Free Humanities Courses & Certifications

The ‘Citizenship and the Rule of Law’ online course is a study about the authority of law and the impact of events around the world that may seem to be a threat. This online program is provided by the online education provider platform Coursera and the course curriculum and course instruction are developed by the Bingham Centre of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law at the University of London. 

The course educator for the introductory level program is Michael Abiodun Olatokun who is a research fellow in Citizenship and The Rule of Law along with being the Head of Public and Youth Engagement at the University of London. The course delivers valuable insights on the important issues associated with the rule of law in recent times and regarding the aspects of citizenship.

With more and more people seeking ways to affect change in communities, Community Engagement: Collaborating for Change online course offers ways to become a more effective community member. The course covers topics related to engaging with communities in an ethical, sustainable, and respectful manner.

The Community Engagement programme by edX offers an accessible entry into foundational topics of effective community management. It has an engaging and challenging design. It will enable you to progress efficiently to pursue work and further learning. It is a toolkit and roadmap for individuals who want to work for the betterment of their communities.

Community Engagement: Collaborating for Change is a six-week-long, short-term course. It offers plenty of opportunities to apply the concepts and principles learned throughout the course. It employs an expert panel of faculty at the University of Michigan, USA. It will provide you with extensive and in-depth knowledge along with the opportunity to add a certificate to your resume. Edx offers two tracks for completing the course, one is the audit track which gives limited-period access to the course materials whereas the verified track, on the other hand, offers unlimited course material access.

The Teaching Historical Inquiry with Objects online course offered by edX is created by Smithsonian. This course's instruction mode is English with Kathleen Owings Swan and Naomi Coquillon as the instructors. This course will span over six weeks, and candidates can complete the course material at their pace.

Middle and high school teachers will learn innovative methods to create an engaging atmosphere for students in-and-out of the classroom. The Teaching Historical Inquiry with Objects certification teaches beneficial strategies and techniques that are readily applicable in a classroom. Teachers can use these techniques to instill inquiry-based learning methods for the currently taught history lessons.  

With Smithsonian's help, the Teaching Historical Inquiry with Objects training incorporates the new C3 social studies framework. These educational methods are museum-based and generate interest among students by bringing historical artifacts to life. Teachers are given demonstrations, explanations, and examples of generating practical ideas in the classroom. This helps encourage the students to think critically, ask tricky questions, form evidence-based opinions, come to conclusions, and much more in the field of historical sources.

In the contemporary age, the process, known as the “Judicialisation of Politics” is taking place rapidly. This is the phenomenon in which the power of the courts or the judiciary is expanding quickly in democratic countries. The Comparative Judicial Systems training aims to shed light on this unprecedented proliferation of power and its real-time impacts. 

Candidates who enrol for the Comparative Judicial Systems programme will explore how and why the decision-making rights are being shifted from the legislative and executive to the judiciary. The course emphasises the relationship between courts and the current political environment. It also looks at the judiciary's overall role in setting a precedent and how it impacts the politics of a country. 

The Comparative Judicial Systems certification syllabus takes candidates through the judicial system's structure, appointment procedure, the judge’s role, power and independence. The Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico (University of Naples Federico II) has created this five-week short law course. You can also avail English and Italian video transcripts with the programme. By enrolling to any one of the tracks namely verified and audit the students may learn the programme. During the audit track, learning is free for a limited time period whereas during the verified track learning is unlimited but paid.

Technology has transformed the way information is produced and distributed. It impacts societies and not only influences but defines the way we communicate. With the Freedom of Expression and Information in the Time of Globalization: Foundational Course certification by edX, you will learn about the global norms that protect our freedom of expression and information. You will study how these norms emerged over time, as technology got more advanced and how these norms transcend national and regional differences. 

Classic philosophical works on the concept of freedom of expression, international human rights laws, and significant decisions taken by national and international courts are discussed in the Freedom of Expression and Information in the Time of Globalization: Foundational Course Since this human rights course is a Columbia University offering, you will have access to case analyses from their Global Case Law Database. Other suggested readings will be available for free on the Internet. 

In addition to the recorded video lectures by Dr Agnes Callamard, there will be supplementary lectures by international experts. These lectures will add to the topics discussed in the main lectures, or address additional issues, which could not be included in the Freedom of Expression and Information in the Time of Globalization: Foundational Course certification syllabus. By enrolling in any one of the tracks namely verified and audit the students may learn the programme. During the audit track, learning is free for a limited time period whereas during the verified track learning is unlimited but paid.

The Globalization: Past and Future online course by edX is designed to enlighten you about the history of globalisation. The course focuses on the question: Is globalisation a recurring pattern or a new occurrence? It is a four-week-long mini-course curated by the SGD Academy that gives you the chance to earn an e-certificate on completion.

Throughout the Globalization: Past and Future certification programme, you will go on an anthropological and historical tour of six different phases of globalisation. These epochs are the great dispersal, the Neolithic revolution, land-based globalisation, ocean-based globalisation, the Anglo-American world (industrial age), and new globalisation.

With the help of the programme, you will explore the technology development, dispersal and the main factors that led to innovation in these distinct eras. You will also be able to extract important lessons from history to understand the disorderly changes of today. To complete this course, you will need to put in an average of two to four hours per week for four weeks. The course has two enrolment options; verified and free audit. You can get unlimited access to the course in the verified mode whereas in the free mode, you can audit it for a limited duration. 

Learn about Human Rights Defenders and follow their stories with the Human Rights Defenders online course. As they fight against social injustices, Human Rights Defenders are constantly risking their lives. And not just them, their family, friends, and people close to them are also threatened. In this course, you will learn ways to mitigate these risks, while still fighting for your rights, and the rights of other people, in the face of all these threats and adversities.

In the Human Rights Defenders program, you will follow these defenders and their stories, and explore all the creative ways they use their voice. You will learn what drives them to speak up and witness what they have achieved, and can achieve, by organizing and working together. The four-week course is introductory and belongs to the social sciences domain.

Developed by Amnesty International, the Human Rights Defenders training will encourage you to reflect on issues you care about and discuss them with your fellow participants. You will also learn about the regional, national, and international mechanisms that protect Human Rights Defenders. The programme is also available in French, Spanish, and Arabic. By enrolling in any one of the tracks namely verified and audit the students may finish learning the programme. During the audit track, learning is free for a limited time period whereas during the verified track learning is unlimited but paid.

Patents are necessary documentation, but an integral part of them is the patent specifications. These are the paperwork that encompasses a technological invention’s patent rights. These techno-legal documents are established at the interface of law and science and follow stringent guidelines. The Patent Drafting for Beginners online course introduces learners to these fundamentals and paves the way for them to draft such patent specifications by themselves.

The Patent Drafting for Beginners certification syllabus explains patent drafting’s core principles and patent law’s concepts regarding drafting various patents. Through these, the curriculum teaches candidates how patent law relies on preparing patent specifications for satisfying specific requirements, unlike technical writing. This course is primarily for beginners without prior patent drafting experience and imparts valuable insights to get started with this domain.

An FDP programme, the Patent Drafting for Beginners certification course, is a joint effort between IIT Madras and Swayam. This NPTEL online course is AICTE-approved, belonging to these diverse categories - ‘Law’, ‘Faculty Domain for Experienced’, ‘Humanities and Social Sciences’, and ‘Patents and Intellectual Property Rights’. Aspirants can also opt for the completion certificate, e-verifiable and attainable, by clearing Swayam’s examination and assignments.

The ‘Drafting and Negotiating Commercial Contracts: A guide to contract law for non-lawyers online course is offered by the online education platform FutureLearn and is developed by the College of Law, an institution for practical legal education. This online programme is organised for four weeks with weekly two hours to study. The course study is about commercial contract drafting and negotiation, it helps the learners the importance of negotiation which impacts the business, and gains the skills required to frame clear and understandable contracts.

The candidates will get an opportunity to get better with commercial contracts which are drafted for employment, supplies, leases, licenses, franchises, sales, real estate, and agreements for partnership.

Commercial contracts involving laws, parties, or businesses require effective skills of negotiation and drafting of the documents. This ‘Drafting and Negotiating Commercial Contracts: A guide to contract law for non-lawyers online certification programme equips the learners with the skill set needed to ace any kind of commercial contract.