Skyrocketing university tuition and pricy unaccredited boot camps aren’t helping to bring socioeconomic diversity to the field of UX. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of completely free learning resources from top companies and universities such as University of Michigan, Georgia Institute of Technology, Facebook, University of California San Diego, Google, M.I.T, University of Minnesota and more.

Picture from Byronbaymanor

The field of user experience has gained significant popularity in recent years. While companies like FreeCodeCamp and 42 are offering free options for people to learn how to code, learning UX doesn’t seem to have the same support network for self-motivated and driven individuals.

I often encounter discussions on UX forums and (sometimes heated) debates on UX education accessibility on my LinkedIn feed, with people asking how to get a quality education in this space if one does not have the funds for tuition. People looking to break into the field professionally often contemplate going to school for a UX related degree like Human Computer Interaction, Interaction Design, Psychology, or even taking (an often times unaccredited and pricy) boot camp. After reading an article by David Venturi on how he created his own affordable Data Science Master’s program using online resources through platforms such as EdX, Coursera and Udacity to gain access to material from world class institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, M.I.T and Johns Hopkins University, I was inspired to create a similar framework for UX design.

I’ve curated this list of online courses and resources in hopes of helping people learn about human centred design for free and hopefully bring more socioeconomic diversity to the sector as a whole. While online and open source learning is by no means a replacement for mentorship and real world experience, these resources will hopefully give any aspiring UX professional an in-depth foundational education and help cultivate new skills. I’ve scoured the internet and compiled a list of interactive, engaging and top reviewed classes and material. Lifelong learning is a mind-set critical to any user experience professional and whether you are new to UX or are currently working in the field and looking to brush up your skills, I hope this list will be of value.

Using course ratings and reviews from Class Central as well as word of mouth feedback from senior UX practitioners and various industry community members in my network, I selected the best material from world class educational institutions and companies. I’ve also compiled a short list of reading materials, podcast resources and online UX group spaces to go with this online curriculum.

*Although some of the programs featured on this list do come with a price tag, I made sure to only feature courses in which you can apply for fast financial assistance and receive the course and credential for free, or audit all course material without having to pay.

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”

― Henry Ford

(Previously offered as the Human-Computer Interaction specialization at Stanford) This specialisation offers an engaging and immersive 8 course module consisting of

· an introduction to Human-Centred Design

· introduction to design principles

· social computing

· input and interaction

· user experience: research & prototyping

· information design

· designing, running and analysing experiments

· design capstone project (details).

This program currently has a 4.3/5 rating on Class Central and is heavily cited on various UX community spaces such as UX Mastery Forum and the user experience sub Reddit as one of the best introductory courses to UX on the web. Having had the pleasure of taking this program when I was finishing my undergraduate HCI studies, I can’t recommend it enough. Professor Scott Klemmer of UCSD eloquently and passionately weaves the theory and application of interaction design, cognitive psychology, user interface design and human-computer interaction seamlessly throughout all 8 courses, setting a foundation of knowledge for any aspiring UX’r.

Screenshot of the Social Computing course of the UCSD Interaction Design Specialization

Participants will learn about needfinding and observation techniques, how to carry out rapid prototyping, principles for effective interface design, and strategies for evaluating interfaces. A mixture of quizzes and peer reviewed assignments help reinforce learning as well as introduces learners to hands on practice.

More info can be found here:

In Autumn 2016 University of Michigan School of Information launched the UX Research & Design Micromasters in partnership with EdX. While this program is cited as costing $1041 USD for culmination of the credential certificate, all video content and quiz resources are completely free to access. This program consists of 9 courses

· Introduction to User Experience

· Principles for Designing for Humans

· Evaluating Designs for Humans

· UX Design from Concept to wireframe

· UX Design: From Wireframe to Prototype

· Understanding User Needs

· UX Research Surveys

· UX Research at scale: analytics and online experiments

· UX (user experience) Capstone project