An advanced course or a degree in computer science can open new doors for you in the IT sector. And if you are already in the IT sector, it is pertinent that you keep yourself updated and expand your horizons. And the easiest way to do this is through an online course. Through these courses, which are flexible and easily accessible from virtually anywhere in the world, students and professionals alike can look forward to rewarding and well-paying careers.
There is a wide variety of subjects to choose from: programming languages, multimedia development, network or computer security, regardless of where you want to do these courses from. So finding something that meets your requirements is not very difficult. In this article, you can find some of the best online courses for computer science, most of which offer a certificate at completion which comes in handy when you are searching for a job in your area of Specialization.
You will find that a majority of these courses are self-paced, which means that you can learn about a particular subject at your leisure. So scroll through our list of the best online courses for computer science to find the right one for you.
Top 8 Best Online Computer Science Courses
These are the very best online courses for business – let’s take a look and find the perfect one for you! The first 3 are offered by edX while the other 5 are available on Coursera.
CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science
Offered by Harvard University in the edX platform, this is a comprehensive introduction to computer science and is taught by David J. Malan, Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice of Computer Science. It’s one of the most popular online courses of all time and by far the most famous online computer science course ever made.
This course is open for both novices and those with prior programming experience. This course will cover topics such as security, resource management, abstraction, encapsulation, algorithms, web development, software engineering and data structures.
This is a 10-week course that requires 10-20 hours of effort per week but is self-paced. So expect to spend many more hours on the course. The course teaches you to efficiently solve problems and includes languages such as Python, C, SQL, CSS, HTML and JavaScript. This course, like most edX courses, is free, but you can add a verified certificate for $90. Interestingly, this is the same course that is taught on campus at Harvard—known as CS50—and is one of the largest courses taught there.
Students will learn:
- What are computer science and programming?
- Solving problems with efficiency and thinking algorithmically
- Sorting and searching algorithms
- Learning how to code
- Introduction to cryptography, gaming, forensics
- Abstraction, software engineering and web development
- CSS, HTML, Python, JavaScript, HTML and CSS
- Developing and presenting a programming project
This is a challenging course, but those who complete it find it rewarding. Anyone who has taken this course has nothing but great things to say about it and the faculty.
You can read more about this course here.
Professional Certificate in Introduction to Computer Science
Offered by Microsoft in the edX platform, this 2-4 month program is a part of the Microsoft Professional Program in Entry-Level Software Development and requires approximately 38-52 hours of effort. The program is a combination of 3 skill-building courses that teach you how to think logically and write basic programs.
You will learn:
- What is Analytical Logic?
- What is The Correlation between Computer Science and Logic?
- Writing Basic Programs in Python
- Conditionals, Functions and Loops in Python
- Processing Files
The three courses that are taught in this program are:
- Introduction to Python: Absolute Beginner: What it says, this course teaches you all about Python’s concepts and layers.
- Logical and Computational Thinking: This course is all about mastering logic and learning how a computer “thinks.” This is an extensive course that contains 4 modules that include deduction, deductive reasoning, categorical logic and software testing.
- Introduction to Python: Fundamentals: This course takes over from what you learned in the first course and takes it from there. You will learn Python 3 fundamentals, creating and iterating through lists, slicing strings into substrings and writing, reading and creating files. This course has 4 modules.
You can enroll now at the discounted price of $267.30 ($297 earlier) for the full program experience. You will be given regular assignments and hands-on projects that will provide you with the experience you need to understand new technologies. The course is designed to equip you with the knowledge that will enable you to work in any computer-related field.
You can read about this course in detail here.
Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python
This 9-week program is offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the edX platform and uses Python 3.5 to solve real-world analytical problems as a way to introduce computer science. The program requires an effort of 14-16 hours a week but those who have completed it say it may require more than that.
This program will cover:
- What is computation?
- Covering the Python programming language
- Algorithms
- Debugging and testing
- What is algorithmic complexity?
- Data structures
The program claims to cover a brief introduction to a wide range of topics so you will learn how to use computation to accomplish goals.
You can earn academic credit for this course through Charter Oak State College, details of which can be found here. The course is taught by MIT professors John Guttag and Eric Grimson and Ana Bell, a computer science and electrical engineering lecturer. You can get a verified certificate for this course for $75.
Read more about this course here.
Coursera offers some of the best online courses for computer science from reputed universities. Let’s take a look at some of these:
Master of Computer and Information Technology
Offered by the Penn State University, this is an extensive course (20-30 months) that is completely online and would cost you approximately $25,000. The next session will start on January 15, 2020.
Master of Computer Science
Offered by the University of Illinois, this 12-36 month course requires 32 credit hours of graduate coursework and would cost you $21,440. The next cohort will start on January 21, 2020.
Master of Computer Science
Offered by the Arizona State University, this course takes 18-36 months to complete and costs around $15,000. It covers a wide variety of topics such as big data, blockchain, cybersecurity and AI among others. The next cohort will start on January 13, 2020.
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Offered by the University of London, the course takes 3-6 years to complete and costs approximately £10,088 — £15,132 (depending on where you are). You can choose 1 from 7 high-end topics for your Specialization.
Big Data MasterTrack™ Certificate
Offered by Arizona State University, this course takes 4-6 months to complete and costs $4,500 (this is apart from the application fee). If you manage a B (or better) in every course, you will be eligible for the Master of Science Degree program.
Final Thoughts
This was our thoroughly researched list of the best online courses for computer science. All courses listed in the article are a great way to bolster your existing experience or learn new technologies. The first 3 courses listed here are free to learn and you pay only if you want a certification, and are self-paced so that you learn at your leisure and make the most out of your time. While the Coursera options aren’t free, they’re excellent tools to upgrade your knowledge and education.
If you want to discover more learning opportunities, then be sure to take a look at our list of the best online courses. Thanks for reading and as always, have a great day!