List of Free Online MBA Courses and Classes

See our list of top free online MBA courses. Learn about what courses are available, what topics they cover and whether you can use them to get college credit.

Online MBA Courses for Credit

Free online business courses can explore topics that might be covered during a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program or provide students with the skills needed to start earning one of these graduate degrees. However, most of these resources don't award college credit.

Education Portal's online courses, on the other hand, can be used by prospective MBA students who want to earn undergraduate credit for a fraction of the cost of enrolling in traditional prerequisite or introductory business classes. For a nominal fee, registered members can view short video lessons taught by experts in the business field or use self-assessment quizzes to determine which topics require additional study. Each course also includes free lesson transcripts. Some of the available business courses are listed below:

• Business 101: Principles of Management - Management and leadership theories, organizational change, communication strategies and managerial decision making are among the topics covered in this course.
• Business 102: Principles of Marketing - This course addresses product retailing, public relations and pricing strategies as well as influences on consumers' decision making, among other topics.
• Business 106: Human Resource Management - In addition to employment law and current human resource management trends, instructors discuss staffing, employee compensation, performance appraisals and labor relations.
• Business 107: Organizational Behavior - Course chapters address factors influencing an organization's structure, culture and work environment. Methods for resolving conflict and motivating employees are covered as well.
• Business 111: Principles of Supervision - The roles and responsibilities of supervisors are discussed alongside the organizational and leadership skills that make for a successful manager.

Free Online Non-Credited MBA Courses

Carnegie Mellon University

• Principles of Economics

The Open Learning Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University is an online resource that offers users feedback as they progress through courses. These lessons provide a foundation for the mathematical and business skills learned during an MBA program. Although students don't need to sign in to complete the courses, registering is required to save their work. The Principles of Economics course covers supply and demand, network externalities, monopolies and minimum wage. The course supplies a semester's worth of information and includes experiments where students can use online workbooks.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Economic Analysis for Business Decisions
• Managerial Psychology
• Marketing Management

MIT's Sloan School of Management offers multiple free business courses online through its OpenCourseWare project. Economic Analysis for Business Decisions is a graduate-level class that teaches students about the economic decisions that companies must make. Through lecture notes, handouts and assignments, students learn about market structure and behavior. Several exams with answer keys are also posted.

Students interested in learning about behavioral science theories might want to take Managerial Psychology. The course helps students develop leadership qualities, organize groups and motivate employees. Users have access to most of the lectures, as well as case assignments, paper topics and quizzes.

Marketing Management is a graduate course that explores advertising and marketing strategies by looking at a variety of case studies. Lecture notes are available on topics like pricing, marketing channels and product development. Case report assignments are also offered online.

Open University

• Communication, Management and Your Own Context
• Entrepreneurial Behavior
• What Do We Mean by Strategy

Business and management courses from The Open University range from topics in business management and leadership to management systems and human resources. Its Communication, Management and Your Own Context course explores the type of business communication and skills necessary to start an MBA program. The class includes ten modules that contain lectures and activities. The Entrepreneurial Behaviorcourse explores the traits and habits needed for innovative entrepreneurship. The lessons for this course come with short question and answer sections.

The What Do We Mean by Strategy course examines how strategic thinking is needed when looking at a company's potential market and resources. The lessons also come with visual aids.

University of Notre Dame

• Calculus II for Business

The Calculus II for Business course instructs students on how to apply calculus to environmental shifts, population increases and business. Prior knowledge of calculus is helpful for this advanced course. Students have access to semester projects, exams, homework and quizz