Politics & Society Courses

Dig deeper into the issues making the news – from new technology and social media to the energy crisis, inequality and the threat of new conflicts – with our online political science and international relations courses.

Understand the geopolitical issues shaping our world, with our online political science and international relations courses.

Choose a Politics & Society topic

Crime & Criminology
Diversity & Inclusion
Gender & Feminism
Geopolitics
Religion
Social Issues
Crime & Criminology
Diversity & Inclusion
Gender & Feminism
Geopolitics
Religion
Social Issues

Degrees
1 Degree

Discover online degrees from leading universities. Develop your knowledge with an undergraduate or postgraduate degree.

The Open University

PgC Global Development Management

Build the skills needed by a development manager and learn to analyse the complex contexts in which development takes place with this postgraduate certificate.

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Microcredentials
1 Microcredential

Our online microcredentials are designed to upskill you for work in rapidly-growing industries, without the time and cost commitment of a full degree. They can be used as an independent certification, and some even offer academic credit to use towards a degree. Each microcredential also includes a formal online assessment.

The Open University

Tackling the Climate Crisis: Innovation from Cuba

Explore Cuba’s response to crises and how their “thrifty innovation” can help develop solutions to climate change challenges.

1 course

10 weeks

Undergraduate

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Courses
188 Courses

Learn new skills, pursue your interests or advance your career with our short online courses.

University of Adelaide
New

Introduction to Cultural Intelligence

4 weeks

2 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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The Open University

Investigating a Murder with Forensic Psychology

4.5 (67 reviews)

4 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
New

New Zealand History, Culture and Conflict: A Museum Perspective

3 weeks

1 hr per week

Included in Unlimited

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Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
New

Biodiversity, Guardianship, and the Natural History of New Zealand: A Museum Perspective

2 weeks

2 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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UAL Creative Computing Institute & Feminist Internet
New

Building a Sustainable Future with Technology

3 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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UCL (University College London) , GIZ & Transforming Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI)

Transforming Urban Mobility: Components of Transport Planning for Sustainable Cities

4.8 (68 reviews)

5 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission

Becoming a Charity Board Member: What You Should Know

2 weeks

1 hr per week

Free digital upgrade

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Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa & Te Pū Tiaki Mana Taonga (TPTMT)
New

Best Practices for Culture and Heritage Education in Aotearoa New Zealand

6 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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UAL Creative Computing Institute
New

Engaging in Activism for Social Change in Tech

2 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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The Open University

Forensic Psychology: Witness Investigation

4.8 (458 reviews)

8 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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The University of Warwick
New

Global Inequalities and the Just Transition

4 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Leeds

Incarceration: Are Prisons a Suitable Punishment?

4.7 (147 reviews)

2 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Leeds

Introduction to Intercultural Studies: Crossing Borders

4.4 (24 reviews)

2 weeks

5 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Leeds

Introduction to Intercultural Studies: Defining the Concept of Culture

4.5 (45 reviews)

2 weeks

5 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Leeds

Introduction to Intercultural Studies: Intercultural Contact

4.6 (17 reviews)

2 weeks

5 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Leeds

Introduction to Intercultural Studies: Language and Culture

4.5 (56 reviews)

2 weeks

5 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Leeds

Introduction to Intercultural Studies: The Branding of Culture

4.4 (14 reviews)

2 weeks

5 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Amnesty International UK
New

Protect the Protest: Using Our Rights to Freedom of Assembly and Expression

3 weeks

1 hr per week

Included in Unlimited

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Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission

The ACNC: How We Help You

2 weeks

1 hr per week

Free digital upgrade

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The Open University

Understanding Global Development Management

4.5 (17 reviews)

2 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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UCL (University College London) , American University of Beirut (AUB), LAU-CLS & MAPs

Community Based Research: Getting Started

4.8 (15 reviews)

3 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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British Council
New

Exploring Gender Equality in Education

4.9 (48 reviews)

3 weeks

4 hrs per week

Free digital upgrade

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The University of Kent
New

Freedom of Movement, Refugees, Traffickers, and Smugglers

4 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of York
New

Inclusive Learning for Students: Building inclusive practice into your life during higher education, and beyond

3 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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European University Institute (EUI)

Cultural Diplomacy

4.4 (50 reviews)

3 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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European University Institute (EUI) & GREASE Project Consortium

Governing Religion: Global Challenges and Comparative Approaches

4.7 (19 reviews)

3 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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European University Institute (EUI)

Cultural Diversity and the City

4.5 (34 reviews)

3 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa & Te Pū Tiaki Mana Taonga (TPTMT)
New

Enriching curriculum through culture and heritage in Aotearoa, New Zealand

4 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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UCL (University College London) & LAU-CLS

Transforming Education in Challenging Environments

4.7 (21 reviews)

4 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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UCL (University College London) , GIZ & Transforming Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI)

Transforming Urban Mobility: Introduction to Transport Planning for Sustainable Cities

4.8 (108 reviews)

4 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Oslo & Scholars at Risk

Dangerous Questions: Why Academic Freedom Matters

4.1 (21 reviews)

3 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Auckland University of Technology (AUT)

Global Shocks: How to Manage Change in the Global Business Environment

2 weeks

3 hrs per week

Premium course

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Massey University & Joint Centre for Disaster Research (JDCR)
New

Introduction to Emergency Management

4 weeks

3 hrs per week

Premium course

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The University of the West Indies
New

Introduction to Medical Cannabis: Seed to Sale

4.0 (5 reviews)

2 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Adam Smith Center
New

Overpopulation: Resource Depletion and Human Innovation

4 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Canterbury

Smart Cities: Social Change Through Technology

6 weeks

2 hrs per week

Premium course

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Wintec & Te Pūkenga

Solving Sustainability Challenges with Te Ao Māori (Māori World View)

3 weeks

2 hrs per week

Premium course

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Otago Polytechnic & Te Pūkenga

Sustainability and Biculturalism: Their Interrelationships and Impacts

4 weeks

3 hrs per week

Premium course

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The University of Waikato

Sustainable Development Goals: People, Place, and Environment

4 weeks

3 hrs per week

Premium course

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EduMaxi

Te Reo Māori: Introduction to Pronunciation

4.8 (51 reviews)

3 weeks

2 hrs per week

Premium course

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The University of Kent
New

Understanding Politics

4 weeks

6 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Missing Children Europe

Understanding and Responding to Children who Run Away from Home and Institutions

4 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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European University Institute (EUI) & Global Governance Programme

Cultures and Identities in Europe

3.8 (56 reviews)

3 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Livity
New

Cultural Appropriation vs Cultural Appreciation

3 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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SOAS University of London
New

Drugs, Peace, and Development: Rethinking Policy

5 weeks

2 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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European University Institute (EUI) & Global Governance Programme

Cultural Heritage and the City

4.5 (34 reviews)

3 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of York

Logic: The Language of Truth

4.4 (44 reviews)

4 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Central Lancashire

Tackling Modern Slavery: An Introduction

4.4 (7 reviews)

6 weeks

2 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of York

Understanding and Solving Poverty and Inequality

4.7 (31 reviews)

3 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Bristol

Unleash Your Potential: Global Citizenship

4.7 (59 reviews)

4 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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UCL (University College London)

Measuring Economic Inequality in Today’s World

4.0 (7 reviews)

4 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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European University Institute (EUI) & GREASE Project Consortium

Religion, Radicalisation, Resilience

4.5 (34 reviews)

3 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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RMIT University & EIT Urban Mobility

City Liveability: The Intersections of Place, Mobility, and Health

2 weeks

2 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Climate Change Institute (ECCI) & Climate Solutions

Climate Solutions: UAE

5 weeks

2 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Adam Smith Center

Environmental Management: A Bottom-Up Approach to Policy Implementation

4 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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RMIT University & EIT Urban Mobility

Urban Mobility for Liveability

5 weeks

2 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Strathclyde & CELCIS

Caring for Children Moving Alone: Protecting Unaccompanied and Separated Children

4.9 (113 reviews)

6 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Deakin University

Understanding Gambling Harm in NSW

2 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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The University of Manchester

Power, Politics, and Influence at Work

4.5 (28 reviews)

5 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Groningen

Religion and Sexual Wellbeing: Pleasure, Piety, and Reproductive Rights

4 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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European University Institute (EUI)

Marchés du Carbone : Examen des Politiques de l’UE pour l’Action Climatique Transnationale

5 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Leiden University

Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Comparing Theory and Practice

5.0 (5 reviews)

6 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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European University Institute (EUI)

Migration and Cities

4.6 (31 reviews)

3 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Manchester Metropolitan University

Digital Politics: Digital Activism and Cyber Warfare

4.4 (7 reviews)

4 weeks

1 hr per week

Included in Unlimited

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Adam Smith Center

Environmental Entrepreneurs: Strategies for Green Business

4 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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European University Institute (EUI)

Interfaith Dialogue for Combating Extremism among Young People

4.0 (23 reviews)

3 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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The University of Glasgow

Gender-Based Violence: Responding to Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse

4.8 (15 reviews)

4 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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European University Institute (EUI)

Mercados de Carbono: Lecciones Europeas para la Acción Climática Transnacional

5 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Abertay University

Design Board Games for Socio-Political Change

3 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Leeds

Environmental Challenges: Scarcity and Conflict in the Natural Environment

4.7 (11 reviews)

2 weeks

5 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Hull

Introduction to Criminology

4.1 (31 reviews)

3 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Universiti Malaya

Maqasid Al-Shariah and Sustainable Development

3 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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UAL Creative Computing Institute & Coding Black Females

Anti-Racist Approaches in Technology

3 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Basel & University of Bern, Interdisciplinary Centre for Gender Studies (ICFG)

Gender and Labour in the Global South

3 weeks

2 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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UAL Creative Computing Institute & Feminist Internet

Gender-Inclusive Approaches in Technology

3 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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UAL Creative Computing Institute & UKBlackTech

Supporting Diverse Innovation

3 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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UCL (University College London)

An Anthropology of Smartphones: Communication, Ageing and Health

4.3 (19 reviews)

3 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Deakin University

Gender and Development

4.6 (34 reviews)

2 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Deakin University

Introduction to Humanitarian Aid

4.8 (28 reviews)

2 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Groningen & Global Center on Adaptation

Making Climate Adaptation Happen: Governing Transformation Strategies for Climate Change

4.5 (32 reviews)

4 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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European University Institute (EUI)

Carbon Markets: Examining EU Policies for Transnational Climate Action

5 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Basel

Examining African Contributions to Global Health

5 weeks

2 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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EIT Urban Mobility, KTH Royal Institute of Technology & KTH Executive School

Transforming Urban Mobility: Governing the Transformation to Sustainable Systems

4.0 (5 reviews)

5 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Royal Holloway, University of London , The Supreme Court of The United Kingdom & Judicial Committee of The Privy Council

Inside the UK Supreme Court: Its Role, Its Work, and Cases that Affect Us All

4.8 (46 reviews)

2 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Adam Smith Center

Climate Change and Public Policy

3.7 (15 reviews)

4 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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The University of Glasgow

Safeguarding in Collaborative Research and International Development: Contexts, Challenges, and Opportunities

3 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Lancaster University & Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre

Radical Spirituality: the Early History of the Quakers

4.6 (325 reviews)

3 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Surrey

Jurisprudence: Introduction to the Philosophy of Law

4.6 (28 reviews)

5 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Hanyang University

Korea in a Global Context

3.9 (14 reviews)

6 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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EIT Urban Mobility & Aalto University Executive Education

Communicative Planning for Urban Mobility

4 weeks

2 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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RMIT University & EIT Community

Bringing Urban Nature Into the Cities of Tomorrow

4.8 (8 reviews)

2 weeks

2 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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RMIT University & EIT Community

Creating Ethical and Sustainable Cities at the Local Level

2 weeks

2 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Birmingham

Transforming Citizen Participation

4 weeks

2 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Climate Change Institute (ECCI) & Climate Solutions

Climate Solutions: India

4.6 (18 reviews)

5 weeks

2 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Groningen & Global Center on Adaptation

Sustainable Cities: Governing Urban Adaptation Under Climate Change

4.7 (11 reviews)

3 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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University of Basel

Entrepreneurship in Nonprofits

4.7 (16 reviews)

5 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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International Council of Museums

Creating Meaningful and Inclusive Museum Practices

4.7 (64 reviews)

4 weeks

5 hrs per week

Free digital upgrade

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University of Groningen, University of Warsaw, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society & ACTiSS

People, Networks and Neighbours: Understanding Social Dynamics

4.3 (8 reviews)

3 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Amnesty International UK

Championing Change: Human Rights and the Climate Crisis

4.3 (9 reviews)

3 weeks

1 hr per week

Included in Unlimited

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Manchester Metropolitan University, Lisbon School of Education & Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Promoting Democracy in the Classroom: A Practical Guide for Teachers

4.8 (5 reviews)

3 weeks

4 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Samsung

Designing for a Diverse and Inclusive Future

4.5 (38 reviews)

2 weeks

2 hrs per week

Free digital upgrade

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EIT Climate-KIC & Project InsideOut (PIO)

Real Climate Action: How to Engage People in Climate Change

5 weeks

3 hrs per week

Included in Unlimited

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Samsung

Designing for a Future Where No One Feels Socially Isolated

4.7 (27 reviews)

2 weeks

2 hrs per week

Free digital upgrade

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The University of Kent

How Well Does International Human Rights Law Serve Marginalised People?