Follow your passion – Learn something new with FutureLearn
Looking to learn something new or brush up a skill? FutureLearn allows you to access over 400 short courses and is available for free with your University of Leicester accounts. Each course gives you the opportunity to work alongside world-class universities and industry experts, providing contemporary insights across a wide range of topics.
The courses featured can all be completed online from the comfort of your own home, with the knowledge that you are working with a global community of other learners. Most courses are around 2-4 hours of learning per week, but once you have signed up to a course, you’ll be able to access the course material and study at any time that suits you. For example, if you have an interest in sustainability, then you might wish to study Concepts in Sustainable Development: an Introduction to the Key Issues a few hours a week, or travel back in time to discover England in the Time of King Richard III. These are two very popular courses led by academic staff at the University of Leicester, and upon completion of your chosen course, you will receive a Certificate of Achievement.
Additionally, if you are wanting to start a course, but are unsure of where to begin, here are some recommended courses, grouped together by discipline:
Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities:
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An introduction to screenwriting, University of East Anglia
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From Crime to Punishment: an Introduction to Criminal Justice, University of York
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Shakespeare: Print and Performance, Kings College London, Shakespeare’s Globe and British Library
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Making Sense of Data in the Media, University of Sheffield
Computer Science and Engineering:
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Design a Feminist Chatbot, UAL Creative Computing Institute (CCI)
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Discovering Science: Science Writing, University of Leeds
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Flexagons and the Math Behind Twisted Paper, Weizmann Institute of Science
Life Sciences:
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Good Brain, Bad Brain: Basics, University of Birmingham
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Defending Dignity: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Amnesty International
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Come Rain or Shine: Understanding the Weather, University of Reading and Royal Meteorological Society
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The Psychology of Personality, Monash University
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Basic First Aid: How to Be an Everyday Hero, University of Glasgow
For Postgraduate students:
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Discovering Your PhD Potential: Writing a Research Proposal, University of Leicester
Introduction to Financial Accounting, University of Padova -
The Science of Success: What Researchers Know that You Should Know, University of Michigan
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Population 10 Billion: Researching Global Issues, University of Sheffield
As there is no formal assessment with FutureLearn, you can learn at a pace that suits you. It is a great way to become accustomed to interacting with other learners and testing your understanding of the topics learnt, with the availability to share your thoughts on a subject.
Head over to our own University of Leicester Futurelearn campus, and start learning now.
* Please note that free certification and University of Leicester sign-up is initially valid until Wednesday 30th September, but it is hoped this will be extended. Once you are signed up however, you won’t lose access.
