Free Biological and Biomedical Science Courses
Several top universities offer Open Courseware in a variety of topics. To learn about biological and/or biomedical sciences, we recommend you check out the Open University, Tufts University, or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The Open University
The Open University offers free courses that explore topics in living organisms, species diversity, DNA, and eutrophic and oligotrophic ecosystems. In Structural Materials in Cells, learn the basics of cellular processes, especially of self-assembled structures. In BSE and vCJD: Their Biology and Management, tour a host of diseases, particularly bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and its human equivalent, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD).
- Early Development
- Eutrophication
- Structural Materials in Cells
- BSE and vCJD: Their Biology and Management
- Social Issues and GM Crops
Tufts University
Tufts Unversity offers several courses in Open Courseware. In Pathophysiology of Infectious Diseases, investigate infectious diseases of organ systems. In Basic Human Pathology, get your grounding in general and systemic pathology.
- Pathophysiology of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
- Pathophysiology of Infectious Diseases
- Basic Human Pathology: Parts I and II
- Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology
- Musculoskeletal Pathophysiology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
MIT OpenCourseWare has a huge library of courses. For a graduate level course, take a look at Graduate Biochemistry and sharpen your analytical methods and tools. Other courses of interest include Principles and Practice of Drug Development, where you can introduce yourself to the process and problems of pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals.
- Graduate Biochemistry
- Principles and Practice of Drug Development
- Under the Radar Screen: How Bugs Trick Our Immune Defenses
- Biological Computing: At the Crossroads of Engineering and Science
- Animal Behavior
- Psychology of Gender
- Advanced Animal Behavior
- Immune Evasion: How Sneaky Pathogens Avoid Host Surveillance
Free Online Biological and Biomedical Sciences Courses at a Glance
| Course & School | Program Level | Format | Assignments | Quizzes & Exams | Downloadable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Development course from The Open University | Intermediate | Text lessons | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Eutrophication course from The Open University | Intermediate | Text lessons | Yes | No | Yes |
| Structural Materials In Cells course from The Open University | Advanced | Text lessons | Yes | No | Yes |
| BSE and vCJD: Their Biology And Management course from The Open University | Intermediate | Text lessons | Yes | Yes | Yes, limited formats |
| Social Issues and GM Crops course from The Open University | Intermediate | Text lessons | Yes | Yes | Yes, limited formats |
| Pathophysiology of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism course from Tufts University | Undergraduate | Text lessons | No | No | No |
| Pathophysiology of Infectious Diseases course from Tufts | Undergraduate | Text lessons | Yes | Yes | No |
| Basic Human Pathology: Parts I and II course from Tufts | Undergraduate | Text lessons | No | No | No |
| Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology course from Tufts | Undergraduate | Text lessons | No | Yes | No |
| Musculoskeletal Pathophysiology course from Tufts | Undergraduate | Text lessons | Yes | No | No |
| Graduate Biochemistry course from MIT | Graduate | Text lessons | No | No | Yes |
| Principles and Practice of Drug Development course from MIT | Graduate | Text lessons | Yes | No | Yes |
| Under the Radar Screen: How Bugs Trick Our Immune Defenses course from MIT | Undergraduate | Text lessons | Yes | No | Yes |
| Biological Computing: At the Crossroads of Engineering and Science course from MIT | Undergraduate | Text lessons | Yes | No | Yes |
| Animal Behavior course from MIT | Undergraduate | Audio lectures | Yes | No | Yes |
| Psychology of Gender course from MIT | Undergraduate | External reading resources | Yes | No | Yes |
| Advanced Animal Behavior course from MIT | Graduate | External reading resources | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Immune Evasion: How Sneaky Pathogens Avoid Host Surveillance course from MIT | Undergraduate | External reading resources | Yes | No | Yes |
