20 Best + Free edX Courses & Certificates [2020] [UPDATED]
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30+ global experts have compiled this list of Best edX Courses, Certificates, Training, MicroMasters and Classes available online for 2020. It includes both paid and free resources to help you to earn MicroMasters degree and Professional certificates in an array of subjects. These courses are suitable for beginners, intermediate learners as well as experts. We also have a compilation of Free Online Courses that may interest you.
10 Best edX Courses [2020] [UPDATED]
1. Free edX Courses by Harvard University
Some of Harvard University’s best online courses are now available on edX, with new courses added every few months. Take your pick from CS50, Neuroscience, Contract Law, Calculus, data science, introduction to data-wise and many more topics. Millions of students globally have benefited from these courses, and you can even get a verified certificate to showcase on your CV.
Key USPs-
– Multiple exercises and assignments to help you learn topics in-depth
– Explore possible career paths relevant to the program.
– Peers and instructors are available to help you with your learning.
– There is no prerequisite to enroll in the beginner level classes.
– Includes relevant case studies, interactive examples and more.
Duration: Variable
Rating: 4.9 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
2. Free edX Certifications by UC Berkeley
Ever since its inception, The University of California has been committed to innovation in teaching and learning. There are multiple courses offered by UC Berkeley on the edX platform including Marketing Analytics, Journalism, English Literature, Quantum mechanics, and Statistics. You can choose from free courses, micro master programs as well as professional certificates.
Key USPs –
– Highest level of quality education from UC Berkeley now available online
– Most courses are free, and you can also pay a small fee to earn a certificate
– Easy to learn interface available on edX
– Choose from a variety of subjects and courses
– Can pick up short term courses or go for longer duration programs
Duration: Variable
Rating: 4.7 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
3. Best edX Courses for Computer Science by Harvard University
With the advancement in technology, it is indeed true that computer science has become one of the rapidly growing areas. So if you have no idea about the subject and want to start from scratch then this is the place to be. Get a robust understanding of what computer science and programming is, how to think algorithmically to solve programming problems efficiently and more. End the lesson by working on a final project that allows you to integrate the topics covered in the videos.
Key USPs-
– Explore concepts like abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development.
– Get familiar with a number of programming languages such as C, Python, SQL, JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.
– Interact with your peers in a community of like-minded learners from all levels of experience.
– No prerequisite is required to enroll in this program.
– The final programming project gives you the opportunity to integrate the topics covered throughout the videos.
– The study materials and lectures can be accessed for free and the certification can be added for an additional fee.
Duration: Self-paced
Rating: 4.9 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
4. Best edX Courses for Data Science Certificate by Harvard University
This HarvardX Data Science program is designed to prepare you with the useful skill set and knowledge base required to solve real-world data analysis challenges. The concepts covered in this course include probability, inference, regression, and machine learning. Along with these, you will also use R programming, data wrangling and visualization, and many other tools. Work on case studies, clarify doubts, ask specific questions and learn by answering these through data analysis. By the end of the lessons, you will be efficient enough to apply for various levels of data science jobs. You may also be interested in checking out Python Cert, Data Science Certification as well as Machine Learning Certificate.
Key USPs-
– Cover the fundamentals of R programming and statistical concepts and apply them to practice.
– Learn to use tools such as ggplot2, dplyr, git and GitHub, RStudio and Unix/Linux.
– Gain in-depth knowledge of fundamental data science concepts through real-world case studies.
– Some of the case studies trends in US crimes, the financial crisis of 200–2008, election forecasting etc.
– The program is divided into 9 courses along with tips, techniques, and assessments.
– The assignments are created in partnership with DataCamp which has a code checking technology that will give you an opportunity to get hands-on practice during the lessons.
Duration: 9 courses, 2 to 4 weeks per course, 2 to 4 hours per week
Rating : 4.8 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
5. Best edX Course for Artificial Intelligence by Columbia University
Enroll in this certification to gain expertise in one of the fastest growing areas of computer science through a series of lectures and assignments. The classes will help you to get a solid understanding of the guiding principles of artificial intelligence. With equal emphasis on theory and practical, these lessons will teach you to deal with real-world problems and come up with suitable AI solutions. With this credential in your bag, it is safe to say that you will have an upper hand at job interviews and other opportunities. Don’t forget checking our compilation of AI Certification as well as free machine learning courses here.
Key USPs-
– The videos guide you through all the fundamental concepts beginning from the basic topics to more advanced ones.
– Apply the concepts of machine learning to real-life challenges and applications.
– Thorough instructions are provided for configuring and navigating through the required software.
– Working on designing and harnessing the capabilities of the neural network.
– The classes are divided into 4 parts along with relevant examples and demonstrations.
– Apply the knowledge gained in these lectures in an array of fields such as robotics, vision and physical simulations.
Duration: 4 courses, 12 weeks per course, 8 to 10 hours per week
Rating : 4.8 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
Related Reading: In case you want to check out more online courses, you can have a look at Best Udemy Courses and Best Coursera Courses.
6. edX Science of Happiness Course by UC Berkeley
First of its kind, this MOOC is designed to teach you about the groundbreaking science of positive psychology that is the key to a happy and meaningful life. Engage with some of the most provocative and practical lessons. Learn about the cross-disciplinary research that supports this view. Most importantly these classes help you to nurture your happiness including activities that foster social and emotional well being.
Key USPs-
– Learn the meaning of happiness and its significance.
– Understand how you can be happier and foster happiness in others.
– Gain an understanding of why social connections, kindness, and community are key to happiness.
– Develop mental habits that are conducive to happiness and figure out the impact of mindfulness.
– There is no prerequisite to enroll in this class.
– The resources are available for free and the verified certification can be added at a nominal cost.
Duration: 1 course, 8 weeks per course, 4 to 5 hours per week
Rating: 4.7 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
7. Best edX Course for Digital Marketing by The Wharton School
In this certification program, you will learn the key marketing skills such as omni channel marketing, social media strategy, and analysis and data drive customer-centric approaches to customer retention. Learn to leverage new models in business and e-commerce to increase profitability. Created by world-renowned professors, this is one of the top marketing programs out there. Upon the completion of this certification, there are a plethora of career options such as marketing manager, account executive and much more. Don’t forget taking a look at digital marketing certification and digital marketing courses.
Key USPs-
– Learn about new techniques in market research such as regression analysis, conjoint analysis, and social media analytics.
– Leverage the power of social media to spread the word about your product.
– Decide the initial experiments that your company or team should invest in to achieve customer centricity.
– Learn the techniques to choose metrics to gauge and guide ongoing customer-centric efforts.
– The course is divided into sections along with relevant practical challenges.
Duration: 4 courses, 5 to 6 weeks per course, 3 to 5 hours per week
Rating : 4.7 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
8. edX Project Management MicroMasters Course by RIT
This program is a graduate level series of courses designed to help you gain skills and in-depth knowledge required to become a successful project manager in any field. There are three courses in total followed by a final capstone examination. Work with various tools and techniques to balance critical tradeoffs of time and cost. By earning this credential you will be able to effectively manage a team that will meet the expectations of your customer and business goals.
Key USPs-
– Get hands-on and learn the techniques to apply best practices across a variety of industries and businesses.
– Explore how to capitalize on leadership and the necessary behavioral facets to achieve that.
– Navigate through the social and cultural aspects, legal and regulatory practices, infrastructure an technology that are key aspects in the success of the project in the global market.
– Take the final assessment to earn the degree and be prepared to move on to more complex topics in this field.
– The lessons smoothy move from one topic to the next which makes it easier for the learners to follow.
Duration: 4 courses, 1 to 11 weeks per course, 8 to 12 hours per week
Rating : 4.8 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
Related Courses : You may also want to check out Free Online Certifications
9. Introduction to Computer Science by Microsoft
As the title states, this program is designed to help you learn one of the most useful and versatile subjects in the world. Cover the fundamentals such as variables, strings, inputs, testing, and formatting and get started with the coding immediately. Followed by these you will also learn about conditional and nested conditionals in Python. By the end of the lessons, you will have the confidence to create programs that prompt users for input, manipulate data and troubleshoot your code.
Key USPs-
– Well designed content and all the topics are divided into appropriate sections.
– The instructor helps you to work with the foundational concepts of programming with the help of practical examples.
– Plenty of opportunities to implement the skills covered in the lessons by attempting the hands-on assignments.
– Learn to use Python in Jupyter Notebooks.
– Build reusable functions with functions and return values.
– The certification can be earned for a certain amount but the lessons and materials can be accessed for free.
Duration: Self-paced
Rating: 4.8 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
10. Cybersecurity MicroMasters by Rochester Institute of Technology
This course is designed to help you gain the essential knowledge and expertise in network security and forensics. Start with the fundamentals of networks and system administration before moving on to mitigating vulnerabilities and monitoring intrusions. Along with this acquire the techniques of risk analysis and skills to perform a digital forensic analysis. The completion of this micro masters program will open exciting career opportunities such as security analyst, forensic investigator, security architect and much more. You should also check out our compilation of best cybersecurity courses.
Key USPs-
– Well designed content and all the topics are divided into 5 courses.
– The instructor helps you to work with the fundamental and complex concepts with the help of practical examples.
– Plenty of opportunities to implement the skills covered in the lessons by attempting the hands-on assignments.
– Detect intrusions and implement network security solutions.
– Conduct a digital forensics investigation that is admissible to a court.
– Practice cybersecurity skills in real-world scenarios.
Duration: 5 courses, 8 weeks per course, 10 to 12 hours per week
Rating : 4.8 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
edX Free Courses [2020] [UPDATED]
11. Analytics: Essential Tools and Methods by Georgia Tech
If you are looking forward to learning about integrating the common analytics software, tools, and techniques and implementing them in the various projects then you are at the right place. Learn to hone your data collection, storage, analysis, and visualization skill by getting hands-on and working on projects. These projects will not only help you to experience real-life scenarios but also show you how to apply analytics skills to have maximum impact. You should also have a look at Business Analytics Certificate as well as Marketing Analytics Certification.
Key USPs-
– Learn to work with essential analytics tools such as R, SQL, Python and more.
– Understand the fundamental models and techniques of analytics and how and when to apply them.
– Assignments and projects give you an opportunity to implement the knowledge covered in the lessons.
– Build a data analysis pipeline, from collection and storage through analysis and interactive visualizations.
– The training is divided into three courses and taught by experts with years of experience.
Duration: 3 courses, 15 weeks per course, 5 to 10 hours per week
Rating : 4.8 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
12. Digital Product Management by Boston University
Product management is a key skill that ensures the success of the product. This MicroMasters program will help you to understand and articulate needs, setup roadmap, plan and coordinate the development process, launch products and supervise the product lifecycle. The instructor will teach you to take products from initial concept through user research and rapid prototyping before implementing agile management practices for creating software and digital products. Conclude the journey with lectures that will leverage object-oriented thinking, digital analytics properties and ‘boundary spanning’ skills. Don’t forget checking our compilation of Product Management Certification.
Key USPs-
– Explore the principles and processes for developing product roadmaps.
– Learn to handle tools, software and cover methods required for smooth development and management.
– Track and optimize social media metrics for overseeing the launch of product and software.
– Perform lifecycle management and services such as versioning, pricing and more.
– Communicate and pitch the benefits of the products to internal and external audiences.
– Devise methods to drive digital business innovation in the team or company you are working in.
Duration: 5 courses, 6 to 8 weeks per course, 4 to 8 hours per week
Rating : 4.7 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
13. Best edX Course for Blockchain by UC Berkeley
This certification will explore the central ideas, technologies, and ecosystems surrounding blockchains from both technical and non-technical point of view. Develop the intuition for thinking of blockchain systems as well as understand the key strengths and motivations of distributed ledger technology and the underlying mechanism for their functioning. You will also get to explore the blockchain architecture and the scalable, decentralized applications. By the end of this course, you will be able to formulate your own informed blockchain models, hypotheses and use cases. You may also want to have a look at more Blockchain Certification.
Key USPs-
– Well structured content and all the topics are covered at a great pace.
– The instructors in the training cover the concepts in an interactive way which makes it easy to understand the fundamentals before the practical assignments.
– Understand Bitcoin’s real-life applications and learn how to attack and destroy Bitcoin, Ethereum and alternatives to Bitcoin’s proof-of-work consenses algorithm.
– Work on the challenges of scalability and come up with potential solutions.
– Understand the regulations of cryptocurrencies and its implications for anonymity and the future scopes of this field.
Duration: 2 courses, 6 weeks per course, 3 to 5 hours per week
Rating : 4.8 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
14. User Experience (UX) Research and Design by University of Michigan
User experience plays a great role in the success of a product or software so it is crucial to understand the user needs and incorporate them in project plans. During these lectures, you will gain hands-on experience by taking a product from initial concept through user research, ideation, refinement, formal analysis, and other important steps. End the journey with a final project which will be an important step to earn the credential. You should also have a look at our compilation of UI UX Certification.
Key USPs-
– The content of the videos are well structured which will be helpful in following the concepts.
– Clear instructions are provided to work on the assignments that follow the lectures.
– Work on the final capstone project where you will have the opportunity to incorporate UX Research and Design to design a complete product from scratch.
– Equal importance is given to theory and practical hence there are assessments to measure your grasp on the topics.
– The lectures are divided into 9 sections and it is advised to follow the sequence specified to make the most of the content.
Duration: 9 courses, 3 to 10 weeks per course, 3 to 5 hours per week
Rating : 4.9 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
15. Digital Leadership MicroMasters by Boston University
This MicroMasters program is created to develop your knowledge and capabilities to lead organizational change and transformation. Explore the strategies to drive and transform your business in the digital economy and understand the development of platform-based strategies for growth. Along with this the lectures also show how to negotiate and manage teams and projects. End the classes by focusing on data analytics for designing, running, assessing and adapting strategic experiments as well as object-oriented thinking that will be beneficial in coming up with more innovative products and business processes to expand market growth.
Key USPs-
– Learn to harness data to improve business decisions and lead people and teams in dynamic environments.
– Transform business models to succeed within digital disruptions and drive positive business outcomes.
– Practice with available assignments to enhance your capabilities to make better and beneficial decisions.
– Work on different real-world problems, and see how they can be handled with effective leadership.
– The training is divided into 5 courses consisting of concise lectures.
Duration: 5 courses, 6 to 8 weeks per course, 4 to 8 hours per week
Rating : 4.8 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
Best Courses on edX [2020] [UPDATED]
16. Supply Chain Management MicroMasters by MIT
This program is created by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to help you earn a Micromasters credential in Supply Chain Management. Gain expertise in this growing field through these series of courses. Showcase your understanding of supply chain analytics, design, technology, dynamics and end to end management. By the end of the journey, you will be ready for exciting career opportunities such as Logistic Manager, consultant and more. You should also have a look at our compilation of Supply Chain Management Certification.
Key USPs-
– Apply core techniques used in supply chain modeling and analysis.
– The instructor helps you to understand the fundamental models to make a trade-off between forecasting, inventory, and transportation.
– Design the networks as well as financial and information flows.
– Learn how technology plays a big role in going from fundamentals to packaged software systems.
– The training is divided into 6 courses along with tips, techniques, and assessments.
Duration: 6 courses, 1 to 13 weeks per course, 8 to 12 hours per week
Rating : 4.8 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
17. Business Fundamentals by The University of British Columbia
Taught by one of the world’s leading business school, these classes are a perfect place to get your business fundamentals right. The lectures promise to solidify your basic concepts that will be crucial in gaining a competitive edge and enhance your portfolio. Cover the core concepts of accounting, marketing, finance, and organizational behavior. You will also learn to effectively communicate in a business setting and experience real-world scenarios. By the end of the lectures, you will be confident enough to take on more complex projects at work or take the next step in your management career.
Key USPs-
– Learn how organizations function; starting from understanding processes to diagnosing problems and effecting change.
– Explore diverse audiences and build sound arguments to state your point.
– Make sensible business decisions by using financial information such as valuation, accounting, savings, and investments.
– Analyze customer behavior and come up with optimal solutions for better growth.
– The concepts are divided into 6 parts along with relevant examples and demonstrations to follow along.
Duration: 6 courses, 6 weeks per course, 3 to 5 hours per week
Rating : 4.8 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
18. Six Sigma and Lean: Quantitative Tools for Quality and Productivity by TUM
The powerful analytical and management tools of the Six Sigma methodology and the revolutionary concepts of Lean Management help you to measure and analyze production processes. This enables the organization to eliminate waste and evolve their management structures in order to motivate employees and to improve quality and productivity. Work on exercises, practical problems, and case studies to implement the concepts covered in the theoretical lectures. We also have a compilation of some of the Best Six Sigma Course.
Key USPs-
– Use the DMAIC process improvement cycle for identifying problems and quantitively assess the impact of process changes.
– Improve your project by applying necessary statistical analyses, interpreting the results and driving change.
– Plenty of opportunities to implement the skills covered in the lessons by attempting the hands-on assignments.
– Analyze the new process flows to quantitatively assess productivity improvements.
Duration: 3 courses, 6 to 8 weeks per course, 3 to 4 hours per week
Rating : 4.8 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
19. Front-End Web Developer Certification by W3C
This professional certificate is created by W3C to help you learn the necessary skills required to build interactive and responsive user experiences on the web. Work on the 3 foundational languages that are the pillars of the web: HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript. With step by step guidance from the instructor learn to create and innovate on the web. Apply the knowledge gained in the classes in the accompanying interactive examples and enhance your portfolio. By the end of the lectures, you will be able to create professional web applications that can be showcased in job interviews. We also have a host of other Front End Developer Certification that you can look at.
Key USPs-
– Code with modern HTML5 tags, draw and animate fun web graphics and play audio and video elements.
– Build websites using the latest web standards.
– Assignments and projects give you an opportunity to implement the knowledge covered in the lessons.
– Learn the best practices of CSS for web page design.
– Cover the fundamentals of Javascript to help you develop interactive web applications.
– Understand the relevance of accessibility and internationalization.
Duration: 5 courses, 4 to 6 weeks per course, 6 to 10 hours per week
Rating : 4.8 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
20. IT Project Management Certification from University of Washington
If you are in the IT field and are looking to pick up the skills to become an effective project manager then this professional certificate is perfect for you. You will learn to choose the most suitable management techniques for your IT project or organization. Along with this, you will also see how to develop a project portfolio as well as how to solve some of the common challenges of the field, including management of diverse teams and projects from diverse locations. By the end of the certification, you will be confident and prepared to apply the core skills required for this role. Do also have a look at Best Project Management Courses.
Key USPs-
– Learn the importance of project management to deliver business values.
– Implement techniques to intake, prioritize and select projects so that they align with the business strategy of the organization.
– Explore the important methodologies and lifecycles to identify strategies for managing distributed teams.
– The interactive videos make the learning a fun and enriching experience.
– Work on assessments and assignment to measure your grasp on the concepts covered in the videos.
– There are 3 courses in this series. It is beneficial to follow the sequence specified in the certification to get the most out of this program.
Duration: 3 courses, 4 weeks per course, 2 to 5 hours per week
Rating : 4.7 out of 5
You can Sign up Here
So these were the Best + Free edX Courses, Professional Certificates, MicroMasters and Training available online for 2020. Hope you found what you were looking for. Wish you a Happy Learning!
