Free Online IT Courses

A free IT course covers the practical side of computing: how hardware, operating systems and networks fit together, how to set up and troubleshoot devices, how accounts and permissions work, and the basics of security and cloud services. Entry-level courses map onto help-desk and technical support roles; intermediate courses head toward system administration, networking or cloud platforms. IT is a subject where company training is central. Cloud and software vendors publish free courses in their own platforms and issue free, verifiable badges and credentials on completion, though their higher certifications require paid examinations.

Non-profit curricula and some university courses on edX cover vendor-neutral fundamentals; the edX courses are usually free to audit, with videos open and graded work and the certificate paid. When reading a syllabus, look for hands-on labs or sandboxes rather than slides alone, for whether the content is tied to one vendor or is general, and for the job role the course says it prepares you for. IT suits people entering technology without a degree, office staff who have become the informal support person, and professionals preparing for a vendor certification exam. Cyber security, computer science and programming have their own pages on this site, and the certifications hub lists the IT credentials that are free to earn.