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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History & The Arts
A freelance career in the creative arts
A freelance career in the creative arts is a free badged course which lasts 8 weeks, with approximately 3 hours’ study time each week. You can work through the course at your own pace, so if you have more time one week, there’s nothing to stop you pushing on and completing another week’s study. This course has a specific focus on the ...
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Money & Business
Engaging with children and young people
This free course, Engaging with children and young people, explores how police engage with children and young people and how this can be approached differently.
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Money & Business
Empowering communities
This free course, Empowering communities, discusses the most common forms of community empowerment, and explores the barriers to community empowerment and ways that these can be overcome. It will conclude by looking at crime and criminality: a particular challenge that can arise if communities are not sufficiently empowered and supported.
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Money & Business
Justice, fairness and mediation
This free course, Justice, fairness and mediation, considers the concepts of justice and fairness from various perspectives but mainly focuses on effective policing and community empowerment.
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Money & Business
Exploring evidence-based policing
This course, Exploring evidence-based policing, examines the basic elements of evidence-based policing and gives insight into how more evidence-based approaches can inform better policing practice.
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Money & Business
Understanding organisational value
All organisations must find new ways that benefit both their stakeholders and society. This means constantly improving their processes, goods and services. In the 21st century, new ideals of collaboration, inclusion, and equality are challenging more narrow market-based notions. This free course, Understanding organisational value, will explore ...
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Money & Business
Companies and financial accounting
This free course, Companies and financial accounting, introduces you to the legal characteristics of limited companies and how limited companies raise finance through ordinary shares and loan capital. It also introduces the interests of company stakeholders, and looks at three different perspectives on companies and their role in society. ...
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Money & Business
Contemporary issues in managing
This free online course, Contemporary issues in managing, introduces three contemporary approaches (managing through organisational culture, managing through internal marketing, and managing through collective leadership). These approaches require you to think critically and challenge ideas and received wisdom.
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Money & Business
Internships and other work experiences
In this free course, Internships and other work experiences, you’ll begin by learning more about what an internship is and how it might differ from other forms of work experience. You’ll find out what you can gain personally and professionally, and consider the practicalities of obtaining work experience, from how to choose what’s right for you,...
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Money & Business
Understanding your customers
This free course, Understanding your customers, is a short introduction to understanding customers. The course underlines the relevance of understanding customers as individuals, members of society and members of organisations. It clarifies some key marketing concepts and terminology and highlights some differences between consumer and ...
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Money & Business
Organisations and the financial system
Learn about the main types of financial resources available to organisations, how these funds can be used to start up a new business or sustain day-to-day operations, as well as develop long-term expansion plans.
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Society, Politics & Law
The economics of flood insurance
This course shows how some of the theories and tools of economics can be applied to understanding and tackling the problem of flood risk in the UK. With the incidence of flooding rising due to climate change, this is an increasingly important policy issue worldwide. You will gain insights into the practical use of economics in a ...