Free Online Courses With Certificates of Completion
Would you like to expand your knowledge and career opportunities without paying a dime? Several companies offer free online courses in business, digital technology, communication, science, education, art and design, social sciences, and more. You can even boost your resume by earning certificates of completion—all while learning from home.
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Exploring free online courses with certificates of completion can open up a whole new world of educational and career opportunities. After all, expanding your skills and broadening your knowledge base will always serve you well. You can improve your resume and develop new skills to help you be more effective in your job; if you don't have to spend any money doing it, there's not much of a downside.
MOOCs (massive open online courses) are college-level courses published online and accessible to anyone in the world for free. Many of these free online courses come with a certificate of completion that you can put on your resume or share on social media. MOOCs offer a unique opportunity to learn from industry experts without spending a cent. In 2018 alone, 20 million people around the world signed up for at least one MOOC.
However, the big English-language MOOC providers offer the courses for but charge a fee if you want to receive a certificate of completion. In some cases, you must pay the fee to complete exams or access the full course materials.
But there are still plenty of online courses available that come with a certificate of completion and don't cost you a dime. We've compiled a list of examples below, along with some tips on making the most of free online training and how free online certifications can boost your career prospects.
How to Get the Most Value Out of Free Training
Getting free online certifications can enhance your productivity and make you a more valuable employee. Just because they're free doesn't mean they don't require any effort. Here are a few tips on how to maximize the benefits of free online training:
1. Choose wisely
Do some research to make sure the course covers what you want to learn. Find a course that suits you on a topic you want to know more about. Some of the most useful courses offer project-based work that will give you something concrete (besides your certificate) to show an employer to demonstrate your competence.
2. Pace yourself
Boost your chances of success by only taking one course at a time. You don't want to exhaust your mental resources. You need to be realistic about what you can fit into your lifestyle: A self-paced course might be a better fit than one with a set schedule, for instance. Make sure to plan out when you can do the work, and watch that you don't overschedule yourself.
3. Commit to the process
It takes serious mental discipline to continue a course even when interest wanes, or your lifestyle gets hectic. If you find your motivation sagging, try to refocus on what skills you hope to acquire and why you wanted to take the course in the first place. Practicing good time management skills can go a long way toward reducing your stress and keeping your enthusiasm level high.
5 Companies that Offer Free Online Courses with Certificates of Completion
All the companies below offer free online courses with either paid or free certificates of completion:
- Coursera: Coursera offers many free online programs, enabling individuals to enhance their expertise in various fields. Upon completing a course, participants have the option to pay for a course certificate. Prices vary depending on the course and specialization.
- Saylor Academy: Saylor is a non-profit organization offering more than 100 free self-paced online courses in 20 different areas. If you pass a course's final exam with a grade of at least 70 percent, you earn a free certificate of completion. Note that there is a small fee ($5.00 as of October 2024) for the automated proctoring service.
- Aquent Gymnasium: Aquent focuses on courses for digital, creative, and communications professionals. It offers 10 free online courses. If you score at least 85 percent on the final exam, you will receive a free certificate of excellence. Aquent also offers video tutorials for practical skill development without the time commitment of a full course.
- Oxford Home Study Centre: UK-based Oxford Home Study Centre offers more than three dozen free online courses. Optional course certificates and diplomas are available and range from £10 for a certificate of completion to £120 for an endorsed diploma of achievement. A wide range of courses is available, from marketing and business management to fashion design and public relations.
- Stanford Online: This site hosts online courses taught by Stanford faculty. Some (but not all) are free, and those who meet certain criteria can earn a Statement of Accomplishment. Additional credentials range from a record of completion through graduate certificate credits. Some of these courses offer an option where you can pay a fee to earn a verified certificate.
How Free Certifications Can Help Your Career
Getting free certifications online can confer real advantages: In a survey published in the Harvard Business Review, 72 percent of people who had completed a MOOC reported receiving career benefits as a result. And 61 percent said they'd received educational benefits.
Completing courses and getting certifications shows an employer that you are motivated, disciplined, and curious. It demonstrates that you are committed to lifelong learning and professional development. These are all things that can set you apart from other job applicants. List online courses on your resume or LinkedIn profile; they are great indicators of your drive to learn new skills and add value to a company.
Ultimately, employers are interested in what you can do—learning new things is great, but what you do with your knowledge matters. Some courses require you to complete some sort of practical hands-on project, which can be very useful for selling yourself to an employer. But as long as you can talk about what you've learned and how your newfound skills are relevant to the job, free online certifications can be a boon to your career development.
Reach Your Goals
Exploring free online courses with certificates of completion can be worthwhile if you want to improve your resume or learn new skills. A vocational school might make sense for you if you're looking for more in-depth career training and more marketable credentials. Vocational schools offer job-focused training that can prepare you for a wide range of different occupations. Start exploring programs in your area by entering your zip code into the school finder and requesting information for the programs that interest you!
