Image from news.mit.edu. Shot by Christopher Harting
Like some of the other top universities in the United States, MIT is a privately owned research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1861 to help promote the increasing industrialization of the United States during that period. MIT has several other campuses dispersed in the country.
With a global score of 97.9, MIT is ranked as the second best university in the world by US News. There are many things about MIT that makes the university stand out among other universities. As of October 2020, 97 Nobel laureates, 26 Turing Award winners, and 8 Fields Medalists have been affiliated with MIT as alumni, faculty members, or researchers.
To broaden its reach to everyone around the world, including those who cannot afford to study at any of their campuses, they are offering a lot of free online courses. While most of these courses are free, students might have to pay a small fee for a certification from MIT to show that they completed the course through the university. However, you can still complete the courses without paying and obtaining a certificate for it. Alternatively, Harvard University also offers lots of free online classes for everyone around the globe.
Below are some of the free online courses available from the university:
Engineering Courses & Computer Science:
Mechanical Behavior of Materials
Explore materials from the atomic to the continuum level, and apply your learning to mechanics and engineering problems. This course is the first of three in a series of mechanics courses from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT. Taken together, these courses provide similar content to the MIT subject 3.032: Mechanical Behavior of Materials.
Subject: Engineering
Price: Free
Certificate: $49 USD
Length: 5 weeks
Language: English
Electrical, Optical & Magnetic Materials and Devices
This course will explain the basis of the electrical, optical, and magnetic properties of materials including semiconductors, metals, organics and insulators, and will show how devices are built to take advantage of those properties. It is illustrated with a wide range of devices, placing a strong emphasis on new and emerging technologies. Applications presented include diodes, transistors, photodetectors, solar cells (photovoltaics), displays, light emitting diodes, lasers, optical fibers and optical communications, photonic devices, magnetic data storage, motors, transformers and spintronics.
Subject: Engineering
Price: Free
Certificate: $150 USD
Length: 16 weeks
Language: English
Mechanics: Kinematics and Dynamics
Mechanics is the study of the physics of motion and how it relates to applied forces. It lays the foundation of understanding the world around us through the how and why of motion.
This physics course is the first in a series of four modules that covers calculus-based mechanics. This module reviews kinematics (the geometrical description of motion) in the context of one-dimensional, multi-dimensional, and circular motion. It also reviews Newton’s laws of motion and examines their application to a wide variety of cases.
The modules are based on material in MIT’s Physics I, which is required for all MIT undergraduates, and is being offered as an XSeries on edX. Please visit the Introductory Mechanics XSeries Program Page to learn more and to enroll in all four modules.
Subject: Physics
Price: Free
Certificate: $49 USD
Length: 12 weeks
Language: English
Circuits and Electronics 1: Basic Circuit Analysis
Want to learn about circuits and electronics, but unsure where to begin? Wondering how to make computers run faster or your mobile phone battery last longer? This free circuits course taught by edX CEO and MIT Professor Anant Agarwal and colleagues is for you.
This is the first of three online Circuits & Electronics courses offered by Professor Anant Agarwal and colleagues at MIT, and is taken by all MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) majors.
Topics covered include: resistive elements and networks; circuit analysis methods including KVL, KCL and the node method; independent and dependent sources; linearity, superposition, Thevenin & Norton methods; digital abstraction, combinational gates; and MOSFET switches and small signal analysis. Design and lab exercises are also significant components of the course.
Subject: Electronics
Price: Free
Certificate: $169 USD
Length: 5 Weeks
Language: English
Cybersecurity for Critical Urban Infrastructure
Critical urban infrastructure including energy, transportation, waste management, emergency service and communication systems are being hacked remotely by cyber attackers. These hackers use ransomware to encrypt the data cities need to run; then, they demand that public agencies pay a ransom to get their own data back. The costs associated with cyber attacks are substantial, extending to tens of millions of dollars to recreate data that are lost, and undermine the reputation of city governments across America.
Subject: Free
Price: Free
Certificate: $100 USD
Length: 4 weeks
Language: English
Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python
This course is the first of a two-course sequence: Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python, and Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science. Together, they are designed to help people with no prior exposure to computer science or programming learn to think computationally and write programs to tackle useful problems. Some of the people taking the two courses will use them as a stepping stone to more advanced computer science courses, but for many it will be their first and last computer science courses. This run features lecture videos, lecture exercises, and problem sets using Python 3.5. Even if you previously took the course with Python 2.7, you will be able to easily transition to Python 3.5 in future courses, or enroll now to refresh your learning
Subject: Computer Science
Price: Free
Certificate: $75 USD
Length: 9 weeks
Language: English
Data Analysis: Statistical Modeling and Computation in Applications
Data science requires multi-disciplinary skills ranging from mathematics, statistics, machine learning, problem solving to programming, visualization, and communication skills. In this course, learners will combine these foundational and practical skills with domain knowledge to ask and answer questions using real data.
Subject: Data Analysis and Statistics
Certificate: $300 USD
Length: 15 weeks
Language: English
Economics and Business Management Courses:
AP® Microeconomics
This economics course is an introduction to basic microeconomic principles. You will learn how individuals make decisions ranging from what type of goods to buy to how many hours to work, and how firms make decisions ranging from how many workers to hire to what prices to charge. You will study how to evaluate economic outcomes from the perspective of efficiency and fairness, and discuss the proper role of the government in determining these outcomes.
Subject: Economics and Finance
Price: Free
Certificate: $49 USD
Length: 12 weeks
Language: English
Supply Chain Analytics
Supply chains are complex systems involving multiple businesses and organizations with different goals and objectives. Many different analytical methods and techniques are used by researchers and practitioners alike to better design and manage their supply chains. This business and management course introduces the primary methods and tools that you will encounter in your study and practice of supply chains. We focus on the application of these methods, not necessarily the theoretical underpinnings.
Subject: Business and Management
Price: Free
Certificate: $199 USD
Length: 15 weeks
Language: English
Becoming an Entrepreneur
Curious about entrepreneurship, but not sure where to start? Becoming an Entrepreneur is designed in partnership with MIT to guide people of all ages and backgrounds through the process of founding a company. With enrollment in the hundreds of thousands, this course is as engaging and accessible as it is informative.
Becoming an Entrepreneur will provide you with inspiration to explore an entrepreneurial path and tools to overcome the initial challenges of building a business.
From developing new business ideas and doing market research to designing and testing your offering and pitching, this course follows LaunchX’s successful approach to entrepreneurship that leverages MIT’s Disciplined Entrepreneurship, lean methodologies, and design thinking. There will be a combination of short videos and activities that will challenge you to get you away from your computer screen and into the community to make a real impact.
Subject: Business and Management
Price: Free
Certificate: $69 USD
Length: 6 weeks
Language: English
Biological Courses:
Introduction to Biology – The Secret of Life
The 7.00x Introductory Biology course materials are available for exploration and completion by registering as an auditor or verified-track learner, including video, interactive problem sets, and exams. We strongly encourage you to work through the activities, towards a goal of learning biology. We have optimized the course settings for learning: instant feedback after trying problems and all content available at all times for self-paced progress. You receive feedback on correctness of answers, but the problem submissions do not count toward the grade for a certificate. Instead, we offer a thorough and robust means of certifying edX learners in their mastery of the MITx introductory biology content, through a the MITx 7.00x Introduction to Biology Competency Exam.
Subject: Biology and Life Sciences
Price: Free
Certificate: $150 USD
Length: 16 weeks
Language: English
Cell Biology: Signaling
How do we know what we know about cells? Enhance your scientific thinking and data analysis skills with this in-depth adventure through cell biology.
Subject: Biology and Life Sciences
Price: Free
Certificate: $99 USD
Length: 5 weeks
Language: English
Principles of Synthetic Biology
Do you like biology, biotechnology, or genetic engineering? Are you interested in computer science, engineering, or design? Synthetic Biology is an innovative field bringing together these subject areas and many more to create useful tools to solve everyday problems.
Subject: Computer Science
Price: Free
Certificate: $49 USD
Length: 15 weeks
Language: English
Not all the free courses that are offered by MIT are listed here, so if you don’t see your discipline of interest, check the source page below for a complete list of the free courses.
References:
Wikipedia
edX
