Finding the Best Free Online Courses with Certificates
Switching careers can seem like a daunting adventure. By taking one of the best free online courses with certificates, you can open up many new and exciting career paths. As well as offering free online learning, these certificate programs will also give you a verified certificate to show to prospective employers.
If you are looking to gain a professional certificate, but don’t know where to start, read on. In this article, we’ll cover the best 10 free online certificate courses. We’ll also look into how certificate courses can improve your professional credentials.
Why Enroll in a Free Online Certification Course?
Enrolling in a free online course with certificate can boost your skillset, making you more appealing to employers. Certificates typically come as a link you can use to ramp up your resume or LinkedIn profile. Having a certificate can make it easier to land senior or higher-paying positions.
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Certificate courses are designed to provide laser-sharp training on very specific topics. Most online courses with certificates take a few hours to complete. They can be completed remotely, at your own pace. The best thing is that the only thing you are spending is your time. You may have to pay for the certification, but the material and training will be free.
The courses below are designed for learners of any age or ability. They’re a great way to learn a new skill from scratch. If you are more experienced but lack confidence in a particular topic, an online certificate can be a great way to deepen your skills.
Top 10 Free Online Certification Courses of 2021
Below we’ve rounded up 10 free online courses with certificates. These can be all completed entirely online and at your own pace. We’ve included details on what each course covers, and how long they take to complete.
Advanced Google Analytics by Google
Duration: 4 to 6 Hours
Targeted skills: Data Analysis, Digital Marketing Tools
This advanced analytics course is designed for students who have already completed the Google Analytics for Beginners course. This is a great course for students who wish to further their understanding of data collection and processing.
The course is divided into four units. These include data collection and processing, data configuration, analysis tools and techniques, and advanced marketing tools. This is a great certification if you want to learn more about how to use Google metrics for different business aims.
Certified Educator by CK-12
Duration: One Week
Targeted skills: Learning Management Systems, Create FlexBooks, Creating Assignments for Classes
CK-12 has designed this course for teachers of all subjects, to help them become more effective educators. The curriculum is designed to help you improve lesson content and structure.
The certified educator course takes less than a week to complete. It helps you navigate the CK-12 library of resources, and looks at different teaching strategies. Course content can be perused at your own pace.
Digital Marketing Certification Course by Hubspot Academy
Duration: 5 Hours
Targeted skills: Search Engine Optimization, Audience Targeting, Ads Strategy
This well-rounded digital marketing course is produced by HubSpot. The course is aimed at beginners with no prior knowledge of marketing. It’s also good for people currently working in marketing looking to upskill in this particular area.
The curriculum is divided into nine modules. These include digital marketing fundamentals, content creation, website performance, and SEO. Upon course completion, you will have gained a thorough understanding of how to become a digital marketer. Note that the course content comprises over 30 videos and 11 quizzes.
Front End Development Libraries by FreeCodeCamp
Duration: 300 Hours
Targeted skills: Bootstrap, Single Page Applications, React, Redux
This course is designed for students with prior knowledge of CSS and JavaScript. If you wish to pursue a career in coding or programming, this course is perfect for you. The curriculum focuses on front-end technologies such as Bootstrap, SASS, React, and Redux.
All courses offered by FreeCodeCamp take approximately 300 hours to complete. This can be done in your own time and at your own pace. At the end of the course you will obtain a certificate for free. You will be given a link to your certificate that you can add to your LinkedIn profile.
Google Analytics for Beginners by Google
Duration: 2 to 4 Hours
Targeted skills: Data Analysis, Digital Analysis, Navigating Google Analytics
This course is a great first step into the world of Google Analytics. The course will take you through setting up a Google account and implementing tracking codes. This is a great certificate if you would like to get to know more about how to perform basic reports and analysis of web pages and campaigns.
The course is structured into four units. These include an introductory module, Google Analytics interface, basic reports, and conversion tracking. The course comprises over four hours of video content. You will be expected to pass a short exam to get the certificate.
Instagram Training Course by Hubspot Academy
Duration: 2.5 Hours
Targeted skills: Social Media Marketing, Instagram
This course delves deep into the world of Instagram. Over 60 percent of Instagram users log in daily, making it a great platform to boost a business. The course curriculum covers many topics to help you gain fluency in digital marketing on Instagram.
The course’s six topics include setting up Instagram ads, marketing strategy, gaining Instagram followers, and more. This is a fantastic certification if you want to gain social media credentials.
Machine Learning by Coursera
Duration: 60 Hours
Targeted skills: Logistic Regression, Artificial Neural Network, Algorithms.
Coursera has teamed up with Stanford University to offer a fantastic course in machine learning. The curriculum includes supervised learning, bias and variance theory, computer vision, medical informatics, and more.
This course is fantastic for students wishing to pursue a career in artificial intelligence. Coursera claims over 30 percent of course graduates have gone on to pursue careers in robotics or a related topic. The certificate comes as a shareable link that you can add to your LinkedIn profile.
Python Programming: A Concise Introduction by Coursera
Duration: 18 Hours
Targeted skills: Python Syntax, Python Libraries, Computer Programming, Python Programming
This is a great course if you wish to get into front end or backend programming. The course is designed for beginners and can be completed in four weeks. Each module includes exercises and quizzes. Topics include lists, data types, tuples, statistics, and more.
The course uses the Spyder Integrated Learning Environment. Upon course completion, you will have gained an understanding of how to write programs and submit them for grading.
Responsive Web Design by FreeCodeCamp
Duration: 300 Hours
Targeted skills: CSS, HTML, Flexbox
This course will teach you everything you need to know to create responsive web pages. The course takes about 300 hours to complete. Topics include design with HTML and CSS, responsive web design principles, CSS Flexbox, and more.
FreeCodeCamp is a very popular platform for programming enthusiasts. It has become very reputable over the last few years. This certificate will boost your coding credentials. FreeCodeCamp offers six certificate courses. You might also be interested in FCC’s Scientific Computing with Python or the Information Security Certification.
Responsive Web Design by FreeCodeCamp
Duration: 300 Hours
Targeted skills: CSS, HTML, Flexbox
This course will teach you everything you need to know to create responsive web pages. The course takes about 300 hours to complete. Topics include design with HTML and CSS, responsive web design principles, CSS Flexbox, and more.
FreeCodeCamp is a very popular platform for programming enthusiasts. It has become very reputable over the last few years. This certificate will boost your coding credentials. FreeCodeCamp offers six certificate courses. You might also be interested in FCC’s Scientific Computing with Python or the Information Security Certification.
Social Media Marketing by Hubspot Academy
Duration: 4 Hours
Targeted skills: Social Media Strategy, Business
This course is designed to help you brush up on your social media skills. If you have an online business and wish to get more exposure, this certificate is perfect for you. The course has over four hours worth of video content and quizzes.
The curriculum is divided into eight sections. These include social media advertising, measuring your return on investment, and more. The certificate is business-oriented and would be a great addition to your resume.
Adding Certifications to Your Resume
Make sure you add relevant certifications to your resume once you’ve completed a course.
Employers value certifications as they are a testament to your skills, motivation, and dedication to learn. Adding a certification to your resume can really make you stand out from the crowd.
Resumes often follow a certain structure. Certificates are usually added near the bottom of your resume, but make sure they stand out. It’s best to only add certifications that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.
The Bottomline
Free online courses with certificates can boost your credentials, regardless of your educational background or experience. There are many free online courses available in a variety of fields. These include computer science, programming, business, graphic design, fine art, and more.
Some online courses are built in collaboration with top-tier universities. This could be your chance to add a reputable institution to your resume at no extra cost. As the world is slowly recovering from the pandemic, now is the perfect time to add extra credentials to your resume.
