Our top 15 tech courses
Check out the most popular online tech courses around the world on FutureLearn and join them today to advance your digital skills in just a few weeks.
If you’re interested in starting a career in tech or boosting your digital understanding, online learning can be a great way to explore new technologies, build new skills, and set your CV and job applications apart from the rest.
Read on to find out more about our most popular tech courses and join today to take the next step in your digital tech career.
1. Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)
Consistently ranking above popular coding languages like Javascript and Linux as the most in-demand coding language, Python can be applied to a diverse range of applications in the real world – from web development to machine learning,
This programming for beginners course from Michigan University will take you from basic exercises that focus on the core concepts of programming to writing your first program with Python.
You’ll get to grips with using core programming tools like functions and loops and finish this course with the confidence and knowledge to continue your learning alone.
2. Digital Skills: Social Media
With over 3.2 billion users across the globe, it’s no secret that these days, social media means big business. As well as offering a free way of managing your online business presence, social media gives organisations the chance to connect with their consumers in ways that have never existed before.
Over just two-weeks, this course will take you through the key steps of marketing a brand on social media. From setting campaign objectives to creating engaging content, you’ll get to grips with what sells on social, as you explore how to use different social media channels and how to measure campaign success.
3. Learn to Code for the Web
Apple founder, Steve Jobs, once said, “Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer […] because it teaches you how to think”. As well as exercising your brain by engaging your logical reasoning and problem-solving skills, learning how to code will set you up to work for high-salary programming job opportunities around the world.
This course gives you the chance to decide which coding language works for you as you experiment with the basics of code types. You’ll explore the role of HTML, CSS and JavaScript languages in making web pages and sites and start a coding project of your own.
4. Computer Programming for Everyone
Programming has been around for decades and this course offers you the chance to get to grips with computing history. As you explore the advent of computer technology, you’ll get hands-on experience of writing computer code yourself.
Alongside programming experts at the University of Leeds and the Institute of Coding, you’ll discover some of the core ideas of computer programming and the importance of computer code throughout society.
5. Introduction to Cyber Security
With worldwide spending on cyber security expected to hit £102.5 billion by 2022 and employment for IT security analysts predicted to grow by 32% between 2018 and 2028, there’s never been a better time to get to grips with cyber security.
Supported by the UK Government’s National Cyber Security Programme, this course will present to you the threat landscape as it exists today and arm you with the knowledge to protect yourself from online security threats.
6. Collaborative Working in a Remote Team
For those working in an office environment, the coronavirus pandemic has transformed how work gets done. What used to be discussed, planned, and designed in person now plays out entirely online.
This course will help you to work more effectively and collaboratively with your team, wherever you are in the world. You’ll discover useful project planning and collaboration tools and technology so that you can make working from home work for you.
7. Basics of Network Security
Technology has transformed our world and we now work, play, and communicate online more than ever before. To keep our information safe, organisations must protect their networks.
This course uncovers the threats posed to organisations’ networks and outlines the basic concepts of network security as well as the tools used by network engineers and attackers.
You’ll even be challenged to a network security boot camp – can you work with a virtual networked device to make it secure?
8. Create a Professional Online Presence
Since the dawn of social media, almost everyone has had some sort of online presence – whether they like it or not.
This course will help you to take control of your own online presence and learn how to exist online without harming your professional identity. You’ll also explore and plan how to use social media to your advantage by enhancing your employability.
9. Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Technology Explained
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have been in the news in recent years for their role in transforming the financial services sector. However, the technology behind Bitcoin – blockchain – may have even more revolutionary potential.
On this course, you’ll learn about what cryptocurrencies and blockchain are, and how they have the potential to turn the financial industry on its head.
10. Data Analytics for Decision Making: An Introduction to Using Excel
Big data is increasingly becoming crucial for businesses in analysing financial and customer information, and deciding future market trends. Indeed, in the next two years, 76% of companies are planning to increase their investment in data analytics.
This course will introduce you to the world of data analytics, showing you how Microsoft Excel can be used to solve basic quantitative problems in business decision making.
11. Digital Skills: Artificial Intelligence
From virtual voice assistants to self-driving cars, AI is changing the way we communicate – and how we think about the nature of work itself. This course will introduce you to the basic ideas around artificial intelligence, learning the skills you need to work with AI in the future.
12. Begin Programming: Build Your First Mobile Game
Are you a Tetris terror? A Final Fantasy fanatic? A Mario Kart master? This course will let you channel your passion for games to learn how to program your first mobile computer game. Along the way, you’ll discover how to use the key programming language Java.
You’ll create algorithms to solve problems and translate them into code to make your very own game.
13. Introduction to UX and Accessible Design
User interfaces are a crucial part of modern technology – letting us interact with the devices and websites that drive our daily life. However, for many users, interfaces could be more accessible, letting those with disabilities be better able to access online services.
On this course, you’ll discover how to use CSS and JavaScript for user experience (UX) design, learning from disabled users about the issues that affect them.
14. How to Create Great Online Content
Whether following our favourite brands on social media, or spending our lunch breaks on YouTube, we engage with online content every day. Knowing the art of creating engaging content is a key skill in today’s media and marketing landscape.
This course from experts at the Institute of Coding and the University of Leeds lets you explore the value of delivering the right message to the right audience at the right time, as well as how to create a content plan and publish to different platforms.
15. Digital Skills: User Experience
This course will walk you through the essential of UX design, learning what distinguishes good UX from bad UX. You’ll explore how to draw wireframes and build usable prototypes, as well as what the UX design process looks like.
Ultimately, you’ll learn the techniques and tools you need to bring your designs to the market.
Not found the perfect match? Check out the full list of our tech, IT and computer science courses and find a course to supercharge your digital skills in just a few weeks.
