Your education doesn't have to stop once you get out of school—being free of the classroom just means you have more control over what you learn and when you learn it. We've put together a curriculum of some of the best free online classes available on the web this spring for the first term of Lifehacker U, our regularly-updating guide to improving your life with free, online college-level classes. Let's get started.


Title photo remixed from an original by Stuart Seeger.

Orientation: What Is Lifehacker U?

Whether you're in school and getting ready to head back for the spring semester, or you're out of school and just want to keep learning and growing, there are an incredible amount of free, university-level courses that become available on the web every school year, and anyone with a little time and a passion for self-growth can audit, read, and "enroll" in these courses for their own personal benefit. Schools like Yale University, MIT, Stanford, the University of California at Berkeley, and many more are all offering free online classes that you can audit and participate in from the comfort of your office chair, couch, or computing chair-of-choice.


Some of these classes are available year-round, but many of them are only available during the a specific term or semester, and because we're all about helping you improve your life at Lifehacker, we put together a list of courses available this spring that will inspire you, challenge you, open the door to something new, and give you the tools to improve your life. Grab your pen and paper and make sure your battery is charged—class is in session!

Computer Science and Technology

UC Berkeley - Computer Science 10 - Professor Dan Garcia - An introduction to computer science and computing in our society, including topics like algorithms and how businesses around the globe use them to predict almost everything, video games and how they're developed, social media and communications, social implications of computing, and what the future of computing holds. Designed for lightly-technical audiences.

- An introduction to computer science and computing in our society, including topics like algorithms and how businesses around the globe use them to predict almost everything, video games and how they're developed, social media and communications, social implications of computing, and what the future of computing holds. Designed for lightly-technical audiences. Stanford University - Computer Science 101 - Professor Nick Parlante - Designed primarily for an audience with no prior experience but an interest in computer science and programming, Stanford's CS 101 course will introduce you to programming and writing your own code, as well as offer a primer on basic computer technology, including hardware, software, the internet, and their intersections.

- Designed primarily for an audience with no prior experience but an interest in computer science and programming, Stanford's CS 101 course will introduce you to programming and writing your own code, as well as offer a primer on basic computer technology, including hardware, software, the internet, and their intersections. The Open University - An Introduction to Data and Information

MIT - Introduction to Computer Science and Programming - Professor Eric Grimson, Professor John Guttag - Targeted to users with some background in technology or basic programming, looking for additional training in programming and the basics of application development. Also includes a crash course in statistics and data analysis, and a primer on computer science and applied mathematics as opposed to strict programming.

- Targeted to users with some background in technology or basic programming, looking for additional training in programming and the basics of application development. Also includes a crash course in statistics and data analysis, and a primer on computer science and applied mathematics as opposed to strict programming. Stanford University - Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Robotics - Professor Oussama Khatib - An introduction to the modeling, design, and control of robotic systems for those interested in AI programming and development. Requires an understanding of the applied mathematics (specifically linear algebra and an understanding of matrices) required for building robotic systems for the nitty gritty, but still an excellent primer to how computer scientists and developers build semi-autonomous robotic systems and control mechanisms.

- An introduction to the modeling, design, and control of robotic systems for those interested in AI programming and development. Requires an understanding of the applied mathematics (specifically linear algebra and an understanding of matrices) required for building robotic systems for the nitty gritty, but still an excellent primer to how computer scientists and developers build semi-autonomous robotic systems and control mechanisms. Stanford University - Computer Security - Professors Dan Boneh, John Mitchell and Dawn Song - Computer security means more than just keeping your antivirus or anti-malware software up to date. This course will walk you through computer security as a discipline, the tools required for secure and lock down individual computers and computer networks, write secure code and secure applications, identify and defend against threats, and secure mobile platforms.



Finance and Economics



Science and Medicine



Mathematics

The Open University - Exploring Data: Graphs and Numerical Summaries

MIT - Street Fighting Mathematics - Professor Sanjoy Mahajan - Some mathematical knowledge is required for this course, but you won't be in too much trouble if you haven't brushed up. The goal of the course is to help you learn to do complex mathematics in your head, make educated guesses based on the information you have available, and is taught in a conversational style that only occasionally moves into the strictly variable and calculation based.

- Some mathematical knowledge is required for this course, but you won't be in too much trouble if you haven't brushed up. The goal of the course is to help you learn to do complex mathematics in your head, make educated guesses based on the information you have available, and is taught in a conversational style that only occasionally moves into the strictly variable and calculation based. Stanford University - Cryptography - Professor Dan Boneh - Part information science and part mathematics, cryptography is the discipline of turning normal information into coded information for secure transmissions or the use of another computing system or platform. The class walks you through securing communications, understanding the nature of cryptography and how codes are made and broken, and then moves into technical topics like authentication protocols and key encryption.



Social Sciences, Classics, and Humanities

The Rise of Modern Science - Prof. David Jones and Prof. David Kaiser - While the course title sounds scientific, the focus of the class is really on what we consider "science" in modern culture, and the role of scientists and philosphers in recent history that have helped define the discipline as we understand it. The course discusses the rise of science and the evolution of the term through the ages of magic, alchemy, philosophy, folk knowledge, and observation through to experimentation and deduction.

- While the course title sounds scientific, the focus of the class is really on what we consider "science" in modern culture, and the role of scientists and philosphers in recent history that have helped define the discipline as we understand it. The course discusses the rise of science and the evolution of the term through the ages of magic, alchemy, philosophy, folk knowledge, and observation through to experimentation and deduction. Yale University - Death - Professor Shelly Kagan - If there's one thing that's sure for all of us, it's that we'll all die someday. But what exactly does that mean for us and the people around us? How do we come to terms with our own mortality, and adjust to the mortality of those around us? This course will introduce you to the concept of mortality and transform it from a fact to something you're aware of, as well as introduce and examine attitudes about death and dying, including suicide, the moral implications of death and dying, and what it means to be "immortal."

- If there's one thing that's sure for all of us, it's that we'll all die someday. But what exactly does that mean for us and the people around us? How do we come to terms with our own mortality, and adjust to the mortality of those around us? This course will introduce you to the concept of mortality and transform it from a fact to something you're aware of, as well as introduce and examine attitudes about death and dying, including suicide, the moral implications of death and dying, and what it means to be "immortal." Yale University - The Psychology, Biology, and Politics of Food - Professor Kelly D. Brownell - This course introduces us to the concepts of individual tastes, dietary preferences, and the impact culture has on our diets and the types of foods we enjoy and seek out. By the end of the course, you'll understand why palates differ so greatly even in places with similar diets, and also dive into topics involving nutrition and the politics around food, like sustainable agriculture, local agriculture and farmer's markets, genetically modified foods, and much more.

- This course introduces us to the concepts of individual tastes, dietary preferences, and the impact culture has on our diets and the types of foods we enjoy and seek out. By the end of the course, you'll understand why palates differ so greatly even in places with similar diets, and also dive into topics involving nutrition and the politics around food, like sustainable agriculture, local agriculture and farmer's markets, genetically modified foods, and much more. The Open University - Getting Started with Classical Latin

Yale University - Introduction to Ancient Greek History - Professor Donald Kagan - This course is a walkthrough of the growth and development of ancient Greece as a political, intellectual, and technological center of the western world. Students in this course will be exposed to classic Greek literature, art, philosophy, history, and language. Documents and resources are presented in both their original form and their translations, so you can get familiar with ancient Greek as well.



Law

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania - Understanding Intellectual Property

MIT - Law and Society - Prof. Susan S. Silbey - We all know that the law is a set of rules that lay out proper behavior and order in our society, but where do they come from? Where did the concept of "the law" originate, and how does it differ from place to place? This course seeks to explain the history of the law, the applicability of the law and how laws are formed, written, and enforced, and offer the student a basic understanding of the legal system and its social implications.

- We all know that the law is a set of rules that lay out proper behavior and order in our society, but where do they come from? Where did the concept of "the law" originate, and how does it differ from place to place? This course seeks to explain the history of the law, the applicability of the law and how laws are formed, written, and enforced, and offer the student a basic understanding of the legal system and its social implications. The Open University - Privacy Rights and the Law

MIT - The Supreme Court, Civil Liberties, and Civil Rights - Prof. Malick Ghachem - Everyone talks about civil liberties and their personal rights, but few people take the time to investigate them, read up on what rights they do and don't have, and where their personal rights stop and the rights of others begin. This course will help you understand your civil rights and liberties as issued by the constitution and other legal bodies and documents, as well as the powers that those legal bodies (including the Supreme Court) have to put a finer point on those rights and interpret them.



Cross-Disciplinary Courses and Seminars

Stanford University - Technology Entrepreneurship - Professor Chuck Eesley - Have you ever considered taking your brilliant idea and building a startup? Have you ever written a business plan, only to let it sit on the shelf waiting for the right time to start a business or get your idea off the ground? This class will explain the pitfalls and the perils of starting your own technology company, how you can start your idea inside of a larger firm, and what it takes to build a successful startup company.

- Have you ever considered taking your brilliant idea and building a startup? Have you ever written a business plan, only to let it sit on the shelf waiting for the right time to start a business or get your idea off the ground? This class will explain the pitfalls and the perils of starting your own technology company, how you can start your idea inside of a larger firm, and what it takes to build a successful startup company. The Open University - Reading some great ways to boost your reading comprehension

Tufts University - Promoting Positive Development Among Youth - Professor Richard M. Lerner - If you're considering giving back in your community, either by volunteering at a church or school, becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister, or otherwise getting involved in a young person's life, this course can help you navigate the sometimes treacherous waters of modern culture and encourage young people to become leaders in their communities.

- If you're considering giving back in your community, either by volunteering at a church or school, becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister, or otherwise getting involved in a young person's life, this course can help you navigate the sometimes treacherous waters of modern culture and encourage young people to become leaders in their communities. UC Berkeley - Search, Google, and Life - Guest Lecturers Sergey Brin, Bradley Horowitz, Jason Schultz, and more - This free course from the University of California at Berkeley gives you an opportunity to sit in on some of the greatest minds in modern technology as they discuss how their products, services, and companies play a major role in shaping the way we obtain information, process it, and view the world. They also discuss how they came to be involved in those technologies, and how search and search engines work and have changed the internet as we know it.


Extra Credit: How To Find Your Own Online Classes

The cirriculum at Lifehacker U is rich and deep, but it may not reflect all of your areas of interests or expertise. If you're looking for more or more varied course material, here are some resources to help you find great, university-level online classes that you can take from the comfort of your desk, at any time of day.



The beautiful thing about taking classes online is that you can pick and choose the classes you want to attend, skip lectures and come back to them later, and do examinations and exercises on your own time. You can load up with as many classes as you choose, or take a light course load and come back to some of the classes you meant to take at another time that's more convenient for you.


With Lifehacker U, you're free to take as many or as few classes as you like, and we'll update this course guide every term with a fresh list of courses on new and interesting topics, some of which are only available during that academic term.

If you have online course resources or your university offers classes that are available for free online that you know would be a great fit for Lifehacker U, don't keep them to yourself! Send them in to us at tips+lifehackeru@lifehacker.com so we can include them in the next semester!