There’s no denying that online learning, unlike the traditional mode of learning, guarantees the freedom to learn at one’s convenience. The learners will not only save themselves the stress of physical attendance but also spend relatively less time on their programs.

Beyond the convenience they offer, online certificate programs are relatively cheap. In fact, some of these programs are completely free and in cases where fees are included, chances are that you’ll spend less than what it costs to complete the same program in the traditional way.

The United Kingdom is a trusted source for dozens of online courses which aren’t only free to access but also come with free certificates. With these courses cutting across various disciplines, you’re very likely to find a course that fits into your area of academic interest.

Ranging from forensic-focused courses to tech-inclined programs, free-to-access UK courses abound on the internet. To aid your application for the ones with certificates, here is our list of the best 20 free online courses in the UK with certificates:

Learning in the Network Age

The concept of learning has taken a new dimension, thanks to digital technologies. For you to make the most out of learning these days, you’ve got to adjust to the demands of the current network age.

Helpfully, this free online course furnishes you with the skills that will aid your accomplishment of learning goals in education. For you to catch up with the network age, you really have to build a strong learning network for yourself. This is why a course like this very one is designed to show you how to use digital technologies to your own learning advantage.

The digital space –the internet in particular –is a great avenue not only for interaction but also for learning probably through the exploitation of creativity, science and the likes.

To find out more about this course or enroll in the course, click the link here.

Integrating Care: Depression, Anxiety and Physical Illness (A Course on the Understanding of Mental and Physical Illnesses)

This is the kind of course that makes you understand the relationship between mental and physical health. If not well managed, physical illnesses can have an undesirable effect on mental health. Chronic pain, disability and fatigue are all issues that can cause mental health to deteriorate. Mental health deterioration may, in turn, manifest along with symptoms that indicate poor physical health.

It’s certainly a great idea to apply to a free online course through which you can explore the interdependence between mental and physical health. Lots of people suffer from either of physical and mental illnesses. Learning about the symptoms of these health issues will go a long way in helping you identify the kind of medical or psychology assistance somebody needs.

You can join this course through the link here.

Discovering Your PhD Potential: Writing a Research Proposal (An Opportunity That Prepares You for PhD)

Mastery of research proposal writing is definitely a step towards having your application approved for postgraduate studies.

Perhaps, you want to take your studies to an advanced level such as the doctoral level. In this regard, there’s no denying that you’ll need to learn the ropes of research proposal writing.

Luckily, this free-to-access online course equips you with the ability to churn out excellent research proposals that should boost your chances of successful PhD applications.

You can expect this course to teach you the research proposal writing skills that pertain to your discipline. This is because the focus of this course transcends the arts, social sciences and the humanities. Helpfully, the course has the added advantage of stimulating you to engage in self-study which your doctoral program will demand in one way or the other.

Here is the link to become one of the students taking this online course.

COVID-19: Psychological First Aid

This free online course was developed by Public Health England and it is a proven avenue for you to understand the psychological first aid that should be rendered during emergencies.

The course follows the globally relevant guidelines put forward by international agencies including the United Nations and the World Health Organization. Particularly, an individual taking the course will be made to examine the psychological effects of COVID-19 along with the psychological assistance the individual can render to affected persons.

It’s worthy of note that Psychological First Aid (PFA) is a globally recognized training program meant to guide people on ways of rendering assistance during emergencies. The program, which is accessible as an online course, also provides guidelines on post-emergency psychosocial care.

Click here to learn more about this course or enroll for free.

Business and Administration Level

Mastery of business and administrative principles is a great recipe for contributing to the day-to-day success of real companies. That’s perhaps why this state-sponsored online course is available to provide you with such mastery.

Through this course, you’ll be made to understand the strategies for helping companies succeed. While the course is free to access for all eligible individuals, it guarantees them certification upon completion. The certification is defined as a “Level 1 certificate for principles of business and administration”.

Importantly, this course is a nationally recognized UK course that paves the way for you acquire certification in business and administration.

Here is the link to enroll in this course.

Entrepreneurship: From Business Idea to Action

The understanding of business concepts is necessary for success on your entrepreneurship journey. Entrepreneurship isn’t something you should venture into without first mastering its nitty-gritty.

Helpfully, this online entrepreneurship course will equip you with the knowledge you need for entrepreneurial success. You’ll get to realize how to face various entrepreneurship issues and overcome them.

Aside from furnishing you with the understanding of business ideation and business plan development, the course teaches you how to leverage case studies for the application of business ideas and concepts.

The skills for business development in today’s entrepreneurial world are parts of what you stand to learn by applying to this free online entrepreneurship course. Moreover, the course is an opportunity for you to learn how to market your business ideas to others.

You too can become a student of this free online course by enrolling via this link.

Microsoft Digital Literacy –Computer Basics

Computers are vital tools that aid productivity at home, in the office and across industries. The essence of such tools is a pointer to the benefit associated with understanding how the computer works.

This online computer course introduces learners to the computer components as well as the functions of the components. While learners will also get to understand the functioning of an operating system, this course notably teaches Microsoft Digital Literacy in its initial module.

For individuals keen to learn the basics of computing without paying a dime, this digital literacy course would be a nice recommendation.

To enroll in this digital literacy course, click the link here.

Android Development Course

Whether you’re already a developer or willing to become one, this course will likely give you a great shot at mastering how to develop Android apps.

Courtesy of this free online course, your Android development skill will get better as you’ll find out how to build popular apps. The course will also open your eyes to the techniques for developing Android Nougat and a lot of other programs.

Click here to join the class of students taking this free course.

Forensic Engineering: Learning from Failures

Especially in the medical field, it’s very important to prevent the recurrence of costly errors. One way health professionals can do that is learning from failures.

Thankfully, this forensic engineering course awakens your consciousness to the technique for unraveling the root cause of disastrous medical errors.

The knowledge this course offers will be realistically useful especially in preventing the recurrence of health-related disasters such as the widespread gallbladder infection that occurred sometime ago. Precisely, forensic technology played a major role in helping professionals discover that the spread of that infection might have resulted from the design and application of medical instruments. This discovery prompted attention into the design of medical instruments as well as the protocols used across hospitals. Modifications went into the design of the instruments and hospitals were encouraged to adopt better protocols.

This free-to-access forensic course specifically teaches you how to apply TU Defti’s thinking in finding the root cause of similar disasters. And thankfully, this would be a great way to prevent the recurrence of such disasters.

To join this forensic course, simply click the link here.

Free Blockchain Course

This blockchain course takes you through the understanding of recent blockchain technologies as well as Hyperledger Composer.

Generally, the course educates you about the blockchain architecture and blockchain fabric development.

It is no news that blockchain has gained momentum in the present technological world. With an understanding of blockchain technology added to your wealth of knowledge, you might just become more tech-savvy than many colleagues.

Join this free blockchain course today by clicking here.

Fundamentals of Operations Management

The knowledge of operations management is a key ingredient for success in both service organizations and manufacturing firms. Especially, such aspects as overall planning, scheduling, site planning, and capacity planning are vital to the success of a company concerned with products or services. This is why this operations management course is designed to help you understand the connection between competitiveness, productivity and operations.

This course will open your consciousness to the strategies for succeeding in the aspects of product/service planning, productivity, availability and delivery. Basically, the course introduces you to the concept of operations management in service-based companies and manufacturing outfits.

You’re free to start taking this course by enrolling via this link.

Applied Operations Management –Aggregate Planning

This online course furnishes you with the knowledge of overall planning particularly as obtained in production companies.

In production companies, overall planning is a strategy for matching demand and supply over a given period in the course of production. The period could take up to one year. Meanwhile, one of the fundamental goals behind this course is to help you realize the strategy for minimizing the total cost of running your business. One of the tactics under this strategy is the quantification of essential resources meant to be procured.

Visit the link here to enroll in this online course for free.

Essential IT Skills Level

Computer proficiency, coupled with the mastery of other IT techniques, remains a great recipe for workplace productivity. This course is specifically designed to help you acquire computer proficiency in such programs as MS Excel, PowerPoint and Word.

Your computer skills form parts of the skillset that qualify you for positions in various professions. With the aid of this free online UK course, you’ll certainly improve your computer proficiency in the Microsoft programs highlighted. For learners’ benefit, the course is split into four units with an assessment provided in each unit. The learners tend to acquire comprehensive understanding of each of the course’s topics.

You too can enroll in this course via this link.

Forensic Facial Reconstruction: Finding Mr. X

Professionals in the field of crime investigation readily appreciate the importance forensics. If you’re dead keen to understand how facial reconstruction and forensic anatomy work, this free online course is likely your best bet.

The course is offered by the University of Sheffield and it equips you with the required forensic skills for unraveling the conditions surrounding somebody’s death. While application for this course doesn’t mandate you to have any prior forensic knowledge or certification, the course will equip you with the forensic techniques for bodily identification which is a requirement for investigating deaths.

To start taking this forensic course, visit this link and enroll for free.

Forensic Science and Criminal Justice

This is another forensic course you can take freely online.

An overview of the course shows that it first introduces learners to the historical background of forensics.

With the criminal justice system relying heavily on forensic reports, the knowledge of forensics is remains a crucial requirement in the practice of crime investigation.

Scientific breakthroughs –such as those pertaining to DNA profiling –have proven instrumental for distinguishing between innocents and criminals. Such breakthroughs are making it possible for the police to fish out crime perpetrators even under complex circumstances.

As regards the essence of this online course, learners will get to understand the linkage between forensics and criminal justice. They will learn how the application of forensics promotes proper administration of justice in the courtroom especially on crime-related matters.

Here’s the link to join this course.

Applied Machine Learning

This course educates students about some of the relevant advanced methods applicable in the field of data science. Notably, the course provides learners with both theoretical and practice-based understanding of specific advanced methods.

Data science is a broad field where complex data-related problems are solved and where advanced methods are broadly employed.

Generally, this online data science course consists of four modules. While the last two modules keep you focused on unstructured data, the initial two modules introduce you to specialized data types with special emphasis on their application. Upon completion, this course guarantees certification and it is one of the Microsoft Professional Certificate Program in Data Science.

Click here to enroll in this course for free.

Data Analysis and Visualization with MS Excel

Here’s another data science course and it would be specially admired for its concentration on Excel, one of the most commonly used resources in Microsoft Office.

Specifically, this course will arm learners with the requisite skill for adapting Excel for data analysis and visualization. The course will also teach them how to apply the DAX calculation engine for commercial calculations.

One thing you should like to know is that Excel is now capable of analyzing an increased amount of data. Coupled with this is its integration of high-grade business logic and enhanced visualizations.

This course will expose you to how you can use Excel for various tasks such as importing data, viewing data, preparing data for analysis, and sharing the data in Power BI’s cloud network.

Click here to join other students taking this MS Excel course.

Unreal Engine Tutorial

Probably, you are just getting to hear about Unreal Engine but it might interest you that it’s a useful technology for developing several applications including virtual reality games.

If you’re a game developer with an eye for virtual reality games, taking this free online course could be a great way to become better at what you do.

Here’s the link to enroll in this course.

Forensic Psychology: Witness Investigation

This free online course revolves around forensic psychology with special focus on eyewitness investigation.

Eyewitness testimony plays an important role in criminal investigation but such testimony may seem unreliable at times. Incorporating forensic psychology into the assessment of eyewitness testimony will go a long mile in helping the police obtain genuine information.

This free-to-access online course is one program you can apply for without having any prior knowledge or certification in criminal investigation, forensic psychology or any related discipline. Students taking the course will be armed with the know-how of conducting forensic psychology with respect to eyewitness testimony.

To start taking this forensic course, here’s the link to click.

Machine Learning Certification

This online course constitutes the free machine learning programs with certifications. Several similar programs are offered by various institutions including the University of Southampton and Oxford University.

Click the link here to enroll in this course for free.

Tips to Help You Make Success with Your Online Course

Always Keep Yourself Reminded of Tasks

Under the normal classroom-based learning circumstance, you could always get reminded about assignments and other academic tasks through interaction with classmates. This is a clear advantage that you might not get while under the circumstance of online learning.

If you constantly nurse the fear that the scheduled time for tasks would skip your mind, it’s advisable that you keep a study partner. Rather than pick a random classmate, endeavor to keep a responsible study partner who always bears schedules in mind.

Find Yourself a Space Conducive to Learning

In the case of a regular degree program, your classroom would be your learning space. But when enrolled in an online course, the choice of learning space is yours to make.

Advisably, create a definite and suitable learning space for yourself. Depending on your nature, the space could be a serene spot, your inviting compact room, a small coffee shop around or the library. It’s left to you to decide but endeavor to end up with a learning environment that will boost your tendency to assimilate.

Be an Active Participant

Participating actively in group discussions is a way to create a circle of friends from among your classmates. It will as well enable you to pick the brains of others taking the online course.

You may, at one time or the other, need your classmate’s help in carrying out a project or assignment. Active participation might give you the perfect edge to pitch yourself to smart students who could be helpful.

Always Avoid Social Media Distractions

Social media distractions are bound to come your way except you already did something to stave them off. While attending an online class on your phone, WhatsApp messages and Facebook notifications can appear here and there. This is just why it behooves you to keep these distractions to the minimum.

Most likely, your study attitude will play a key role as regards keeping social media distractions away.

Manage Your Time Judiciously

Time management is vital to the crucial goal of making the most out of your online course. You’ll likely admire online courses for the freedom they offer but if care isn’t taken, you might misuse this freedom.

Endeavor to create a time-table that will keep you focused on your learning goals. This way, you’ll save yourself the habit of attending an online class absent-minded. With judicious time management, you’re much likely to set aside ample time for your online classes.

Conclusion

Online courses with certificates are always a great opportunity to learn comfortably, at your own pace and eventually obtain your certificate in a relatively short period. Plus, these courses are less expensive compared to the regular degree programs where physical attendance is required.

We strongly believe that this post has helped you find the free online UK course that suits your preference.