Where Can I Find Free Courses to Study Online?
If you are a freelancer or are looking to train in a specific area, there are many platforms with certified courses, where you can register for free and choose from thousands of topics to study. Many of them can be found for free or at a very affordable cost. In this article, we will see a list of the best platforms to prepare you and acquire new skills as a professional.
Learning new things for your professional development is now easier than ever, thanks to the variety of free courses that you can find on the internet. These allow you to obtain accreditation or certification on your knowledge.
These are some of the Best Options for Taking Free or Very Low-Cost Online Courses:
- 1. Grow with Google
- 2. Aprende.org
- 3. Khan Academy
- 4. Fundación Telefónica
- 5. Coursera
- 6. EdX
- 7. MiríadaX
- 8. Edutin
- 9. Udemy
- 10. AulaFácil
Bonus (honorable mention):
Now Let’s See why Study Online Courses and Diplomas…
Are Online Studies Worth it in Companies?
The ease of access to information together with the need to switch to remote mode many aspects of our life as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic have changed the way we learn. This poses a challenge for traditional educational entities and universities, as well as for old educational models.
In an era where knowledge is of great value to companies, free training courses are gradually gaining weight to function in the world of work.
More and more recruiters are accepting “micro-credentials” as proof of technical knowledge. Little by little, hiring policies are becoming more based on skills than on having taken a career and nothing else.
According to a study done by the Career Advisory Board of Devri University, an 87% of employers are willing to take into account the knowledge acquired in free courses to consider a candidate.
Also Anant Agarwal, CEO of EdX, comments on the Business Because site that MOOCs (massive open online courses) are helping to revolutionize the way to obtain credentials as an expert and academic credit.
Above all, we are at a time when business needs have arisen for which university careers do not yet exist. And in some cases, even if the career already exists, the curricula are not updated with the latest requirements that the world of work needs.
The best way to catch up and take advantage is to study those skills on your own.
What Can I Study Online?
It doesn’t matter if you are dedicated to graphic design, programming, writing, photography or marketing. Or even if you want to take an English course or learn another language such as French, German, Portuguese, now you can learn it online.
You may have searched for courses related to your work or career and wanted to register. But attending face-to-face classes on fixed days and times is not always viable, due to your time or the distance to attend classes.
This is the Solution:
The best option to learn at your own pace without neglecting your other activities are the free online courses. If you study at the university and there is something that interests you, but it is not in the curriculum of your career, the free online training courses will also be of great help to you.
You can start from the level that you consider necessary and study whenever you want, without neglecting your study or work.
There are courses and study programs of all kinds, from free courses and paid to masters certified by various educational institutions. And from those that are just a few video tutorials to some that last months and include tests and exercises. It all depends on what you are looking for.
Are You Ready?
We have searched and found for you the 10 best sites to study online and learn what you want so you can improve your skills. Find free courses on the following sites:
1. Grow with Google
That’s right, Google offers free courses to acquire skills such as digital marketing, professional development, business, programming, Artificial Intelligence, data, online security, marketing among others. Several of these courses have a digital certification, which you can add to your CV to highlight your profile.
The best of all is the friendly format of the platform, with simple questionnaires after each chapter, to reinforce the topic.
Registering is also free. You can do it with your same Google account by connecting it to Google Actívate. A highly recommended option, without a doubt.
2. Aprende.Org
Developed by the Carlos Slim Foundation, Aprende.org is an online self-training site with topics of very diverse categories, to improve your employability.
Although its interface is not the most modern, the topics are very current and relevant for all types of work.
Some of the categories in which you will find courses are:
- Administration and finance
- Trade
- Technology
- Global society
- Sustainability
- Digitization
But you will also find training for more traditional areas such as construction, fashion and beauty, health and even crop techniques. Therefore, it is appropriate to obtain certificates in skills that you already have and in which you do not have a certificate that supports you.
Each course is designed with modules that contain videos and infographics.
That’s right: you have to pay close attention to each video and read very well. In addition, before each exam you are provided with a non-graded activity sheet but it is necessary to perform anyway, since then you will be asked in the test of each unit.
You must get 80% of correct answers to pass each exam. In this sense, it can be said that the site really cares about making sure that you not only memorized, but understood the topic.
Best of all: It’s 100% free and in Spanish.
3. Khan Academy
A highly recommended site, especially designed to help parents and teachers with the study of children. But it is also useful for university students and anyone. The areas of study it contains are mathematics, economics and finance, science and computing. The content is in English and Spanish.
Its teaching methodology is through videos and practical tests that allow you to go through levels, so it is very entertaining and really effective A site that you must try!
Pixar Offers a Free Course at Khan Academy:
Enter the Pixar in a Box course and learn how Pixar artists do their work. Yes, the number one in the graphic animation market. Sign up to create your own animations too.
The price? Free. But don’t forget to make your donation to bring free online education to more people in the world.
4. Telefónica Foundation
A site aimed at the Spanish public, but if you are from any other Spanish-speaking country, of course you can take advantage of the opportunity as well. In video format, with complementary PDF materials and tests in each module, the courses of the Telefónica Foundation are oriented to employability.
Some topics of interest that you can find are: Brand building, negotiation tactics, online security, digital marketing, project management, principles of big data, among others.
At the end of the course, you can opt for a digital certification for a very low cost of 10 to 20 euros. If we compare it with taking a course in an institution, this price is almost a gift.
The certifications have a registration or tracking number for you to add to your digital profiles (including LinkedIn). All courses are, of course, in Spanish and the presenters are very dynamic.
5. Coursera
Coursera is a well-known site, where you will find hundreds of courses from international universities. They are in English and Spanish, with expert professions in the field.
This site has great popularity for the quality of its contents. In addition, in each course, it is possible to obtain help from fellow students, as well as to certify in each course you take.
Certificates can be around 20 and 50 dollars. A fairly reasonable price, considering that Coursera has content from important universities, such as the Pontificia Universidad de Chile, the Universidad de Los Andes, the Tecnológico de Monterrey, the UNAM, the Universidad de Palermo, Universitat de Barcelona, among others of Spanish-speaking. In addition to associates of other prestigious entities.
The lessons are organized in weekly modules and in video format with brief tests and tasks graded by the other students. A very interesting plus is that this platform has the option to save notes by simply selecting the script of each video. Then each note can be added additional comments. This is useful when reviewing before the final exam. A platform that you should not miss trying.
6. EdX
Offers online courses and programs from study centers and universities of great international prestige. Most courses are in English. However, also content in Spanish. You can study free free courses and get a paid certification at the end.
In EdX you will find topics from architecture, law or chemistry to music, ethics and social sciences.
If You Speak English You Will be Interested in this:
Through EdX, you can study one of the open courses of Harvard, one of the most prestigious universities in the United States, considered even the best in the world. The themes you will see are very varied and interesting.
7. Miríada X
Available in Spanish and Portuguese. When entering the site, you will be able to see online courses from Spanish and Latin American international universities and institutions of great prestige, which are available for you to apply.
You will find, mainly, topics related to communication technologies, digital marketing and SEO. But there are very diverse and interesting areas that you can take advantage of to study.
The best of all is that you can choose free online courses and then get a certificate of participation. You can also acquire a certificate for completing the course and mastering the topic, for a small payment that can vary between 19 and 49 euros.
8. Edutin
An online course platform 100% in Spanish that also allows you to choose free courses with the option to buy the certification for a very low cost.
The courses are organized with video format and textual summaries by modules. A very simple platform to use and with a community in Spanish that, without a doubt, facilitates participation with other members.
The theme of the courses is very diverse, such as programming, administration and business, computer science, graphic design, marketing, languages, engineering and science, among others. Highly recommended for its ease of use.
9. Udemy
A highly recommended site, where you will find courses of all kinds and in several languages. You can also choose between free options and payment at very good prices. You even find courses on promotion that can cost you from USD $10 in topics of great utility.
Udemy has a very friendly interface and learning is through videos. A very important plus is that you can continue watching your lessons where you left off last time (a bit in the style of Netflix). In addition, you can advance or rewind the video, increase or decrease the speed and add markers in the most interesting parts to see them later.
You will also have the option to ask questions as you progress to get more information. On the other hand, you can save notes of what you are seeing in the videos and then you have the option to download them. A great option to study and always remember is to download and print the notes you save.
The courses are in several languages and there is very good content in English and Spanish. The learning areas are very diverse. They range from programming to music courses, through graphic design, marketing, social media, languages and much more.
10. Aula Fácil
An old acquaintance of free online courses. The site is 100% in Spanish and specializes in computer science and languages, but with many other topics such as business, crafts, cooking, self-help and more. Although its interface may seem a bit old-fashioned, the topics are still of great relevance.
You can learn the basics of any topic you choose through reading its contents, which are free. In addition, at the end of each course, you can apply for an exam and obtain a certification on the topic.
As a single warning: you have to like reading a lot and you must pay attention to what you read to pass each exam. You will have up to 3 attempts to pass them. The good news: All certificates are free.
Bonus: Featured Honorable Mentions that may Interest You
Femxa (Spain)
Femxa offers you access to free and 100% subsidized courses, designed for professionals residing in Spain who want to continue training, update their knowledge or reinvent themselves professionally.
It has specialized training in the sectors with the most opportunities of the moment: digital marketing, design, health, programming, project management, languages, office automation and many more. All without cost and with flexible hours, so you can combine it with your professional activity. The objective of this website is to help you improve your skills and adapt to the current demands of the labor market, guiding you towards new opportunities. Some of its most interesting features are:
– They have online and in-person options
– They have courses for all the Autonomous Communities
– They are endorsed by the SEPE and other public entities
Whether you are an employee, self-employed, or looking for new job opportunities, at Femxa you will find the training you need.
Alison
A website to learn various courses in areas such as economics and finance, business, information technology, health, personal development, languages and much more.
Almost all the content is in English. But the learning method is through videos, which facilitates understanding, even if you don’t master the language 100%
Cuando completas un curso en Alison, recibes un número de comprobante digital, pero puedes comprar un certificado digital y físico por una módica cantidad.
Memrise
Focused primarily on language learning. You can study from basic to advanced, in English, Japanese, French, Korean, Italian, Russian or German. The app can be installed on your mobile, which will help you review your lessons easily from anywhere.
Its use is free. Learning is based on repetition and focuses on the areas of reading, writing, and memory speed. But it also has Premium options (monthly, quarterly, or annual payment) that allow the review of difficult words, as well as pronunciation, oral comprehension, and learning with native speakers.
Recently, Memrise has many other academic topics in other subjects besides languages, but they can only be found from the web version through specific search. However, it is worth visiting them and once you have chosen them, they will also appear in your account from the mobile app.
Duolingo
If you are a fan of language learning, you will be familiar with Duolingo. A highly recommended site to learn languages at a basic level. The interesting thing is that you do it in a fun way, leveling up, like in a game. The page shows a very attractive graphical interface and, at the end of each lesson, it tells you how much fluency you have reached. In addition, it places words from previous lessons as a review so that you do not forget them as you learn new ones.
Duolingo cuenta con una excelente app para móviles, y ha recibido múltiples galardones entre los cuales se cuenta estar entre las mejores 60 de Android. The app will send you notifications to do your lesson of the day and help you reach your goals from anywhere.
The interesting thing about Duolingo is that, unlike other language apps and sites, in this one you can add several languages at once and complete the course for free (although there is also a Plus package (paid) to improve your experience, which offers you an extra reinforcement to correct previous errors, unlimited opportunities to practice without losing “lives” for each error or skip some units that you already master, for example.
Tesda
Visually very basic, but full of interesting resources to learn. Tesda Online Program is a site created by the Philippine government. Its objective is to bring education closer to Filipino citizens through the internet.
The contents are in English and are completely free. Its interface is very simple, due to its slideshow style.
Within Tesda you can create an account and easily register for any course. There are very diverse topics, from 3D animation to how to prepare food.
Be sure to take a look at this list of the 40 best Tesda courses. To do this, go to the end of the page that shows you the link.
LinkedIn Learning
Indeed, it could not be otherwise. The popular professional networking social network LinkedIn has its own professional training courses. In reality, these are not really “free”, but are part of the benefits you get when paying for a premium account on that platform.
Although the upgrade is one of the most expensive subscription services on the market in terms of social networks (USD $40.00), the service is well worth it if you have enough time to study.
The courses are in video format and are organized by short modules. They may or may not include a test in each module and a final exam. Some of these courses are endorsed by official entities and at the end you are issued a certificate that you can download or add to your profile. Seen from there, the payment of 40 dollars no longer seems so far-fetched, because only access to the courses is worth it.
The recommendation: If you already have LinkedIn Premium, do not miss the Learning service. If you don’t have it but you can pay for it and you have free time, it is an investment that is worth it.
AprenderGratis
Although it is not a course site in itself, it is a 100% Spanish portal with recommendations and access to hundreds of online courses on various topics related to careers such as architecture, design, economics, social sciences, etc. You will also find courses in the languages English, German, Chinese, Russian and more.
Now you know:
Online courses and study programs are available for anyone who wants to enroll. Start now to develop new skills that make your resume stand out.
Think that this is your professional training. The time or money you designate to them is an investment in yourself. Start now to train in something new to improve your professional profile.
Don’t forget to add your new skills and knowledge to your profile on SoyFreelancer.com. This way, you can participate in more projects, earn more and position yourself better as a professional.
Autor: Patricia Gutiérrez, redactora para Soyfreelancer.com
