Free Online Business Courses

51 courses
34 free
17 free to audit
7 with a free certificate

Sources: MIT, Alison, Harvard, HubSpot Academy and more · Verified 16 Sep 2026

A free business course typically introduces how organisations work: strategy, finance and accounting fundamentals, marketing, operations, and the basics of managing people. Some are survey courses that touch each area in turn; others go deep on a single topic such as entrepreneurship, negotiation, business analytics or supply chains. Universities dominate this subject. Their courses on edX are usually free to audit, which opens the lectures and readings while keeping graded assignments and the certificate behind a fee, and audit access may lapse after the stated course length. A smaller number of university courses are free in full with no certificate at all.

Company academies and non-profit platforms offer self-paced business courses free in full, and a few include a free certificate. When you read a syllabus, look for case studies or worked examples rather than lecture alone, for a clear statement of the audience (aspiring founders, new managers, students), and for any prerequisite in accounting or statistics. Business suits people preparing for a first management role, owners of small firms who want a grounding in finance and marketing, and students deciding whether to pursue a business degree. Marketing, management and accounting each have their own page on this site, and the certifications hub lists business-related credentials that are free to earn.

Our three picks

Editorial, not sponsored

Best for finance Financial Markets (2011) Yale FreeNo certificate A full Yale semester on finance with lectures, transcripts, problem sets and exams, all free. Best for economics Principles of Microeconomics MIT FreeNo certificate A complete undergraduate microeconomics course with videos, quizzes, problem sets and exams. Global Systemic Risk Princeton · 2 weeks FreeNo certificate A short, free Princeton course on globalization, networks and systemic risk.

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Free Online Business Courses
#	Course	Provider	Cost	Certificate	Level	Duration
1	Financial Markets (2011) Financial Markets is the Spring 2011 recording of Robert Shiller's undergraduate course ECON 252, published on Open Y… Yale	Yale	Free	NoneNo certificate	—	—
2	Principles of Microeconomics 14.01SC is the OpenCourseWare Scholar edition of MIT's introductory microeconomics course, based on Jonathan Gruber's… MIT	MIT	Free	NoneNo certificate	—	—
3	Global Systemic Risk Global Systemic Risk is Miguel Centeno's Princeton course on how globalization works as a whole and what the risks ar… Princeton · Beginner · 2 weeks	Princeton	Free	NoneNo certificate	Beginner	2 weeks
4	Blockchain and Money 15.S12 Blockchain and Money is a graduate course from the MIT Sloan School of Management, taught by Gary Gensler in f… MIT	MIT	Free	NoneNo certificate	—	—
5	Finance Theory I 15.401 Finance Theory I is a graduate course from the MIT Sloan School of Management, taught by Andrew Lo in fall 200… MIT	MIT	Free	NoneNo certificate	—	—
6	Optimization Methods in Business Analytics 15.053x Optimization Methods in Business Analytics is a six-week MITx course from MIT Sloan, available free in the Op… MIT · 6 weeks	MIT	Free	NoneNo certificate	—	6 weeks
7	Adaptive Markets: Financial Market Dynamics and Human Behavior 15.481x Adaptive Markets is an MIT Sloan course by finance professor Andrew Lo, available free in the Open Learning L… MIT · 13 weeks	MIT	Free	NoneNo certificate	—	13 weeks
8	Healthcare Finance 15.482x Healthcare Finance is an MIT Sloan course by Andrew Lo, with Shomesh Chaudhuri and Zied Ben Chaouch, offered… MIT · 13 weeks	MIT	Free	NoneNo certificate	—	13 weeks
9	Fundamentals of Economics Fundamentals of Economics is a four-week BerkeleyX course taught by Eric Van Dusen, a lecturer in data science and ec… UC Berkeley · Beginner · 4 weeks	UC Berkeley	Free to audit	PaidPaid certificate	Beginner	4 weeks
10	From Poverty to Prosperity: Understanding Economic Development From Poverty to Prosperity: Understanding Economic Development is a six-week OxfordX course taught by Paul Collier, P… Oxford · Intermediate · 6 weeks	Oxford	Free to audit	PaidPaid certificate	Intermediate	6 weeks
11	Microeconomics 14.100x is MITx's microeconomics course, taught by Jonathan Gruber and offered through MITx Online as part of the Mic… MIT · 14 weeks	MIT	Free to audit	PaidPaid certificate	—	14 weeks
12	Strategic Finance for Nonprofit Leaders Strategic Finance for Nonprofit Leaders, taught by James Honan and adapted from his Harvard Kennedy School classroom… Harvard · Beginner · 6 weeks	Harvard	Free to audit	PaidPaid certificate	Beginner	6 weeks
13	AP® Microeconomics 14.01x AP Microeconomics is a self-paced MITx Online course that introduces basic microeconomic principles and covers… MIT · 12 weeks	MIT	Free to audit	PaidPaid certificate	—	12 weeks
14	Foundations of Modern Finance I 15.415.1x Foundations of Modern Finance I is the first half of a two-part MIT Sloan course on MITx Online, and part o… MIT · 12 weeks	MIT	Free to audit	PaidPaid certificate	—	12 weeks
15	Supply Chain Fundamentals CTL.SC1x Supply Chain Fundamentals is the first course in the MITx MicroMasters Program in Supply Chain Management, r… MIT · 13 weeks	MIT	Free to audit	PaidPaid certificate	—	13 weeks
16	Entrepreneurship 101: Who is Your Customer Entrepreneurship 101: Who is Your Customer is a short, self-paced MITx Online course built on the idea that what sepa… MIT · 4 weeks	MIT	Free to audit	PaidPaid certificate	—	4 weeks
17	Create a Budget in Google Sheets Create a Budget in Google Sheets is a lesson from Google's Applied Digital Skills programme, hosted on the Google for… Google · 7 hours	Google	Free	IncludedCertificate included	—	7 hours
18	Explore the fundamentals of Microsoft Power Platform This learning path is Microsoft's PL-900 preparation material for the Power Platform. Microsoft · Beginner · 5.7 hours	Microsoft	Free	NoneNo certificate	Beginner	5.7 hours
19	Personal finance Personal finance is a ten-unit course in Khan Academy's Life skills section, aimed at people making financial decisio… Khan Academy	Khan Academy	Free	NoneNo certificate	—	—
20	Finance and capital markets Finance and capital markets is Khan Academy's ten-unit course on how money, markets and financial instruments work. Khan Academy	Khan Academy	Free	NoneNo certificate	—	—
21	Draft, analyze, and present with Microsoft Copilot This learning path, which Microsoft codes MS-4018, shows office workers how to use Microsoft Copilot inside the Micro… Microsoft · Beginner · 4.3 hours	Microsoft	Free	NoneNo certificate	Beginner	4.3 hours
22	Inbound Sales Certification Course: Get Certified in Inbound Sales The Inbound Sales Certification Course applies HubSpot's inbound methodology to selling. HubSpot Academy · 3.1 hours	HubSpot Academy	Free	IncludedCertificate included	—	3.1 hours
23	Sales Enablement Training: Get Certified in Sales Enablement Sales Enablement Training is HubSpot Academy's certification on aligning marketing and sales. HubSpot Academy · 7.3 hours	HubSpot Academy	Free	IncludedCertificate included	—	7.3 hours
24	Frictionless Sales Course: Learn How to Remove Friction From Your Sales Organization The Frictionless Sales Course is a short HubSpot Academy certification for sales leaders, 1 hour 46 minutes across fi… HubSpot Academy · 1.8 hours	HubSpot Academy	Free	IncludedCertificate included	—	1.8 hours
25	Revenue Operations Certification The Revenue Operations Certification introduces RevOps: running marketing, sales and service operations as one revenu… HubSpot Academy · 6.9 hours	HubSpot Academy	Free	IncludedCertificate included	—	6.9 hours
26	Management of Fashion and Luxury Companies Management of Fashion and Luxury Companies is Università Bocconi's overview of how fashion and luxury businesses work… Coursera · 1 week	Coursera	Free	PaidPaid certificate	—	1 week
27	Private Equity and Venture Capital Private Equity and Venture Capital is a short Università Bocconi course on how private equity investors finance compa… Coursera · 9 hours	Coursera	Free	NoneNo certificate	—	9 hours
28	Inbound Certification Course: Attract, Engage, and Delight Your Customers The Inbound Certification Course is HubSpot Academy's shortest methodology certification, at 2 hours 45 minutes, and… HubSpot Academy · 2.8 hours	HubSpot Academy	Free	IncludedCertificate included	—	2.8 hours
29	Prompt Engineering for Everyone Prompt Engineering for Everyone, course code AI0117EN, teaches non-specialists how to write prompts that get useful a… IBM · Beginner · 5 hours	IBM	Free	IncludedCertificate included	Beginner	5 hours
30	Designing Children's Rooms Designing Children's Rooms is a short, video-based Alison course published by One Education that covers one niche of… Alison · Beginner	Alison	Free	PaidPaid certificate	Beginner	—
31	Diploma in Human Resources (HR) A diploma course on the work of a human resources manager. Alison · Beginner	Alison	Free	PaidPaid certificate	Beginner	—
32	Diploma in Project Management Alison's project management diploma is a broad survey course rather than a methodology-specific one. Alison · Beginner	Alison	Free	PaidPaid certificate	Beginner	—
33	English for Career Development English for Career Development was created by the University of Pennsylvania, with funding from the U.S. Coursera · 4 weeks	Coursera	Free	PaidPaid certificate	—	4 weeks
34	Fundamentals of Accounting A short first course in accounting, which Alison estimates at 1.5 to 3 hours. Alison · Beginner	Alison	Free	PaidPaid certificate	Beginner	—
35	Introduction to Bookkeeping and Accounting Methods This is a short, text-based Alison course from Training Facility UK aimed at people who run or work in a small busine… Alison · Beginner	Alison	Free	PaidPaid certificate	Beginner	—
36	AI Fluency AI Fluency is a seven-module learning path published by Microsoft Philanthropies for people who want a plain-language… Microsoft · Beginner · 4.6 hours	Microsoft	Free	NoneNo certificate	Beginner	4.6 hours
37	Game Theory Game Theory is Ben Polak's Fall 2007 course ECON 159, recorded for Open Yale Courses as 24 lectures of about 75 minutes. Yale	Yale	Free	NoneNo certificate	—	—
38	Introduction to Financial and Managerial Accounting 15.501 is the MIT Sloan School of Management's introductory accounting course, taught by Sugata Roychowdhury in sprin… MIT	MIT	Free	NoneNo certificate	—	—
39	Introduction to Practical Project Management This introduction is organised around the project management areas of knowledge, the framework used by the Project Ma… Udemy · Beginner · 1.9 hours	Udemy	Free	NoneNo certificate	Beginner	1.9 hours
40	Learn Accounting & Bookkeeping Basics in Minutes for Free An unusual format for an accounting introduction: the core lesson is built around a business simulation game in which… Udemy · Beginner · 1.4 hours	Udemy	Free	NoneNo certificate	Beginner	1.4 hours
41	Prepare and visualize data with Microsoft Power BI This learning path is Microsoft's own version of its instructor-led course DP-605T00, delivered as free self-study. Microsoft · Beginner · 8.2 hours	Microsoft	Free	NoneNo certificate	Beginner	8.2 hours
42	Project Management Fundamentals \| Learn PM Basics Fast A beginner's map of project management vocabulary and practice. Udemy · 1.7 hours	Udemy	Free	NoneNo certificate	—	1.7 hours
43	Academic and Business Writing Academic and Business Writing is a six-week BerkeleyX course led by Maggie Sokolik, Director of College Writing Progr… UC Berkeley · Beginner · 6 weeks	UC Berkeley	Free to audit	PaidPaid certificate	Beginner	6 weeks
44	Contract Law: From Trust to Promise to Contract Contract Law: From Trust to Promise to Contract is taught by Charles Fried and introduces the range of issues that ar… Harvard · Intermediate · 8 weeks	Harvard	Free to audit	PaidPaid certificate	Intermediate	8 weeks
45	Data Exploration Data Exploration is a four-week BerkeleyX course taught by Richard Huntsinger and belongs to UC Berkeley's Data, Stat… UC Berkeley · Intermediate · 4 weeks	UC Berkeley	Free to audit	PaidPaid certificate	Intermediate	4 weeks
46	Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles is an introductory Harvard course on leading through adaptive challeng… Harvard · Beginner	Harvard	Free to audit	PaidPaid certificate	Beginner	—
47	Financial Accounting 15.516x Financial Accounting is an MITx Online course from MIT Sloan and part of the MicroMasters Program in Finance. MIT · 12 weeks	MIT	Free to audit	PaidPaid certificate	—	12 weeks
48	Introduction to Project Management Introduction to Project Management is Adelaide University's beginner course on edX for applying project management pr… edX · Beginner · 6 weeks	edX	Free to audit	PaidPaid certificate	Beginner	6 weeks
49	Leadership Development Leadership Development is a four-week OxfordX course from Saïd Business School, taught by Emeritus Professor Tim Morris. Oxford · Beginner · 4 weeks	Oxford	Free to audit	PaidPaid certificate	Beginner	4 weeks
50	Managing Happiness Managing Happiness, taught by Arthur Brooks of Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, introduces the mod… Harvard · Beginner	Harvard	Free to audit	PaidPaid certificate	Beginner	—
51	Remote Work Revolution for Everyone Remote Work Revolution for Everyone addresses the shift to remote work that many organisations made rapidly during th… Harvard · Beginner · 3 weeks	Harvard	Free to audit	PaidPaid certificate	Beginner	3 weeks

Free online business courses with certificates: where the free ones are

The 51 courses on this page fall into four groups: company academies that issue a free certificate, self-paced platforms that sell an optional certificate on a free course, university audit tracks with a paid verified certificate, and open lecture archives with no credential at all.

Free certificate: HubSpot Academy, Google and IBM

HubSpot Academy's certification courses are free from account to badge, and each ends in a certification exam. Inbound Sales Certification Course takes 3 hours 6 minutes and names small business owners among its audience; Inbound Certification Course covers the attract, engage and delight methodology; Sales Enablement Training, the longest at 7 hours 20 minutes, is about aligning marketing and sales; Frictionless Sales Course and Revenue Operations Certification round out the set. HubSpot certifications expire after a stated period and are renewed by retaking the exam.

Google's Create a Budget in Google Sheets is an Applied Digital Skills lesson of 7 hours with a completion credential, written for school students but usable by anyone. IBM's Prompt Engineering for Everyone takes 5 hours at beginner level and ends with a free certificate and no technical requirements.

Paid certificate on a free course or a free audit track

Alison's Diploma in Project Management, Diploma in Human Resources (HR) and Fundamentals of Accounting are free to study; the diploma or certificate afterwards is a paid purchase and a free Learner Record is the alternative. University courses on edX and MITx Online are free to audit and charge for the verified certificate: $149 for Harvard's Remote Work Revolution for Everyone, $49 for MIT's Entrepreneurship 101: Who is Your Customer, and $549 for MIT's Financial Accounting. Audit access on edX ends with the course run.

Free business management courses online: leadership, projects and people

Harvard's Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles covers adaptive challenges, formal versus informal authority and building trust at 2 to 3 hours a week; Remote Work Revolution for Everyone runs three weeks and ends with a plan to relaunch your team remotely. Oxford's Leadership Development from Saïd Business School spends four weeks on motivation, adaptability, diversity and influence and on your own leadership style.

For project management, Adelaide University's Introduction to Project Management on edX runs six weeks at beginner level with a $149 certificate; Alison's diploma follows the project life cycle from initiation to implementation; and Udemy's Project Management Fundamentals and Introduction to Practical Project Management are short video introductions with no certificate. For managing sales and marketing teams, HubSpot's Sales Enablement and Revenue Operations courses are the credentialed options.

University business courses: Harvard, MIT, Yale and Oxford

Harvard's remaining courses are Strategic Finance for Nonprofit Leaders, six weeks long and written for professionals without a finance background, Managing Happiness on the science of well-being at work, and Contract Law: From Trust to Promise to Contract, the one rated intermediate.

MIT appears through three channels. OpenCourseWare publishes Principles of Microeconomics, Finance Theory I and Blockchain and Money free with no certificate. The Open Learning Library hosts Optimization Methods in Business Analytics, Adaptive Markets and Healthcare Finance, also without certificates. MITx Online runs the graded courses with a free audit track, Financial Accounting among them.

The other MITx courses are Foundations of Modern Finance I, Supply Chain Fundamentals at thirteen weeks and 8 to 12 hours a week, Microeconomics and AP Microeconomics, which covers the College Board AP exam syllabus and prices its certificate at $69.

Yale's Financial Markets is Robert Shiller's lecture course on Open Yale Courses, free with no certificate, with a Coursera edition that sells one. Oxford's From Poverty to Prosperity is Paul Collier's intermediate course on economic development. Berkeley's Fundamentals of Economics teaches economics through Python and lists Data 8X as a prerequisite, and Princeton's Global Systemic Risk is free in full on Coursera with no certificate by university policy.

Free online business courses for entrepreneurs and small firms

Entrepreneurship 101 is the direct fit: four weeks at 2 to 4 hours a week, built on MIT startup case studies, on market segmentation, choosing a beachhead market, end-user profiles and total addressable market. For the money side, Khan Academy's Finance and capital markets and Personal finance are video units you can watch in any order, Alison's Fundamentals of Accounting builds the profit and loss account and balance sheet from scratch, and Udemy's Learn Accounting & Bookkeeping Basics in Minutes for Free takes 1 hour 24 minutes. Bocconi's Private Equity and Venture Capital explains how investors finance companies from start-up to maturity, free in full with no certificate.

Which business course to take first

Start from the gap rather than the level, since almost every course here with a stated level is beginner. For a first management role, Exercising Leadership or Leadership Development; for a first look at how a business is financed, Financial Markets or Principles of Microeconomics; for a credential you can add to a profile this month, one of the HubSpot certifications. The heavier MITx finance and supply chain courses state weekly effort in double figures and run on a schedule, so treat them as a term of study rather than a weekend.

For tools rather than theory, Microsoft Learn's AI Fluency, Draft, analyze, and present with Microsoft Copilot, Explore the fundamentals of Microsoft Power Platform and Prepare and visualize data with Microsoft Power BI are free learning paths of 4 hours 36 minutes to 8 hours 12 minutes with knowledge checks and no certificate.

Neighbouring hubs

Leadership and project courses also appear on the free online management courses hub, HubSpot's marketing certifications on the free online marketing courses hub, and the bookkeeping courses on the free online accounting courses hub.

Business courses by provider

Questions about free Business courses

Are free business courses from universities really free?

The lectures and readings usually are. On audit tracks the graded work and certificate are paid, and access can be time-limited. Courses that are free in full with no paid tier are marked as such on this site.

Which business course should I take first?

A general introduction that covers finance, marketing and operations gives you the vocabulary to choose a specialised course afterwards. If you already run a business, go straight to the gap you feel most, which is often finance or marketing.

Can a free business course help me start a company?

It can teach the frameworks and the language of business plans, cash flow and customers. It does not replace advice from an accountant or lawyer in your jurisdiction, and it is no substitute for talking to customers.

Management 17 courses Marketing 27 courses Accounting 6 courses Law 6 courses