Learning new skills can help your career. Time. And this is true no matter who you are.
Looking for a new job? Unique skills can easily set you apart from hundreds of other applicants. Been in the same position for a long time? Expertise in a new field can be a factor in your promotion. Even if you’re a satisfied senior manager, gaining experience in an unfamiliar area shows how much your colleagues value learning new things.
Before you start stressing, know that we’re not asking you to sacrifice your life for a flying professor. Instead, we suggest devoting a few hours each week to advancing your career through online classes. (Online equals couch sweats, extra glass of wine or cup of hot chocolate.)
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Plus, you don’t have to spend hours trying to figure out what to study or where to study, because we’ve compiled a list of 47 online courses from great resources around the web. The best part? They are all free. Whether you’re interested in programming, graphic design, writing, or learning a new language, there’s sure to be a class for you.
Programming
- Harvard University Introduction to Computer Science, edX
The on-campus version of this course is Harvard’s largest. You will learn how to think algorithmically, solve programming problems effectively, and learn several languages such as CSS, HTML, and PHP. The course is free, but you can pay to add a HarvardX-verified certificate.
Duration: 9 lessons
- Introduction to Interactive Programming in Python (Part 1), Coursera
Anyone who has taken high school math can take this course developed by Rice University. In this class, you’ll learn to create simple interactive games like Pong, Blackjack, and Asteroids using a dedicated browser-based application.
Note: Free with trial
Duration: 3-4 hours per week/5 weeks
- Fundamentals of Java programming, Udacity
Java is the primary language used to develop Android applications and is often used for web development. If you’ve never programmed before but are interested in getting into one of these, this course is a great place to start.
Duration: 6 weeks/5 lessons
- Learn HTML and Codecademy
HTML is the primary coding language used to display content on a website. Even if you don’t want to become a coder, if you work with websites in any way, HTML knowledge will come in handy. You can watch the courses for free, but you’ll need to upgrade to Pro to get a certificate of completion. (Don’t worry, there’s a free trial!)
Duration: 9 hours
- HTML5 Coding Basics and Best Practices, edX
Anyone with basic HTML and CSS knowledge can take this course taught by the World Wide Web Consortium (also known as the W3C). You’ll learn to use simplified HTML5 elements, animate fun web graphics, and practice coding techniques through many interactive exercises.
Duration: 6 weeks/6-8 hours per week
- Dash, General Assembly
Dash teaches HTML, CSS and JavaScript and gives you step-by-step instructions on how to create a fun website. We tried it out and loved how the user workspace lets you see the code output in real-time.
Duration: 4 projects
- Introduction to C++, MIT OpenCourseWare
This four-week course provides a quick introduction to the C and C++ programming languages. You’ll learn the necessary fundamentals of memory management, pointers, and object-oriented programming, and practice finding errors when you misuse any of them.
Duration: 10 lectures, 5 assignments
- This is how you make Udemy and iPhone apps
This course will teach you how to create an app and get your first fully functional app into the App Store before the end of the day.
Duration: 4.5 hours/23 lessons
More: 10 Online Coding Tips for Total Beginners (And They’re All Free!)
Design
- Beginner’s Guide to Photo Editing in Photoshop, Pluralsight
Learn the basics of Photoshop, including introductory terms, definitions, tools, and techniques. You’ll be surprised how much you can learn about photo editing in 90 minutes!
Note: Free with trial
Duration: 1 hour 31 minutes
- Professional logo design on Adobe Illustrator, Udemy
Create an eye-catching logo and create an eye-catching company brand. This course teaches you Illustrator
It’s not mandatory.
Duration: 3-5 hours a week/4 weeks
- Beginner’s Guide to Concept Sketching, Pluralsight
Concept sketching can be used for logos, layouts, characters, environment design, and more. In this course, you’ll learn the fundamentals for each type of project using Adobe Photoshop.
Note: free with trial
Duration: 1 hour, 31 minutes
- Adobe InDesign Made Easy: A Beginner’s Guide to InDesign, Udemy
We know that completing 105 lessons seems like a lot—but the majority of them are under 10 minutes. Even if you’re a complete beginner, you’ll come out of this course knowing how to use InDesign to build page layouts for a variety of documents
