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Free Online Psychology Courses

May 10, 2021 | Staff Writers

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Free online psychology courses appeal to psychology students seeking a deeper

understanding of a specialty area or topic outside regular classroom learning.
Prospective psychology majors who want to test the waters before committing to a
degree program or learn psychology basics also enroll in these classes. While free
online psychology courses usually do not confer credit, they provide access to
knowledge and information.

Most courses use self-paced learning through video lectures, assignments, quizzes,
and exams. Courses often include online discussions and reading materials. The list
below offers free online psychology courses exploring many different topics.

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Adolescent Health and Development

Students interested in developmental psychology online courses can explore

aspects of adolescence through JHSPH OpenCourseWare offered by Johns

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Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health. Content delivery includes lecture

slides and MP3 recordings, readings, online discussions, a midterm exam, and
a final paper that addresses a public health problem faced by adolescents. The
eight-week curriculum covers adolescent brain development, risk-taking and
decision-making, family dynamics, juvenile violence, and mental and physical
health issues.

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Buddhism and Modern Psychology

Coursera offers this Princeton University class based on the Dalai Lama’s

premise of the compatibility of Buddhism and science. The course introduces
Western students to Buddhist thought regarding the human mind and the role
of meditation. Learners should expect to spend 18 hours studying and
completing assignments on their own schedules. Course content delivery
combines videos, readings, and quizzes on the concept of the self, and
Buddhist and Darwinian enlightenment.

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How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime

Students searching for child psychology courses online can learn about the
effects of childhood trauma on brain development and health through TED-Ed.
The TED Talk discusses how childhood abuse and neglect can also result in a
threefold increase in the risk of developing lung cancer and heart disease later
in life. Online comprehension questions take place after the
presentation. Related TED Talks cover how stress affects the brain and the
psychology of post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Introduction to Psychology
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This free online psychology course for beginners covers all the basics in an
independent-study format. Offered by MIT OpenCourseWare, learners
proceed at their own pace through video lectures, lecture notes, and reading
assignments. Students test their knowledge with multiple-choice/short answer
questions, along with exams and solution keys. Topics include the bases of
cognition, emotion, learning, memory, and perception.

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Introduction to Psychology as a Science 3 - Normal and Abnormal Behavior

Class Central’s listing of this complex normal and abnormal psychology online

course includes six weeks of pre-recorded Coursera video lectures from
Georgia Institute of Technology. Students watch them on their own schedules,
complete assignments and quizzes, and participate in online discussions.
Offered free of charge, unless learners want to purchase a certificate, course
content covers psychological theories of personality, how other people
influence our behavior and cognition, and diagnosis and treatment of
disorders.

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Introduction to Psychology: Developmental Psychology

Class Central lists this developmental psychology online course from Monash

University through Coursera. Students learn about the physical, cognitive, and
social stages of development to consider the transitions between the phases
and associated psychological changes.

The two-week, 12-hour course delivery includes videos, articles, peer reviews,
and quizzes, along with an optional paid certificate of achievement. Upon
completion, students can use developmental psychology terms, describe
various research designs, and compare and contrast theories.

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Managing Stress and Overcoming Anxiety

For those with limited time, the University of Oxford Podcasts offers a 40-

minute video discussing why and how some people remain mentally healthy
under times of stress, while others encounter anxiety. Viewers learn about
employing seven stress- and anxiety-management tools, along with the
science behind them. The video culminates with a question-and-answer panel
session with faculty from Oxford’s experimental psychology department. This
video introduces a series of podcasts offered by the department.

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Positive Psychology

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

this course covers positive psychology, such as gratitude, kindness, and
meditation. The nine-hour curriculum features videos, readings, and quizzes
that explore the positive emotions and outcomes of positivity, the delicate art of
pursuing happiness, and concepts in positivity resonance. Each student can
purchase a course certificate to post on social media or include on their
resume.

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Psychological Disorders

Through a 10-minute YouTube video that features an instructor and animated

graphics, Crash Course outlines defining psychological disorders, considering
historical and current perspectives on mental illness, using the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), and recognizing the constant
evolution of DSM to incorporate new thinking. Rather than an in-depth

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examination of psychological disorders, the short and accessible video

introduces the subject and sparks interest in learning more.

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Schizophrenia

Offered by Wesleyan University through Coursera, this course takes

approximately six hours to complete. Four modules, in which students watch a
series of short video lectures, cover an introduction to schizophrenia, symptom
assessment and the history of treatment, neuroanatomy and neuroimaging
using MRI brain scans, and the psychological science of the disorder. Students
complete assignments online and can opt to purchase a certificate to share on
social media, such as Linkedin, or list on their CV.

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Social Psychology

In this course, Khan Academy asks students to consider what causes people
to act against their beliefs. Through videos, literary works, and informational
texts, learners explore compliance with and resistance to oppressive
environments and psychological experiments.

Students answer questions and expand their academic vocabularies while

examining what motivates people to harm others, how the rise of authoritarian
societies happen, and why people act against their conscience. The course
follows a self-paced learning model.

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The Arts and Science of Relationships: Understanding Human Needs

Coursera offers this University of Toronto course for students interested in the

Strategies and Skills Learning and Development System (SSLD)
conceptualization of relationships. Videos cover the foundations and relevance
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of SSLD, practice principles and methods through case studies, the SSLD
framework, and core competencies.

Learning time averages about 22 hours of study on students’ schedules. In

addition to viewing videos, students complete assigned readings and quizzes.
Learners can purchase an optional course certificate.

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The Psychology, Biology, and Politics of Food

This semester-long Open Yale Courses class examines the study of eating

and includes topics in sustainable agriculture, obesity, nutrition policy,
malnutrition, and eating disorders. Students download recorded video lectures
from on-campus classes and reading materials.

Graded assignments include concept sheets, an op-ed piece, and midterm

and final exams, along with a final project or paper, which can take the form of
a research proposal, volunteer experience in the community, or an
independent project.

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Trends in e-Psychology

Available through EdX, this four-week course teaches e-based strategies to

promote mental, physical, and social health. Course content follows three
modules: e-cigarettes, e-mental health applications, and e-mediation.

Students consider the pros, cons, and implementation of each method, such
as the benefits and health risks of using e-cigarettes to reduce tobacco use.
Instructors lead scheduled online class sessions and assign readings from
scientific journals. Demonstration videos, virtual discussions, and knowledge
clips also facilitate learning.

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Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life

The University of Chicago makes this class available through Coursera with

the option to purchase a certificate. The course takes approximately 28 hours
to complete and features flexible deadlines. Course content delves into the
nervous system’s effect on behavior, brain functions, and neuroscience’s role
in explaining human challenges.

Students learn by watching videos, reading assigned materials, and taking

quizzes, gaining knowledge in neurological disorders, neurobiology, and
neurology.

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