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
      • Doctor of Philosophy in General Psychology: Cognition and Instruction (Qualitative Research)
      • Doctor of Philosophy in General Psychology: Cognition and Instruction (Quantitative Research)
      • Doctor of Philosophy in General Psychology: Performance Psychology (Qualitative Research)
      • Doctor of Philosophy in General Psychology: Performance Psychology (Quantitative Research)
      • Doctor of Philosophy in General Psychology: Industrial and Organizational Psychology (Qualitative Research)
      • Doctor of Philosophy in General Psychology: Industrial and Organizational Psychology (Quantitative Research)
    Master's
      • M.S. Psychology with an Emphasis in Gerontology
      • M.S. in Psychology with an Emphasis in Health Psychology
      • M.S. in Psychology with an Emphasis in Human Factors
      • MS in Psychology: General Psychology
      • M.S. in Mental Health and Wellness with Emphasis in Grief and Bereavement
      • M.S. in Mental Health and Wellness with Emphasis in Prevention
    Bachelor's
      • BS in Psychology
      • B.S. in Psychology with an Emphasis in Performance and Sports 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
  • Online Programs Available
    2. Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology

    Program Options

    Master's
      • Masters in Psychology
      • Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis
      • Masters in Clinical Psychology (Licensed Professional Counselor)
  • Online Programs Available
    3. Purdue Global

    Program Options

    Master's
      • MS in Psychology
      • Master: Psychology/General Psychology
      • MS in Educational Psychology
      • MSPY - Forensic Psychology
      • Master: Psychology/Addictions
      • MSPY - Industrial/Organizational Psychology
    Bachelor's
      • Bachelor of Science in Psychology - Addictions
      • Bachelor of Science in Psychology
      • Bachelor of Science in Psychology in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
      • Bachelor of Science in Psychology in Applied Behavior Analysis
      • BSPR - Industrial/Organizational Psychology
      • BSCJ: Forensic Psychology
    Certificate
      • Certificate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology Graduate
  • Online Programs Available
    4. Keiser University

    Program Options

    Master's
      • M.S. - Psychology
    Bachelor's
      • B.A. - Psychology
  • Campus and Online Programs
    5. The Chicago School

    Program Options

    Master's
      • M.S. Clinical Psychopharmacology
      • M.S. Clinical Psychopharmacology Illinois Prescriptive Authority Preparation Track
      • M.A. Psychology
      • M.S. Applied Behavior Analysis
      • M.A. Forensic Psychology
      • M.A. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: ARP Track
    Certificate
      • Suicide and Cyberbullying Prevention Certificate
      • Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis
      • Certificate in Forensic Psychology - M.A. Non-Licensure Track to Licensure Bridge Program
  • San Francisco, CA

    Golden Gate University - Aspire

  • Online Programs Available
    7. Liberty University

    Program Options

    Doctorate
      • PHD: Psychology: Developmental Psychology
      • PHD: Psychology: General Psychology
      • PHD: Psychology: Social Psychology
      • PHD: Counselor Education and Supervision
      • PHD: Psychology: Industrial/Organizational Psychology
      • Education Specialist in Community Care and Counseling: Marriage and Family Counseling
    Certificate
      • CTG: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
      • CTG: Psychology
  • Online Programs Available
    8. Penn Foster High School

    Program Options

    High School Diploma
      • HS Diploma
  • University of Maryland Global Campus

Featured Schools

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

Grand Canyon University

  • Doctor of Philosophy in General Psychology: Cognition and Instruction (Qualitative Research)
  • M.S. Psychology with an Emphasis in Gerontology
  • BS in Psychology

What is your highest level of education?

Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology

  • Masters in Psychology
  • Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis
  • Masters in Clinical Psychology (Licensed Professional Counselor)

What is your highest level of education completed?

Purdue Global

  • MS in Psychology
  • Bachelor of Science in Psychology - Addictions
  • Certificate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology Graduate

Which subject are you interested in?

Keiser University

  • M.S. - Psychology
  • B.A. - Psychology

What is your highest level of education?

The Chicago School

  • M.S. Clinical Psychopharmacology
  • M.S. Clinical Psychopharmacology Illinois Prescriptive Authority Preparation Track
  • Suicide and Cyberbullying Prevention Certificate
  • Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis

What is your highest level of education completed?

Golden Gate University - Aspire

Liberty University

  • PHD: Psychology: Developmental Psychology
  • PHD: Psychology: General Psychology
  • CTG: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
  • CTG: Psychology

What is your highest level of education?

Penn Foster High School

  • HS Diploma

What is your highest level of education?