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: 137 items
Understanding PCSO powers free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Society, Politics & Law

Understanding PCSO powers

Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) play a vital role in modern policing. They often serve as the primary point of contact for communities to report concerns and share information. In this free course, you’ll explore the powers that PCSOs in England and Wales use in their daily duties, their role in supporting response policing, and the ...

Free course
6 hrs
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
Investigating a murder with forensic psychology free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Health, Sports & Psychology

Investigating a murder with forensic psychology

In this course, you’ll explore the way suspects are dealt with during a police investigation and learn about how psychology can help the police with their enquiries.

Free course
12 hrs
Wildfires: environmental and social entanglements free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

Society, Politics & Law

Wildfires: environmental and social entanglements

This course explores how environmental and social factors interact to cause wildfires and shows why these interactions need to be considered when preparing for future wildfires. Focusing on the 2007 wildfires in Greece, this course introduces students to the geographical concept of entanglement as a tool for exploring these interrelated factors....

Free course
6 hrs
Judicial decision making free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Society, Politics & Law

Judicial decision making

This free course, Judicial decision making, explains how judges decide cases. You will learn how judges make sense of evidence, and how they decide on fair outcomes in legal disputes. The course shows how the law constrains and influences judges, and what happens when the law is uncertain or contested. The course uses videos, practical examples,...

Free course
10 hrs
Applying your community engagement skills free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Society, Politics & Law

Applying your community engagement skills

This free course is the final instalment of a set of 10 courses with the common theme of community engagement and leadership. In the previous 9 courses there has been the opportunity to build a wide range of skills in leadership, communication, working with others and decision-making, in the context of policing within a community. We advise ...

Free course
6 hrs
Myths in law free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Society, Politics & Law

Myths in law

Have you ever wondered how much truth there was reflected in your favourite court room drama? How accurate is your favourite crime series in depicting the way the criminal justice system works? If you have, then this free course is for you. You will be looking at some of the biggest myths around criminal law and criminal courts to see how ...

Free course
10 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 skills to empower themselves as leaders.

Free course
Introducing key global development challenges free course icon level 3: advanced icon

Society, Politics & Law

Introducing key global development challenges

Global development is at a critical turning point. This course introduces ‘challenges’ as a spur to thinking critically and creatively about development’s future on a global scale. You will identify how the four key challenges of conflict, governance, justice, and transformation cut-across all areas of global development. These touch upon all ...

Free course
6 hrs
Applying social work law to asylum and immigration free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

Society, Politics & Law

Applying social work law to asylum and immigration

This course will present an overview of the policy and law that relates to social work with people involved in the asylum and immigration system and will introduce you to the ways in which social work practitioners can support people with insecure immigration status, refugees and asylum seekers more effectively. It will highlight some of the ...

Free course
8 hrs
Introduction to Ukrainian language and culture free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Languages

Introduction to Ukrainian language and culture

Building on the experience developed since the launch of the Open Centre for Languages and Cultures, this free short course provides an introduction to Ukrainian languages and culture. This course is for everybody who is interested in finding out about Ukraine and its people and wants to get a first insight into its rich cultural heritage. ...

Free course
25 hrs
Cyflwyniad i greu newid gwleidyddol a chymdeithasol free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Society, Politics & Law

Cyflwyniad i greu newid gwleidyddol a chymdeithasol

Ac yntau wedi’i ysgrifennu mewn cyfnod heriol - yn amgylcheddol, yn economaidd, yn wleidyddol, yn gymdeithasol ac o ran iechyd, mae ‘Cyflwyniad i wneud newid gwleidyddol a chymdeithasol’ yn rhoi sylfaen i chi ar gyfer rhai o’r sgiliau dinasyddiaeth a’r wybodaeth wleidyddol allweddol sydd eu hangen arnoch i ymyrryd yn y byd wrth iddo newid o’ch ...

Free course
10 hrs