2025 is finally here. There’s no better time to share a list of 48 free online courses that you can use to start the new year learning something new. You can complete these courses at your own pace and at no cost. In many cases, you have the option to pay a fee after finishing the course to receive a certificate.
We’ve categorized the courses by field so you can easily find those that interest you and understand what each one entails.
Table of Contents (5)
Data Science, Office Automation, and Mathematics
- High-Dimensional Data Analysis: Offered by Harvard University, this basic course teaches the mathematical concepts of distance in relation to data and how these concepts can be applied to high-dimensional datasets. The course runs for four weeks, requiring 2-4 hours of study per week. Available on edX
- Data Analytics for Business: This free course, created by Georgia Tech, focuses on business analytics. It’s a more extensive course lasting 16 weeks, with a study commitment of 10-12 hours per week. Openings are available starting on Jan. 6 and Aug. 18, 2025. Available on edX
- Learning from Data: This course is offered by the prestigious California Institute of Technology and introduces participants to the field of machine learning. It covers both theory and practice, discussing mathematical and heuristic aspects of the subject. Available on the Caltech website
- Relational Databases and SQL: Created by Stanford University, this course provides an introduction to databases and SQL. It lasts for two weeks and requires an average of 8-10 hours of study per week. Available on edX
- Data Science: R Basics: This Harvard course teaches the basics of R programming, enabling learners to analyze and visualize data. The course lasts eight weeks and requires an average of 1-2 hours of study per week. Available on edX
- DavidsonX: Excel for Beginners: Offered by Davidson College, this course teaches you how to effectively use Excel, mastering its main functions. It runs for four weeks, with an average of 3-5 hours of study per week. Available on edX
- Statistics and R: This course focuses on programming in R to analyze data from file systems within the context of statistical data and analysis in the life sciences. It lasts four weeks, with an average of 2-4 hours of study per week. Available on edX
- Excel for Everyone: Data Analysis Fundamentals: Offered by the University of British Columbia, this course teaches advanced data processing and analysis techniques for strategic decision-making. It lasts six weeks and requires 2-4 hours of study per week. Available on edX
- Introduction to Calculus: This free course serves as an introduction to calculus, covering topics from functions to integrals. The entire course lasts about 10 hours. Available on Wolfram
- MS Office: This course is designed for office workers wishing to learn office automation using Microsoft Office. The course spans approximately 20 hours. Available on the Oxford Home Study Centre
Web Development, Design, Video Games, and Media
- Build a Full Website using WordPress: This free course serves as an introduction to creating a website using WordPress, covering the basics of the system. It has a duration of two hours. Available on Coursera
- Introduction to User Experience Design: This course from Georgia Tech University provides techniques for discovering the needs of your target users, allowing you to design websites and environments based on this knowledge. The course has a duration of six hours. Available on Coursera
- Image and Video Processing: From Mars to Hollywood with a Stop at the Hospital: Offered by Duke University, this course covers the fundamentals of photo and video processing. You’ll learn about the algorithms used, main formats, compression standards, as well as photo restoration and segmentation. Available on Coursera
- Creative Programming for Digital Media & Mobile Apps: This course from the University of London focuses on enhancing your creative skills in various areas, including video game development, art installations, and interactive music creation. The course has a duration of 25 hours. Available on Coursera
- Web Dev for Beginners: Created by Microsoft’s Azure Cloud Advocates team, this free course introduces web design and programming using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It’s always accessible for you to use and consult whenever you want. Available on GitHub
- W3Cx: HTML5 and CSS Fundamentals: This basic course covers the fundamentals of creating websites using HTML5 and CSS standards. It lasts six weeks and requires 4-6 hours of commitment per week. Available on edX
- W3Cx: HTML5 Apps and Games: Another course from the W3C, this program teaches you how to create apps and games with HTML5. It lasts four weeks and averages 6-8 hours of work per week. Available on edX
Cybersecurity, Cloud, and Networks
- Cyber Threat Management: This advanced course offered by the European Union Academy focuses on the main threats to the Internet and how to prepare effectively to face them. The course lasts 2-3 days. Available on EU Academy
- Foundations of IT Security and Risk Management (ITSRM): Another course from the EU Academy, this program provides a foundational understanding of the ITSRM methodology. It lasts six hours. Available on EU Academy
- Cryptography I: This Stanford University course delves into the inner workings of cryptographic systems and teaches how to use them correctly to protect data. It lasts three weeks and requires approximately seven hours of study per week. Available on Coursera
- End User VPN Security: This is a brief, two-hour introductory course for beginners covering the basics of VPNs, their types, and their uses. Available on Cybrary
- Advanced Cybersecurity Program: This basic course from Stanford University covers the fundamentals of cybersecurity, including major threats and defense mechanisms. It lasts two hours. Available on Stanford Online
- Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies: This course from Princeton University provides an in-depth understanding of how bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies function, focusing on blockchain technology. Available on Coursera
- Web Defense Fundamentals: This course covers the basics of web application security. It’s designed for developers to ensure they don’t create vulnerable web apps. Available on Cybrary
Artificial Intelligence
- AI and the Illusion of Intelligence: This course from Copenhagen Business School aims to dispel common myths about AI. It provides a non-technical overview of AI’s origins and future developments and explains why it’s not truly intelligent. The course lasts seven hours. Available on Coursera
- AI for Everyone: Master the Basics: Offered by IBM, this basic course covers the fundamentals of artificial intelligence, from key concepts to practical applications. It lasts four weeks, with 1-2 hours of study per week. Available on edX
- Fundamentals of Generative AI: Created by Microsoft, this course introduces participants to generative artificial intelligence. You’ll learn how to create various types of texts and illustrations using written commands. The course duration is one hour. Available on the Microsoft website
- Generative AI for Everyone: This course explores how generative AI works, the models used for text and image creation, and the opportunities and risks associated with it. It lasts around five hours. Available on Coursera
- AI for Educators: This course from Microsoft is specifically designed for teachers to learn how to integrate artificial intelligence into their teaching practices. The course duration is four hours. Available on the Microsoft website
- AI Skills for Engineers: Supervised Machine Learning: This course teaches the basics of machine learning, focusing on how to supervise algorithms throughout the process. It spans six weeks, with 6-8 hours of coursework per week. Available on edX
- Artificial Intelligence: Ethics & Social Challenges: Offered by Sweden’s Lund University, this course addresses the ethical and social implications of the increasing use of AI, guiding you on how to use it responsibly. The duration is 13 hours. Available on Coursera
- Become an AI-Powered Engineer: ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot: This course teaches you how to leverage artificial intelligence in programming, enabling you to create, improve, and review your code effectively. The course lasts about two hours. Available on Udemy
- Business Implications of AI: This course is designed for entry-level entrepreneurs to learn how to use AI to optimize their business strategies. The course has a duration of five hours. Available on Coursera
- ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Developers: This free course created by OpenAI teaches the fundamentals of crafting better prompts to interact with ChatGPT, which can assist you in your coding endeavors. It lasts for about two hours. Available on DeepLearning
- Data Science: Machine Learning: This free course offered by Harvard University provides insights into machine learning and various methods for implementation. The course spans eight weeks, requiring 2-4 hours per week. Available on edX
- AI for Everyone: This free introductory course familiarizes you with the concept of artificial intelligence, its possibilities, and its limitations. The course lasts about six hours. Available on DeepLearning
- Machine Learning Introduction for Everyone: This IBM course offers an introduction to machine learning and data science for individuals with a basic understanding of the models. The course lasts around seven hours. Available on Coursera
- Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI): Another IBM course designed to introduce you to artificial intelligence, covering its basic concepts, potential, and applications that can enhance our lives. The duration is approximately 13 hours. Available on Coursera
- Fundamental AI Concepts: This short course created by Microsoft covers essential concepts of how artificial intelligence functions. The course takes less than an hour. Available on the Microsoft website
- Python Basics for Data Science: This free course created by IBM teaches the use of Python in the field of data science. It lasts for three weeks, requiring 4-10 hours of study per week. Available on edX
Operating Systems, Programming, and Computing
- A Beginner’s Guide to Linux Kernel Development: This free course, developed by the Linux Foundation, teaches the basics needed to participate in Linux Kernel development. The course lasts between 12 and 16 hours. Available on the Linux Foundation website
- A Beginner’s Guide to Open Source Software Development: Another course from the Linux Foundation, this program introduces programmers to open source software, covering its philosophy, benefits, and successful project examples. It lasts 7-10 hours. Available on the Linux Foundation website
- Build a Modern Computer from First Principles: From Nand to Tetris: This free course offers knowledge on how to build a computer from scratch, starting with basic computer structures and progressing through the various components. The course is structured over three weeks, with approximately 14 hours of work each week. Available on Coursera
- Computer Science 101: Offered by Stanford University, this course introduces essential concepts of computer science through code snippets that illustrate how systems work. It lasts six weeks, with a commitment of 4-6 hours per week. Available on edX
- Compilers: This Stanford course focuses on the implementation of programming language compilers. It’s a more advanced course covering topics such as lexical analysis, parsing, syntax-driven translation, abstract syntax trees, and more. The course spans 10 weeks, with a time commitment of 5-10 hours per week. Available on edX
- Introduction to Computer Science: This extensive free course from Harvard provides an introduction to the world of computer science and programming, covering its fundamental concepts. The course lasts 12 weeks and requires 6-18 hours of study per week. Available on edX
- Introduction to Programming with Python: This introductory course from Harvard focuses on programming in Python. You’ll learn about functions, arguments, return values, variables, conditional statements, loops, and exceptions. The course lasts 10 weeks and requires an average of 3-9 hours of study per week. Available on edX
- Take Your First Steps with Rust: This course, created by Microsoft, teaches the basics of programming with Rust to help you create an app from the command line. The course has a duration of 5.5 hours. Available on Microsoft
Image | Henrique Setim | Jeremy Stewardson [1, 2]
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