List of Free Online Communications Courses and Classes

See our list of the top free online communications courses. Learn about what courses are available and what topics they cover to find the course that's right for you.

Communications Classes Online for Credit

If you want college credit for an online communications class, it's going to cost money. Study.com's online video library saves you money, with one low membership fee for as many courses as you want to study. You can prepare for credit-by-exam tests to transfer your credit to hundreds of colleges.

• Public Speaking prepares you to research your topic, organize your speech, listen critically to others, and deliver your speech on the big day!
• This Workplace Communications with Computers course prepares you to be professional with online writing tools and to use visuals effectively in your presentations.
• College Composition is the course you want for lessons on essay writing and essay revision.

Online Non-Credit Communications Course Information

Several colleges and universities offer free courses online that cover communication theory, media and skills in a variety of contexts. The types of study materials available online vary by school and course. The classes are not offered for credit, and students are able to work independently. Classes are available at the undergraduate and graduate levels of study.

African Virtual University

• Education Communication

Education Communication covers a variety of communication theories and models related to communication between teachers and students in the classroom. Students are exposed to the work of various communication scholars on interpersonal and mass communication to help improve teaching and learning. The course consists of online written lessons with glossaries of key terms, learning activities, a bibliography and links to readings.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Undergraduate Courses

• Information and Communication Technology in Africa
• Management Communication for Undergraduates

Graduate Courses

• Argumentation and Communication
• Communication for Managers
• Communication Skills for Academics
• Planning, Communications and Digital Media

MIT offers several OpenCourseWare options in communications at the undergraduate and graduate levels, which typically offer syllabi, a list of texts, additional links to readings, lecture notes and assignments. Information and Communication Technology in Africa provides case studies and projects that focus on communication policy in Sub-Saharan Africa. Management Communication for Undergraduates may help aspiring managers become more effective presenters, interviewers, listeners and team leaders.
Argumentation and Communication is a graduate-level class providing varied readings and analytical writing assignments. Among the topics students encounter are the components of arguments, drafting effective memos and evaluating graphics. The Communication for Managers class is designed to prepare graduate students for leadership positions by improving communication and presentation skills.
Communication Skills for Academics is directed toward Ph.D. candidates to help them develop skills specific to success in academia, like writing effective conference papers or manuscript peer reviews as well as presenting conference papers. In Planning, Communications and Digital Media, graduate students develop a Web-based portfolio as they investigate how planners can use electronic visualization tools and other digital media to analyze and mobilize communities.

The Open University

• Communication, Management and Your Own Context
• Diversity and Difference in Communication

The Open University, based in the United Kingdom, offers distance education courses and degree programs. The school makes many of its course materials available online through its OpenLearn and LearningSpace sites. Students may develop communication skills through a variety of available course units, which vary in length. By registering, which involves no cost, students may participate in learning forums.
Communication, Management and Your Own Context, for example, is an 8-hour unit for advanced learners who may be contemplating an MBA program. Through printable lessons, this course provides activities designed for learners to develop oral and written business communication skills. The 16-hour introductory unit, Diversity and Difference in Communication, focuses on communication in health and social services. Through a variety of printable readings and suggested activities, students investigate how identity, ethnicity, disability and gender factor into communication.

University of Massachusetts - Boston

• Using Internet Communications

Using Internet Communications is a course in which students apply communication theories and models to different forms of digital communication. The object of the course is to improve interpersonal, group or public communication in multimedia, discussion forums and online meetings, among other forms of online communication. Course materials include a syllabus with a short reading list, a course schedule with links to additional readings, an assignment list and discussion topics.

University of Michigan

• Patient Communication Skills

Patient Communication Skills is designed for dentists and other healthcare providers who want to improve their communication skills with patients. Students have access to online videos and text documents that focus on strategies, examples and methods to improve communication in the healthcare setting. The course covers listening skills, cross-cultural communication and patient interviewing skills, among other topics.