Education Insider News Blog -

Perfect School Search

List of Free English Composition Courses and Classes

Learn English composition with these free online courses. See the full list of free English composition courses and find the course that's right for you.

Take Free Courses. Earn Real College Credit.

Most free courses don't lead to college credit. Education-Portal.com's free courses do!

Here's how it works:

  1. 1. Watch free video lessons.
  2. 2. Pass an exam to earn real college credit.

Education-Portal.com

A series of free 10-minute videos taught by subject-matter experts in English composition are available at Education-Portal.com. This course is designed to prepare students to take the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exam in college composition. About 2,900 institutions of higher learning award college credit for passing the CLEP.

Lessons in the College Composition course cover all stages of the writing process. The course also covers analytical reading and source citation skills. Each lesson includes a full manuscript and quiz to help monitor progress.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT has free courses online that were initially offered for credit in traditional classrooms. Students typically have access to course materials that include lectures, assignments and exams but don't receive grades or credit. Lecture notes, assignments and materials can often be downloaded in PDF format; required readings and videos can generally be found online or purchased.

In Expository Writing: Social and Ethical Issues in Print, Photography and Film, students write essays on topics that range from homelessness to gender inequality, developing skills in argumentation and citation. Students accessing the OpenCourseWare materials for Writing About Literature may craft various types of essays that explore elements like theme and character. Through exposure to readings on biculturalism and bilingualism in Writing and Experience: Crossing Borders, students can develop the art of writing the narrative essay.

University of Massachusetts - Boston

UMass Boston provides access to course materials from several academic departments for free use by students and educators. Critical Reading and Writing I is a basic course to develop college-level research and writing skills, which uses reading and analysis of U.S. foreign policy as a springboard. Lecture notes aren't available, but students have access to a syllabus, an assignment list and the course website, which includes some text-based handouts on composition topics.

Utah State University (USU)

Utah State University offers free, online courses, which can lead to college credit. USU students may earn credit through options that include passing the CLEP, DANTES Standardized Subject Tests, International Baccalaureate exams or departmental exams.

Introduction to Writing: Academic Prose was originally offered as a basic undergrad writing class. The course requires no outside materials since all readings and assignments are included online in the course resources. Students learn how to craft essays and personal narratives, write about cultural issues, conduct research and perform oral presentations.

The course Intermediate Writing: Research Writing in a Persuasive Mode is meant to teach students how to think critically, conduct research and write strong arguments. The course also covers using multimedia resources and presentation skills. While not all the original assignments are geared to open independent study, such as those involving peer reviews, students have access to a variety of links to readings and essay assignments.

Earn Real Credit from Free Courses

While the free courses above don't award credit directly, you can earn credit by passing an exam and transferring credit to your college. There are two widely recognized and affordable options for exams that award credit.

Option #1: CLEP Exams

The College Board's 33 CLEP exams allow you to test out of your general education requirements. Credit is accepted at 2/3 of colleges and universities in the U.S.

Option #2: Excelsior College's Credit-by-Exam

Excelsior College offers over 40 exams that lead to transferable credit. You can also earn three full degrees by taking free online courses and earning your credit by exam.

Learn how Education Portal Academy will pay you to earn credit!

Do you like this post?
Yes No

Thanks for your feedback!

What didn't you like?

Get our best student money savers and free resources
Education Insider Sample
Subscribe to Education Insider
Our strict privacy policy keeps your email address 100% safe & secure.
Related Articles
  • Related
  • Recently Updated
  • Popular

10 Popular Schools

The schools in the listing below are not free but are popular choices among our users. Tuition and costs will vary across programs and locations. Be sure to always request tuition information before starting a program.