Want to learn everything you might in an MBA program—without having to pay for the expensive classes? Online learning hub SlideRule has gathered free online courses from top schools like Wharton and Harvard Business School into a well-rounded curriculum.


The MBA Essentials learning path covers six core MBA subjects— Finance, Accounting, Marketing, Operations Management, and Strategy—plus secondary subjects like Data Analysis. For each subject, they picked what they thought were the best available classes from sites like edX and MIT Open Courseware, as well as alternative courses if the first choice isn't available or for a different perspective. Here's the methodology behind their curriculum choices:


To be clear, as with the Computer Science DIY curriculum we mentioned before and our Lifehacker U course recommendations, this program won't actually provide you with an MBA degree or a certificate (although some of the courses provide certificates themselves). So if having the "MBA" designation is essential for you, this won't fulfill that requirement.

However, this "no-pay MBA education" could be useful for entrepreneurial self-starters , those who want to learn the fundamentals of business (or improve their business skills), and perhaps also those wondering whether a full-time MBA would be worth it or not. SlideRule's curriculum points you to 475 hours of courses and helpfully gives you an overview of the subjects and courses you'll take.

MBA Essentials | SlideRule