15 Free Online Engineering Courses With Certificates in 2023

Are you perplexed with technologies, or do you love exploring the technical and scientific aspects? If yes, engineering courses are for you.

It might also interest you to know that there are free online engineering courses with certificates to benefit from. These online courses allow you to study a particular course and even perform practical, all for free. I’m sure this is something you wouldn’t want to miss out on.

Engineering is widely considered one of the most lucrative and in-demand career choices, with multiple engineering disciplines and job types and salaries that can exceed $100k per annum once the engineer has some experience behind them.

Furthermore, engineers earn more than the national average salary, and some reputable organizations expect this to continue. In fact, Engineering degrees make up 10 of the top 17 highest paid degrees.

In this post, we will equip you with all you need to know about free online engineering courses and how you can gain access and participate in every one of them.

If you’re considering an online engineering course this year, you can take up any of the 15 certified free online engineering courses listed in this post.

Before we go further, here’s a rundown of what will be discussed in this post.

Table of contents

Why Should I Study Engineering?

Basically, almost everything we depend on in our daily lives was created by engineers.

So, the choice to study engineering should be one borne out of zeal and desire. However, engineering as a course of study cuts across all aspects of human life ranging from science and technology, including electronics, medicine, transportation, energy, new materials, etc.

If you’re looking for reasons to study engineering, here you go!

Engineering is a Top Paid Profession

The outset salary of Engineers is among the highest for any college degree holder. A typical starting salary for a chemical engineer fresh out of school with a bachelor’s degree was $57,000 as of 2015, according to Forbes.

An engineer can grow his or her salary with experience and additional training like online courses, workshops, and exhibitions attended.

Engineers Are Highly Employable

Engineers are highly needed in every country around the world. Basically, this means you have a unique chance of getting a job in engineering right out of school. In fact, engineers enjoy one of the lowest unemployment rates of any profession.

Engineering Opens Doors for Personal Advancement

Many of the skills that engineers hone, open doors to professional progress, personal growth, and other opportunities. Engineers learn how to analyze and solve problems, work in a team, communicate with others, meet deadlines and manage others.

Engineering usually involves ongoing education and often offers opportunities to travel.

Engineers Are Problem Solvers

Engineers solve real-world problems. They fix things that are broken, improve those that work and come up with new inventions. Engineers help move the world toward a brighter future by solving problems with pollution, finding ways to harness new energy sources, producing new medicines, and building new structures. Engineers apply principles of ethics to try to find the best answer to a question. In summary, engineers are helpers.

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Why Choose A Free Online Engineering Course?

Due to the prevalent challenges facing offline conventional ways of learning ranging from high costs to a rigid style and approach to learning and a whole lot more, an online alternative has been made to enhance learning. Thus, eliminate any form of hindrances.

You can now afford to study and get certified from the comfort of your home for free.

Here are some reasons why you should make the best out of free online engineering courses;

Convenience and Flexibility

Free online engineering courses offer you an opportunity to choose a study pattern that suits your schedule. You can afford to study amidst attending to other activities ranging from your work to other necessary issues.

In other words, it offers you a flexible approach to learning as you can combine activities and still cope with the course as far as you’re dedicated and focused. Course materials are also readily accessible online, making special library trips needless.

Little Or No Cost To Be Paid

Online programs present a more affordable option than traditional colleges. Free courses online offer amazing packages all for free. You tend to pay little or nothing. Though not all online degrees offer less expensive net tuition prices than traditional colleges, associated expenses almost always cost less.

For example, there are no transport costs, and sometimes required course materials, such as textbooks, are available online at no cost.

These free online courses can help students fulfill career goals and ambitions.

Variety of Programs and Courses

Online learning offers a variety of programs and courses to all. That is to say, you can afford to apply for any course or program you wish to regardless of your discipline and area of specialization.

For instance, someone with a degree in Medicine can afford to take up an online course in science writing and reporting.

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Comfortability

You can take up an online course from start to finish from the comfort of your home, workplace, toilet or even car. That’s how convenient a free online course can be.

Students listen to lectures on and complete assignments sent to them electronically while putting on pyjamas with no need to fight traffic, leave work early for class, or miss important family time.

More Interaction and Greater Ability to Concentrate

It is widely believed that students find it easier to participate and interact in online classes more than face to face offline sessions where there is no form of pressure, shyness, and fear.

Career Advancement

Earning an online degree helps one elevate, career-wise. Every online course is an added advantage that can be sited in one’s resume to increase one’s viability and potency status. Also, earning a degree is a sure sign of ambitiousness to prospective employers and friends at large. You should get an online degree now. Click here to see options.

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Transfer Credits

For college students who want to attend summer classes, but live too far from their colleges and/or work summer jobs, taking online classes from an accredited college and transferring the credits to their primary college can be highly beneficial.

Summarily, taking free online courses helps students effectively manage their time, learn with online materials, and complete assignments on their own schedules. In the end, it turns out to be an added advantage.

How To Take Free Online Engineering Courses

These few tips will help you successfully complete any free online engineering course of your choice;

Hold Yourself Accountable

You should be consciously aware of the fact that the outcome of the online class solely depends on you. So, it’s your duty to plan yourself, set goals, reminders and prompts to guide you.

 It’s up to you to make sure you’ve allotted enough time to complete the work as at when due.

Be Time Conscious

Creating your own schedule is a highly important task to do while taking online classes. But that freedom can also be ineffective if you do not have a firm time management skills. Without them, you might easily find yourself doing what you didn’t plan to do or what is out of schedule.

However, how you manage your time will depend on your schedule, learning style, and personality, here are some tips that will help you improve your time management skills.

Take The Online Course Serious

I understand there will be distractions and side attractions while taking online courses. But, you need to have the dedication and devotion to actually follow through and stick to the outlined course structure. Treat it like it’s an offline face-to-face lecture where attendance is mandatory and you wouldn’t want to miss a class.

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Find A Way To Eliminate Distractions

From the buzzing social media updates, calls, YouTube videos and even distractions from friends and family, you’ll be faced with many distractions that are capable of diverting your attention. It will be in your best interest to set aside time for other activities and focus on the online course when it’s time for it.

Adopt A Learning Pattern That Works For You

You need to figure out how you learn best and align your schedule to that pattern. If you like taking classes in the morning, make sure you create time for the online course in the morning likewise if you’re an evening person.

Actively Participate

For you to get the best out of the online course, you need to actively take part in the session through partaking in the assignments, online discussions, question and answer sessions and all that. Through this way, you’ll be able to build yourself through interacting with fellows, teachers and mentors alike.

What Is The Duration For Online Courses Engineering?

The duration of online engineering courses vary according to schools and courses being offered . However, some online engineering courses can be completed in as little as 2 weeks while some last as long as 8 weeks.

Also, in most cases, the completion of the online course is dependent on the participant too. So, you have to understand the duration of your program and make concerted efforts to finish on time.

Universities That Offers Free Online Engineering Courses

There are several universities in the world that offers free online Engineering courses. We’ll do well to mention a few;

Georgia Institute of Technology

The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the top research universities in the world. It is distinguished by its commitment to improving the human condition through high-level science and technology. Georgia Tech offers many technologically focused degrees.

Georgia Institute of Technology offers over 128 free online engineering courses with over 130.9k learners.

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is a public research university situated at the northern part of Clear Water Bay Peninsula in Sai Kung District, New Territories, Hong Kong.

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology solves human problems, by blending creative ideas and novel applications into practical engineering solutions which will improve the way we live.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology offers over 68 free online engineering courses with over 59.9k learners.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university in Cambridge. Massachusetts is known traditionally for research and education in the physical sciences and engineering.

The university offers over 233 free online engineering courses with over 290.5k learners.

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Stanford University

Stanford University is a private research university in Stanford, California in the northwestern Silicon Valley near Palo Alto. It is one of the prestigious universities in the world.

The university promotes a culture of collaboration that drives innovative discoveries vital to our world, our health, and our intellectual life.

Stanford University offers over 219 free online engineering courses with over 431.6k learners. Find more information here: Stanford Electrical Engineering 2023: Requirements, Acceptance Rate, Programs, Cost.

The University of Sheffield

The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. U of Sheffield is renowned for the excellence, impact, and distinctiveness of our research-led learning and teaching.

The University of Sheffield offers 22 free online engineering courses with over 17.4k learners.

The University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is a private university, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. A member of the Ivy League, Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and considers itself to be the first university in the United States with both undergraduate and graduate studies

The university offers over 187 free online engineering courses with over 226.1k learners.

University of California, Davis

The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university located in Davis, California just west of Sacramento.

The university offers over 77 free online engineering courses with over 73.6k learners.

Université catholique de Louvain

The Université catholique de Louvain is Belgium’s largest French-speaking university. It is located in Louvain-la-Neuve, with satellite campuses in Brussels, Charleroi, Mons and Tourna.

The university offers over 30 free online engineering courses with over 22.8k learners.

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15 Free Online Engineering Courses

We’ve compiled a list of 15 certified free online Engineering courses for you in 2022. Our selection criteria are focused on the duration, nature of course work offered and ease of access. We considered the standard of education, average earnings of graduates, accreditation, number of enrolled students and several other relevant factors.

Here’s a list of the free online Engineering courses with certificates for you;

  • Introduction to Engineering Mechanics (Coursera)
  • Matrix Algebra for Engineers (Coursera)
  • Mechanics of Materials I: Fundamentals of Stress & Strain and Axial Loading (Coursera)
  • Circuits and Electronics 1: Basic Circuit Analysis (edX)
  • Differential Equations for Engineers (Coursera)
  • Artificial Intelligence for Robotics (Udacity)
  • Mechanics of Materials III: Beam Bending (Coursera)
  • Robotics: Computational Motion Planning (Coursera)
  • Engineering Systems in Motion: Dynamics of Particles and Bodies in 2D Motion (Coursera)
  • Geospatial and Environmental Analysis (Coursera)
  • Web Connectivity and Security in Embedded Systems (Coursera)
  • Robotics: Mobility (Coursera)
  • Introduction to Embedded Systems Software and Development Environments (Coursera)
  • Material Processing (Coursera)
  • Converter Control (Coursera)

Introduction to Engineering Mechanics

This course is an introduction to learning and applying the principles required to unravel engineering mechanics problems. Concepts are going to be utilized in this course from previous courses you have taken in basic math and physics. The course discusses the modeling and analysis of static equilibrium problems with stress on real-world engineering applications and problem-solving.

In this course, you’ll learn the following;

  • the definition of a force and the way to represent a force as a vector in two (2D) and three (3D) dimensions.
  • concept of particle equilibrium and equilibrium of systems of particles. Concepts will be reinforced with example problems.
  • how to define and calculate system force.
  • how to apply the equilibrium equations to solve two (2D) and three (3D) real-world engineering problems.

The course is a five (5) week-long course scheduled to start on April 13, 2022. It is taught in English.

Matrix Algebra for Engineers

This course is all about matrices and concisely covers the algebra that an engineer should know. The mathematics during this course is presented to the extent of a complicated high school student, but typically students should take this course after completing a university-level single variable calculus course.

There are not any derivatives or integrals during this course, but students are expected to possess attained a sufficient level of mathematical maturity. Nevertheless, anyone who wants to find out the fundamentals of algebra is welcome to hitch.

It is scheduled to last for four (4) weeks. The course is already in progress, you can join now.

Geospatial and Environmental Analysis

Geospatial and Environmental Analysis is offered by the University of California, Davis via Coursera. This course focuses on analysis tools, 3D data, working with rasters, projections, and environment variables. At the end of the course, you’ll learn how to do the following;

  • Create 3-dimensional surfaces
  • Create triangulated irregular networks (TIN) and modify rasters to 3D data
  • Develop and analyze data for the geospatial analysis project
  • Design color ramps for your data

The 4 week-long course is already in progress. You can join now.

Mechanics of Materials I: Fundamentals of Stress & Strain and Axial Loading

This course traverses the topic of solid objects subjected to stress and strain. The methods taught in the course are used to foretell the response of engineering structures to various types of loading, and to analyze the vulnerability of these structures to various failure modes. Axial loading is the focus of this course.

This five (5) week-long course is already in progress. Do well to join now.

Circuits and Electronics 1: Basic Circuit Analysis

Want to find out about circuits and electronics, but unsure where to begin? Wondering the way to make computers run faster or your mobile battery last longer? This free circuits course taught by edX CEO and MIT Professor Anant Agarwal and colleagues is for you.

This is the primary of three online Circuits & Electronics courses offered by Professor Anant Agarwal and colleagues at MIT and is taken by all MIT EE and computing (EECS) majors.

Topics covered include: resistive elements and networks; circuit analysis methods including KVL, KCL and the node method; independent and dependent sources; linearity, superposition, Thevenin & Norton methods; digital abstraction, combinational gates; and MOSFET switches and small-signal analysis. Design and lab exercises are also significant components of the course.

This is a self-paced course. However, all assignments are due when the course ends.

Differential Equations for Engineers

This course is about differential equations and covers material that all engineers should know. Both basic theory and applications are taught. In the first five weeks we will learn about ordinary differential equations, and in the final week, partial differential equations.

The course is composed of 56 short lecture videos, with a few simple problems to solve following each lecture. And after each substantial topic, there is a short practice quiz. Solutions to the problems and practice quizzes can be found in instructor-provided lecture notes. There are a total of six weeks in the course, and at the end of each week, there is an assessed quiz.

The course is already in progress, join now!

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Artificial Intelligence for Robotics

Learn how to program all the major systems of a robotic car from the leader of Google and Stanford’s autonomous driving teams. This class will teach you basic methods in Artificial Intelligence, including probabilistic inference, planning, and search, localization, tracking, and control, all with a focus on robotics. Extensive programming examples and assignments will apply these methods in the context of building self-driving cars.

This course is offered as part of the Georgia Tech Masters in Computer Science. The updated course includes a final project, where you must chase a runaway robot that is trying to escape!

This course will teach you probabilistic inference, planning, and search, localization, tracking, and control, all with a focus on robotics.

At the end of the course, you will leverage what you learned by solving the problem of a runaway robot that you must chase and hunt down!

This is a self-placed course scheduled to last for eight (8) weeks. You can start now.

Mechanics of Materials III: Beam Bending

This course explores the analysis and design of beam bending problems.
Prerequisite Knowledge: You will need to have background knowledge of “Mechanics of Materials I: Fundamentals of Stress and Strain and Axial Loading” in order to be successful in this course

The five (5) week-long course is scheduled to start on April 20.

Robotics: Computational Motion Planning

Robotic systems typically include three components: a mechanism that is capable of exerting forces and torques on the environment, a perception system for sensing the world, and a decision and control system which modulates the robot’s behavior to achieve the desired ends.

In this course, we will consider the problem of how a robot decides what to do to achieve its goals. This problem is often referred to as Motion Planning and it has been formulated in various ways to model different situations.

You will learn some of the most common approaches to addressing this problem including graph-based methods, randomized planners, and artificial potential fields. Throughout the course, we will discuss the aspects of the problem that make planning challenging.

This six (6) week-long course is already in progress. You can join now.

Engineering Systems in Motion: Dynamics of Particles and Bodies in 2D Motion

This is a seven (7) week course.

The course is an introduction to the study of bodies in motion as applied to engineering systems and structures. In this course, the dynamics of particle motion and bodies in rigid planar (2D) motion will be taught.

This will consist of both the kinematics and kinetics of motion. Kinematics deals with the geometrical aspects of motion describing position, velocity, and acceleration, all as a function of time. Kinetics is the study of forces acting on these bodies and how it affects their motion.

Web Connectivity and Security in Embedded Systems

In this course, you’ll learn several technologies that bring modern devices together, facilitating a network of connected things and making devices internet-enabled.

The course comprises altogether five modules and is split up into two main sections. The first section contains three modules and centers on the problem of web connectivity in cyber-physical systems. The second section consists of two modules focusing on security measures in such systems. Each module ends with a graded quiz, and there is a final peer-reviewed exam at the end of the course covering the two main sections of the course.

At the end of this course, you will have the basic knowledge and capacity for designing the network architecture of your cyber-physical system. This includes putting together different components, selecting suitable communication protocols, and using these protocols in your system. You will also be able to define security requirements for your system and choose and implement a proper security and privacy technique to protect it.

Robotics: Mobility

How can robots use their motors and sensors to move around in an unstructured environment? You will understand how to design robot bodies and behaviors that recruit limbs and more general appendages to apply physical forces that confer reliable mobility in a complex and dynamic world.

An approach to composing simple dynamical abstractions that partially automate the generation of complicated sensorimotor programs will be developed.

Specific topics that will be covered include mobility in animals and robots, kinematics and dynamics of legged machines, and the design of dynamical behavior via energy landscapes.

This four (4) week-long course is already in progress.

Introduction to Embedded Systems Software and Development Environments

This course is focused on giving you real-world coding experience and hands-on project work with ARM-based Microcontrollers. You will learn how to implement software configuration management and develop embedded software applications.

Course assignments include creating a build system using the GNU Toolchain GCC, using Git version control, and developing software in Linux on a Virtual Machine. The course concludes with a project where you will create your own build system and firmware that can manipulate memory.

This four (4) week-long course is already in progress. Join now!

Material Processing

Have you ever wondered why ceramics are hard and brittle while metals tend to be ductile? Why do some materials conduct heat or electricity while others are insulators? Why does adding just a small amount of carbon to iron result in an alloy that is so much stronger than the base metal?

In this course, you will learn how a material’s properties are determined by the microstructure of the material, which is in turn determined by the composition and the processing that the material has undergone.

The aim of the course is to help students better understand the engineering materials that are used in the world around them.

These two (2) week-long course is already in progress. Join now!

Converter Control

This course teaches how to design a feedback system to control a switching converter. The equivalent circuit models derived in the previous courses are extended to model small-signal ac variations. These models are then solved, to find the important transfer functions of the converter and its regulator system. Finally, the feedback loop is modeled, analyzed, and designed to meet requirements such as output regulation, bandwidth and transient response, and rejection of disturbances.

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to design and analyze the feedback systems of switching regulators.

This four (4) week long course is already in progress but you can join now.

NOTE: You’ll get satisfied and certified at the end of each of these free online courses.

Benefits of Online Engineering Certificates

An online engineering certificate is as good as it can be to the certified. In as much as the value placed on an online certificate varies according to sectors and industries where it is applied, the advantages and knowledge gained in the process are golden. It gives you an edge where need be.

It will also interest you to note that, a certificate of training is not the same as a certification of knowledge. We tend to get things backward in the IT realm. Too many people are passing tests and don’t really understand the meat of the certification they took. But, they have a certification that will help them get a job before someone without the certification.

In a nutshell, the aim of the online course shouldn’t be just to get the certificate at the end of the course but to gain knowledge backed up with a certificate.

FAQs on 15 Free Online Engineering Courses With Certificates

Are online programs worth it?

Free online education is worth and valued like every other form of education.

Are online programs accredited?

Yes! Online programs are accredited and recognized therefore their certifications are valued.

Can I study engineering at home?

Studying engineering at home is possible through the various online degree programs offered by different institutions of higher learning across the nation. In fact, there is an online consortium of colleges that offer free engineering courses as well as other courses across a variety of disciplines.

Conclusion

You will agree with me that online learning has grown into a viable educational medium. Instead of the conventional offline courses taken in physical classrooms, people now resort to online courses from the comfort of their homes using their phones, laptops, or tablets.

Studying engineering from the comfort of your home offers you a unique opportunity to get the best of your knowledge online without spending a dime. Take advantage of this opportunity now. Good luck!!

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