Free MBA Program

Where to Find Free Business Courses Online

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A free MBA program may sound too good to be true, but the fact is that nowadays you can get a well-rounded business education free. The internet has provided a way for everyone around the world to learn more about any topic they're interested in. Some of the best colleges, universities, and business institutions in the world offer free business courses that can be completed at your convenience. These courses are self-guided, which means that you study independently and at your own pace.

Will the Free MBA Program Result in a Degree?

You will not receive college credit or a degree when you complete the free courses detailed below, but you may get a certificate of completion after finishing some of the courses, and you will definitely get started on the education you need to start or manage a business. The skills you pick up could also be of value in your current position or in a more advanced position within your field. The idea of completing an MBA program without earning a degree may seem disappointing, but remember, the essential point of an education is to gain knowledge, not a piece of paper.

The courses shown below have been chosen to create an MBA program that provides a general business education. You'll find courses in general business, accounting, finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, leadership, and management.

Accounting

Understanding basic accounting procedures is important for every business student, whether you plan to enter the accounting field or not. Every individual and business uses accounting in day-to-day operations. Take all three courses to get a well-rounded view of this topic.

  • Introduction to Accounting: This introductory course from the U.S. Small Business Administration provides an overview of accounting. The course takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Choose from a text-based or video-based option.
  • Bookkeeping Course: This free online bookkeeping course is a text-based course that covers basic bookkeeping topics, such as balance sheets, cash flow statements, and debits and credits. You should participate in all course activities to cement knowledge and then test yourself with post-lesson quizzes.
  • Principles of Financial Accounting: This University of Alaska course delves deeper into financial accounting. Lectures are delivered via slides. The course also includes homework assignments and a final exam.

Advertising and Marketing

Marketing is important for any business that sells a product or service. If you plan to start your own business, work in management, or pursue a career in marketing or advertising, it is essential to learn the psychology of advertising and marketing processes. Complete all three courses to gain a thorough understanding of both topics.

  • Marketing 101: This free business course from the U.S. Small Business Administration offers an overview of marketing with an emphasis on reaching a wider customer base. The course takes approximately 30 minutes to complete.
  • Principles of Marketing: Provided through Study.com, this free online course includes a series of nearly 100 short video lessons. Each video covers a specific topic and includes a post-lesson quiz.
  • Advanced Marketing: This free MBA course from NetMBA provides detailed text-based lessons on a variety of marketing topics.

Entrepreneurship

Whether you plan to start your own business or not, entrepreneurship training is an important part of a general business education. This knowledge can be useful for everything from branding to product launches to project management. Explore both courses to learn about the different aspects of entrepreneurship.

  • Introduction to Franchising: This U.S. Small Business Administration course introduces students to franchising and provides tips on choosing a franchise. The course takes approximately 30 minutes to complete.
  • Starting a Business: This free entrepreneurship course from MyOwnBusiness.org covers key start-up topics including writing a business plan, building a business, and operation management. The course includes instruction, quizzes, and other learning materials.

Leadership and Management

Leadership skills are extraordinarily important in the business world, even if you don't work in a supervisory capacity. Taking courses in leadership and management will teach you how to manage both people and the day-to-day operations of a business, department, or project. Take all three courses to gain a full understanding of management and leadership principles.

  • Principles of Management: Study.com provides an extensive video-based course focused on business management. The course is divided into short easy-to-digest lessons, each with a post-lesson quiz.
  • Leadership Lab: This free leadership lab from MIT's Sloan School of Management consists of videos, lecture notes, assignments, and other learning materials.
  • Business Management and Leadership: This free MBA course from Master Class Management is a mini MBA program that results in a certificate of completion.

MBA Program Electives

Business electives are a great way to further specialize in a topic that interests you. Here are a couple of electives to consider. You can also search out your own to focus your studies on something that interests you.

  • Business Law: This introductory business law course from Education-Portal.com consists of short video lessons. You can test your knowledge at the end of each portion with post-lesson quizzes.
  • Strategic Human Resources Management: MIT's Sloan School of Management offers text-based lecture notes, assignments, and a final exam focused on human resource management strategies. 

Get Real Course Credit

If you would rather take courses that result in some sort of certificate or even a university recognized degree without enrolling in business school and paying a sizable tuition bill, you may want to consider looking at sites like Coursera or EdX, both of which offer courses from some of the top universities in the world. Coursera offers certificate courses and degree programs that start as low as $15. Admission is required for degree programs. EdX offers university credits for a small fee per credit hour. 

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Schweitzer, Karen. "Free MBA Program." ThoughtCo, Jul. 29, 2021, thoughtco.com/free-mba-program-466509. Schweitzer, Karen. (2021, July 29). Free MBA Program. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/free-mba-program-466509 Schweitzer, Karen. "Free MBA Program." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/free-mba-program-466509 (accessed March 19, 2024).