Let’s be real — once the New Year approaches, we’re all about looking into personal development. Of course, this extends to online courses to sharpen a rusty skill or gain a new one.
From Coursera to edX to MasterClass and Skillshare (the latter two we reviewed), there are an endless array of options for you to learn from.
Aside from listing the 38 best online courses and certificate programs in a variety of different categories, we called upon skilled experts in their crafts to touch upon specific skills — and even recommend classes — in a variety of industries. More, you’ll find some classes we have taken and could probably write an entire thesis about, too.
Whether you’re interested in the beauty industry at large or want to learn how to say “hello” in more than one language, the world is pretty much your oyster when it comes to the repertoire of online classes at your disposal.
Be sure to note that if one of the classes listed has a monthly price, you may be able to access other classes on that same platform during the time of your membership. Who doesn’t love more opportunities to learn?
Are online classes a good idea?
From our firsthand experience, the answer is yes. Regardless of age, interest or skill level, there’s surely a fit for you on any of the online platforms we rounded up below.
Not to mention, most online classes are now entertaining. With immersive, studio-quality virtual lessons and engaging talking points, you may resort to one of the below options quicker than your new Prime Video show.
Click to jump to specific classes:
Best Online Cooking and Nutrition Classes
“Learning about nutrition and fitness is like giving yourself the keys to better health,” Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, a plant-based media dietitian, told the New York Post. “Doing so empowers you to adopt healthier habits, taking more control of your overall wellbeing. Plus, learning new skills in any area can help improve your mental and cognitive health.”
What to look for: “Look for an online class that breaks nutrition foundations down into simple terms, covering topics like macronutrients, food labels, home cooking basics and meal planning,” Gorin advises. “You should walk away knowing how to make healthier food choices without feeling overwhelmed.”
Nutrition Education for the Consumer Specialization
“This five-course specialization is ideal for people who want to learn more about the fundamentals of daily nutrition,” Gorin says, recommending the online class. “It covers plant-based diets, supplements, understanding food labels and portion sizes, navigating diets and trending nutrition topics.”
With so much misinformation in the nutrition space, Gorin believes it’s great that people with no previous nutrition education can learn how to implement evidence-based nutrition concepts into their lifestyles.
Cook Real Food: How to Make Simple Plant-Based Meals
“Plenty of research tells us that eating more home-cooked meals is better for overall health, versus relying on a diet of restaurant meals and takeout,” Gorin says. “But if you aren’t comfortable in the kitchen, that’s easier said than done.”
As a plant-based dietitian, she loves that this course teaches you cooking methods to adopt and to avoid, what tools and appliances you need and what foods to stock up on — so you can make quick and easy vegan meals.
Dominique Crenn Teaches Modern Vegetarian Cooking
“MasterClass is a great place to find all kinds of cooking classes, from ones on introductory home cooking to sustainable eating to taking your cooking to the next level,” Gorin says. We’re big fans of the platform as well, and love its top-level cooking courses — ones that truly make you feel like a *master* while flanking over your granite or quartz counter.
“For plant-based eaters already comfortable in the kitchen, this course from celebrated chef Dominique Crenn will teach you how to elevate your techniques with foods like tomatoes, melons, cabbage and cheese,” she highlights.
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Gordon Ramsay Teaches Cooking I
Learn how to cook with none other than the chef king: Gordon Ramsey. In his MasterClass course, the seven-star Michelin chef takes you into his home kitchen to learn everything from kitchen setup and buying the freshest ingredients to constructing unforgettable dishes. In addition to learning new recipes, you’ll learn all about taking your cooking to the next level.
What we *really* enjoyed from this class was all the incredible firsthand knowledge, from learning what Ramsay describes as his kitchen essentials (even taking us inside his kitchen cabinets) to how to make the perfect, fluffy scrambled eggs.
Stanford Introduction to Food and Health
Since so many of us use the new year to get healthy and get back into shape, this nutritional course taught by a professor at Stanford could be a great way to get the job done. In this course, learners will be given the information and practical skills they need to begin optimizing the way they eat.
UC Davis Wine Tasting: Sensory Techniques for Wine Analysis
If you love wine and want to learn all about how it’s created, consider this UC Davis Wine Tasting: Sensory Techniques for Wine Analysis course. You’ll learn about the history of wine, explore every type of wine and so much more.
Best Online Fitness Classes
“Learning something new in yoga can offer a large variety of mental, emotional and physical benefits,” Rosie Acosta, a yoga instructor with more than a decade of experience, told The Post. “Learning different ways of moving your body will help improve your flexibility overtime, increased flexibility can reduce the risk of injury and enhance your overall health. Yoga reduces stress with practices like deep breathing, and mental clarity that helps sharpen your focus.”
What to look for: “It’s crucial to emphasize that finding the right meditation practice (yoga or anything else) can take some time,” Acosta adds. “It’s about discovering what resonates best with you and fits into your unique lifestyle. With 1,440 minutes in a day, we all can spare three to five minutes for [wellness].”
Alo Moves
“Alo Moves offers more than just your average on-demand fitness classes,” Gorin notes, using her nutrition background to touch on holistic wellness. “With meditation, sound, breathwork, reiki, sleep, self-care, personal growth and nutrition classes, you have everything you need in one app to take a holistic approach to your overall health and wellness.”
Additionally, Alo Moves “brings a fun element to the table,” per Rosie Acosta, a yoga instructor with more than a decade of experience, told The Post .”I particularly enjoy their fitness classes, which you can filter by duration or difficulty level. It’s like embarking on a ‘choose your own adventure’ fitness journey, making the learning process enjoyable and customizable.”
Read our full review of Alo Moves for more.
obé Fitness
“Obé Fitness is designed for women and uses features like cycle tracking and a short quiz to help you personalize a progressive, long-term workout plan,” Gorin highlights. “Because your workouts auto-populate every two weeks based on your quiz results, it takes away the guesswork and overwhelm that you might feel when you have access to a library of thousands of on-demand workouts to choose from.”
Read our full review of obé Fitness for more.
Pvolve
“Pvolve is a rapidly growing fitness brand that recently partnered with Jennifer Aniston,” Gorin explains. “Using low-impact movement and specialized resistance-based equipment is at the core of Pvolve’s method. One deterrence might be the need to buy their specialty equipment.”
However, there happen to be a few hundred classes that require no equipment and other classes that you can use similar equipment than what the instructor is using, ones you may already have at home.
Read our full review of Pvolve for more.
Best Online Computer, Coding and IT Classes
“Every day, more and more cyber criminals try to trick us into sharing our personal information, providing access to our social media accounts, and ultimately taking our hard-earned savings from the bank,” David Bader, PhD, distinguished professor and founder of the Department of Data Science in the Ying Wu College of Computing and director of the Institute for Data Science at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), told. The Post.
“With the recent explosion of chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, the attacks have escalated to a point where it’s virtually impossible to differentiate between a malicious bot or a trusted colleague.”
What to look for: There’s a huge breadth of topics a student can master, from machine learning at artificial intelligence, to data science and data engineering, information security and technology, and cybersecurity.
“Many online education platforms offer beginner, easy-to-follow classes that will appeal the masses since many require no prerequisites and their offerings are typically available online 24/7, when one’s schedule permits learning activities,” Bader shares. “Students should gain knowledge with some of the leading cloud platforms including Amazon’s AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, which are all quite capable for solving computing needs from novices to the most sophisticated and complex businesses alike.”
Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate
“A search for “Cybersecurity” on Coursera yields 241 courses to choose from, including some leading companies such as Google, Microsoft and IBM,” Dr. Bader lists.
Specifically, the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate allows you to receive professional-level training from Google and a glossy employer-recognized certificate from Google. More granularly, this course helps better prepare you for careers as a cybersecurity analyst, security analyst and security operations center (SOC) analyst.
University of Michigan Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)
- Cost: Free, or $59 for a shareable certification upon completion
“A great first course in programming with no prerequisites is offered by University of Michigan: ‘Programming for Everybody’ and teaches the Python programming language, quickly becoming the lingua de franca of data science,” Bader notes.
More, this class is self-paced and typically takes two to four hours per week over the course of seven weeks to complete it. “All of the homework is performed in a web browser, so learners can do all of the programming assignments from their smart phones or public computers.” he adds.
Introduction to Machine Learning on AWS
“FutureLearn offers 299 short courses in IT and computer science,” Bader explains. “Typically, a learner would enroll in an annual unlimited subscription to pay for the access to the courseware.”
FutureLearn also provides premium content – such as Amazon Web Services (AWS)’s Introduction to Machine Learning on AWS for $89. “The course requires four hours a week over two weeks and provides students the knowledge and tools to navigate AWS and begin using machine learning services,” Bader adds.
University of Maryland Cybersecurity for Everyone
“For a beginner, I’d recommend a free course on cyberattacks and computer and network security called ‘Cybersecurity for Everyone’ taught by a University of Maryland College Park expert who has served on the front lines with the NSA,” Bader says. “This course allows a flexible schedule and takes about seven hours a week for three weeks.”
With this course, you’ll explore topics like global communications architecture, threat actors and motivations and the hacking process, among other learnings.
Intro to UX: Designing with a User-Centered Approach
“Skillshare offers thousands of video classes on a variety of topics to the online learner,” Bader shares. “Most classes run from one to three hours, and a highly recommended class on user-interface design is offered by Cinthya Mohr ‘Intro to UX: Designing with a User-Centered Approach’ running just 44 minutes.”
Many other UI/UX design courses are available teaching online learners how to use popular Adobe and Figma software as well. “However, Skillshare does not offer coding and cybersecurity videos; so if this is your focus, you may want to consider other platforms,” he adds.
Best Online Classes for Learning a Language
“Learning a world language expands one’s horizons and helps one to overcome the fear of the unfamiliar and the unknown,” Simona Wright, PhD, Italian Program director at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) with a background in Italian literature, cinema and postcolonial studies, told The Post. “In intellectual terms, the benefits include a total transformation of our way of thinking, of reading and interpreting the world. It also opens our minds to new cultures and lifestyles, making us more cosmopolitan, less fearful of new challenges and experiences at home.”
What to look for: Ahead, Wright lists out three considerations to keep in mind when learning a new language:
- Be patient with oneself and to allow oneself to make mistakes: This is the most important factor to consider when one starts a world language, no matter the linguistic expertise, per Wright. “We need to think of how children learn their first language, by constantly repeating, by making mistakes and by not being afraid to try,” she says. “This is the fastest way to self-improvement.”
- It’s important to focus on one’s specific ability: What is my strength? Speaking, writing, listening, culture? And, per Wright, focus on that. “Once we get satisfaction from a well completed task, we are more prone to continue,” she says. “There is nothing like self-encouragement!”
- Seek all opportunities to speak the new language: Is your mechanic, your dentist or your baker a native speaker? Then go for it. Address them in their own native language! “This has more benefits that one can imagine, not least that you will have found a new friend,” she says. “The same opportunity is given to us by social media. To make friends from around the world.”
Rosetta Stone Language Courses
- Cost: $29 a month or $129 a year
When interviewing Wright, she said “Rosetta Stone all the way!” — and that summarizes her adoration for the user-friendly learning platform which has, for decades, concentrated exclusively on the learning of world languages.
“Throughout the years, the platform has updated its approach and made it more communicative and more in tune with the contemporary learner’s profile, be it a school, a student, a professional or a simple amateur of languages,” Wright adds. “The language selection is among the most comprehensive, ranging from French, to Tagalog, to Farsi.”
The user-friendly activities include listening and comprehension activities as well as full immersion in cultural experiences. “Positive reviews highlight the effectiveness of the communicative method, the usefulness of self-correction and the easiness of learning grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure,” she notes.
UC Davis Learn Spanish: Basic Spanish Vocabulary Specialization
“Coursera is a large platform that offers, besides language learning, professional degrees and certificates,” Wright explains. “Eighteen language courses are available, among them are English, German, Swedish, Russian, Modern Greek, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, Turkish, Chinese, and Japanese.”
Specifically, this platform offers regular courses, taught in English, and claims that learners will build a working vocabulary of 1,500 words and phrases. “The benefit of this platform is that it offers regularly structured courses that are ideal for the necessities of those who will need to learn a world language for professional reasons,” Wright says.
More, UC Davis’ learning course on Coursera helps beginner Spanish students to build a working vocabulary of 1,500 of the most used words and phrases.
Wellesley Italian Language and Culture: Beginner to Advanced
- Cost: Free, or
$177$159.30 for a shareable certificate upon completion
“Similarly, edX is a platform affiliated with several universities, including Harvard, Oxford and Boston University,” Wright overviews. “World language courses are offered, as in the case of Italian, by Wellesley College.”
Twelve week courses are self-paced and require two to five hours per week of work. “A quick review of the specific language will provide an overview of the program with distinct objectives and benchmarks, as well as a detailed syllabus,” she adds.
University of Leicester: Introduction to Applied Linguistics and TESOL
“World language courses at FutureLearn include Chinese, Korean, French, English, Portuguese, Irish, Norwegian, Spanish and Linguistics,” Wright says, highlighting the platform. “Searching through the 32 courses offered in Mandarin, one can find the basic language sequence as well as courses focusing on Chinese culture, Chinese Media, Taiwanese cuisine, but also specific language courses focusing on health, essay writing and contemporary culture.”
In particular, the University of Leicester: Introduction to Applied Linguistics and TESOL stood out to us as an excellent choice for more developmental and advanced language learners. You’ll explore how language plays a role in several practices, from teaching to law.
Best Online Art and Fashion Classes
“The fashion industry is constantly evolving, new trends are always emerging and inspiration is all around,” Josephine Del Mauro, design director with more than 18 years of experience designing women’s apparel, told The Post. “The impacts of social media are shifting trends faster than ever! It can seem hard to keep up!”
As for seasoned design director Del Mauro, technology has become so important in all aspects of her career, but specifically how she designs. “Even for someone who’s not necessarily a beginner, learning the programs for digital design helps us create faster and more efficiently,” she adds.
What to look for: “I would recommend starting with the basics of fashion illustration and sketching to learn how to get your ideas organized,” she says. “Learning basic garment construction including draping and pattern making is a key foundation skill.”
Marc Jacobs Teaches Fashion Design
“MasterClass has great courses for beginners or someone that is thinking about going into the industry,” Del Mauro notes. “I would recommend the Marc Jacobs classes — he covers all the basics of the creative process from initial inspiration through creating a runway collection.”
In his MasterClass course, the 11-time CFDA Award winner will teach you his hands-on process for creating clothes that push boundaries and set trends. Learn about his construction techniques, how he creates unique shapes and silhouettes and how you can develop your own ideas from the first sketch to the final piece.
Bloomsbury A Beginner’s Guide to Fashion Design
“FutureLearn has ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Fashion Design’ [course] that covers all the fundamentals including fabrics and finishes, which is important to know when you are designing,” Del Mauro says.
Aside from exploring the outline (ha!) of fashion design at large, you’ll better understand how textiles and colors play into the final article of clothing or apparel accessory.
Learn to Draw Fashion with Adobe Illustrator CC — Beginners
“Learn to Draw fashion with Adobe Illustrator CC- Beginners on Udemy is a good start for someone who has never sketched on Illustrator,” Del Mauro offers. “The class is specifically tailored for fashion designers.”
Not to mention, Del Mauro notes how Adobe Illustrator is widely used for technical illustrations. Here, you’ll have a sturdy foundation for drawing fashion flats.
Diane von Furstenberg Teaches Building a Fashion Brand
If you dream of creating your very own fashion brand, then we highly recommend taking Diane von Furstenberg’s MasterClass course. She built one of the world’s most iconic and enduring fashion brands and will teach you just about everything she knows about creating a successful brand. You’ll learn how to create a visual identity, build loyalty, stay true to your vision and how to launch your product.
The Museum of Modern Art Virtual Classes
The MOMA offers seven different courses with Coursera including Modern Art & Ideas, Fashion as Design, Abstract Painting, Photography and more.
Michigan State University Photography Basics and Beyond: From Smartphone to DSLR
If you have a passion for taking photos but don’t know where to start, consider taking this photography basics course at Michigan State University. Whether you’re working with a smartphone camera, a DSLR or a compact camera, you’ll learn all about how to gain control of exposure and understand the fundamentals of composition, while exploring creative concepts that make worthwhile photos you’ll be proud of for years to come.
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Bobbi Brown Teaches Makeup and Beauty
Calling all beauty lovers! If you can’t stop spending your money at Sephora and Ulta, then it may be time to take a course about makeup and beauty with none other than Bobbi Brown.
In her MasterClass course, Bobbi reveals how you can be confident in your own skin and shares her expertise in step-by-step tutorials while using models with a range of skin tones. You’ll learn how to choose the right foundation, do a smoky eye and a statement lip and take your look from day to night.
Oh, and when we learned all about foundation (for 30 minutes) and discovered what was in Bobbi’s evening makeup bag (hint, hint, a lot of multi-purpose products), we were engaged the entire time.
Best Online Writing Classes
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Get Ready to Write: Develop a Logline and Roadmap for Your Novel
The “Get Ready to Write: Develop a Logline and Roadmap for Your Novel” course offered at Skillshare was one of our favorites to satisfy our personal writing vocation. As you can imagine, there are *several* ways to approach outlining a novel — regardless of genre — so it was interesting to learn from acclaimed best-selling novelist Kathleen Barber.
When following along, we learned how to narrow down our focus when it comes to the protagonist, storyline and overarching message. We also learned how important it is to shape up copy — especially since literary agents want to be hooked immediately once you pitch to them. Overall, this course is a wonderful beginner step to take in the novel-publishing process.
The Chartered Institute of Marketing Digital Copywriting Fundamentals
Sharpen your copywriting skills for the web with this all-in-one FutureLearn Digital Copwriting Fundamentals course. Just shy of $75, it’s taught by The Chartered Institute of Marketing to help you write great copy for any digital channel, learn how to write for search engine optimization (SEO) and understand social media and e-mail strategy.
Touch Typing Mastery — Learn to Type Correctly
These days, you can do just about everything on a computer. That being said, it’s important to have good typing skills. Whether you’re a beginner or can type without looking at the keyboard and want to brush up on your skills, this Udemy course can benefit all types.
Shonda Rhimes Teaches Writing for Television
It’s safe to say the “Grey’s Anatomy” creator knows a thing or two about creating great television. In her screenwriting class, Shonda teaches you how to create compelling characters, write a pilot, pitch your idea and stand out in the writers’ room. You’ll also get original pilot scripts, pitch notes and series bibles from her shows.
Wesleyan University Creative Writing Specialization
The Wesleyan University Creative Writing Course on Coursera covers elements of three major creative writing genres: short story, narrative essay and memoir. You’ll learn all about how to create a compelling story including composing a gripping plot, making memorable characters and writing in a descriptive style.
Best Online Music and Dance Classes
Christina Aguilera Teaches Singing
Learn how to sing with none other than Christina Aguilera in a MasterClass course for just $15 a month. You’ll learn warm-up exercises, breath control, vibrato, her signature growls and hear Christina break down her biggest hits.
Misty Copeland Teaches Ballet Technique and Artistry
Learn from the ground-breaking Misty Copeland, who is the first African American female principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. Through MasterClass, she will teach you all about developing a deeper appreciation for ballet and the language of dance. From pliés to partners, Misty demonstrates her techniques and teaches you to own your movement, own who you are and do the dance only you can do.
Usher Teaches The Art of Performance
Eight-time Grammy winner Usher is another entertainer you can learn from. In his MasterClass course, he reveals the technical skills, career lessons and breakthrough advice that he has used to captivate audiences for over 25 years.
Berklee Guitar For Beginners
Berklee College of Music’s beginner guitar course on Coursera will help you grasp the essentials needed to begin playing acoustic or electric guitar. You’ll learn an easy approach to get you playing quickly, through a combination of exploring the instrument, performance technique and basic music theory.
Best Online Psychology Classes
Yale University The Science of Well-Being
This article for the best online classes would be incomplete without a mention of one of the most popular options that nearly broke the Internet. Otherwise known as Yale’s “happiness” class, the educational bundle consists of challenges that are “designed to increase your own happiness and build more productive habits,” according to the class description.
While we haven’t completed the course from beginning to end, we’ve listened in on snippet lectures and — in all honestly — *really* want to return to class.
Matthew Walker Teaches the Science of Better Sleep
Having trouble sleeping? Not to worry, because neuroscience professor Matthew Walker teaches you how to count sleep properly — which includes optimizing the modern-day science to better your overall health.
Specifically, Walker dives into basic questions like what sleep actually is and how it works, while migrating into deeper topics like how alcohol and caffeine impact our sleep cycles and how to use overnight therapy to our advantage.
Best Online Real Estate Classes
Robert Reffkin Teaches Buying and Selling Real Estate
Real estate mogul Robert Reffkin, who’s the founder and CEO of Compass, is one step closer to helping you find (or sell) your dream home.
Aside from “location, location location” (which he mentions, naturally), you’ll understand how to properly decode a real estate listing and everything that comes with making an offer, closing on a home and understanding the value of your home if you’re considering putting your home on the market.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Socially Responsibile Real Estate Development
- Cost: Free, or $99 with a shareable certificate upon completion
Interesting and on-par with today’s sustainability focus, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Socially Responsibile Real Estate Development course explores the role of impact assessment and public consultation when in the industry itself.
Closely, you’ll focus on the SIA process and its role in socially-responsible real estate development. The institution also integrates a “Forest City Case Study” and “Dealing with an Angry Public” lessons to piggy-back off real-world experience.
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