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List of Free Online Logistics Courses and Classes

See our list of the top free online logistics 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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  1. 1. Watch free video lessons.
  2. 2. Pass an exam to earn real college credit.

Free Online Course and Class Information

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the originator of OpenCourseWare (OCW) resources, is the primary provider of free online course materials in logistics. MIT's course materials in logistics, also called supply chain management, are all from graduate courses offered by the Sloan School of Management. They don't reflect the full content offered in the original course, and students aren't able to interact with instructors. MIT doesn't award college credit for use of these free resources.

The free online courses offered by Education Portal are designed specifically for Internet learners. Education Portal doesn't offer a course specifically in logistics but does offer a general marketing course that covers some introductory topics in supply chain management. Courses correspond to CLEP subject exams offered by the College Board, and the majority of colleges and universities award credit to students who pass these exams.

Education Portal

Education Portal courses are composed of animated lectures taught by instructors with a strong background in the subject area. At the end of each brief lesson, students can test their understanding by taking an online quiz. One of the chapters in this course is devoted to supply chain management, and another touches on considerations involving the physical distribution of products and services in the global marketplace. Marketing research, market segmentation and advertising are among the several other topics covered in the course's chapters.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Materials for MIT's open courses vary, but those in this list of graduate-level logistics courses include selected or complete lecture notes, assignments and syllabi. Logistical and Transportation Planning Methods focuses on how to analyze the efficiency of various transportation systems using quantitative methods for operations research. An older edition of the text, Urban Operations Research, is available for free online. Students can also download several quizzes and view the answers, which are stored in separate PDF documents.

Students interested in solving the variety of problems posed in Logistics and Supply Chain Management should have some experience with probability and linear programming. The course delves into models and strategies for resolving issues involved with the logistics of moving multiple products within complex systems. In Logistics Systems, students learn how to develop integrated supply chains and logistics systems through a variety of techniques, approaches and analytic tools. Students need Microsoft Excel for this course to work with spreadsheets.

Management of Supply Networks for Products and Services was originally a course restricted to Sloan School of Management fellows. This course examines a variety of models and techniques for making businesses more competitive, focusing on common problems faced by managers of extensive supply chains. In Manufacturing System and Supply Chain Design, students learn system-design problem-solving skills and models as applied to creating logistics networks. Emphasis is placed on opportunities that have arisen through e-commerce and the Internet.

Operations Strategy examines the web of relationships between product manufacturers and service providers, competing companies, suppliers and customers. Supplementing the lecture notes, readings and study questions are designed to help students make strategic decisions about operations concerns, including logistics systems. Students in Systems Optimization: Models and Computation learn how to use computerized optimization models to make complex logistics decisions. Assignments include a variety of model and computation problems.

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!

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