See our list of universities that offer free online writing courses. Learn about what courses are available and what topics they cover to find the course that's right for you.
Online Writing Courses for Credit
Many schools offer free online courses and materials through OpenCourseWare (OCW) projects. While formal admission isn't necessary to access lectures and other materials, these courses don't usually award college credit. Students looking for the same ease of access and the opportunity to apply their study time towards a degree or certificate program might want to consider courses that can lead to credit.
Students trying to improve their writing can check out English online classes like English 104: College Composition. Chapters in this course include:
Free Online Non-Credited Writing Courses
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Through MIT's OCW program, students can download a variety of undergraduate and graduate-level course materials that cover topics in, among others, essay, expository and technical writing. Course activities and formats include assignments, exams, lecture notes and video presentations.
New Jersey Institute of Technology
The New Jersey Institute of Technology is a scientific and technological university that offers OCW courses and materials.
Open University
The Open University is the largest educational establishment in the United Kingdom, as well as the country's only distance-learning school. The university's free online classes may not provide access to the same resources used by formally enrolled students, but course formats might include Web- and print-based content as well as the ability to interact with other students through a comments feature.
Purdue University
Through Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL), students and teachers around the world can enjoy 24-hour access to a variety of Web-based resources, including handouts, podcasts and PowerPoint presentations. These include topics in grammar and mechanics, professional and technical writing, English as a Second Language (ESL), research and writing style.
University of College Falmouth
The University College Falmouth is a specialized art institution based in the United Kingdom. The non-credit classes offered through the school's 'openSpace' project allow students to work at their own level and pace but don't provide all the materials from the original course. Although registration isn't required to access assignments, lectures and other materials, registered students may be able to participate in online chats and peer reviews.
University of Iowa
The Writing University is a Web-based resource for the school's literary and writing community, providing direct access to a number of free audio presentations. Recent podcasts have included presentations on the sentence, creative nonfiction and experiential writing.
University of Massachusetts at Boston
University of Michigan
This university participates as a member of the OpenCourseWare Consortium by providing free access to educational materials and course content through its Open.Michigan website.
Utah State University (USU)
Utah State offers OCW materials in several academic departments. Students may be able to apply the knowledge gained from use of these open materials to pass exams to earn credit. USU may give credit to students who pass subject tests offered by individual departments, the International Baccalaureate Organization or CLEP exams, among other options.
Stanford University
Online courses can be found at Stanford through the school's OpenEdX platform.
