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38 free Harvard courses you can take online right now

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• Founded by Harvard and MIT , edX has thousands of free online classes and paid certificate programs.
• Harvard University offers over 145 free online courses through the online learning platform.
• Below, you can find 38 of the most interesting ones, from computer science to public speaking .

Whether you want to learn in-demand career skills from one of the best schools in the world, or just want to know what sitting in a Harvard class is like, the good news is: you can do it completely for free.

Founded by Harvard and MIT, edX  is a popular online learning platform and nonprofit working to democratize learning . Obstacles like steep tuition and location are no longer barriers when classes are available online for free or at affordable prices. 

The platform's 2,500+ online courses are free to audit, and many of the courses are sourced from the world's top universities,  including MIT , Princeton , Yale , Columbia , Stanford , the University of Michigan , NYU , and more. Of all the courses on edX, about 145 are from Harvard , spanning subjects from computer science  to public speaking .

You can audit these classes for free or opt to pay $50-$200 for features like graded homework and certificates of completion that you can add to your resume or LinkedIn profile. 

The 38 best free online Harvard courses:

Descriptions provided by edX.

Data Science: R Basics

Enroll for free

Build a foundation in R and learn how to wrangle, analyze, and visualize data.

Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking

Gain critical communication skills in writing and public speaking with this introduction to American political rhetoric.

You can read a review of the course here.

CS50's Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python

Learn to use machine learning in Python in this introductory course on artificial intelligence.

You can read more about Harvard's online computer sciences courses here.

The Architectural Imagination

Learn fundamental principles of architecture — as an academic subject or a professional career — by studying some of history's most important buildings.

Fundamentals of Neuroscience, Part 1: The Electrical Properties of the Neuron

Learn how electricity makes the neurons in your brain tick.

This introduction to moral and political philosophy is one of the most popular courses taught at Harvard College.

Statistics and R

An introduction to basic statistical concepts and R programming skills necessary for analyzing data in the life sciences.

Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles

Mobilize people to tackle tough problems and build the capacity to thrive through the dangers of change.

Child Protection: Children's Rights in Theory and Practice

Learn how to protect children from violence, exploitation, and neglect through law, policy, and practice in a human rights framework.

Using Python for Research

Take your introductory knowledge of Python programming to the next level and learn how to use Python 3 for your research.

Leaders of Learning

Explore and understand your own theories of learning and leadership. Gain the tools to imagine and build the future of learning.

Technology Entrepreneurship: Lab to Market

Explore how entrepreneurs build successful businesses by moving technology from lab to market.

The Health Effects of Climate Change

Learn how global warming impacts human health, and the ways we can diminish those impacts.

Introduction to Family Engagement in Education

Learn about successful collaborations between families and educators and why they lead to improved outcomes for students and schools.

CS50's Understanding Technology

This is CS50's introduction to technology for students who don't (yet) consider themselves proficient in using computers or understanding computer science. You can read more about Harvard's online computer sciences courses here.

Pyramids of Giza: Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology

Explore the archaeology, history, art, and hieroglyphs surrounding the famous Egyptian Pyramids at Giza. Learn about Old Kingdom pharaohs and elites, tombs, temples, the Sphinx, and how new technology is unlocking their secrets.

Introduction to Probability

Learn probability, an essential language and set of tools for understanding data, randomness, and uncertainty.

Humanitarian Response to Conflict and Disaster

Learn the principles guiding humanitarian response to modern emergencies, and the challenges faced in the field today.

Masterpieces of World Literature

Embark on a global journey to explore the past, present, and future of World Literature.

Religion, Conflict and Peace

Explore the diverse and complex roles that religions play in both promoting and mitigating violence.

Data Science: Inference and Modeling

Learn inference and modeling, two of the most widely used statistical tools in data analysis.

Lessons from Ebola: Preventing the Next Pandemic

Understanding the context for the Ebola outbreak: What went right, what went wrong, and how we can all do better.

Prescription Drug Regulation, Cost, and Access: Current Controversies in Context

Understand how the FDA regulates pharmaceuticals and explore debates on prescription drug costs, marketing, and testing.

CitiesX: The Past, Present, and Future of Urban Life

Explore what makes cities energizing, amazing, challenging, and perhaps humanity's greatest invention.

Backyard Meteorology: The Science of Weather

Learn to forecast the weather just by looking out your window.

Fat Chance: Probability from the Ground Up

Increase your quantitative reasoning skills through a deeper understanding of probability and statistics.

The Path to Happiness: What Chinese Philosophy Teaches us about the Good Life

Why should we care about Confucius? Explore ancient Chinese philosophy, ethics, and political theory to challenge your assumptions of what it means to be happy, live a meaningful life, and change the world.

Science & Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science

Top chefs and Harvard researchers explore how traditional and modernist cooking techniques can illuminate basic principles in chemistry, physics, and engineering. Learn about elasticity, viscosity, mayonnaise, baking, and more.

Food Fermentation: The Science of Cooking with Microbes

In "Food Fermentation: The Science of Cooking with Microbes," explore the roles that microbes play in the production, preservation, and enhancement of diverse foods in a variety of culinary traditions, and learn about the history of food fermentations.

Improving Your Business Through a Culture of Health

Learn how a Culture of Health can transform your business to improve the well-being of your employees and company, while increasing revenue.

The Opioid Crisis in America

Learn about the opioid epidemic in the United States, including information about treatment and recovery from opioid addiction.

Women Making History: Ten Objects, Many Stories

Learn how American women created, confronted, and embraced change in the 20th century while exploring 10 objects from Radcliffe's Schlesinger Library.

American Government: Constitutional Foundations

Learn how early American politics informed the US Constitution and why its promise of liberty and equality has yet to be fully realized.

MalariaX: Defeating Malaria from the Genes to the Globe

How can we eradicate malaria? Explore cutting-edge science and technology, and examine policies needed, to control and eliminate malaria.

US Political Institutions: Congress, Presidency, Courts, and Bureaucracy

Examine the inner workings of the three branches of the US Federal Government.

Citizen Politics in America: Public Opinion, Elections, Interest Groups, and the Media

Learn about the forces in American politics that seek to influence the electorate and shift the political landscape.

Remote Work Revolution for Everyone

"In Remote Work Revolution for Everyone," you will learn to excel in the virtual-work landscape. You will learn how to build trust, increase productivity, use digital tools intelligently, and remain fully aligned with your remote team.

Practical Improvement Science in Health Care: A Roadmap for Getting Results

Learn the skills and tools of improvement science to make positive changes in health, healthcare, and your daily life.

• Main content

CS50: Introduction to Computer Science

An introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming.

Associated Schools

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

What you'll learn.

A broad and robust understanding of computer science and programming

How to think algorithmically and solve programming problems efficiently

Concepts like abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development

Familiarity with a number of languages, including C, Python, SQL, and JavaScript plus CSS and HTML

How to engage with a vibrant community of like-minded learners from all levels of experience

How to develop and present a final programming project to your peers

Course description

This is CS50x , Harvard University's introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming for majors and non-majors alike, with or without prior programming experience. An entry-level course taught by David J. Malan, CS50x teaches students how to think algorithmically and solve problems efficiently. Topics include abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development. Languages include C, Python, SQL, and JavaScript plus CSS and HTML. Problem sets inspired by real-world domains of biology, cryptography, finance, forensics, and gaming. The on-campus version of CS50x , CS50, is Harvard's largest course. 

Students who earn a satisfactory score on 9 problem sets (i.e., programming assignments) and a final project are eligible for a certificate. This is a self-paced course–you may take CS50x on your own schedule.

Instructors

David J. Malan

You may also like

CS50's Understanding Technology

This is CS50’s introduction to technology for students who don’t (yet!) consider themselves computer persons.

CS50's Web Programming with Python and JavaScript

This course picks up where CS50 leaves off, diving more deeply into the design and implementation of web apps with Python, JavaScript, and SQL using frameworks like Django, React, and Bootstrap.

CS50 for Lawyers

This course is a variant of Harvard University's introduction to computer science, CS50, designed especially for lawyers (and law students).

Business Essentials

Leadership & management, credential of leadership, impact, and management in business (climb), entrepreneurship & innovation.

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Finance & Accounting

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Online Business Certificate Courses

Business strategy, digital transformation, leadership, ethics, and corporate accountability.

Gain applicable skills, build new business capabilities, and tap into the confidence you need to improve your organization and advance your career.

Featured Program

CLIMB enables new and experienced leaders to ignite their careers with a combination of vital and forward-looking business skills, self-reflection, and an immersive cohort-based learning experience with a diverse global network.

Interpret data to inform business decisions, explore the economic foundations of strategy, and discover what’s behind the numbers in financial statements.

Credential of Readiness (CORe)

Designed to help you achieve fluency in the language of business, CORe is a business fundamentals program that combines Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, and Financial Accounting with a final exam.

Business Analytics

Apply fundamental data analysis to real business problems.

Economics for Managers

See the world through the lens of economics and gain the knowledge and skills to craft successful business strategy.

Financial Accounting

In this accounting fundamentals course, discover what's behind the numbers in financial statements, such as balance sheets and income statements.

Develop the leadership and management skills to get things done and bring out the best in your team, whether you’re an aspiring, new, or seasoned leader.

Leadership Principles

Learn to bring out the best in others by applying and adapting your leadership style and managing the conditions that drive team performance.

Develop a toolkit for making tough leadership decisions.

Organizational Leadership

Elevate your leadership skills to take your organization to the next level.

Management Essentials

Master four vital managerial processes: decision-making, implementation, organizational learning, and change management.

Strategy Execution

Gain the tools, skills, and frameworks to successfully implement strategy within your organization.

Power and Influence for Positive Impact

Understand how power really works and develop your own power to gain influence and make an impact.

Negotiation Mastery

Secure maximum value for your organization through a mastery of negotiation techniques.

Learn what it takes to harness innovation and transform a disruptive idea into a viable venture.

Entrepreneurship Essentials

Master a proven framework for building and financing new ventures, and make your entrepreneurial dreams a reality.

Disruptive Strategy

Strengthen your capacity to create winning strategies and bring innovations to market by discovering customer jobs to be done and aligning your business’s resources, processes, and profit formula.

Design Thinking and Innovation

Uncover innovative solutions to your most challenging business problems.

Launching Tech Ventures

Build a viable, valuable tech venture that can profitably scale.

Winning with Digital Platforms

Thrive in the age of digital platforms.

Identify business goals, make critical decisions, organize for innovation, and help teams thrive and grow.

Formulate strategies to give your organization a competitive advantage, using a proven framework that creates value for customers, employees, and suppliers.

Sustainable Business Strategy

Become a purpose-driven leader by learning how to influence key stakeholders and integrate values into your work to catalyze system-level change.

Global Business

Gain the knowledge you need to thrive in today's interconnected, global economy.

Learn financial principles, understand financial statements, and unlock insights into performance and potential.

Leading with Finance

Build an intuitive understanding of finance to better communicate with key stakeholders and grow your career.

Sustainable Investing

Evaluate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, and measure and manage impact investments.

Alternative Investments

Take your finance knowledge to the next level by learning how to maximize investment portfolio value with alternative investments, including private equity and real estate.

Understand what it takes to combine purpose and profit and how businesses can face today's global challenges.

Business and Climate Change

Prepare yourself and your organization for the business risks and opportunities created by climate change.

Develop marketing strategies that reach and retain customers.

Digital Marketing Strategy

Develop digital marketing strategies that reach and retain customers.

Develop vital skills and strategies that enable you and your organization to stay competitive in the digital economy.

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HHI has developed several free online courses to provide the humanitarian community with training on the fundamentals of humanitarian response. 

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Building a Better Response

Free online course to strengthen the capacity of practitioners and improve humanitarian coordination. Links to an external site.

NNPHL Online Course

Self-guided online program designed to improve humanitarian leadership, management, and technical skills. Links to external site. 

Humanitarian Response to Conflict and Disaster

Free online HarvardX course that teaches the principles guiding humanitarian response to modern emergencies. Links to an external site. 

Humanitarian Needs Assessment Training

Free online course that trains users on conducting humanitarian needs assessments. Links to an external site. 

Online marketing for beginners: 10 paid and free courses to start with

In today’s digital marketplace, personalization is king. Hubspot’s The State of Marketing 2024 report underscores this, revealing that 75% of marketers credit personalized experiences with boosting sales and customer loyalty. This strategic focus is reshaping companies’ online narratives, directly influencing a return on investment (ROI) and growth trajectories.

The digital realm demands a deep understanding of consumer behavior, market trends, and keeping up with technological trends and advancements. For those carving out a career in digital or online marketing, you’re in an era where science meets creativity. 

UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA

Dr. Jonah Berger, a Wharton School professor at the University of Pennsylvania and bestselling author of books like Magic Words and The Catalyst , views the right digital marketing course as a critical piece in the puzzle of success.

“If you already have your product, a class can teach you how to get it to the right customers,” he asserts. Berger emphasizes the versatility of digital marketing education, noting that it can guide entrepreneurs in everything from product design to startup selection.

He advises prospective students to first identify their needs and desired outcomes before choosing a course. “The more that courses help you address a particular tactical need you have, the better off you’re going to be,” he explains. He encourages focusing on “modern marketing” trends such as customer centricity, highlighting the shift towards prioritizing the customer’s perspective over the product or service.

For Berger, truly successful digital marketing lies in “the marriage of data science and behavioral science.” He stresses the importance of understanding customer decision-making while leveraging data for deeper insights. This approach is paramount in a landscape dominated by search engines, social media, and omni-channel marketing strategies.

For those interested in working in the online marketing industry, taking a course can be an effective way to build a solid foundation. Fortune compiled a list of both free and paid online marketing courses you can take on your home computer to help you add the skill to your digital toolbox. 

5 free online marketing courses

Enrolling in a free course can give you the necessary skills to get started without breaking the bank. These five free online courses teach digital marketing at an introductory level. Each varies on program length but offers generalized coursework. The list is in alphabetical order.

1. CareerFoundry: Digital Marketing Program

This one is for people who don’t have a lot of time but still want to dip their toes in the digital marketing waters. To figure out if digital marketing is right for you, CareerFoundry can send you a free five-day short course to your email inbox. Each lesson takes around 15 minutes, offering barebones instruction to the world of digital marketing and making a career change. It’s worth noting that the content you receive is the beginning lessons of a much more robust, four to seven-month long, $6,900 immersive, should you want to opt for the paid version. 

2. Google: Fundamentals of Digital Marketing

This 40-hour course, offered by one of the most popular search engine companies, teaches digital marketing at an entry-level . The 24-module class, accredited by the Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe and The Open University, contains hands-on exercises.

Tutorials include topics like making it easy to find a business on the internet and reaching customers through email and video. After passing each tutorial, the course offers one final assessment, and after taking and passing that, you will receive a sharable award to add to your LinkedIn profile.

3. Meta: Blueprint

Facebook’s parent company, Meta, offers 36 free courses in its Blueprint program . The program aims to give learners fast, self-guided digital marketing walkthroughs and training on sites like Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Topics range from bringing your business online and establishing marketing goals to attracting an audience and making creative Instagram Stories. 

4. Simplilearn: Digital Marketing Strategy

This free course by Simplilearn consists of seven main modules, each containing a self-paced string of video lessons. It aims to provide learners with an introduction to the digital marketing landscape. 

In two hours, you will learn about customer segmentation and persona, plus you’ll learn how to conduct market research and create a marketing calendar. After each chapter, there is a knowledge check, and after completing the class, you will receive a certificate of completion. According to the site, more than 25,000 people have enrolled in this course.

5. Udemy: Marketing on Instagram 

This introductory course from Three Sixty Academy , offered on the Udemy platform, teaches learners the fundamentals of Instagram marketing and how to increase your follower base and maximize ROI. The course consists of nine tutorials over the course of 40 minutes. According to the site, more than 30,000 students have enrolled in this course. 

5 paid online marketing courses

Taking paid courses can be an effective way to learn marketing concepts and practical applications. By paying for a course, you can access comprehensive content and detailed explanations in a structured learning environment. This can help you gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter and improve your skills. Courses are listed in alphabetical order.

1. Coursera: Introduction to Digital Marketing

Coursera has a beginner-level course that lasts for around nine hours and is taught by Steve Fritzenkotter, a continuing education instructor from the University of California, Irvine. The course covers everything from search engine marketing and two-way communication with customers to storytelling and reputation management. 

According to the site, it’s free to start, but after a seven-day trial period, you’ll be required to pay $49 monthly. The subscription gives you access to all of the lectures, assignments, knowledge checks, discussion forums, and even a certification of completion. Lastly, the course has more than 10,500 enrollees. 

2. eCornell: Assessing Opportunities in Paid Digital Media

eCornell’s online paid media course covers the basics of search engine marketing, email marketing, and video marketing through a paid lens. The course tackles topics like social media and mobile ads and will guide you through the process of drafting a paid media marketing plan. 

This two-week, fully online, instructor-led course is targeted towards marketing managers who want to understand the role digital marketing plays in an organization. The course is priced at $1,199 and is part of eCornell’s Digital Marketing program, which is priced at $3,699 and includes four courses. After completing the entire program, you will have earned a certificate.

3. Harvard Business School: Digital Marketing Strategy

Harvard Business School Online’s digital marketing course is seven weeks long, self-paced, and contains six modules. The key concepts taught are the evolution of marketing, different approaches to budget allocation, and customer engagement techniques like storytelling and personalization. 

The featured exercises include building a practice budget, calculating a customer’s lifetime value, and advising a real-life company on its marketing plan. The course costs $1,750, and the application is free, but you must be at least 18 years old to apply. 

4. LinkedIn Learning: Advance as a Digital Marketing Specialist

LinkedIn Learning’s digital marketing career path is a comprehensive program with nine courses. Each one is more than ten hours long and is designed to teach learners how to create effective customer touchpoints, develop content strategies, and gain expertise in SEO and analytics. Upon completing the program, students receive a certificate that can be added to their LinkedIn profile.

The lectures are delivered by industry experts Brad Batesole, who teaches part-time at California State University Northridge, and Marta Dapena-Baron, a former marketing lecturer at the University of Michigan and Cornell University.

To access this course path, users must subscribe to the service. The subscription costs $379.88 per seat per year, with a two-seat minimum requirement for teams.

5. Udemy: The Complete Digital Marketing Course—12 Courses in 1 

This $199.99 course offered by Udemy teaches students how to master digital marketing strategy and the fundamentals of social media, SEO, YouTube, email, X (formerly Twitter), Quora, and Facebook marketing. Taught in 17 languages over 22.5 hours of videos and articles, it also teaches you copywriting, making a website, and performing market research. 

According to the site, the course comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and it caters to three target audiences: individuals who wish to enhance their skills for job opportunities, website owners looking to boost their traffic and sales, and pre-launch business owners who are unsure where to begin.

Things to consider before enrolling in an online marketing course

If there’s one takeaway from this article, it’s that there are a lot of options in terms of the kinds of courses you can take. An overwhelming number of options can lead to analysis paralysis, so it’s important to remember that while some courses might sound great, they might not give you the exact results you’re looking for. 

Before spending your hard-earned cash or wasting your time with any marketing course, consider these factors:

• Hands-on practice : According to a report by the U.S. Department of Education ,  the term “hands-on approach” refers to guided instruction through experience. “It’s one thing to hear somebody say something. It can be quite another to make sure you can apply that thing,” Berger says. “It’s important to learn from others, but you need to make sure you can apply those learnings as well.” 
• Reviews : Berger says that word of mouth is another powerful tool in determining what you should spend your money and time on. “When I am making a tough decision, I turn to others—either looking at reviews online or talking with people offline—to understand what other people think and help make better decisions.” Sites like Udemy and Simplilearn provide ratings on the front pages of courses. 

So, what is the best online marketing course to take?

The best online marketing course is the one that best suits your needs. While you can scroll through thousands of TikTok and YouTube videos to pick up key information, a structured course can give you the backbone you need to improve your digital marketing skills. 

Whether you want to learn for free or for money, there’s an option for everyone. But if you’re still on the fence about taking an online marketing course, hear Berger’s advice: 

“Marketing touches almost everything we do—we all have a customer. Brand managers sell products, B2B companies sell services, leaders sell ideas, doctors convince patients to take medicine, lawyers try to convince their clients to take action, and employees try to convince their bosses.”

He explains that whether we interface with our customers, spouses, or children, we aim to understand them and meet them where they are. “It’s about understanding who you’re interacting with and delivering them value.” If that sounds interesting to you, then digital marketing could be a good career path. 

Fortune outlined the path you need to take to become a digital marketer , and we also compiled a list of 16 entrepreneurial classes you can take online now .

Harvard Business Analytics Program

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All the best FREE Harvard classes you can take online

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Wouldn’t it be fun to tell people that you went to Harvard? Take a class online, and you can.

Oh, they’re free

Score. Dozens of classes are available through edX at no cost. Just make an account and you’re good to go. Note : A verified certificate of completion will cost you. Be prepared to pony up at least $99. Totally not necessary if you’re doing it to learn something new.

Classes are self-paced and generally run for six to 14 weeks. (Expect a few hours of lessons and assignments per week.) Challenge yourself to learn something new by the time fall rolls around!

Available Harvard online classes

Here are some class options to choose from.

Computer and tech smarts

• CS 101: Introduction to Computer Science
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• Now’s the time: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python
• Learn how Netflix recs work: Data Science: Machine Learning
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Best Online Bookkeeping Classes

Skillshare is our pick for the best overall online bookkeeping class

A bookkeeping course can help if you're pursuing a career in the field, but it can also help you learn how to take care of the books for your small business or yourself.

Online courses vary in the time commitment required and level of detail covered, but all of them should help you get started and improve your skills in managing taxes, budgets, and personal finances.

To develop our list we researched 30 online bookkeeping courses. We evaluated them based on course content, third-party ratings, student success rates, costs, and other factors.

Best Online Bookkeeping Classes of 2024

• Best Overall: Skillshare
• Best Free Course Materials: AccountingCoach, LLC
• Best for Fundamentals: LinkedIn Learning
• Best for Discounts: Udemy
• Best for Self-Paced Education: Financial Edge
• Best for Small Businesses: Coursera
• Best for University Education: Harvard Business School
• Best for a Career in Bookkeeping: Penn Foster College
• Best for Certification: U.S. Career Institute
• Our Top Picks
• AccountingCoach, LLC
• LinkedIn Learning

Financial Edge

• Harvard Business School
• Penn Foster College
• U.S. Career Institute
• See More (6)

Final Verdict

Compare classes, methodology, best overall : skillshare.

• Cost: $167.88/year
• Trial: 1-month free trial
• Accreditation/certification: No

Take our favorite Skillshare bookkeeping course and others for free for one month

Highly rated class and well-liked teacher

One affordable membership includes access to hundreds of classes

Can’t buy individual classes

Must maintain Skillshare membership to access course

Skillshare has a nice variety of bookkeeping classes, many taught by professionals with years of experience in their field. We recommend starting with Bookkeeping for Freelancers: How to Handle Your Finances ; it’s taught by Emily Simcox, a training team lead at Bench, a company that provides online bookkeeping services.

Access to Skillshare courses requires a yearly subscription, but you can try out a full month for free—that means you can take the entire Bookkeeping for Freelancers course, if you’d like, along with others. It's our pick for the best overall thanks to its easy accessibility and high-quality lessons.

Whether you’re a freelancer or small business owner, this simple course provides a great introduction to keeping track of basic expenses and revenue. You’ll learn the differences between cash basis accounting and accrual accounting, and how to determine which is best for your business. Simcox finishes by discussing the basics of categorizing transactions and organizing documents. 

The class is relatively short, but it’ll give you a professional-grade foundation to continue learning. For more, see Skillshare’s full collection of bookkeeping courses . You’ll find classes on general topics like starting a bookkeeping business and bookkeeping for small businesses, along with classes on specific accounting tools like QuickBooks, Google Sheets, and Excel.

The downside to Skillshare’s all-inclusive membership is that you’ll lose access to the class materials if your membership expires. Class videos can be downloaded, but only through the Skillshare mobile app.

Best Free Course Materials : AccountingCoach , LLC

 AccountingCoach

• Cost : $49–$99
• Accreditation/certification : Achievement certificate with Pro Plus

Free materials and courses

Upgrade to paid classes that include video lessons and assessments

Certain features are only available with paid classes

AccountingCoach, LLC is our pick here because it allows you to learn the basics of bookkeeping for free. If you're more serious, you can get additional study materials and earn a certification of achievement with the company's paid coursework at a relatively low cost, ranging from $49 to $99.

AccountingCoach, LLC is a web-based educational platform founded in 2003 by Harold Averkamp. Averkamp is a certified public accountant (CPA) who holds a masters in business administration (MBA) and has more than 25 years of experience in the accounting field. The company offers a great variety of accounting courses, covering accounting basics, bookkeeping, financial statements, and more—all completely free. You can even take practice quizzes and solve puzzles as another way to learn, also at no cost.

Students have the option to upgrade to two paid options. PRO Access costs $49 and provides additional video courses, quick assessments, business forms, and more. Its features include study flashcards and tests with coaching included. The higher-tier PRO Plus includes certificates of achievement for debits and credits, adjusting entries, financial statements, balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, payroll, and more, all for $99. The costs include lifetime access to all of the materials.

Best for Fundamentals : LinkedIn Learning

 LinkedIn Learning

• Cost : $34.99 (one-time fee), or $239.88/year or $39.99/month
• Trial : 1-month free trial
• Accreditation/certification : LinkedIn Learning Certificate, 2.8 CPE credits

Great for beginners

Accessible on mobile, tablet, and desktop

Complete a final exam to earn continuing professional education (CPE) credits

Need to sign up for a LinkedIn account

We picked the LinkedIn Learning Accounting Foundations: Bookkeeping course as the best for fundamentals based on its short length and its focus on the basics. Students can get an overview of bookkeeping in about one and a half hours from accounting professors from a top university.

The class packs in a lot of expert advice; you'll get a quick overview of how bookkeeping works, with access to quizzes too. Then you'll learn to create balance sheets and income statements, define journal entries, and get an understanding of how financial statements work, to mention just a few topics.

This class is taught by Earl Stice and Jim Stice, both accounting professors at Brigham Young University (BYU). It's the first in a six-course path called "Getting Started in Finance & Bookkeeping."

You can register for the class on its own for a one-time cost of $34.99, or sign up for a monthly LinkedIn Learning membership starting at $39.99 per month, with a one-month free trial. Or, if you prefer, you can get an annual LinkedIn Learning membership to lower the cost to $19.99 a month.

Best for Discounts : Udemy

• Cost : $89.99
• Trial : Free bookkeeping-related courses
• Accreditation/certification : Completion certificate, 7.0 NASBA CPE credits

Experienced instructor

Mobile app available

Focused more on basic and foundational concepts for beginners

We picked Udemy's Bookkeeping Basics #1: Understand the Fundamentals as best for discounts because it's a detailed class taught by an experienced instructor, at a list price of $89.99. However, discounts are frequently advertised and can save students 70% or more off the full price.

Bookkeeping Basics #1 is taught by Ron Trucks, an experienced small business coach and college instructor with more than 25 years of experience in the field. The course includes 50 videos divided into 11 sections. There are around four and a half hours of video in total. Students can learn the basic foundations of bookkeeping like concepts and tools used, tracking expenses, reading financial reports, and more.

This course has had over 21,000 students, with more frequently joining, and it's designed for people of all backgrounds, whether you're a student, an entrepreneur, or just someone who wants to understand more about bookkeeping.

The program's list price of $89.99 is frequently discounted substantially, though the amount of those discounts varies from time to time. Udemy has a 30-day money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied with the course.

Udemy has a variety of courses to help launch your bookkeeping career or help you along; see Udemy's full selection of bookkeeping courses for more.

Best for Self-Paced Education : Financial Edge

• Accreditation/certification: Completion certificate

73 practical Excel exercises

Direct help from instructor

Lifetime access

No discussion of specific accounting software (according to the syllabus)

Few customer reviews online

Financial Edge has quite a few classes on accounting and finance; Accounting Essentials distills the key lessons to help you “quickly and confidently interpret financial data and statements, evaluate them and use the calculated information to build high-quality reports.”

Unlike some other self-paced courses, which are quite short and simple, Accounting Essentials is expected to take about 10.5 hours and includes 73 practical Excel exercises. The price includes lifetime access so you can take your time and come back to the material whenever you’d like. Financial Edge offers direct instructor help for students as well, so you can ask questions if you get stuck. 

Accounting Essentials begins with an explanation of balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements. You’ll learn to calculate EBIT and EBITDA , and how to judge an organization’s profitability compared to similar companies. There are even sections on due diligence and how to identify when a company is manipulating its sales data.

The class continues with more advanced topics, like how to analyze the capital structure of a company and determine various accounting ratios (leverage ratios, profitability ratios, asset ratios, etc.). When you’re finished you should have a solid foundation in bookkeeping for small businesses, and you’ll have a completion certificate to show for it.

If you like Financial Edge and you’re looking for something more comprehensive, consider The Accountant course . It includes the Accounting Essentials class along with two others (Financial Accounting Review and M&A Accounting), and you’ll earn a skills certificate when you’re done.

Best for Small Businesses : Coursera

• Cost : Free
• Trial : Free paid learning program
• Accreditation/certification : Completion certificate

Taught by a top educational institution

Financial aid available

Seven-day free trial

$59 monthly fee beyond the trial period

Offered by the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business , this Coursera class is taught by top-ranked faculty and is specifically tailored to help small business owners understand their finances.

Coursera is an education platform founded in 2012 by Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, both computer science professors at Stanford, with all courses taught by experienced professionals from top universities or companies. Over 110 million people have signed up for courses and over 125,000 students have enrolled in this specific bookkeeping course.

Our pick as best for small businesses, the "Financial Accounting Fundamentals" class is designed to help entrepreneurs and small business owners keep track of their finances more effectively, from bookkeeping to preparing financial statements. This is a 13-hour video course that includes quizzes for each section to check your knowledge. You can complete everything on your own time and you don't need prior experience in accounting.

The class is taught by Luann J. Lynch, a professor of business administration at Darden with an MBA from Duke University and a doctorate from the University of North Carolina. You can get academic and technical support through the Coursera support team or the Coursera community.

Best for University Education : Harvard Business School

Harvard Business School Online

• Cost: $1,750

Taught by a prestigious university

Comprehensive lessons and exercises

Prepares you for an MBA or professional career

Real-world examples and case studies

Relatively expensive

Only taught at certain times each year

Application required

If you’re planning a career that involves managing the books for a small or medium-sized business, a 90-minute course probably won’t cut it. Consider Harvard Business, which offers an eight-week-long Financial Accounting course that’ll take you from the basics of balance sheets all the way to valuing a new investment opportunity.

This is an introductory course, but it requires a significant time commitment, with about 60 hours of material in all. It’s self-paced, although there are regular deadlines, and it’s recommended that students spend six to eight hours per week learning. The class is designed for college students and recent grads, grads considering an MBA, and mid-career professionals. 

Financial Accounting progresses through seven modules; each one includes some case studies, key lessons to learn, and exercises and quizzes to cement and test your knowledge. You’ll begin with simple accounting concepts and principles before moving on to complex transactions and financial forecasting. To understand how it all works in the real world, you’ll look at companies like Apple, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Morgan Stanley, and Estée Lauder. 

This course is taught by V.G. Narayanan, the Thomas D. Casserly, Jr. Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. It’s fully online, and there is no live instruction.

Harvard offers Financial Accounting at specific times throughout the year, so check the application deadlines and program dates. This course is relatively expensive (it’s free to apply) and you’ll learn a lot more than simple bookkeeping, so it’s not right for everyone. But if you’re serious about developing the skills needed to work with finance and want to leave no stone unturned, it could be worth the investment. 

Best for a Career in Bookkeeping : Penn Foster College

 Penn Foster

• Cost : $989 (one-time fee) or $59/month
• Accreditation/certification : DEAC accreditation, 26.6 CEUs

Includes one-year subscription to QuickBooks

Support from student services

Exams and projects to keep you on track

Penn Foster College Inc. offers one of the best courses to get started in the accounting field, with a comprehensive program that includes an overview of the tools used in the industry. When you finish you'll be prepared to start your career as a bookkeeper.

Founded in 1890 by Thomas J. Foster, Penn Foster College has been offering online classes since 2006 and is an accredited entity by the DEAC.

The program covers topics such as payroll , wholesale accounting, revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities, financial reports, tools used in the industry, and more. With this program, you'll get eight courses which feature 14 exams and three submitted projects. The program also offers experience working with popular software tools such as Excel and Quickbooks.

To help you launch your career, you can join other bookkeeping students through the college student community portal to get peer support. At the end of the program, students should expect to have a full understanding of the main tasks of a bookkeeper and can start applying for jobs in the field. The total cost of the program is $989, with options to pay the full amount upon registration, mail a monthly payment, or set up a monthly automatic payment.

You can enroll directly on the website by simply filling out the registration form, providing a method of payment. If you have any questions, you can call the school's admissions hotline number from 9 a.m.–9 p.m. ET.

Best for Certification : U.S. Career Institute

 U.S. Career Institute

• Cost : $59/month or $589 in full
• Accreditation/certification : DEAC accreditation

Accredited by the DEAC

Military and VA benefits

A more expensive option

The U.S. Career Institute is our top pick for getting a bookkeeping certification because it's accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) and offers personalized coaching and career support,

With headquarters in Colorado, the U.S Career Institute was founded in 1981 and offers more than 25 career certificates across different industries, from healthcare to business.

This online associate's degree in accounting includes training in accounting principles, business law, workplace psychology, small business management, economics, and tax accounting. The program also provides career support to help you get into a new job.

The class costs $139 per month and can be completed in as little as 16 months.

The best online bookkeeping classes are easily accessible, taught by qualified instructors, and deliver high-quality lessons. That's what you'll get from our top pick, Bookkeeping for Freelancers: How to Handle Your Finances on Skillshare, which provides everything you need to get started within the one-month free trial.

Or, you may find a perfect fit among our other top picks. Check Udemy for discounted prices on in-depth classes taught by excellent instructors. Like Skillshare, it has a variety of classes to browse. A college-level course, like one offered through Coursera or the Harvard Business School, could be a good choice if you're more serious and want to take your skills to the next level.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are basic bookkeeping skills.

The basic skills needed to be an effective bookkeeper include knowledge of math, being tech-savvy, and paying close attention to details, as you will be surrounded by numbers and financial reports all day long. Generally, employers are looking for someone with strong data entry skills who can keep their financial records in order, document all of their key transactions, and manage invoices.

What Does a Bookkeeping Class Include?

A bookkeeping class gives you an overview of the primary functions and concepts of bookkeeping, such as financial statements and journal entries, as well as how to record expenses, profits, revenues, losses, and much more. Some also cover how to use popular bookkeeping software and may even offer certifications upon course completion. The level of detail and length of the course will depend on whether it's designed for someone looking to launch a career or simply keep better track of their small business finances.

Do I Need a Bookkeeping Certification?

While most companies do not require a certification to be a bookkeeper, it does help if you want to launch a career in the accounting industry and would like to be considered for high-income opportunities. Getting your bookkeeping certification with one of the two main nationally recognized certifying bodies, either the National Association of Certified Bookkeepers or the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers, is a good way to demonstrate your expertise and qualifications. There are a variety of other accounting certifications to choose from, as well.

How Much Do Bookkeeping Classes Cost?

The cost of enrolling in a bookkeeping class depends on the type of course you choose. The classes listed here start off as low as $0 if you enroll in an online learning platform with a free trial or free course materials. Alternatively, if you choose to enroll in a class with a traditional educational institution, such as a college or university, the cost can exceed $1,000.

We know how important it is to find reliable online classes, so we researched more than 30 different sites offering online bookkeeping classes, from educational institutions to online learning platforms. We considered the reputations of the institutions offering the courses as well as those of the instructors. We also examined the types and costs of class materials, the availability of in-person support, and the success rates of students.

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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. " What Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Do ."

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. " How to Become a Bookkeeping, Accounting, or Auditing Clerk ."

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Google and MIT RAISE collaborate on a free generative AI course for educators

The course will help teachers save time, personalize instruction, and enhance lessons with generative ai tools..

Google and MIT RAISE , part of MIT Open Learning, announced today a free Generative AI for Educators course. The online, two-hour, self-paced course is designed to help middle and high school teachers use generative AI tools to personalize instruction to meet student needs, develop creative lessons and activities, and save time on administrative tasks. Teachers who complete the course will earn a certificate that can be presented to their district for professional development credit. The course combines Google and MIT RAISE’s technological expertise and shared commitment to promoting useful and responsible AI education. Teachers and administrators can access the course on the Grow with Google website .

“MIT RAISE believes knowledge of generative AI is a key factor in creating a more equitable future for education,” says Cynthia Breazeal, director of MIT RAISE and dean for digital learning at MIT Open Learning. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Google to offer the Generative AI for Educators course — providing middle and high school teachers with no-cost AI training. This course empowers educators to confidently integrate AI into their teaching, creating richer and more accessible learning experiences for all students.”

Breazeal and Lisa Gevelber, founder of Grow with Google, wrote the following blog post about the new course.

Think back on your favorite teachers. Maybe they made complex subjects seem simple and teaching seem effortless. But the truth is, teachers spend countless hours preparing engaging lesson plans, thoughtful assessments and creative class materials.

AI can be a valuable assistant to teachers in these moments. That’s why Grow with Google, in collaboration with MIT RAISE (Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education), is launching a no-cost Generative AI for Educators course , designed to help teachers build essential AI skills, it’s part of a shared commitment to promoting useful and responsible AI education.

In just two hours of self-paced study, teachers can learn how to use generative AI tools to help:

Create engaging lesson plans and materials. For example with generative AI, they can input their specific lesson plan and tailor it to student interests like explaining science using sports analogies. Tailor instruction for different abilities. Imagine a teacher who has 25 or 30 kids in their classroom. With generative AI, that teacher can easily modify the same lesson for different reading levels in their class. Save time on everyday tasks like drafting emails and other correspondence. For instance, if a student is out sick teachers can create summaries of that day’s lessons to help make sure the student doesn’t fall behind. At the end of the course, teachers will earn a certificate that they can present to their district for professional development (PD) credit, depending on district and state requirements.

School districts across the country will offer this Generative AI for Educators course, including Albuquerque Public Schools, Anaheim Union High School District, Chicago Public Schools, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and Sun Prairie Area School District in Wisconsin.

Whether you’re a Superintendent interested in offering PD credit for your district, or you’re a teacher interested in enrolling in the course, learn more at grow.google/GenAIforEducators .

Breazeal and Gevelber’s blog post was originally published at blog.google .

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