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.
- All topics
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Money & Business
Understanding management: I'm managing thank you!
This free course, Understanding management: I'm managing thank you! provides you with a set of ideas for developing your approach to managing your own work what we might call self-management. In order to do this, we will examine some of the key processes of management decision making, such as allocating time, staff, physical and financial ...
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History & The Arts
Speeches and speech-making
This free course, Speeches and speech-making, explores an aspect of language use where 'voices' and 'texts' converge: the art of speech-making.
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level 3: advanced icon
Money & Business
Project management: the start of the project journey
This free course, Project management: The start of the project journey, introduces projects, what they are, how they come about, responses to problems and planning. It explores the role of key players including the project manager, feasibility studies, decision making and project life cycles.
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level 3: advanced icon
Money & Business
Managing the software enterprise: the organisational and business context
This free course, Managing the software enterprise: the organisational and business context, relates software to the organisation that it supports, drawing on basic ideas from organisational theory and management. We see how organisational practices become embodied in IT systems, practices that had previously been part of peoples tacit expertise...
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level 3: advanced icon
Money & Business
How teams work
This free course, How teams work, provides an introduction to working in virtual project teams by explaining terms and concepts related to teams and to projects. The complexity of the interaction of people and technology is highlighted.
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level 2: intermediate icon
Education & Development
Careers education and guidance
Successful transitions – whether from lower secondary to upper secondary, into work-based training or university, or into work at any age – are life-enhancing for individuals and crucial to our future social and economic well-being. They are also an indicator of a good school. This free course, Careers education and guidance (CEG), discusses ...
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Health, Sports & Psychology
Exercise and mental health
Each year thousands of pounds are spent on medications to treat conditions such as anxiety and depression. These medications often have negative side effects. Exercise is an alternative treatment that is low cost and has few side effects. In this free course, Exercise and mental health, we will look at the links between exercise and improved ...
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Health, Sports & Psychology
Challenging ideas in mental health
Take a new and different look at mental health. This free course, Challenging ideas in mental health, invites you to think differently about life's dilemmas by taking account of the views of all concerned, especially people experiencing mental distress. It explores ideas and practice in mental health, and will appeal to a wide range of people.
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level 1: introductory icon
Money & Business
The importance of interpersonal skills
To succeed in management you need good interpersonal skills, you need to understand how to deal with other people. This free course, The importance of interpersonal skills, will help you gain an awareness of your own skills and understand that an awareness of the interpersonal skills of others can help us enormously in dealing with the work ...
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Money & Business
Enacting European Citizenship (ENACT)
The term 'European citizenship' triggers an immediate association with the European Union, its member states, and people who are citizens of those states. This free course, Enacting European Citizenship (ENACT), develops another way of thinking about European citizenship whereby European citizenship need not be granted by the state, limited to ...
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Money & Business
Using voluntary work to get ahead in the job market
This free course, Using voluntary work to get ahead in the job market, explores how engaging in voluntary work can enhance your employment opportunities
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level 3: advanced icon
Money & Business
Employee engagement
Engagement is a key buzzword in 21st century management. Strategic human resource management rests on the belief that people are the key to achieving competitive advantage. Employees need to be seen as assets to be developed, not costs to be controlled. This free course explores three key themes: employee engagement, employee involvement and ...