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.
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
Money & Business
Global challenges in practice: designing a development intervention
This free short course addresses the key elements of designing a development intervention. Its approach to ‘doing development’ will be value led rather than technical. There is a wealth of material teaching a technical approach to development intervention. This course seeks to shift the balance back to a value based approach to doing development...
.jpg)
free course icon
level 3: advanced icon
Society, Politics & Law
International relations: exploring territorial divisions
In this short taster course, drawn from part 1 of the MA in International Relations (D818), you will be introduced to the idea of international division, focusing on territory. Divisions over territory have often lied at the heart of global problems like conflict, and in the following pages you will learn about the roots of some of the lines on ...
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 icon
level 1: introductory icon
Badge icon
Society, Politics & Law
Advancing Black leadership
In this free course, learners will develop and explore skills to empower themselves as leaders.
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 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 ...