The Internet has started something new for university and college students. There are more opportunities to learn or to continue your education while you are working. You can even get certificates of completion for grammar refreshers, editing, and a host of other areas. Psychology, computer technology, and business are also some of the free online college courses you may come across. There are some important points to make about these courses though.
Before taking any course
It is important for you to understand that no all “free” online college courses offer what you hope for. There are different credential keys that will matter when it comes to your resume or any degree you hope to gain. Most of the free online college courses are not going to offer university credit. This means the course is not accredited towards an Associate, Bachelor, or Master degree. It is simply a way for you to gain more experience in certain areas without spending money.
You do not want to consider these courses as a way to get your degree.
Instead, think of the courses as a means to become better at your current career or to test your interest towards a certain degree. If you want to get a degree you must enroll in an accredited university, pay tuition, and earn real credit hours whether you do so online, through distance learning, or in the classroom.
These are the credential keys most associated with free online college courses:
CC or certificate of completion
CA or certificate of accomplishment
HCC or honor code certificate
VC or verified certificate
VCA or verified certificate of accomplishment
CM or certificate of mastery
NC or no certificate
SA or statement of accomplishment
SP or statement of participation
At the end of the course you walk away with a piece of paper, or download it actually, showing that you have completed the course satisfactorily in order to get the CC or whatever the course offers.
The good news is even without credit in a university setting many of these free courses are offered by well known A-list and B-list universities.
Colleges offering free courses online
Through several websites including openculture.com you have access to MOOCs or massive open online courses from places like Duke, University of California, University of Alberta, Georgia Tech, and hundreds of others.
Courses also differ in what are being offered. For example Duke University offers an 11 week course called Introduction to Genetics and Evolution. The course provides a SA or VC. The verified certificate will cost money as a way to obtain proof of the credits taken.
The University of Alberta offers Dino 101: Dinosaur Paelobiology. It is a 12 week course and you can pay for a verified certificate.
Going back to discussing the credit or no credit for a moment, there are certain universities that may accept a VC for credit. It would depend on the college and you need to know which ones accept this document before you take the course—if you need it for credit.
Linear circuits, architecture, cryptography, computational methods and just about anything you could want is available in a free course. According to openculture.com they provide at least 1000 free online courses with 800 courses as part of the MOOC and certification program.
You can even start to learn a language online as well as read free ebooks from some of the literary greats. If nothing else a literary student can find these online resources helpful when taking certain literature courses. They would not have to buy the book that they can download to read on their computer.
Do not overlook local resources
Michigan is just one state that is a part of free online courses through Gale University. The university offers there courses in the Midwest region too. Gale provides free online courses with certificates of completion. All it takes is six weeks, a library card to a participating library, and a final exam with 35 questions. There are no assignments to post or get graded. Each individual module has a quiz that does not reflect in the completion. There are also 12 courses set out for two days a week.
Many libraries are starting to partner with online universities willing to offer free classes. Some classes are better than others, but again they are free. They are easy to access right from home and require minimal care to refresh your brain, to gain a new skill or to learn something new you always wanted to know.
Your local library can be a haven of free and helpful information including college courses.
Summing up the discussion
With so many different online college courses for free, it makes sense that you would be interested in finding them and using them. Just remember that not all courses can be used for credit and you may have to pay a little to ensure you receive credit if you need it for a university degree program.
Despite some drawbacks with certain classes not meeting expectations and limitations to claiming college credit, you can find yourself in a better career position.
A person who refreshes their mind, who gains new insights into today, as well as keeps up with the changes in their career through new training will be more marketable for a new job, promotion or other situation.
Many of the free online courses do not require books. They also offer supplementary resources and materials that can often be found online or easily for a discount at local bookstores. The Internet is vast, which means you and your education have a lot to take advantage of.
Whether you are in high school hoping to gain a little experience with college courses or looking to advance your 10 year career you have options. Find out what other courses are available from places like Johns Hopkins University, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and other locations because there are hundreds.