Don't know where to start?

Below is a selection of popular free courses from across all of our subject areas or you can view our complete list. If you find you are enjoying your study experience on OpenLearn and want to keep a personal track of your progress, sign up for a free OU account

Subject area Introductory
courses

Intermediate
courses

Advanced
courses

Body & Mind

Introducing Social Work Practice Factors that Influence Health Infants' Understanding of their Social World

Education

Numbers, Units and Arithmetic Working with young people in sport and exercise The 'Why' and 'What' of Educational Leadership and Management

History & The Arts

Start Writing Fiction Continuing Classical Latin Voice-leading Analysis of Music: The Foreground

Languages

Beginners Chinese: Introducing Yourself Intermediate Italian: La Famiglia Learning a Second Language

Money & Management

The Importance of Interpersonal Skills How to Frame a Business Case Understanding Opeations Management

Nature & Environment

Studying Darwin Understanding the Environment: A systems approach Introducing Environmental Decision Making

Science, Maths & Technology

Galaxies, Stars & Planets Computers & Computer Systems Invention and Innovation: An Introduction

Society

Starting with the Law: An overview of the Law Nuclear Power: Friend or Foe? Young People's Wellbeing

Looking to brush up on your study skills? Check out this list of skills-related courses.

What are free courses?

OpenLearn contains study materials from actual Open University courses. These are materials from the same courses our registered students take – but online and free to the world! With over 650 free courses, spread across a range of subject areas, we hope you'll find something that interests you.

Free courses from OpenLearn can take anything from 1-50 hours to work through and are available from introductory to postgraduate level. Each has clear learning outcomes, and many have activities and sample answers to help you assess your progress. You can even download an activity statement when you have finished. To take advantage of our free courses, sign up for a free OU account and enrol on as many as you like.