Free Social Science Courses & Certifications

In this Measuring Sustainable Development certification course candidates will get the knowledge from experienced mentors for making the Sustainable Development Report about the importance of estimating progress on the SDGs, and how an instrument like the SDG Index and Dashboards helps policymakers and different partners settle on significant choices about their improvement needs. Candidates will be able to look at the changed kinds of information that can be utilized to quantify improvement progress and become familiar with the specialized advances expected to develop a record for the SDGs.

The candidates will be able to investigate local and city-level files and examine new ways to deal with SDG estimation and information based dynamic. The duration of the Measuring Sustainable Development program is 5 weeks where candidates can study at their own pace. The efforts needed by the candidate to complete this Measuring Sustainable Development training will be 1-3 hours of weekly efforts.

The candidate who will be having the upgraded Measuring Sustainable Development certification will be getting the verified institutional certificate from edX which will be a shareable certificate that can be added on LinkedIn and the candidate can also audit this course free of cost but for a limited time and also without any certificate of completion. Another track helps the candidates to complete the course which is not free but gives a completion certificate and unlimited access. This is called the verified track and can be found on the Edx platform.

The Sustainable Urban Freight Transport: A Global Perspective online course was developed to help you build a sustainable transport perspective. And meet the rising pressures or urbanisation for sustainable logistics practices.

The Sustainable Urban Freight Transport certification syllabus will take you on a journey through a scientific foundation of logistics all the way to how it is practised in the cities. Moreover, the course also features expert instructors who will teach you the fundamentals of a highly complex social system of the urban areas.

Furthermore, you will gain an in-depth insight into applying the instructors’ real-world experiences to real-world problems. The Sustainable Urban Freight Transport programme places relentless emphasis on rigorous evaluation, theoretical foundation, and taking a multi-disciplinary approach to the complex area of logistics.

You will also have a chance to learn from your peers about the challenges that they faced in their particular city. Lastly, you can also purchase a course completion certificate to showcase your newly acquired skills. This self-paced programme has two options to enrol; verified and audit tracks. In the verified track, the students will get unlimited access and a certificate of completion while in the free audit track, they will have access for a limited period. 

Nearly one half of the world population relies on groundwater for all their needs, which has seen a ten-fold rise in usage in the past 50 years. Understanding groundwater utilization and consumption is the need of the hour. The Groundwater Cycle program, offered by Purdue University, helps learners explore the different aspects of groundwater with a unique perspective. 

Thus, the Groundwater Cycle training lets students answer the fundamental questions of how much water is available and how it is used and consumed. Candidates also discover how much plants and trees need, how much water gain happens during the rainy season, and how much increase is seen per annum. An observation of how much is lost through droughts every year is also included in the curriculum. 

The Groundwater Cycle certification syllabus, spread over five weeks, has been broadly defined to include everything from properties and classification of aquifers to principles of groundwater motion. This is the first course out of the three-course series that introduces learners to modelling fundamentals. The key principles learned here can be beneficial in other topical training programs like Wells Hydraulics and Groundwater Contamination.

The Vernacular Architecture of Asia: Tradition, Modernity and Cultural Sustainability certification programme is an introductory course under the art and culture category. The University of Hong Kong introduces the course, with Prof David P. Y. Lung and Prof Howard Davis as the head instructors. This is a five-week training and requires a minimum study of two to three hours per week.  

The Vernacular Architecture of Asia online training focuses on sustaining vernacular architecture against the threat and challenges posed by the modernised world. Candidates will explore the in-depth socio-cultural significance of vernacular architecture and the challenges posed by people migrating from villages to cities. Experts will also discuss informal settlements in Asia along with how to conserve and reunite cultural heritage with modernity. 

The Course on Vernacular Architecture of Asia will have lectures conducted in English throughout, and edX will also provide transcripts for the same. While enrolling for the course, students can choose to purchase a verified certificate to validate their skills and achievements in the course.

There are a lot of rumours, disputed claims, and scientifically fraught decisions surrounding the act of parenting. Every day, some research or the other comes up with a new claim and changes how we look at parenting while adding to the confusion by making contradictory statements. The University of California, San Diego, has created The Science of Parenting online course to dispel this confusion. 

The Science of Parenting training looks directly at science and trains candidates to critically approach parenting. It covers various topics like diet, sleeping, discipline and impulse control that are central to the lives of parents. The course explores how science makes claims from correlational data that often may be far from reality. 

The short-term course on The Science of Parenting by edX is five weeks long. During the training, you will acquire critical thinking and decision-making skills and learn how to avoid errors and make sensible decisions. You can enrol in this programme for free and audit it for a limited period. The learners can also choose to purchase the verified certificate by paying the fee. 

With the Conscious Capitalism certification course offered by the best-in-class institute of Babson, the candidates will be learning about practical implications as well as the theoretical underpinnings of conscious capitalism as an approach to business activities. They will learn to rethink the reason for the existence of their own organization, and about the role that it performs as a part of the independent global marketplace. 

Candidates will be brought face to face with the impact that conscious capitalism has on the well-being of stakeholders, be it tangible or intangible. They will also learn about the key concepts of conscious capitalism including higher purpose, conscious culture, stakeholder leadership, and stakeholder orientation.    

Candidates can complete the Conscious Capitalism certification course in a period of 4 weeks. They need to put in at least 4 to 6 hours per week to excel in the course. It is available free of cost and is self-paced for the ease of learners. The candidates can take the course either by paying the fee or free of cost. In the free track, they can audit the programme for a limited duration. 

The Global Prosperity Beyond GDP certification is responsible for creating a better world by shifting its focus on health, and prosperity rather than wealth. Within just one month, and 2 hours of sessions the candidates will approach what are the other determinants of the success of a society. This course has been designed both by University College London, and pretend on the FutureLearn platform.

No longer more success means economic growth, and by 2050, the population in the world will be 10 billion and there may be an environmental crisis. To survive such a situation, from today itself people will have to use new tools to tackle the problems of today so that the world can have a prosperous future ahead. This is exactly what the Global Prosperity Beyond GDP certification syllabus is responsible for teaching.

Global Prosperity Beyond GDP training will shift its focus from prosperity to how the world got to the economies that it is today in. In these 4 weekly modules, the students will progress from the current to the future well-being of our world.

The course in Modern Indian Art from the Colonial Period to the Present by Swayam delves into the socio-political, aesthetic, and cultural factors that have shaped the history of Indian art movements. Beginning from the colonial period, it traces the evolution of Indian art forms as a function of external and internal factors, such as shifts in patronage from kings to the erstwhile colonial rulers. 

The Modern Indian Art from the Colonial Period to the Present course is designed to look at vital moments in Indian history and correlate them with changing art styles. It also highlights how the art style changed from nationalistic to individualistic. The candidates will get to study the significant Indian artists, their works of art, and how they influenced the movement.

The Course in Modern Indian Art from the Colonial Period to the Present encourages art appreciation amongst the candidates and teaches them how to critique art forms. It is a 4-week long programme, offered by the expert faculty from Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan. 

The early modern period saw many new inventions, but the development of printing was probably the most exciting of them all. The course on The History of the Book in the Early Modern Period: 1450 to 1800 will teach candidates about the impact of this printing revolution on contemporary politics, religion, medicine and science. 

Candidates will learn how books were made, illustrated and bound together. They will learn how these books were sold, circulated and read by the people of the early modern period. Such insightful details about the history of the book in the early modern period are bound to be an enriching experience for the candidates.

The History of the Book in the Early Modern Period: 1450 to 1800 by FutureLearn gives candidates a unique opportunity to study early modern book production using sample books from the Edward Worth Library, Dublin and Trinity College Dublin. Candidates can look through early editions of Aesop’s Fables or study the engravings of Anthony Van Dyck.

An Introduction to Japanese Subcultures online course is designed to answer the questions of the people who are interested in Japanese subcultures but do not know where to look first. You will analyse the culture deeply and examine its historical context. 

If you are familiar with Shonen-manga, Japanese pop music, Shojo-manga, Vocaloid and other elements of this phenomenon and want to learn more, this course is for you. An Introduction to Japanese Subcultures course by FutureLearn serves as an apt gateway into the world of the ‘Cool Japan’. 

You will explore the reasons why Japanese subculture intrigues people all around the world, with a primary focus on defining the dimensions of ‘vulnerability’ and ‘immaturity’ of youth culture from the 1970s. These keywords are meant to explain a new meaning of the cultural phenomenon in Japan.

The Japanese subculture has garnered substantial worldwide popularity and acceptance in the last two decades. An Introduction to Japanese Subcultures MOOC will take you through the causes behind it and how its market is expanding. 

Moreover, the course will let you recognise key Japanese subcultures like comics, anime, J-pop idols, cosplay and the Hatsune Miku Vocaloid emphasising on the themes such as Battle, Fan culture, Love and Technology.

The Hollywood: History, Industry, Art course will help you explore how Hollywood became globally prominent and art that is widely celebrated. The course curriculum covers how the present-day Hollywood industry plays a role in politics using film, TV, and new media. You will also dive deep into the various studios such as Warner Bros, Disney, and Fox and their story in cinema's evolution. 

The Hollywood: History, Industry, Art certification programme will uncover the impact, advanced technological tools had on the process of creating a movie. By taking examples of various independent and Hollywood films, the course will provide insights into the transitions we can expect to see in the future. The four-week training from edX is entirely self-paced but has a time constraint in case the students have selected the audit mode. In case of selection of the verified mode, the candidates will have an unlimited amount of time to complete the programme.

Besides, the Hollywood: History, Industry, Art online programme by Edx is taught by an experienced faculty, Peter Decherney from the prestigious University of Pennsylvania. The introductory level course requires no prerequisites. The training falls into the communication domain and covers synchronised sound, color cinematography, home video, computer graphics, and the internet.  

The Certification course on Invitation to The Tale of Genji: The Foundational Elements of Japanese Culture will provide an insight into the age-old story of “The Tale of Genji”. During the course, many video lectures and references will be provided to elaborate and explain the customs, manners, and sensibilities of the Kyoto city and the society of the Japanese aristocrats. The students will gain a comprehensive and presided view of the then-Japanese society. The Tale of Genji will provide a foundation base for Japanese literature. It will allow the students to learn more about history from a different perspective and will help to understand the spirituality related to Japanese society in ancient times.

Considered to be the world's first prose fiction and novel the “Tale of Genji” is considered to be a central piece of literature. Hence, the Invitation to The Tale of Genji: The Foundational Elements of Japanese Culture program provides students an opportunity to learn more about royal life. Among the 2 paths, if the candidates choose the Audit mode they will be getting only limited-time access to the course whereas the access becomes unlimited if the Verfiied track is selected by the candidates.

Through Poetry in America: The Civil War and Its Aftermath course, the candidates will become acquainted with different historical facts that have taken place in the context of American literature, specifically, poetry during and after the Civil War had taken place. edX takes the learning experience to the next place by providing a course that will not only suit the experienced candidates but also those who do not have any prior knowledge in his field and are interested in knowing more about it. The candidates will draw inspiration from distinguished and world-renowned guests such as Harvard Civil War scholar John Stauffer, Professor, and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Henry Louis Gates Jr., Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner, baritone Davone Tines, and Harvard President Drew Faust. The candidates will not only be just receiving the theory aspect of education but will also become familiar with the real-life applications of those concepts with the help of live examples and case studies. 

All this will be covered within a span of 4 weeks. Candidates need to be regular in their submissions and studies which will prove to be enough for them to score the passing percentage in Poetry in America: The Civil War and Its Aftermath certification course. 

The Introduction to History of Architecture in India program will help you understand architectural works as material expressions of societies, polities, and aspirations of a region. The course also provides a broad perspective on India's five thousand years of rich architectural history.

Moreover, the Introduction to History of Architecture in India course by Swayam is available at the UG level. In just four weeks, you will have acquired knowledge of the various cultural, artisanal, technological, and philosophical processes of every period and place of architecture in India. 

Core topics covered in the Introduction to History of Architecture in India syllabus include Cave & Wooden architecture, Islamic architecture, Sultanate architecture, Medieval temples, Mughals and Rajputs, Neoclassical architecture, and more. 

As such, you will study the complete history of architecture in India, starting from the Bronze Age through the Vedic Culture period, early Buddhist period, early modernity in architecture, and colonial buildings. Finally, the Introduction to History of Architecture in India online course will culminate on the architecture from the Republic of India.

Walter Scott was a writer, collector, and the most enduring cultural icon of Scotland who is famous all over the world. The Walter Scott: The Man Behind the Monument certification will allow exploration of the literature that is responsible for the heritage and Scotland’s national identity. This is a month-long online course where learners give a mere 2 hours as study time every week. Moreover, the certification is given jointly by the University of Aberdeen, Abbotsford Trust, and FutureLearn.

Walter Scott: The Man Behind the Monument training is famous for enlightening Walter Scott’s legacy as a poet and novelist. With this course, candidates can also take part in the conversation by using social learning with their teachers and fellow students. The courses are divided based on weeks so candidates can simply complete the course whenever it is ideal for them.

Walter Scott: The Man Behind the Monument certification syllabus has the course content broken up into video, short articles, and audio in topics like Scott’s work selection, and what led him to be behind the books and monuments in Scotland.

Modern Sculpture: An Introduction to Art History certification by the University of York, and FutureLearn helps the candidates jump onto learning the art history while exploring public sculpture. Learning modern sculpture becomes quite easy as candidates will be developing their visual capabilities.

With the Modern Sculpture: An Introduction to Art History certification syllabus, candidates can explore the conceptual, material, and theoretical questions that have risen around 20th-century sculptures like parks, galleries squares, museums and city centres that one finds everywhere. Being a creative art, and Media course, this programme is able to help candidates to start off a conversion regarding purchasing artworks by initiating arts-related conversation.

Modern Sculpture: An Introduction to Art History is run over a period of 4 weeks that is responsible for making the candidates aware of the contemporary sculpture’s epicentre like Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and Henry Moore Institute so that these sculptures can be explored visually.  

Examine how football evolved from the old era to today’s modern-day with the 4 weeks English Football: a Social History online course. This short certification course is outlined by the joint efforts of De Montfort University, the University of Leicester, and FutureLearn. With this course, people will be able to understand the evolving nature of English football with a special interest in Leicester City Football Club and the World Cup.

Both the universities have partnered with Leicester City Football Club to develop the English Football: a Social History certification syllabus that gives us detailed information on how the Premier League; the World Cup, and LCFC transformed into Premier League Champions.

This English Football: a Social History training course comes under the History course of Futurelearn that gives a unique insight of both history and sociology of this fantastic sports football, and portrays the whole inside story of how a premier league club is formed and plays football.

The World Bank states that Africa’s working-age population is likely to increase by almost 70% by 2035. However, to achieve sustainable development, industrialisation is crucial to create jobs. While rapid manufacturing has been beneficial for east Asian countries, will it be useful for Africa? Industrial Policy in the 21st Century: The Challenge for Africa online course explores this and many other questions related to Africa’s industrialisation policy requirements. 

The Industrial Policy in the 21st Century: The Challenge for Africa course surveys various ways to promote economic growth in Africa. The prime focus will be on ‘industries without smokestacks’, an industrial policy that encourages industry growth and economic development in Africa, foregoing the manufacturing policies. 

Industrial Policy in the 21st Century: The Challenge for Africa is a four-week online course. However, you can learn at your own speed. With a weekly effort of two to four hours, you will be able to complete the course on time. The educator for this course is John Page, a representative of the SDG Academy.  The self-paced course is free to join and access it for a limited duration. To get the certificate and unlimited access to the programme, they learners will need to pay the prescribed fee. 

Amid the rise of fake, misleading, and polarising news, and the deplorable state of mainstream media, the need of the hour is to produce trustworthy journalism. And that is just what the Journalism for Social Change certification course aims to do. You will learn about solution-based journalism, which is the practice of giving equal weightage to a problem and its solution.

By the end of the Journalism for Social Change training by edX, you will learn how to use journalism and the media as a tool to implement positive social change. You will also become an effective change agent yourself. You will study outstanding examples of solution-based journalism, focusing mostly on vulnerable children, and other issues that affect all other vulnerable and marginalised peoples.  

Your research and report during the Journalism for Social Change online course will be published over the semester, and will, in turn, have an immediate and direct impact. It can be anything - women’s rights, immigration, child exploitation, criminal justice, or poverty. This four-week programme is brought to you by the University of California, Berkeley.

The Global ethics: an introductory course developed by the open university and offered by the platform of future learn is a course created under the guidance of four philosophers to help learners frame their opinions about the global challenges.

Through this course, the learners will become familiar with the key ethical theories surrounding global challenges and the implementation of philosophy for addressing them. This will make learners think about major global problems and help them develop their views about them. 

They would be able to analyze the problems like migration, climate change, widespread poverty, and global inequality and the course will help them present their unbiased thought and views on them. Frequent tests, quizzes, and assignments make learning more effective and efficient. At the end, of the course, a certification is awarded to the learners after qualifying a test, to help them demonstrate their dedication towards continuous learning and unending personal growth. 

Many Faces: Understanding the Complexities of Chinese Culture certification is a one-month course that is provided by the University of Exeter in alliance with FutureLearn. In all these years, the culture of the Chinese people still remains unexplored when compared to the history of China, and its political aspect. This course brings out the richness of the Chinese culture so modern China can be understood better.

Many Faces: Understanding the Complexities of Chinese Culture certification syllabus has 3 aspects that are important to Chinese culture. This course will provide an idea of what the concept of ‘noble hero’ is, and how it is showcased on political, and cultural platforms. Other than this, the course also helps find out the cause of tension that is brought upon both by the modern, and traditional values in the art, literature of China that is created by the immigrant marginalised group.

Many Faces: Understanding the Complexities of Chinese Culture training is divided into steps, activities over a period of 4 weeks so the candidates can easily learn the course without any hassle.