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Courses & Programs

MIT offers a variety of educational opportunities to learners, educators, and organizations around the globe. Our courses are developed and taught by MIT faculty with the aim of expanding access to quality educational opportunities worldwide, and advancing the understanding of teaching and learning through research.

Learn more about the different courses and programs available to you:

MITx Courses Online courses from MIT faculty and instructors. MITx embodies MIT's inventiveness, rigor, and quality. Learn more MITx MicroMasters® Programs Online professional and academic credentials to advance your career or fast-track a Master’s degree. Learn more MIT Open Learning Library Library of courses and educational content from MIT OpenCourseWare and MITx Courses on edX. Learn more MIT OpenCourseWare Free educational materials from thousands of MIT on-campus courses. Learn more MIT xPRO Professional development courses and programs that build skills and augment careers. Learn more MIT Bootcamps Intensive, blended learning experiences, supported by a global innovation community. Learn more MIT Horizon Enterprise level digital content library covering emerging technology topics. Learn more

Free online courses from Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Massachusetts Institute of Technology — a coeducational, privately endowed research university founded in 1861 — is dedicated to advancing knowledge and educating students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century. Learn more about MIT . Through MITx, the Institute furthers its commitment to improving education worldwide.

MITx Courses MITx courses embody the inventiveness, openness, rigor and quality that are hallmarks of MIT, and many use materials developed for MIT residential courses in the Institute's five schools and 33 academic disciplines. Browse MITx courses below.

Browse free online courses in a variety of subjects. Massachusetts Institute of Technology courses found below can be audited free or students can choose to receive a verified certificate for a small fee. Select a course to learn more.

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What is ocw.

OCW is a free and open publication of material from thousands of MIT courses across the entire MIT curriculum. That’s courses from every MIT department and degree program, and ranging from the introductory to the most advanced graduate level. 

Each OCW course includes a syllabus, some instructional material (such as lecture notes or a reading list), and some learning activities (such as assignments or exams). Many courses also have complete video lectures , free online textbooks , and faculty teaching insights . While some OCW content is custom-created for online use, most of it comes straight from the MIT classroom.

How do I use OCW?

You can freely browse the OCW collection and use it at your own pace. There’s no signup, no enrollment, and no start or end dates.

MIT doesn’t offer credit or certificates for using OCW. Instead, use OCW to guide your own life-long learning, or use OCW to teach others. Knowledge is your reward!

OCW is made for sharing. Download and save files and complete courses for later. Send them to friends and colleagues. Modify or remix OCW content for any non-commercial use – just remember to credit OCW as the source. It’s all allowed and encouraged, per the terms of our Creative Commons license .

More details are in the Using OCW Materials FAQs.

For Teachers

The free materials on OCW are used by educators around the world in teaching, adapted and integrated into curricula that inspires and empowers learners. And by sharing MIT faculty’s teaching approaches with the world, OCW is also a setting for reflective dialog about the craft of teaching and using Open Educational Resources (OER).

We encourage you to start by exploring OCW’s Educator page which highlights content created and curated just for educators.

For Learners

When you find a course of interest, begin by skimming the syllabus and calendar. This tells you the course goals, key topics, and the sequence of what is taught and studied.

It’s up to you to decide what and how you’d like to learn. Study the materials in a course from beginning to end, or select individual concepts found in different courses. You can let your curiosity be your guide, or refer to About the MIT Curriculum to learn about degree requirements and course sequences used by MIT students.

Some popular destinations include:

• Courses with Video or Audio Lectures
• Most Popular Courses
• OCW Scholar Courses

For more inspiration, read OCW Stories from students and self-learners.

Top Frequently Asked Questions

How do I register to use MIT OpenCourseWare?

There’s no registration and no enrollment to use OCW. It’s all open! You can skim through courses, read pages, watch videos, download any files—all without registration, anytime, anywhere.

Can I get credit or certification for learning with MIT OpenCourseWare?

OCW does not offer any degree, credit, or certification. For MIT online courses with certificates of completion, visit:

• MITx Online/MITx on edX
• MITx MicroMasters
• MIT Bootcamps
• MIT Management / Sloan Executive Education

For questions about these programs, please contact them directly.

Why doesn’t every MIT OpenCourseWare course offer video lectures?

We know that video lectures are important. In recent years, OCW has substantially increased its video content. However, the high cost of video production means we can only provide video for some of the courses we publish. Your financial support can help fund more video content.

Can you suggest a sequence of courses to study?

To see what courses MIT requires for its degree programs, refer to the MIT curriculum guide and individual department and program websites . Please note that OCW cannot offer degrees or course credit.

How do I get a copy of the course pack or readings for a particular course?

The course packs or reading materials used in many MIT courses contain proprietary and copyrighted work that MIT faculty and students are only permitted to use within their classrooms. OCW cannot provide these materials under our license. Your local library may be able to help you find free copies of these works.

I have more questions…

Please see our complete Help & FAQs section, or contact us and a member of the OCW team will get back to you.

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OCW Educator

Explore instructional approaches used by MIT faculty.

• Active Learning
• Teaching Communication
• Design Process
• Problem Solving
• Digital Tools
• Real-World Contexts

Find teaching materials used in MIT classrooms.

• Assignments
• Lecture Notes
• Simulations
• Online Textbooks
• Image Galleries

MIT faculty talk about teaching.

Professor Catherine Drennan on creating a space for students to discover their passion for chemistry in 5.111SC Principles of Chemical Science .

OCW makes the materials used in the teaching of MIT's subjects available on the Web.