of Pennsylvania)

The Kennedy Half Century by Professor Larry Sabato (University of Virginia)

Luther and the West by Professor Christine Helmer (Northwestern University)

Patrick Henry: Forgotten Founder by Professor John Ragosta (University of Virginia)

Understanding Einstein: The Special Theory of Relativity by Professor Larry Randles Lagerstrom (Stanford University)

Free Sports & Hobbies Courses on Coursera:

Dog Emotion and Cognition by Professor Brian Hare (Duke University)

The Horse Course: Introduction to Basic Care and Management by Professor Chris J. Mortensen (University of Florida)

Sports and Society by Professor Orin Starn (Duke University)

The Truth About Cats and Dogs by Professors Hayley Walters, Heather Bacon, and More (University of Edinburgh)

Wine Tasting: Sensory Techniques for Wine Analysis by Professor John Buechsenstein (UC Davis)

Free Technology Courses on Coursera:

AI For Everyone by Professor Andrew Ng (DeepLearning.AI)

Internet Giants: The Law and Economics of Media Platforms by Professor Randal C. Picker (University of Chicago)

Internet History, Technology, and Security by Professor Charles Russell Severance (University of Michigan)

Introduction to Logic by Professor Michael Genesereth (Stanford University)

So many great free courses to choose from! We’ll be writing reviews of many of these courses as we take them. Time to go back to school today!