Who is FutureLearn?
Learn more about FutureLearn, who we are, what we offer and how we can help you learn new skills, develop your interests and advance your career.
Online education has exploded in the past decade with even more people logging on to complete online courses, bootcamps and degrees, and it’s expected that the e-learning market is going to triple by 2032. As more and more learners look to join online learning platforms like ours, we figured it was time to reintroduce ourselves.
Whether you’re a longtime FutureLearner or have just found your way onto our site today, this learner guide is for you. Keep reading to learn more about FutureLearn, our product offerings, who they’re for and how we can help you reach your goals.
Who is FutureLearn?
FutureLearn is a UK-based online learning platform that gives individual learners and businesses all over the world access to flexible, expert content. We launched our online learning platform in 2012 and ever since have partnered with top universities, organisations and brands such as UCL, King’s College London, Durham University, NHS, Bloomsbury Publishing, BFI, British Council, Accenture and more.
Now with over 22 million registered learners on our platform, FutureLearn not only offers free online courses, premium, paid-for courses, flexible online degrees and microcredentials but also tools and resources such as our study abroad guidance, bite-sized courses for the time conscious, learner discounts, and of course, our blog.
As one of the leading online learning platforms, our core mission has always been to transform access to education. From the career professionals at any stage of their career to the hobbyists and creative learners looking to learn something fun and develop their skills, we’re here to give you the tools to achieve your goals.
Now you know a bit more about us, let’s take a closer look at our product offerings.
Free online courses
We currently have over 1300 free online courses on our platform from universities and organisations including the University of Leeds, Deakin University, Arden University, Accenture, UCL and The LEGO Foundation.
What are they?
We offer two types of free online courses. The first are the online courses you can learn with free limited access. This means you can join the majority of our courses for free, get access to new course content every week and complete an entire course online, wherever you are in the world. You won’t be able to get a free digital certificate on completion or keep the course forever (that’s where our Unlimited subscription and ExpertTracks come in) but it’s an excellent way to try out a course, learn exactly what you need and take away new skills. Just look for the ‘Included in Unlimited’ label on the course subject pages or scroll down on a specific course page and click on the ‘Join with limited access’ to start learning for free.
The second type of free online courses are our free digital upgrades which are online courses that have been sponsored by the course content provider, so learners, like you, can learn for free. These sponsored courses give you unlimited access to course content, meaning you can keep these courses for as long as they’re on the platform, complete tests to demonstrate your knowledge and get a digital certificate when you complete the course. Just look for the ‘Free digital upgrade’ label on the course subject pages and click on ‘Join now’ on a specific course page to start learning.
Who are they for?
Anyone! Whether you’ve just finished university or college and want to develop the skills to get you into your dream industry or are a mid-career professional looking to advance your career or even if you’re a first-time leader or a head of a department, our free online courses are for you. They’re also for people looking to build new skills, whether that’s digital literacy, a new language or a new hobby.
The benefits of free online courses
- Explore courses on topics such as business and management, languages, teaching, history, STEM, literature, psychology, creative arts and more.
- Learn as many topics as you like.
- Gain new skills for free.
- Learn from anywhere in the world.
- Get access to expert content from top universities and industry experts.
- Join an inclusive learning community.
Premium online courses
We offer premium courses from organisations and universities such as International Culinary Studio, Deakin University, Sentinel|9, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) and Macquarie University.
What are they?
Premium courses are paid-for online courses that help learners to develop skills across subjects such as business and management, science, healthcare and law. They’re available at a range of price points and once purchased, they give you unlimited access to a single course.
Who are they for?
Premium courses have been designed for professionals who want to learn a specific skill and are willing to invest a bit more to do so. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a lawyer, our range of premium courses have something to suit everyone, no matter where they are in their career.
The benefits of premium online courses
- Learn alongside like-minded professionals.
- Learn from experts in your field.
- Hone a specific skill.
- Gain the tools and confidence to develop your career as a specialist.
Online certifications: Microcredentials and bootcamps
We also offer online certifications across business and management, teaching, psychology, project management, STEM, finance and creative arts and media from institutions and organisations such as General Assembly, Nottingham Business School, GLOBIS University, Deakin University, the University of Aberdeen and Cranfield School of Management.
What are they?
We offer two different types of online certifications. The first, are our microcredentials, which are specialist courses that offer the opportunity to gain a professional credential, completely online. Some microcredentials also offer an academic credit which can count towards a degree.
Our second type of online certification is a bootcamp which is more of an intensive study programme that typically focuses on more practical or technical subjects such as massage therapy, hospitality or software engineering.
Who are they for?
Both microcredentials and bootcamps are excellent choices for professionals looking to upskill and develop their expertise in a specific field, without the need to invest in a full online degree.
The benefits of online credentials
- Learn online with expert instructors.
- Complete project-based assessments.
- Access postgraduate level, career-oriented learning.
- Earn a professional credential to show your employer.
- Potentially gain a university academic credit that can work towards a degree.
Flexible online degrees
Finally, we currently offer 100+ flexible online degrees from a growing number of top universities including UCL, the University of Birmingham, the University of Glasgow and Falmouth University.
Who are they for?
Our online degrees are designed for learners looking to earn undergraduate or postgraduate academic qualifications on a full-time or part-time basis, completely online. From a BA (Hons) to an MSc, learners can study across a range of subjects including, but not limited to, marketing, psychology, creative writing, engineering and cyber security.
The benefits of online degrees
- Earn a globally recognised degree in your own time.
- Join an international network of degree learners.
- Study from anywhere in the world and learn at an international institution.
- Save on accommodation, transportation and other degree costs.
- Get support from programme leaders and tutors, just like you would on an on-campus degree programme.
Learn your way with FutureLearn
So there you have it! Whether you want to accelerate your career growth and fulfil your creative hobbies, FutureLearn has the right resources to help you get there. Start your learning journey today.
- Digital Skills: Artificial Intelligence by Accenture
- Lead with Confidence: Core Skills for First-Time Managers by Starweaver
- Gardening for Beginners: The Basics and Beyond by BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine
- Contemporary Chinese I by Chinese Plus
- The Freelance Bible: How to Be a Freelancer in Any Industry by Mission Accomplished & FutureLearn
- English Grammar: All You Need to Know by UCL
- Emerging Technologies: Blockchain Technologies by Deakin University
- Fundamentals of Project Management by Nottingham Business School
- Psychological Sciences (Conversion) MSc online by Brunel University of London
- Innovation, Enterprise and Circular Economy MBA by the University of Bradford
- BA (Hons) Creative Writing by Falmouth University
- MSc Business and Management by Cranfield University
- Applied Artificial Intelligence MSc by the University of Huddersfield
- Master of Laws (LLM) by The University of Law
