6 World-Class Universities Like Harvard & Oxford That Offer Online Courses For Free
Continue your pursuit of education with these institutions wherever you are.
By John Lim — 09 Jan 2017, 11:38 AM
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to receive an education at world-class universities like Harvard and Oxford?
Well, wonder no more! With the help of the Internet, you can now continue your education with some amazing and free online resources available from top institutions.
Like free online learning services, massive open online courses (MOOCs) are among the hottest new trends sweeping schools, universities, and education today.
What is an MOOC?
It is an interactive step-by-step course aimed at reaching an unlimited number of participants worldwide to create a community of lifelong learners. Most MOOC courses have unlimited participation and open access via the Internet.
These institutions offer many of their courses in the form of video lectures, audio transcripts, and online quizzes. From astronomy to political science, they've got it covered:
1. Harvard University
World-famous Harvard University teamed up with nearby Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to create the edX learning platform, which currently offers 42 of its classes for free online. Many of these classes on edX, like Introduction to Computer Science, are self-guided and ready to start anytime you are.
Others, like AnatomyX, run on a fixed schedule. Some even offer college credit through the Harvard Extension School for a fee. Otherwise, completion of any free online course earns you a nifty free “Honor Code” certificate.
For more information, drop by the official website here.
2. Oxford University
Oxford University is the latest institution to join in the MOOC trend. By partnering with online platform edX, the prestigious university has now announced that it will begin enrolling students for its first course starting in February 2017.
For more information or how to enrol for Oxford's first MOOC, head over to their official website here.
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) is a web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content. OCW is open and available to the world and is a permanent MIT activity.
In there, you'll be able to find video and audio lectures from the world-famous Engineering school. You’ll also be able to access notes, digital assessments and even free online textbooks. Not every class at MIT offers these materials, but the Course Finder tool will let you easily sort the catalogue to find those that do.
You can view MIT’s searchable wealth of online course materials and lectures here.
4. Yale
Yale, one of the oldest universities in the States, has a limited albeit interesting range of courses. From Philosophy and Science of Human Nature to Listening to Music, you'll be able to extend your knowledge across various disciplines.
Courses are available through YouTube and on iTunes through Apple’s iTunes U free learning platform.
Enrol yourself into Yale's MOOCs here.
5. Duke University
Duke University offers a number of interactive courses through Coursera, a platform that operates massive open online courses. Lectures in subjects like English Composition and Genetics are offered, with videos broken up into easily digestible YouTube clips. Some courses offer online assessments as well.
Students will be able to interact with other students and teachers via online message boards and discussion groups to help in understanding materials better.
Head to Duke University's website for more information.
6. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
UCLA offers a wealth of class experiences for free online on its YouTube channel. Courses are organised into playlists, so you can watch lectures from courses like Sustainable Living, Modern Civilization, and Probability for Math Science on your own schedule.
Drop by UCLA's official website here for more details.
