Free courses

Produced by The Open University, a world leader in open and distance learning, all OpenLearn courses are free to study. We offer nearly 1000 free courses across 9 different subject areas. Our courses are available to start right away.

Grid List Results: 136 items
Reading Shakespeare's As You Like It free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

History & The Arts

Reading Shakespeare's As You Like It

Do you enjoy watching Shakespeare's plays and like the idea of finding out more about them? This free course, Reading Shakespeare's As You Like It, will guide you through some of the most important speeches and scenes from one of Shakespeare's best-loved comedies.

Free course
6 hrs
The business of film free course icon level 1: introductory icon

History & The Arts

The business of film

This free 12-hour course explores the intriguing world of film production, and illuminates the processes of film development, distribution and finance.

Free course
12 hrs
Icarus: entering the world of myth free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

History & The Arts

Icarus: entering the world of myth

This free course, Icarus: entering the world of myth, will introduce you to one of the best-known myths from classical antiquity and its various re-tellings in later periods. You will begin by examining how the Icarus story connects with a number of other ancient myths, such as that of Theseus and the Minotaur. You will then be guided through an...

Free course
3 hrs
Art and life in ancient Egypt free course icon level 1: introductory icon

History & The Arts

Art and life in ancient Egypt

Around 1350 BC, the Egyptian grain accountant Nebamun commissioned the walls of his tomb-chapel to be painted with scenes depicting his afterlife, and the world in which he lived. Nebamun worked in the temple of Amun at Karnak during the reign of Amenhotep III (c. 1390-1352 BC). Amenhotep was one of the most important kings of the 18th Dynasty, ...

Free course
30 hrs
The First World War: trauma and memory free course icon level 1: introductory icon

History & The Arts

The First World War: trauma and memory

In this free course, The First World War: trauma and memory, you will study the subject of physical and mental trauma, its treatments and its representation. You will focus not only on the trauma experienced by combatants but also the effects of the First World War on civilian populations.

Free course
9 hrs
Sam Selvon, The Lonely Londoners free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

History & The Arts

Sam Selvon, The Lonely Londoners

This free course concentrates on Sam Selvon's twentieth-century novel, The Lonely Londoners. It considers the depiction of migration in the text as well as Selvon's treatment of memory as a vital part of the migrant's experience.

Free course
10 hrs
An introduction to music theory free course icon level 1: introductory icon

History & The Arts

An introduction to music theory

Gain an understanding of the basic building blocks of musical theory and notation. This free course, An introduction to music theory, will introduce you to music staves, clefs, rhythmic and pitch values, rhythmic metre and time signatures. This OpenLearn course provides an introduction to music theory pitched at a level equivalent to Grades 1–3 ...

Free course
8 hrs
Introduction to law in Wales free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

History & The Arts

Introduction to law in Wales

This free course, Introduction to law in Wales, gives a brief overview of the legal history in Wales from the 12th century, followed by an overview of devolution and referendums, the law making powers of the Welsh Assembly and the possible future for legal Wales.

Free course
8 hrs
Introducing Virgil’s Aeneid free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

History & The Arts

Introducing Virgil’s Aeneid

This free course offers an introduction to the Aeneid. Virgil’s Latin epic, written in the 1st century BCE, tells the story of the Trojan hero Aeneas and his journey to Italy, where he would become the ancestor of the Romans. Here, you will focus on the characterisation of this legendary hero, and learn why he was so important to the Romans of ...

Free course
7 hrs
Creative writing and critical reading free course icon level 3: advanced icon

History & The Arts

Creative writing and critical reading

This free course, Creative writing and critical reading, explores the importance of reading as part of a creative writer’s development at the postgraduate level. You will gain inspiration and ideas from examining other writers’ methods, as well as enhancing your critical reading skills. Examples will cover the genres of fiction, creative ...

Free course
8 hrs
Exploring philosophy: faking nature free course icon level 3: advanced icon

History & The Arts

Exploring philosophy: faking nature

Commercial exploitation of nature, such as mining, fracking, or generating hydro-electric power, often damages the way the natural environment looks. What if the environment could be restored to exactly how it looked before? Would that mean that no damage had been done, that the natural environment was as valuable as it had been before the ...

Free course
9 hrs
Introducing the Classical world free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

History & The Arts

Introducing the Classical world

How do we learn about the world of the ancient Romans and Greeks? This free course, Introducing the Classical world, will provide you with an insight into the Classical world by introducing you to the various sources of information used by scholars to draw together an image of this fascinating period of history.

Free course
20 hrs