Top 15 Free Online Certification Courses To Consider

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  2. Top 15 Free Online Certification Courses To Consider

Top 15 Free Online Certification Courses To Consider

By Indeed Editorial Team

Updated June 30, 2022 | Published October 8, 2021

Updated June 30, 2022

Published October 8, 2021

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Professional certifications are often beneficial to earn to demonstrate your expertise with a particular skill, tool or subject area. However, earning a certification can be an expensive or inconvenient process. Online certifications help make learning more accessible, and they’re often more affordable than other professional development options.

In this article, we discuss why online certifications are important, list some benefits of free online certifications and provide examples of certifications to pursue.

Why are online certifications important?

Online certifications are an important way to help you develop new skills. Many online certifications require you to complete a course, which may be an easy way to further develop a skill you have some experience with or build a new skill entirely. This also provides third-party validation of your knowledge, improving your resume.

By earning new certifications, you’re able to improve your qualifications. This may provide you with a better resume that helps you make a better impression on hiring managers. Certification may also provide you with more job opportunities. For example, it may provide you with the necessary qualifications to apply for more jobs or help you successfully secure the job you desire.

Related: How To Decide Whether Professional Certificates Are Worth It for Your Career

Benefits of free online certifications

Here are some benefits of pursuing a free online certification:

  • Accessibility: Free online certifications are easy to access and many allow you to complete self-paced learning and quizzes. This empowers you to earn your certification from anywhere and finish the assignments on a timeline that works well with your schedule.

  • Affordability: A range of organizations offer professional development courses and certifications, but they can be expensive to obtain and maintain. Free online certifications eliminate cost as a factor, making it easier for anyone to pursue them.

  • Certification levels: Many organizations offer certifications for all skill levels. This allows you to pursue the certification that aligns with your experience, such as starting at a beginner’s level or advancing to a more expert level.

  • Variety of options: There are certifications available for all industries and a range of specialties within those industries. This enables you to choose a qualification that aligns with your experience and is relevant to your career goals.

15 free online certifications to consider

Here are some examples of free online courses and certifications in different industries to consider pursuing:

5 free online certifications in marketing

Here are some examples of certifications in marketing to consider earning:

1. HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification Course

The HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification Course discusses the basics of digital marketing. Earning this certification may demonstrate your knowledge of inbound marketing strategies and your ability to apply them to help organizations grow and succeed. The lessons in this course help you learn about:

  • Blogging

  • Content strategy

  • Conversion optimization strategy

  • Reporting

  • Search marketing optimization (SEO)

  • Social media promotion

Related: 25 Digital Marketing Certifications

2. Web design by Udemy

Udemy is a popular platform for completing online courses. The Web Design for Web Developers: Build Beautiful Websites course is a free hour-long course about the fundamentals of basic website design, and you can receive a certificate of completion if you pay a fee. The course discusses topics like:

  • Colors

  • Images

  • Spacing

  • Typography

3. Google Ads Certification

Google offers a range of Google Ads Certifications through its Skillshop training platform. These certifications provide you with free study resources before you complete questions on a timed test. Some of the specific certifications available include:

  • Google Ads Apps Certification

  • Google Ads Display Certification

  • Google Ads Measurement Certification

  • Google Ads Search Certification

  • Google Ads Video Certification

  • Shopping Ads Certification

4. Google Fundamentals of Digital Marketing

Google offers the Fundamentals of Digital Marketing through its Google Digital Garage. This free program offers 26 modules in a self-paced learning format to complete before taking an exam to receive a certification. It includes practical exercises and examples to help you apply your digital marketing knowledge. Topics discussed in this course include:

  • Analytics and data insights

  • Business strategy

  • Content marketing

  • Display advertising

  • E-commerce

  • Email marketing

  • Local marketing

  • Mobile

  • Search engine marketing (SEM)

  • SEO

  • Social media

  • Video

  • Web optimization

5. Google Analytics Academy Courses

Google offers a range of certifications through its Analytics Academy. Courses vary based on your skill level, and each includes lessons with videos explaining the topics, allowing you to enjoy self-paced learning. Each course also includes an assessment for you to pass to earn your certification. Certifications available through the Analytics Academy include:

  • Google Analytics for Beginners

  • Advanced Google Analytics

  • Google Analytics for Power Users

  • Getting Started with Google Analytics 360

Google also offers two other courses through its Analytics Academy. The first is the Introduction to Data Studio, which helps beginners learn about connecting data and creating reports in Data Studio. The other is Google Tag Manager Fundamentals, which reviews how Google Tag Manager may help simplify the process of implementing and managing tags.

Read more: What Is Google Analytics? Definitions and Benefits

5 free online certifications in technology and computer science

Here are some examples of certifications in technology and computer science to consider earning:

1. Free Code Camp certifications

Free Code Camp offers a range of free certifications in different coding languages, helping you develop an in-demand technical skill. These certification programs provide step-by-step learning opportunities and allow you to practice your skills by working on open-source projects for nonprofit organizations. Free Code Camp offers beginner-level coding certifications in languages like:

  • CSS3

  • GitHub

  • HTML5

  • JavaScript

2. AWS certification

Amazon offers free digital training and entry-level certification for Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS is Amazon’s cloud computing program that a variety of companies across many industries. The program provides courses to learn about the fundamentals of the platform.

Read more: A Complete Guide to AWS Certification Training

3. IBM Data Science Professional Certificate

Coursea offers a free course and certificate for the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate. This certificate focuses on developing skills and experience related to machine learning and data science, and it provides the opportunity to gain practical experience and use the latest tools. Topics discussed in this course include:

  • Data analysis

  • Data visualization

  • Machine learning algorithms

  • Open-source tools and libraries

  • Predictive modeling

  • SQL

4. CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science

CS50 is an entry-level computer science course provided by Harvard University. The self-paced course includes 12 weeks of learning related to thinking algorithmically and solving problems efficiently. It discusses topics like:

  • Algorithms

  • C language

  • Computer science and programming

  • Concepts abstraction

  • CSS

  • Data structures

  • Encapsulation

  • HTML

  • JavaScript

  • Python

  • Software engineering

  • SQL

  • Web development

5. Google IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate

The Google IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate is an entry-level course and certificate. This in-depth course requires approximately six to eight months to complete, and it includes six courses on Python, Git and GitHub to help you develop important IT skills. Each course includes self-paced online learning and requires you to complete projects for each course to earn your certification.

5 miscellaneous free online certifications

Here are some examples of certifications that may be beneficial to earn for a variety of industries:

1. Massive Open Online Courses

Many universities offer Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Enrolling in a MOOC allows you to develop skills related to your industry, and some courses may provide you with a formal credential if you pay a small fee. Some popular MOOC course areas include:

  • Business and management

  • Computer science

  • Data science

  • Engineering

  • Languages

  • Humanities

Related: How To List Online Courses on a Resume (With Examples)

2. Alison’s certification in supervision skills

Alison is another popular platform for free training courses and certifications. Pursing the certification in supervision skills may be beneficial if you’re hoping to earn a promotion or recently became a manager. It discusses topics like conflict resolution strategies and techniques for becoming a better leader.

3. FEMA certifications

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers a range of free online certifications and courses through its Emergency Management Institute (EMI). Each course includes a self-paced learning style. These certifications may be beneficial for people with emergency-management responsibilities as part of their job or prepare people who may be responsible for handling emergencies at work.

4. edX Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies program

edX partners with various institutions to provide courses related to professional certifications. The Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economics program is a free course, but it provides you with the option to pay a fee to earn a certificate upon completing the course. This course includes six weeks of self-paced learning, and it focuses on identifying smart entrepreneurial opportunities and solving problems in societies that have emerging economies.

5. The Science of Well-Being

The Science of Well-Being is a professional development course related to happiness. The course focuses on finding your inner happiness, developing healthier habits and improving your productivity. You receive a certificate at the end of the program, and completing this program may help you improve your productivity as a professional.

Please note that none of the companies mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.