20+ Online Environmental Science Courses to Pursue in 2025

Environmental Science is the science that integrates various academic fields to study environmental problems and devise appropriate solutions for them. It studies how the various biological, chemical, and physical components interact in the environment. Due to the various developmental activities and factors like pollution, and population growth, the quality of the environment we live in is deteriorating. The need to conserve the environment is always there. Hence, the importance of online environmental science courses is rising as there is a demand for professionals in the sector.

Being an environmental scientist is a lucrative career choice as you get a variety of options. You can work in government or private organizations and industries like the fertilizer industry, and food processing industry. The average salary of an Environmental Scientist in India is Rs 356,690. Taking environmental science degrees and online environmental science courses can help you prepare and be ready for such job opportunities.

Other career options in the field of environmental science include Environmental Engineer, Environmental Lawyer, Chief Sustainability Officer, Conservation Hydrologist, and Environmental Consultant. There are also various online free environmental science courses that are available for you to enrol in and get fundamental knowledge about the field and embark on a career in environmental science.

We have accumulated a list of 20 online environmental science courses for you to look into and understand how they can be of help to you. The following includes the key details of these online environmental science courses, read on to find out. Here is the environmental science course list.

Top 20+ Online Environmental Science Courses

Let us now try to understand these online environmental science courses on a deeper level. This will help us understand which one of them is more suitable for our needs. We have included the features and curriculums of these online environmental science courses through the following analysis for your convenience. Let's go through them one by one

1. Introduction to Environmental Science

This is an introductory course to study environmental science. It is offered by Dartmouth College and includes a scientific study of the environment and how it is affected by human activities. In this course, you will learn to think like an environmental scientist, skills necessary for addressing environmental issues. The course curriculum includes the study of environmental science, Non-renewable fossil fuels, Renewable fuels, agriculture and soil and Biodiversity and global change.

• Platform:edX

• Duration:4 Weeks

2. Global Environmental Problems: Surveying the Human Footprint

This is one of the best online environmental science courses. In this course, you will get to explore the environment through the lens of human influence. You will learn the causes of climate change and how the various environmental problems that we are facing can be solved. The course includes understanding global environmental problems, Understanding Earth's system, Humans and Land-use change, pollution, mining, climate change, and conventional energy use.

• Platform: Udemy

• Duration:2 hours 17 minutes

3. Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development

This is the ideal course for those who want to get involved in the field of environmental policy or humanitarian relief. The course includes an introduction to renewable energy and its types, sustainable development, and green energy organizations. The instructor of the course is Telly Frias Jr who is a Lecturer, Author, and Narrator.

• Platform: Udemy

• Duration:1 hour 9 minutes

4. Resources and Environment

This is one of the best online environmental engineering courses and is designed for students, engineers or anyone who wants to learn about environmental engineering.

In this environmental certificate course, you will learn about the utilisation and distribution of water, distribution of the mineral energy and sources, the climate in India, the relationship between between environment and resources, components of soil, coastal erosion and the like. The programme will also discuss environmental disasters, biodiversity, features of various forest covers in India and sustainable development. You will gain a certificate in environmental studies by the end of this course.

• Platform: Swayam

• Duration:12 Weeks

5. Introduction to Sustainability

This course is offered by the University of Illinois. This course deals with sustainability and how we tackle the problem of global change, environmental degradation and resource limitations. In this course, you will learn about sustainability theory and practice, including population, ecosystems, energy, global change, agriculture, water, environmental economics and policy, ethics, and cultural history.

The Instructor of the course is Dr. Jonathan Tomkin who is an Associate Director of the School of Earth, Society, and Environment.

• Platform: Coursera

• Duration: 25 hours

6. Ecology and Wildlife Conservation

This is one of the best environmental science certification courses offered by The University of Leeds. In this course, you will understand the conservation of wildlife and ecology, population biology, ecosystem resilience, ecosystem and technology in the conservation. The course will also provide practical exposure to the learners through various case studies such as Seabirds and windfarms.

• Platform: Futurelearn

• Duration: 2 weeks

7. Environmental Ethics

This is another one of the important environmental science certification courses offered by Saylor Academy. In the course, you will learn about the various aspects and approaches of environmental ethics, world views around it and the history of environmental ethics and its proponents. This programme also covers environmental law and environmental justice.

• Platform: eSkill India

• Duration:55 hours

8. Beyond the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Addressing Sustainability and Development

You can study environmental science by enrolling in this course offered by the University of Michigan. This course deals with the twin challenges of sustainability and development and how to reconcile both.

In this course, you will learn to understand and explain the problems existing in the world like environmental degradation, climate change, and environmental degradation and critically analyze sustainable development goals. The course comprises Climate Change, Poverty and Inequality, Biodiversity Loss etc.

• Platform: Coursera

• Duration:9 hours

9. AP Environmental Science - Part 1: The Living World

This course is offered by Rice University and is designed to prepare you for the AP environmental science exam. In this course, you will study environmental science and learn about Environmental Problems, evolution, climates, biome biodiversity and Ecosystems, and the Living World.

• Platform:edX

• Duration: 4 weeks

10. Energy Within Environmental Constraints

This is an introductory-level course for enthusiasts to study environmental science in an in-depth manner. In this course, offered by Harvard University you will learn about energy systems and their environmental impact.

You will learn about the engineering and economics of our energy system and understand the energy technologies etc. The course curriculum comprises the study of forms of energy, Environmental Impacts, fossil fuels, Electric Grid, solar and nuclear power, demand reduction, and efficiency.

• Platform: edX

• Duration: 10 weeks

11. Natural Resources for Sustainable Development

This environmental science course is offered by SDG Academy. In this course, you will learn about How countries translate natural resource wealth into sustainable development outcomes, the impact of extractive industries on economic development, what are policies essential for the sustainable management of natural resource wealth, and the importance of communication between government, industry, and citizens.

The course curriculum comprises concepts like the Political economy of natural resources, Fundamentals of oil, gas, and mining: industry considerations and policy, legal and fiscal regime design, and anticipating and management of environmental problems. You will gain a certificate in environmental studies by the end of this course.

• Platform: edX

• Duration: 12 weeks

12. Certificate in Environmental Management QLS Level 3

This online environmental science course is offered by the Oxford Home Study Centre. In this course, you will learn about global environmental issues, energy management, environmental management systems, ecosystem geography, recycling and the like. The online course will also explore the effects of agriculture and urbanisation, overexploitation of biological resources and its consequences and a fundamental overview of the environment.

• Platform: Oxford Home Study Centre

• Duration: 200 hours

13. Advanced Placement Environmental Science - Part 2: Populations

This is one of the online environmental courses with certification India which is offered by edX in association with Rice University, Houston. In this programme, you will learn about populations, community ecology, population dynamics and the like. You will be taught about methods to calculate the size of the population, terrestrial biodiversity, earth system and water use.

• Platform: edX

• Duration: 4 weeks

14. Advanced Placement Environmental Science-Part 3: Pollution and Resources

This is one of the environmental related courses and it is one of the advanced environmental science programmes offered by edX. Here you will explore air pollution, the hazardous wastes that lead to the pollution of the air and whatnot. You will also learn about energy efficiency, renewable energy, earth resources, geological resources and global change and human health. The course curriculum includes the study of global change, human health and ecological health.

• Platform: edX

• Duration: 4 weeks

15. Environmental Ecosystem and Natural Resources

This is a comprehensive course to study environmental science and hydrosphere. The course curriculum includes an introduction to environmental science, hydrosphere, and water cycle, and an introduction to ecosystems including their structure, estuary, food chain, and vermicomposting.

• Platform: Udemy

• Duration: 1 hour 22 minutes

16. Arctic Development

This course will take you through the whole gamut of aspects of the Arctic including the geopolitics of the Circumpolar North, the development of the Arctic and resource management in different parts of the Arctic such as the Indigenous Arctic, North American Arctic and Nordic Arctic. After the course, you also will be able to understand community management in the Arctic and climate change happening in the area along with the case studies.

• Platform: Coursera

• Duration: 4 weeks

17. Energy Economics And Policy

This is one of the free environmental certificate programmes offered by Swayam in collaboration with IIT Mandi. This course is designed to enable you to understand everything about energy economics. In this course, you will study environmental science, clean energy, the application of economic principles, and policies regarding the supply of renewable and non-renewable energy.

• Platform: Swayam

• Duration: 8 weeks

18. Environmental and Occupational Hazards

This is one of the interesting online environmental science courses where you will get to learn deeply about natural hazards and disasters. In this course, you will get to know closely about the types of natural disasters, natural disaster management, occupational health hazards and the like. Similarly, the course will discuss different types of hazards such as physical, chemical and biological.

• Platform: Swayam

• Duration: 12 weeks

19. The Age of Sustainable Development

This is one of the best online environmental science courses available anywhere. It is offered by Columbia University. In this course, you will learn about Energy, Sustainable Energy, Urban Planning, and Environmental Protection.

The course curriculum includes the meaning of sustainable development, Inequality around the world, History of Economic Development, Human Rights and Gender Equality, education, Universal Health CoverageSustainable Food Supply, Curbing Climate Change, Saving Biodiversity, and Sustainable Development Goals.

• Platform: Coursera

• Duration:30 hours

20. Planet Earth and You!

This is an environmental management system course offered by Illinois University. In this course, you will learn about planet Earth and the various phenomena that are happening on Earth. The course curriculum includes the study of earthquakes, plate tectonics, volcanoes, rocks, and mineral resources, and energy resources.

• Platform: Coursera

• Duration:42 hours

Top Providers Offering Environmental Science Courses & Certifications

Conclusion

Protecting our planet and taking care of the environment is our foremost responsibility. If you are someone who is passionate about creating an environment-friendly world, then your chances of having a successful career as an environmental scientist are very bright. To learn about environmental science and to make a career in this field you can pursue degree courses like a Bachelor of Environmental Science, or a BTech in environmental engineering. You can also choose to do a PhD or an MPhil in environmental science. however, taking online environmental science courses will help you gain a better perspective on specific aspects of this subject in a quick and efficient manner and make you capable enough to make a career in this field.