Education Insider News Blog -

Perfect School Search

List of Free Online Journalism Classes and Courses

Free online courses in journalism are offered by real schools. Learn which journalism courses are available, what topics they cover and which ones lead to real college credit.

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.

Free Online Course Info

Free online courses in journalism are available from several real colleges and universities as non-credit courses. While some schools may require registration to access a course, most schools don't have that requirement. Students can see PDF files of course lectures and materials, but may need to download a media player, such as Flash, to access videos.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The OpenCourseWare initiative at MIT offers a variety of the institute's courses through a free publication. Students can see projects completed by previous students or download PDF files of course materials. The Introduction to Media Studies course utilizes assignments and lecture notes to teach students how media impacts modern culture. The course examines the printed word, television, radio and digital technology. Sample student work is available in PDF form.

Documentary Photography and Photo Journalism: Still Images of a World in Motion utilizes image galleries, projects and assignments to show students the work of documentary photographers. Future journalists can find out how other races, classes and genders are portrayed in the media through the Gender and Media Studies: Women and the Media course. Students can view study materials, including video clips, advertising videos and blogs.

The Open University

Understanding Media: The Celebrity in the Text is a course that demonstrates how the media shapes celebrity status and shows how to analyze information the public receives about celebrities. Students can download readings and answer questions on their own about the materials.

The Key Skills Assessment: Communication course at The Open University exposes students to how humans process information and communicate. Journalists might be interested in knowing how to effectively receive and respond to information and how to evaluate that information. The course was designed for students to study for one hour each week over a period of 50 weeks, though online students may study at their own pace.

Poynter's News University

Poynter's News University courses require students to register in order to access the materials, however these courses are still free. Registration typically requires providing the student's name, e-mail address and a zip code. Students also need to have Flash version 7.0 or newer in order to access information. The Cleaning Your Copy: Grammar, Style and More class teaches Associated Press (AP) style and helps students learn about basic problems with grammar and mistakes in punctuation.

Prospective photojournalists may be interested in the Best of Photojournalism: What Makes a Winner class, where they'll watch videos and interviews on a photojournalism contest. Students have the chance to demonstrate what they've learned through a judging activity.

The Freedom of Information materials introduce students to the First Amendment and the Freedom of Information Act. The course covers state laws and how to tell if a document is within the public domain.

Utah State University

Utah State University provides free courses online through open source software. Learning materials are available as PDF files. Its Technology for Professional Writers course teaches established writers to properly utilize software and new technology related to writing. The course is a variation of one previously offered by the university that was founded on research conducted in the 1990s. Students learn through a combination of lecture notes, assignments and additional resources.

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

9 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.

Other Popular Schools:

  • Areas of study you may find at Iowa State University include:
      • Graduate: Doctorate, First Professional Degree, Master
      • Undergraduate: Bachelor
    • Agriculture
    • Architecture
    • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
    • Business
    • Communications and Journalism
    • Computer Sciences
    • Education
    • Engineering
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities
    • Mechanic and Repair Technologies
    • Medical and Health Professions
    • Physical Sciences
    • Psychology
    • Visual and Performing Arts
    » Research Iowa State University's Programs