12 Free Online Courses in Psychology with Certificates 

The human mind is complex and mysterious, it works in ways that we are just understanding. Understanding how humans behave under certain conditions helps us know how to better relate to them. You can undertake such psychological studies from the comfort of your home through the free online courses in psychology with certificates.

At the forefront of this research are psychologists, professionals who examine and decipher the reasoning behind why people think, act, and feel the way they do.

According to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, significant growth is expected across the healthcare field in general. There are several reasons why applied psychology is a sought-after field of work. These include the fact that:

  • The mental health stigma is breaking, which means that more people feel comfortable asking for help when they have difficulties.
  • Certain behaviors are now attributed to mental health conditions, rather than criminality, such as drug addiction. This is a growing demand for specialists.
  • The population is aging, which means that they are more likely to experience problems at some point in their lives.

In this piece, we shall equip you with all you know to know about free online psychology courses with certificates, the universities that offer it, and the benefits of studying online.

Table of contents

Online Psychology Courses

The availability of online psychology courses has grown at a surprising rate in the past few years. Many colleges and universities have numerous additional students who are interested in their programs and degrees but can not move to the city of your physical exam. Facilities.

Their reasons may be personal obligations, the need to keep their current job while earning a degree, or simply the inability to relocate.

Many universities put all of their psychology course offerings online, some put some introductory courses online in order to provide core courses to prepare incoming students for the rigors of a college-level curriculum.

Newer than the availability of online courses from a university, there is now a wide range of courses from those same colleges and universities offered for free online. MOOCs, as they are called, or massive open online courses, are posted online and are open to people across the country.

Why choose free online Psychology courses?

Free online courses offer many advantages. It allows you to learn whenever and wherever you can learn. This makes it easier for you to get a degree while combining work and family life free.

And without having to attend classes in person, online learning gives you access to overarching programs across the country that might otherwise have been inaccessible.

Some of these online courses are free and valid. So, you don’t have to pay to take the courses.

Click here to access the: 15 Affordable Online School Psychology Programs

Benefits of Online Psychology Programs

There are many benefits to taking certificate programs online. Some of those reasons can account for why lots of people would prefer it to conventional classroom studies. Let’s look at some benefits;

1. Study at your pace

The ability to study at your own pace makes online certification an attractive option. One benefit is that you can go as fast as you can get the job done rather than just on a regular schedule determined by others.

All the online materials are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. An online certificate program will allow you to learn at your own pace and help you achieve that new career.

2. Comfort

You can set up your learning environment in the comfort of your own home. No sitting in classes for hours at uncomfortable desks or listening to lectures for hours. The online student gets to pick their favorite chair or couch to learn in the comfort of their home.

3. Shorter Duration

Many certification courses can be completed in as little as six to eight weeks, and you can complete an entire series in just a few months.

Online diploma programs will take longer than certificate programs, but if you’re motivated, you can go faster by opting for longer sessions and more workload upfront. This will help you earn a diploma in as little as one year to 18 months.

Online work can be completed in the evening or on weekends, and time-intensive classes that may require attendance at hands-on training sessions can sometimes be scheduled over the holidays.

4. Online certificate programs are Cost-Effective

Online certificate programs are much less expensive than obtaining a traditional bachelor’s or master’s degree.

You won’t be forced to interrupt your work to attend school, either, so you can earn credentials that will make you more valuable on the job or in a future job, without affecting your current earning potential.

5. Enjoy Individual Attention

Since you are attending class online, most of the interaction you will have with teachers and classmates will be by email or video chat. This gives you one-on-one access to teachers that would be hard to get while attending on-campus classes.

You will have the time to think about and articulate what you want to say when communicating by email. The responses from the teacher and classmates will be specific to the questions that you asked and will be much more helpful than general information given during on-campus lectures.

6. Enjoy more flexibility toward pre-education requirements

Colleges and universities are very particular about their previous educational credentials and often limit their ability to enroll in advanced courses of study without first completing the prerequisites. This is not usually the case for certification.

Universities that Offer Free Psychology Courses Online with Certificates

Here are some of the universities that offer free online Psychology courses with certificates;

  • London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
  • The University of Edinburgh
  • Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
  • Monash University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Harvard university

#1 London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a world leader in research and postgraduate education in public and global health. Its mission is to improve health and health equity worldwide.

#2. The University of Edinburgh

Founded in 1583, the University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top universities and is globally recognized for research, innovation, and high-quality teaching. The University of Edinburgh is offering everyone who joins this course a free digital upgrade so that you can experience the full benefits of studying online for free. This means that you get:

  • Unlimited access to this course
  • Includes any articles, videos, peer reviews, and quizzes
  • A PDF Certificate of Achievement to prove your success when you’re eligible

#3. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is a public research university situated in the northern part of Clear Water Bay Peninsula in Sai Kung District, New Territories, Hong Kong, occupying a site overlooking Port Shelter in Tai Po Tsai

#4. Monash University

Monash University (also known simply as Monash) is a public university based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the State of Victoria.

Monash is a member of Australia’s Group of Eight and the ASAIHL, and is the only Australian member of the influential M8 Alliance of Academic Health Centers, Universities, and National Academies.

#5. Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University’s mission is to educate its students and cultivate their lifelong learning skills, foster original and independent research, and bring the benefits of discovery to the world.

#6. Harvard university

Harvard University is a private research university of the Ivy League in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard has the largest financial endowment of any academic institution in the world, with $30 billion as of September 2012. Its history, influence, and wealth have made it one of the most prestigious universities in the world.

How to take an online Psychology course

If you are considering taking online college courses or are already enrolled in one, the following tips and suggestions can help you overcome your unique challenges to get the most out of your online program.

1. Treat an online course as a “real” course

When it comes to online courses, you need to have the discipline to work on it as well as the commitment to keep going. Although you can be flexible about when you want to complete your work during the week, you cannot postpone it indefinitely.

One of the easiest ways to ensure follow-up is to remember that you paid to attend this course online, just like a traditional personal course. Treat your online courses the same way as a face-to-face course (or better still a job) and you have a good start.

2. Practice time management

The flexibility to create your own timetable is often one of the greatest attractions of online courses. However, this freedom can also be detrimental if you do not have strong time management skills.

Without them, you may be overcrowded or do bad tasks before class. How you manage your time depends on your schedule, learning style, and personality.

3. Create a regular learning space and stay organized

Set up a special learning environment for learning. If you finish your work there repeatedly, you start to build up a routine. Regardless of whether your work area is your kitchen table, library, or corner table of a local coffee shop, it is important to determine which type of environment is best for you.

Find out which environment increases your productivity. Make sure you have high-speed internet access so that you don’t take an online course with a delayed connection.

When you set up a regular office or workspace, you stay organized. If you know exactly where important data, files, forms, schedules, books, and live tasks are located, you are on the right track to achieving your goals. When setting up your study room, make sure of:

  • A high-speed internet connection
  • The necessary books, materials, and software for the course.
  • Have headphones for listening to lectures or discussions (especially important in shared rooms)

4. Eliminate distractions

You will be exposed to many distractions that can easily affect your studies, especially through social media. The best online students know how to reduce these distractions and take the time to focus.

The exact extent of the challenge these distractions pose depends on your own personality and situation. Some may find that listening to music can separate them from a noisy home. Others may work in a local coffee shop or library.

5. Take Responsibility

Set goals at the beginning of the semester and follow it as often as weekly. In a traditional classroom, you often get verbal or visual reminders of the next due date for a task.

However, without being actively reminded by a teacher, you must ensure that you have enough time to complete the task so that you do not start a task the day before the due date.

If you have trouble keeping yourself accountable, join a classmate or have a spouse or friend to help remind and keep you in check.

By being organized, proactive, and confident, you can get the most out of your online class, even when life outside of school gets disorganized.

6. Active participation

Take part in the online course forum to better understand course materials and connect with your classmates. This can include commenting on the role of a classmate in a panel discussion or posting a question about a project you are working on.

Read what other students and their teachers are saying and ask for clarification if you have any questions.

List of the Free Online Psychology Courses

Here is the list of free online Psychology courses with certificates that you can take advantage of and understand human behavior.

  • A Clinical Approach to the Human Brain
  • Introduction to Psychology
  • The Psychology, Biology, and Politics of Food
  • Social Psychology
  • Neuroscience and Behaviour
  • Animal Behaviour
  • Human Development Across the Lifespan
  • Identity and the Psychology of Conflict
  • Critical Social Psychology
  • Psychiatric Epidemiology
  • Issues in Mental Health Research in Developing Countries
  • COVID-19 Critical Care: Understanding and Application

#1 A Clinical Approach to the Human Brain

This course is designed to provide an understanding of how the human brain works in health and disease and is intended for both the Cognitive and Brain Sciences specialty and the Cognitive and non-brain Sciences specialties.

Knowledge of how the human brain works are important to all citizens and the lessons to be learned have enormous implications for policymakers and educators.

The course will cover the regional anatomy of the brain and provide an introduction to the cellular function of neurons, synapses, and neurotransmitters. We can understand commonly used medications that alter brain function through knowledge of neurotransmitters.

#2 Introduction to Psychology

This study of the mind and its development seeks to explain many of the activities of the thought process. Explore perception, memory, persuasion, love, lust, and dreams. Examines children’s mental development and brain breakdown from illness and injury.

#3 The Psychology, Biology, and Politics of Food

Investigate diet and its relationship to health and well-being. Eating disorders, the global obesity epidemic, poverty, and food, as well as sustainable agriculture and genetically modified food, are also part of the course study.

#4 Social Psychology

Examine shared social situations by consensus. Taught by MIT professor Stephan Chorover, this comprehensive course includes course materials and class notes that can be used to aid understanding.

#5 Neuroscience and Behavior

This course goes into the neural function of the brain and many of its activities. Looking at this, a better understanding of sensory and motor systems, motivation and reward, and related learning and memory.

#6 Animal Behaviour

Examine the adaptive behaviors seen in the brain and also in animals. Investigate feeding and feeding behavior, defensive and aggressive behavior, and other ways that brains adapt to the conditions in their environment to survive.

#7 Human Development Across the Lifespan

Ohio State University offers this course as a general explanation of how psychology is applied to the development of human beings throughout their lives.

The perspective is from the point of view of the social worker, and details some of the experiences they have had to provide a unique vision of people and their development.

The course includes 27 sections that are made up of audio, video and course materials.

#8 Identity and the Psychology of Conflict

This hard-hitting course takes an honest and varied look at the various elements that go into conflict and the sources of conflict within humans.

The Open University offers this study that investigates religion, race, culture, and how they impact the way people around the world respond to certain circumstances.

The 20 segments of this class are mainly made up of video instructions with some audio and some class materials.

#9 Critical Social Psychology

The Open University has provided this free access to this online course to discuss the four main theoretical perspectives in social psychology. They are cognitive, psychoanalytic, discursive, and phenomenological.

The 62-segment course includes video instructions and transcripts for each video course, making 31 class lectures.

#10 Psychiatric Epidemiology

This course covers various types of epidemiology for the main mental disorders that occur throughout life. Particular attention is paid to contrasting the fields of epidemiology and psychiatric epidemiology.

This course includes lectures and assignments and tests to fully assess the understanding gained through the course.

#11 Issues in Mental Health Research in Developing Countries

A better understanding of global mental health conditions can be determined by conducting research in developing countries.

Time is spent evaluating different strategies to incorporate cultural perspectives into the research models used to assess the mental health of these people.

This 14-session course includes lectures and discussions besides lectures.

#12 COVID-19 Critical Care: Understanding and Application

Learn the principles and practice of critical care for treating and caring for critically ill patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. This educational resource will teach you how to effectively care for critically ill patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

You will learn daily practice for front-line clinical staff supporting critical care patients with and without COVID-19, and how to apply the principles of ventilation and organ support to the care of a seriously ill coronavirus patient.

Patient and staff safety are paramount. This resource will help you facilitate your own emotional and physical care and well-being in this high-stress, high-risk environment.

You will learn about the required PPE and reflect on the practices necessary to emotionally support yourself and your colleagues.

What do I need to begin the Online Psychology Certificate program?

If you are trying to equip your home office for online courses, these are the essentials that any new online student should have.

A computer

Either a laptop or desktop computer will be ok, as long as it’s from the last two or three years you shouldn’t have a problem. You have to give attention to the processor, RAM, and memory to make sure your computer is up to date.

Internet Access

You must be able to access the internet constantly to stay up to date. You need a cable modem or a fast DSL connection to work with most online education programs.

Without this, attending courses is painful, if not impossible. So if you need to upgrade or find another study location, plan your internet access in advance.

If high-speed internet isn’t included in your budget, visit the local library or café to use the free WiFi.

The right operating system

PC users must ensure they have at least Windows XP to take online courses. Some universities may prefer Vista or Windows 7, depending on the type of media and interactive programs that students will use.

For Mac users, OS X 10.4 or higher is fine, though again, newer operating systems will help improve the performance of your online stuff.

The Software Applications

You will need a good office suite and a web browser to take most online courses. You can use the options that come standard with Windows and Mac computers or download free open source alternatives like Open Office.

Other software that may be necessary: ​​Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash, Java, instant messaging and antivirus software. You should also ask your school for a list of the software required for your courses, and recommended browsers, and see if your school’s bookstore or online bookstore service offers educational discounts before purchasing hardware or software.

Web browsers

The same goes for web browsers. The latest version of Explorer or Safari will work fine, but most online courses can also be viewed with Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, and other updated browsers.

Free Online Courses in psychology – FAQs

Where can I get psychology courses online?

Many institutions offer both individual courses and advanced programs designed to help you learn about psychology in an engaging and effective online learning environment complete with video tutorials, quizzes, and more.

Is it possible to learn psychology online?

Yes, it is possible to learn anything. The core of it would be your own passion for psychology – if you are determined to learn, no one and nothing will stop you from reading materials and educating yourself. You can go on any college website and get a list of books/textbooks for courses and read them yourself.

Can I become a psychologist without a psychology degree?

As such, you don’t need a psychology degree to train. Instead, you need to have a background in one of the listed ‘Core Professions’, which include Mental Health Nursing, Occupational Therapy, and Social Work, amongst others.

Conclusion

Understanding human behavior has always been a point of a puzzle and that is why we crave to know how individuals behave or react under certain circumstances through the study of Psychology.

Such a study can be effectively done online with certification through free online courses in psychology. So, if you want it, go for it.

References

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