List of Free Environmental Studies Courses and Training Programs
See our list of the top free online environmental studies courses. Learn about what courses are available and what topics they cover to find the course that's right for you.
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Free Online Environmental Studies Class List
Ecology and Environment at African Virtual University
This undergraduate-level course is structured around 5 different units with 4 distinct learning activities per unit. There are introductory lessons devoted to teaching ecological terminology and explaining how environmental scientists classify organisms. The course also covers how human activities directly affect the environment and takes a detailed look at deforestation and biodiversity. African ecology is an important focus of this course. Different course materials are downloadable in QuickTime format, YouTube, Microsoft Word and PDF files.
Environmental Chemistry at African Virtual University
Some of the topics covered by the curriculum include the overuse of natural resources, acid rain, climate change and the effect of atmospheric pollutants on the environment. Students learn how chemical compounds react in natural environments and polluted ones. The course includes both video and text files of lectures and notes.
Environmental Health at Johns Hopkins University
Students can analyze how pollutants and environmental contamination contribute to human health problems. The course also takes a look at emerging issues in environmental health. The course is structured around 9 lectures that are downloadable from the course website. The course also has required readings assigned, but users need to obtain those materials on their own.
Environmental Philosophy at University of Notre Dame
This course includes studies in value theory, ecology, thermodynamics and environmental history. The course website has links to lecture videos that cover topics ranging from entropy in the biosphere to economic growth. The course syllabus includes some free supplementary reading materials and a free downloadable textbook.
Environmental Politics and Policy at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
This undergraduate course includes case studies that tackle diverse subjects like endangered species protection, toxic waste cleanup and disputes between politics and science. Course lectures are downloadable as PDF files, and users can access a list of course assignments that can help them master the course materials. Some of the course readings are also downloadable, while others must be obtained independently.
Environment and Sustainable Development at United Nations University
This is a doctoral-level course structured around 10 lectures that cover topics like management and innovation, environmental degradation and societal transformations. These lectures are collected on the site as downloadable slides. The course site also includes a reading list, though few of the readings are available for download.
Introducing the Environment: Ecology and Ecosystems at The Open University
The curriculum covers identification and scientific naming of organisms. It discusses interrelationships among members of ecosystems as well as ecological health. Each topic area includes text and images in addition to intended learning outcomes.
Managing Coastal Environments at The Open University
This course focuses on the coast of the United Kingdom, taking a specific look at the Blackwater estuary on the Essex coast. This area is used as an isolated example of the way in which the environment can be studied and why environmental inquiries are so crucial. Conservation and sustainability are incorporated into the lessons. This course includes video, text and graphical content on each subject area.
Tropical Ecology and Conservation at Tufts University
This ecology course is designed for both undergraduate and graduate students. It covers topics like climate variation, ecosystems and biological interactions, available as downloadable lecture slides and written lectures. Only a selection of all lectures is available. Additionally, students can find a sample research proposal that can help them learn how to design their own.
Vulnerability to Environmental Change at University of Cape Town
This course serves as an introduction to the topic of vulnerability and focuses on three distinct approaches to the subject. These include risk and hazard, political economy and ecology, and ecological resilience. The course is presented in a series of 6 PowerPoint presentations and also recommends readings for further research.
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.
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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.
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
- Arizona (5 campuses)
- California (10)
- Colorado (3)
- Florida (6)
- Hawaii (2)
- Idaho (1)
- Michigan (1)
- Missouri (3)
- New Mexico (2)
- Oklahoma (1)
- Texas (4)
- Utah (3)
- Washington (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
Online and Classroom-Based Programs
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
- Master
- Bachelor
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
- Colorado (2 campuses)
Online and Classroom-Based Programs
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
- Currently not accepting applicants from Minnesota or Tennessee
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
- Master
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be 21 years of age or older and have completed some college or 24 years of age or older and a high school graduate for a Bachelor's degree
- Masters degree applicants must have a Bachelors degree
- Doctorate degree applicants must have a Masters degree
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be 17 years of age or older
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
- Non-Degree
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be 18 years of age or older
School locations:
- Online Learning
Distance Learning Programs
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Non-Degree
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- Certificate in Holistic Planet
- Career Diploma: Wildlife/Forestry Conservation
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- Certificate in Feeding the Family
- Certificate in Green Building Practices
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
- Arizona (1 campus)
- California (5)
- Colorado (1)
- Florida (2)
- Hawaii (1)
- Illinois (2)
- Minnesota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah (1)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (1)
Online and Classroom-Based Programs
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Doctorate
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- DBA in Sustainable Management
- Master
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
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