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.

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Grid List Results: 140 items
Collective leadership free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Money & Business

Collective leadership

This free course, Collective leadership, will give you an insight into the importance of how to be a more effective leader, and how to better engage and work with ‘followers’ in an organisational setting.

Free course
6 hrs
Challenges in advanced management accounting free course icon level 3: advanced icon

Money & Business

Challenges in advanced management accounting

This free course, Challenges in advanced management accounting, focuses on strategic management accounting and selected concepts and techniques. It will help you to successfully navigate mid- to long-term challenges to creating sustainable organisations. This OpenLearn course requires a prior understanding of basic management accounting approaches.

Free course
15 hrs
What is strategic human resource management? free course icon level 3: advanced icon

Money & Business

What is strategic human resource management?

This free course, What is strategic human resource management?, is about the interplay between decision making in HR and the multiple environments within which such decisions are made. The underlying premise is that, normally, better choices are made when they are informed by an understanding of the multiple contexts which are relevant to those ...

Free course
4 hrs
Entrepreneurship – from ideas to reality free course icon level 2: intermediate icon Badge icon

Money & Business

Entrepreneurship – from ideas to reality

This free course, Entrepreneurship: from ideas to reality, is about starting and running your own business. Using case studies it will take you through the decisions from generating initial ideas through to deciding what you will do and how to establish your business and grow it. It will guide you through business models, funding options, ...

Free course
24 hrs
Exploring anxiety free course icon level 3: advanced icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Exploring anxiety

This free advanced level course, Exploring anxiety, serves as an introduction to masters level study in neurosciences and mental health. Focusing on anxiety, you will consider key issues concerning diagnosis, causes and interventions. You will also learn how to evaluate news items, and to go behind the headlines and begin to explore some of the ...

Free course
9 hrs
Discovering development management free course icon level 3: advanced icon

Money & Business

Discovering development management

Discovering development management is a free course that sets out to build up the basic capacities for managing the multiple challenges of development – any development. It rests on the assumption that management is a political and ethical process, a matter of the use of power to bring about desired goals in contexts characterised by conflicts ...

Free course
3 hrs
Exploring the relationship between anxiety and depression free course icon level 3: advanced icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Exploring the relationship between anxiety and depression

This free advanced level course, Exploring the relationship between anxiety and depression, serves as an introduction to masters level study in neurosciences and mental health. Focusing on anxiety and depression, you will consider key issues concerning diagnosis, causes and interventions, exploring how these conditions relate to each other. You ...

Free course
3 hrs
Lead and manage change in health and social care free course icon level 3: advanced icon

Health, Sports & Psychology

Lead and manage change in health and social care

Change is everywhere in health and social care work and can evoke a variety of emotions, from excitement and eager anticipation, to fear and outright hostility. In this free course, How to manage change in health and social care, you will explore the role of managers in the change process and the skills required for managing and leading change ...

Free course
7 hrs
Hybrid working: wellbeing and inclusion free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Money & Business

Hybrid working: wellbeing and inclusion

How is your workforce doing? What impact did the post-COVID-19 ‘pivot to online’ and the processes and practices that have followed have on staff wellbeing? This course will explore what workplace wellbeing means in a hybrid working world – whose responsibility it is, the challenges involved in creating and maintaining it, and the benefits it ...

Free course
12 hrs
The digital scholar free course icon level 2: intermediate icon Badge icon

Education & Development

The digital scholar

Digital scholarship is a shorthand for the intersection of three technology related developments: digital content, networked distribution and open practices. It is when digital, networked and open intersect that transformational practice occurs. In this free course, The digital scholar, you will explore the impact of digital technologies on ...

Free course
24 hrs
Hybrid working: digital communication and collaboration free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Digital & Computing

Hybrid working: digital communication and collaboration

Communication and digital collaboration skills are now essential for new ways of working and thriving in a digital world. As more organisations move to permanent hybrid working, being able to connect with others, manage your digital persona and use the digital tools and understand expectations is becoming more important.

Free course
12 hrs
Rural entrepreneurship in Wales free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Money & Business

Rural entrepreneurship in Wales

What are the important issues to consider when starting up or running a small business in a rural environment? This free course, Rural entrepreneurship in Wales, will introduce you to some concepts and models that will help you work out what you want to do with your business idea and to consider the impact of living in a rural location.

Free course
30 hrs