Free Online Cognitive Psychology Courses from Top Universities

About this article
The University of California at Berkeley, Open University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology provide students with the opportunity to learn about cognitive science online for free. A wide range of topics, including neural coding, language processing and principles of attention are included in these courses.
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Free Cognitive Psychology Courses

Cognitive psychology can be studied online with these free course covering topics like natural language and the computer representation of knowledge, sensation and perception, and human memory. These diverse subjects are available for students at any time.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Online cognitive psychology courses from MIT include pattern recognition for machine vision, and language processing. Topics discussed in the pattern recognition course include biological object recognition and extracting features from images. Students will have access to lecture notes on subjects like density estimation and action recognition, with study materials in the form of videos. Assigned readings from the language processing course will come from books, like Image, Language, Brain, from MIT's press, and periodicals like the Journal of Psycholinguistic Research.

University of California, Berkeley

The free online cognitive psychology course offered by the University of California, Berkeley, is available as an iTunes audio podcast. In this format, 25 lectures are delivered from professor Richard Ivry. Topics covered include transcranial magnetic stimulation, electroencephalography, and neurophysiological research in animals.

Open University

With regard to cognitive psychology, Open University offers an examination of attention. Course topics include auditory and visual attention, the neurology of attention and distraction. This is a ten-hour course for advanced students.

Free Online Cognitive Psychology Courses At a Glance

Course & School Program Level Format Assignments Quizzes & Exams Downloadable
Pattern Recognition for Machine Vision course from MIT Graduate Texts/lecture notes/videos Yes No Yes
Neural Coding and Perception of Science course from MIT Graduate Texts/lecture notes/labs Yes No Yes
Language Processing course from MIT Graduate Texts/lecture notes Yes No Yes
Natural Language and the Computer Representation of Knowledge course from MIT Graduate Texts/lecture notes/labs Yes No Yes
Sensation and Perception course from MIT Undergraduate Textbook/lecture notes/recitations/problem sets Yes Yes Yes
Human Memory and Learning course from MIT Graduate Text/lecture notes Yes No Yes
Statistical Learning and Application course from MIT Graduate Texts/lecture notes Yes No Yes
Reasonable Conduct in Science course from MIT Graduate Text Yes Yes Yes
Cognitive Science C127 course from UC Berkeley Unspecified Audio lectures No No Yes
Attention course from Open University Advanced Text Yes No Yes

Popular Schools

  • Online Programs Available
    1. Grand Canyon University

    Program Options

    Doctorate
      • Bridge (Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision - Qualitative Research)
      • Bridge (Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision - Quantitative Research)
    Master's
      • MS in Psychology: General Psychology
      • MS in Psychology: Industrial & Organizational Psychology
    Bachelor's
      • BS in Psychology
      • B.S. in Behavioral Health Science with an Emphasis in Substance Use Disorders
      • Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Health Science
      • Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Health Science with an Emphasis in Trauma
      • B.S. in Psychology with an Emphasis in Forensic Psychology
      • B.S. in Behavioral Health Science with an Emphasis in Childhood and Adolescence Disorders
  • Online Programs Available
    2. Liberty University

    Program Options

    Doctorate
      • PHD: Special Student (Non-Degree) - Counseling
      • PHD: Christian Leadership: Faith-Based Consulting
    Master's
      • MA: Pastoral Counseling: Addictions & Recovery
      • PHD: Psychology: Theology
      • MA: Applied Psychology: General Psychology
      • MA: Human Services Counseling: General
      • MA: Pastoral Counseling: Life Coaching
      • MA: Geography: Disaster Management
    Bachelor's
      • BS: Bible: Christian Counseling
      • BS: Biblical Counseling
    Certificate
      • GRAD CERT: Addiction Studies
      • GRAD CERT: Executive Psychology
      • GRAD CERT: Mental Health Studies
  • Evanston, IL

    Northwestern University

  • San Francisco, CA

    Golden Gate University - Aspire

  • University of Maryland Global Campus

  • Online Programs Available
    6. National University

    Program Options

    Doctorate
      • PhD - Counseling Psychology
      • PhD - General Psychology
      • PhD - Health Psychology
      • DBA - Industrial/Organizational Psychology
      • EdD - Trauma Informed Education Practices
      • PhD - Trauma-Informed Educational Practices
    Master's
      • MAPsy - General Psychology
      • Master of Science in Health Psychology
      • Med - Social Emotional Learning
      • MAMFT - Trauma Informed Systemic Therapy
      • MEd - Trauma-Informed Educational Practices
      • Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis
    Certificate
      • EdS - Trauma-Informed Educational Practices
  • Online Programs Available
    7. Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology

    Program Options

    Master's
      • Masters in Psychology
      • Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis
  • Online Programs Available
    8. UMass Global

    Program Options

    Bachelor's
      • BA in Psychology (Child Psychology)
      • BA in Psychology (General Psychology)
      • BA in Psychology (Industrial/Organizational)
      • BA in Psychology (Prep for Adv Study Counseling)
      • BA in Psychology (Prep for Adv Study in Psychology)

Featured Schools

The schools and programs listed below are popular educational options, and tuition varies based on program and location

Grand Canyon University

  • Bridge (Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision - Qualitative Research)
  • MS in Psychology: General Psychology
  • BS in Psychology

What is your highest level of education?

Liberty University

  • PHD: Special Student (Non-Degree) - Counseling
  • MA: Pastoral Counseling: Addictions & Recovery
  • BS: Bible: Christian Counseling
  • GRAD CERT: Addiction Studies

What is your highest level of education?

Golden Gate University - Aspire

University of Maryland Global Campus

National University

  • PhD - Counseling Psychology
  • MAPsy - General Psychology
  • EdS - Trauma-Informed Educational Practices

What is your highest level of education?

Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology

  • Masters in Psychology
  • Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis

Which subject are you interested in?

UMass Global

  • BA in Psychology (Child Psychology)
  • BA in Psychology (General Psychology)
  • BA in Psychology (Industrial/Organizational)

Which subject are you interested in?