Free Online Psychology Courses

Psychology.org offers a variety of psychology courses to choose from, here are some of the course descriptions

Free online psychology courses allow psychology students and anyone interested in the subject to gain a deeper understanding of specialty areas, explore diverse topics, and access valuable knowledge. While these courses do not confer credit, they can be an excellent resource for learning about a new topic or determining if a psychology degree may be right for you.

Most free online psychology courses use self-paced learning through video lectures, assignments, quizzes, and exams. Courses often include online discussions and reading materials. Our list covers 18 free online psychology courses from universities and psychological associations.

Popular Online Psychology Bachelor's Programs

1.Introduction To Psychology

Offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Introduction to Psychology course is one of the more comprehensive free psychology courses available. Course materials include self-tests, assignments, videos of classroom sessions, and a downloadable textbook. The textbook and other materials date from 2010 or earlier. Coursework explores the physical nature of the brain, emotions, learning, psychopathology, and social psychology.

Offered by Wesleyan University through Coursera

Like many Coursera offerings, this program is a free psychology course or certificate option. To earn the certificate of completion, you must complete all course materials, including video lectures, assignments, and reading materials. Please note that this is a certificate and not a certification.

The course does not offer college credit hours. If you want to use this course for professional development credit hours, be sure your credentialing organization accepts Coursera certificates of completion and the required hours. Coursera estimates that the course takes 37 hours to complete. The curriculum includes social perceptions and beliefs, communication, group behavior, aggression versus peace and mutual help, and how social psychology relates to daily living.

3.The Psychology, Biology, and Politics of Food

Offered by Yale University

This free psychology course offered by Yale University addresses the psychology of food and eating, political and social aspects of food production and policy, and personal and societal barriers or supports for healthy eating and nutrition.

4.Positive Psychology

Offered by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill through Coursera

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's positive psychology course is one of the shorter free psychology courses available. Each enrollee should expect to spend 11 hours to complete the course over three weeks. The six modules cover the psychology of positive thinking, seeking happiness, and other topics related to positivity and psychological well-being.

5.BerkeleyX: The Science of Happiness

Offered by the University of California Berkeley through edX

This program from UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center is one of the earliest and most popular free online psychology courses, with nearly 600,000 learners enrolled. It is designed for amateurs rather than mental health professionals but remains relevant for those with experience in the field.

6.Psychological Research Specialization

Offered by the American Psychological Association through Coursera

Coursera recommends taking the American Psychological Association's (APA) free psychological research specialization course over three months. The course covers methods of conducting effective research in psychology through methods, ethics, and statistics sessions. The intended audience is first-year and second-year college students, but anybody interested can participate.