These Canadian universities are offering free online courses — no enrollment required
Looking to upgrade your skills without spending a dime? Major Canadian universities are offering free online courses that anyone can take, with no enrollment or previous education required. Schools like the University of Toronto, UBC, and the University of Alberta have opened access to dozens of classes covering everything from psychology and coding to dinosaur paleobiology.
Courses are available through platforms like edX and Coursera, and you can complete them entirely at your own pace. You only have to pay if you want graded assignments or an official certificate at the end.
Montreal's own McGill University also has a presence on edX, but its courses are currently archived, meaning you can browse past material even though the classes aren't actively running.
So whether you're looking to find something to brag about on LinkedIn, discover a new hobby, or test-drive a field before committing to more studies, here are some of the most popular free options available right now.
Indigenous Canada – University of Alberta
A deep look at Indigenous histories and contemporary realities across the country. The course highlights national and local Indigenous-settler relations and covers topics like the fur trade, land claims, environmental impacts, political conflicts, Indigenous activism, and contemporary Indigenous art and life.
The City and You: Find Your Best Place – University of Toronto
This class explores why cities matter, how urbanization shapes our daily lives, and what makes one community a better fit than another. You'll end the course by applying what you’ve learned to assess your own city and figure out where you'd thrive.
Introduction to Swift Programming – University of Toronto
The first installment of a four-part specialization for building iOS apps. You’ll learn the basics of Swift, object-oriented programming, functional concepts, memory management, and syntax. You'll need a Mac to participate — and ideally an iPhone or iPad.
Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology – University of Alberta
Yes, you can take an actual university course about dinosaurs. This class covers non-avian dinosaur anatomy, eating habits, movement, growth, adaptations, origins, and extinction. Lessons are filmed in museums, fossil labs, and real dig sites.
Excel for Everyone: Core Foundations – University of British Columbia
Perfect for anyone who wants to get better at spreadsheets, this course teaches essential Excel skills like data wrangling, spreadsheet organization, and the foundations of business data analysis.
Astro 101: Black Holes – University of Alberta
Explore black holes and the basics of astronomy, relativity, and quantum physics. You'll learn how they're portrayed in pop culture compared to real physics, how stars evolve, and which ones might become black holes.
Introduction to Psychology – University of Toronto
This class features a broad overview of human behaviour, mental health, and cognition. You'll learn about memory, development, perception, consciousness, psychological studies, and how other people's behaviour shapes our own.
How to Code: Simple Data – University of British Columbia
Rather than teaching a specific programming language, this course helps you learn how to think like a programmer. You'll develop systematic methods to create better, more reliable programs and collect skills that transfer to any coding language.
If you've been thinking about picking up a new skill or starting something fresh before the new year, this might be the easiest (and cheapest) way to do it. No student loans, no lecture halls — just your laptop, some curiosity, and a whole lot of free knowledge.
This article is adapted from "Canadian universities have these free courses you can take online even if you're not a student" which was published on Narcity.
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