List of Free Online Business Management Courses and Classes

Many institutions, especially colleges and universities, will offer single courses for free online. We've listed some of the top institutions that offer free online business management courses.

1. Boston University

Boston University offers multiple free online courses through the open course provider edX.

Some of these business courses include:

• Digital Transformation Strategy, which trains students on the strategies for driving business success in the digital world
• Ethical Leadership: Character, Civility, and Community, which teaches managers how to ethically manage their employees and teams
• Leading in the Digital Age, which helps students develop the right mindset to lead in the digital age

2. Columbia University

Ivy League university Columbia University offers a handful of business classes through two online course libraries: Coursera and edX.

These courses are free, but in some cases, students can purchase a verification certificate for a small fee.

Some of these business courses include:

• Construction Management, which is geared toward construction and engineering professionals looking to further their careers
• Marketing Analytics, which teaches students to develop models that use business data to forecast sales and support marketing decisions
• Optimization Methods in Asset Management, which focuses on optimizing portfolio construction and risk management

3. Google

Though not a college or university, Google offers free online courses through Coursera.

Some of these business courses include:

• Foundations of Project Management, which is an introductory course and the first in a series of six that teaches project management
• Project Initiation, which is the second course in the project management series and trains participants how to successfully get projects up and running
• Applying Project Management in the Real World, which is the final course in the project management series and allows students to practice what they've learned

Students who successfully complete all six courses will finish with a professional certificate in Google Project Management.

4. Harvard University

Harvard University, one of the most famous universities in the world, offers many free online courses through the open course provider edX.

The courses are free, but students have the option to pay a small fee to receive a verified certificate of completion.

Some of these business courses include:

• Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles, which teaches students the foundational skills required for becoming a business leader
• Improving Your Business Through a Culture of Health, which is geared toward business leaders and explains how health can improve employee wellness and profits
• Remote Work Revolution for Everyone, which trains students how to excel in the new remote work environment

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) hosts OpenCourseWare (OCW), a free, publicly accessible collection of hundreds of online courses.

Some of these business courses include:

• Advanced Communication for Leaders, which is a graduate-level course that teaches communication strategies for a range of audiences
• Building and Leading Effective Teams, which is a one-week graduate-level course that introduces students to leadership, learning communities, and teams
• Cross-Cultural Leadership, which is a graduate-level course that examines what makes up effective leadership across different cultures

6. University of California, Irvine

The University of California Irvine offers free, on-demand, career-focused programs through a partnership with Coursera.

Students can enroll at any time. Courses are free, but for a small fee you can earn a certificate that documents your course completion.

Some of these business courses include:

• Managing Project Risks and Changes, which is geared toward teaching students how to identify and manage potential changes and risks to a project
• Project Management: The Basics for Success, which is a blend of project management and team leadership elements
• Project Management Principles and Practices, which gives students a foundational education in completing projects on time and on budget

7. University of Maryland

The University of Maryland's Project Management Center for Excellence has partnered with edX to offer a variety of free online business courses.

Some of these business courses include:

• Effective Communication for Program and Project Stakeholders and Teams, which teaches students how to successfully structure programs and project communications
• Managing People with Power Skills, which helps managers learn how to best encourage a team to work together
• Program Management Fundamentals, which trains students in the fundamentals of understanding and leading programs

8. Yale University

Yale University is another Ivy League university offering free online courses. Students can take their courses through Coursera.

Some of these business courses include:

• Connected Leadership, which is designed to train students to create change at the individual, team, and system levels
• Financial Markets, which provides a foundational education in financial practices with an emphasis on financially-savvy leadership skills
• Introduction to Negotiation, which trains students in becoming better business negotiators