10 Universities Offering AP High School Courses Online

10 Universities Offering AP High School Courses Online

Did you know that some of the most prestigious universities now offer free science courses online? Some include audio and videos of lectures, course reading, etc. If you’ve got an advanced child who’s sped through the typical high school textbook, then these courses are for you.

The best part? You can go at your own pace, and they are all free.

1. MIT OpenCourseWare (mit.edu)

• Biology Courses - http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/biology/
• Chemistry Courses - http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/chemistry/
• Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Science Courses - http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/earth-atmospheric-and-planetary-sciences/

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has hundreds of undergraduate and graduate science courses available online for free. Both the biology program and the chemistry program at MIT are ranked among the top three biological science ( http://education-portal.com/articles/Biologist_Recommended_Education_for_a_Career_in_Biology.html ) graduate programs in the nation. Each free course is led by a competent instructor and includes lectures, assignments and exams.

2. Carnegie Mellon University (cmu.edu)

• Biology Course - http://oli.web.cmu.edu/openlearning/
• Chemistry Course - http://oli.web.cmu.edu/openlearning/
• Physics Course - http://oli.web.cmu.edu/openlearning/

Carnegie Mellon’s Open Learning Initiative provides a wide variety of openly available and completely free online science courses and course material. Videos, text, tutors, virtual lab activities and interactive exercises allow you to take entire courses in an online format.
3. University of California, Berkeley (berkeley.edu)

• General Biology Course - http://webcast.berkeley.edu/course_details.php?seriesid=1906978273
• General Astronomy Course - http://webcast.berkeley.edu/
• Introduction to Physics Course - http://webcast.berkeley.edu/info#news,2949

UC Berkeley first launched an audio podcast program in 2006. The school now provides nearly 100 full courses that are completely free. Science offerings include courses in biology, microbiology, ( http://education-portal.com/articles/Microbiologist_Educational_Requirements_for_a_Career_in_Microbiology.html ) chemistry, physics, animal behavior and astronomy. Lectures are recorded in mp3 and real media video.

4. Tufts OpenCourseWare (tufts.edu)

• Agricultural Science and Policy Course - http://ocw.tufts.edu/Course/32
• Introduction to Modern Physics Course - http://ocw.tufts.edu/Course/36
• Physics for Humanists Course - http://ocw.tufts.edu/Course/30

Tufts University also makes their world-renowned courses available through an OpenCourseWare program. Science offerings include everything from physics to microbiology. Courses can be viewed in slides or PDF format.

5. University of Southern Queensland (usq.edu.au)

• General Science Course - http://ocw.usq.edu.au/course/view.php?id=10

The University of Southern Queensland in Australia offers a free general science course as part of the USQ Tertiary Preparation Program (TPP). The course includes study modules, reading lists, assignments and online tests and examinations.

6. Utah State University (usu.edu)

• Quantum Mechanics Course - http://ocw.usu.edu/physics/classical-mechanics/
• Cultural Anthropology Course - http://ocw.usu.edu/Anthropology/Cultural_Anthropology/

The Utah State University Physics and Anthropology Departments publish free science courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. The instructor led courses include downloadable lecture notes, homework and more.

7. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (jhsph.edu)

• Population Science Courses - http://ocw.jhsph.edu/Topics.cfm?topic_id=30
• Environmental Health and Science Courses - http://ocw.jhsph.edu/Topics.cfm?topic_id=19

The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s OpenCourseWare project offers access to the school’s most popular graduate level health science ( http://education-portal.com/articles/Bachelor_of_Science_BS_Health_Sciences_Degree_Overview.html ) courses. All courses are free of charge and include lecture materials, reading lists and more.

8. University of Tokyo (u-tokyo.ac.jp)

• Molecular Computing Course - http://ocw.u-tokyo.ac.jp/english/course-list/science/molecular-computing-2005/index.html
• Science of Matter Course - http://ocw.u-tokyo.ac.jp/english/course-list/ut-lecture-series/science-of-matter-2005/index.html

The University of Tokyo offers a number of free science courses online through their OpenCourseWare program. Courses are led by an instructor and include lecture notes, assignments and various materials in a PDF format.

9. Open University (open.ac.uk)

• Gene Manipulation in Plants Course - http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2808
• Superconductivity Course - http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2397
• Maths for Science Course - http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2334

Britain’s Open University offers an extensive collection of free science and science technology ( http://education-portal.com/science_technician.html ) courses, with an emphasis on science and nature. Most courses are at the introductory or intermediate level. Course materials include both text and multimedia elements.

10. Delft University of Technology (tudelft.nl)

• Applied Physics Courses - http://ocw.tudelft.nl/courses/

The Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands first began providing free courses online in 2007. The school has since expanded their offerings to include courses in applied physics, biomedical engineering and civil engineering. Course materials lectures, reports and exams.

Sources: Education Portal (link below) & Aurora Lipper ( http://www.sciencelearningspace.com/ )
http://education-portal.com/articles/10_Universities_Offering_Free_Science_Courses_Online.html