Part of being a Futurologist (and Futurist that isn’t a painter) is maintaining a well rounded education on current technology, society, and science. One great way to do that is to leverage the free classes on EDX.org and other sites. Great universities from around the world offer up free courses that give anyone a chance to learn about new subjects, one recent MIT student was even admitted after having used MIT’s OpenCourseware (similar to EDX) for his home school educational resource. Below I’ve listed the (mostly) free online courses I think all Futurologists should consider taking in 2016. The list is broken down by “Time Sensitive” and “Self-Paced” courses.

I’ll keep this list updated as more courses are added. Someday I’ll figure out how to do tab separated content inside of a WordPress blog post, today is not that day so you’ll have to scroll through the list the old fashioned way.

Browse the list and follow the URL to enroll in the online course.

Time Sensitive Courses

in order of courses starting first.

Statistical Thinking for Data Science and Analytics
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/statistical-thinking-data-science-columbiax-ds101x
Starts: December 14, 2015
From: Columbia University

Principles of Synthetic Biology
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/principles-synthetic-biology-mitx-20-305x
Starts: January 4, 2016
From: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Learn to Program Using Python
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/learn-program-using-python-utarlingtonx-cse1309x
Starts: January 10, 2016
From: University of Texas at Arlington

Technological, Social, and Sustainable Systems
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/technological-social-sustainable-systems-asux-cee181x-credit-eligible
Starts: January 11, 2016
From: Arizona State University

Introduction to Solar Systems Astronomy
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-solar-systems-astronomy-asux-ast111x
Starts: January 11, 2016
From: Arizona State University

Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-computer-science-mitx-6-00-1x-6
Starts: January 13, 2016
From: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Introduction to Applied Biostatistics: Statistics for Medical Research
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-applied-biostatistics-osakaux-med101x
Starts: January 19, 2016
From: Osaka University – Japan

Plasma Physics and Applications
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/plasma-physics-applications-epflx-plasmax-0
Starts: January 25, 2016
From: École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne – Switzerland

Nanotechnology: Fundamentals of Nanotransistors
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/nanotechnology-fundamentals-purduex-nano530x
Starts: January 25, 2016
From: Purdue University

Machine Learning for Data Science and Analytics
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/machine-learning-data-science-analytics-columbiax-ds102x
Starts: January 25, 2016
From: Columbia University

Sustainable Urban Development: Discover Advanced Metropolitan Solutions
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/sustainable-urban-development-discover-delftx-wageningenx-ams-urb-1x
Starts: January 26, 2016
From: Delft University of Technology – Netherlands

The Conquest of Space: Space Exploration and Rocket Science
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/conquest-space-space-exploration-rocket-uc3mx-bia-1x
Starts: February, 2016
From: The Charles III University of Madrid – Spain

Engineering: Building with Nature
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/engineering-building-nature-delftx-bwn101x
Starts: February, 2016
From: Delft University of Technology – Netherlands

Making Sense of News
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/making-sense-news-hkux-hku04x-0
Starts: February 16, 2016
From: The University of Hong Kong – China

Space Mission Design and Operations
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/space-mission-design-operations-epflx-ee585x
Starts: February 24, 2016
From: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne – Switzerland

Responsible Innovation
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/responsible-innovation-delftx-ri101x-0
Starts: March, 2016
From: Delft University of Technology – Netherlands

Principles of Electronic Biosensors
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/principles-electronic-biosensors-purduex-nano535x
Starts: March 1, 2016
From: Purdue University

Data Science Ethics
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/data-science-ethics-michiganx-ds101x
Starts: May 1, 2016
From: University of Michigan

Self-Paced Courses

Electromagnetism
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/electromagnetism-dian-ci-xue-tsinghuax-uphys3x
From: Tsinghua University

Fundamentals of Neuroscience Part 1: Electrical Properties of the Neuron
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/fundamentals-neuroscience-part-1-harvardx-mcb80-1x
From: Harvard University

Hypersonics – from Shock Waves to Scramjets
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/hypersonics-shock-waves-scramjets-uqx-hypers301x-0
From: The University of Queensland – Australia

The Violent Universe
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/violent-universe-anux-anu-astro3x
From: The Australian National University – Australia

Cosmology
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/cosmology-anux-anu-astro4x
From: The Australian National University – Australia

Essential Human Biology: Cells and Tissues
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/essential-human-biology-cells-tissues-adelaidex-humbio101x-0
From: The University of Adelaide – Australia

Autonomous Mobile Robots
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/autonomous-mobile-robots-ethx-amrx-0
From: ETH Zurich – Switzerland

Thermodynamics
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/thermodynamics-iitbombayx-me209-1x-0
From Indian Institute of Technology Bombay – India

Greatest Unsolved Mysteries of the Universe
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/greatest-unsolved-mysteries-universe-anux-anu-astro1x-1
From: The Australian National University – Australia

Framing: How Politicians Debate
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/framing-how-politicians-debate-delftx-frame101x
From: Delft University of Technology – Netherlands

Future Food Production: Crops
URL: https://www.edx.org/course/future-food-production-crops-wageningenx-gffcx
From: Wageningen University and Research Centre – Netherlands