Free badged courses

A growing selection of our courses offer a free Open University digital badge. Badges demonstrate your interest in a subject, a commitment to your career or provide evidence of continuing professional development.

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Grid List Results: 44 items
Introducing Black leadership free course icon level 1: introductory icon Badge icon

Society, Politics & Law

Introducing Black leadership

In this free course, you will develop skills to empower yourself as a leader. Guided by the Five Ps model of leadership (person, process, position, product and purpose), you will learn about the challenges and possibilities of Black leadership. Developing skills in communication, critical analysis and teamwork will promote competence in a wide ...

Free course
24 hrs
Managing my money for young adults free course icon level 1: introductory icon Badge icon

Money & Business

Managing my money for young adults

This free course, Managing my money for young adults, will help you start to think about managing your finances. You will learn how to budget effectively, and will be encouraged to start thinking about your financial future.

Free course
24 hrs
Young children, the outdoors and nature free course icon level 2: intermediate icon Badge icon

Education & Development

Young children, the outdoors and nature

This free course, Young children, the outdoors and nature, looks at the importance of babies and toddlers having opportunities to engage with rich outdoor environments.

Free course
24 hrs
Multidisciplinary study: the value and benefits free course icon level 1: introductory icon Badge icon

Education & Development

Multidisciplinary study: the value and benefits

This free course, Multidisciplinary study: the values and benefits, explores the advantages of studying more than one subject and will help you to decide if multidisciplinary study is for you. Featuring videos with students on the Open University’s ‘Open’ qualifications, you will learn about the unique skills you can gain from studying a ...

Free course
5 hrs
Advancing Black leadership free course icon level 1: introductory icon Badge icon

Society, Politics & Law

Advancing Black leadership

In this free course, learners will develop and explore skills to empower themselves as leaders.

Free course
24 hrs
Being an OU student free course icon level 1: introductory icon Badge icon

Education & Development

Being an OU student

The induction course for new OU students, covering the essentials for starting your undergraduate studies.

Free course
12 hrs
An introduction to school librarianship free course icon level 1: introductory icon Badge icon

Education & Development

An introduction to school librarianship

This free course provides an introduction to school librarianship. The course is designed to develop learners’ confidence and skills in delivering a library service in schools. It could be of use to librarians with little or no knowledge as well as those with experience who are looking to upskill.

Free course
24 hrs
Diversity and inclusion in the workplace free course icon level 1: introductory icon Badge icon

Money & Business

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace

Do you feel concerned about a lack of diversity in your workplace? Is this something you want to address? Perhaps you’d like to feel more informed on a personal level before taking it further organisationally? This free course introduces you to the benefits and complexities of developing and supporting a diverse and inclusive workforce. It ...

Free course
24 hrs
Take your teaching online free course icon level 2: intermediate icon Badge icon

Education & Development

Take your teaching online

In this free course, Take your teaching online, you will gain knowledge fundamental to delivering effective teaching online. You will hear about the experiences of real educators, be introduced to cutting edge research, and understand the ideas and tools that shape how we teach and learn online. You will also learn useful methods that will ...

Free course
24 hrs
MSE’s Academy of Money free course icon level 1: introductory icon Badge icon

Money & Business

MSE’s Academy of Money

The Open University has joined forces with MoneySavingExpert (MSE) to produce this new free course to give you the skills and knowledge to master your finances. Packed with videos, audios, quizzes and activities the course covers all the key aspects of personal finance in six sessions of study that each take around two hours to complete.

Free course
12 hrs
Becoming an ethical researcher free course icon level 3: advanced icon Badge icon

Education & Development

Becoming an ethical researcher

This free course, Becoming an ethical researcher, explores the ethics of planning, carrying out and reporting research which involves human participants. It will sensitise you to issues that a researcher should consider to support ethical and well-justified decision-making. A wide variety of research scenarios will be used to stimulate ...

Free course
18 hrs
Describing language free course icon level 1: introductory icon Badge icon

Languages

Describing language

This free course introduces you to the basics of describing language. Using examples from English, you’ll learn how words are built, how they fit together to make sentences, and what labels like noun, verb and adjective mean. You’ll see how language patterns in regular ways and how the meaning of a sentence is more than the sum of its parts. ...

Free course
24 hrs