8 Best FREE Personal Development Courses (2024)
Seraphina Nova
Are you gearing up for an interview and not feeling your personal best? Are you on the cusp of your education/career and aren’t confident that you have everything it takes?
Everyone feels inadequate at some point or the other in their life. Has a professor or a colleague ever told you that you would do better if you developed a particular quality? This could be better presentation skills or leadership skills. Personal development courses can give you the required boost in the right direction. Enroll for these online personal development classes and start learning at your own pace. Investing in a good self-development course could be your best investment for both personal and professional growth.
Enrolling in a wrong personal development class can lead you to make bad decisions in your life. Enrolling in the correct courses makes you feel confident and empowered.
Here is our list of the 8 best personality development courses online based on their content, expertise of the instructors, fee, and reviews. Read on to know how to choose the best self-improvement course. Read more…
Best FREE Personal Development Courses Online: Top Picks!
| Course Name | Provider | Key Topics | Level | Duration | Certification | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complete Personal Development Personal Transformation Course | Udemy |
• Personal Development and Transformation • Time Management and Personal Productivity • Lifestyle Design, Life Purpose |
Beginner | 29 Hours of on-demand video | Yes | Learn More |
| The Complete Personal Development Course – 22 Courses in 1 | Udemy |
• Psychology – Why People Do The Things They Do • Persuasion, Leadership, Communication Skills, Time Management, Networking • REBT – Reprogram Your Mind, NLP, ZEN, Motivation, Coping skills |
Beginner | 54 hours of on-demand video | Yes | Learn More |
| Communication Strategies for a Virtual Age | Coursera |
• Be a better communicator • Honing your message • Say it like you mean it. |
Beginner | 7 Hour | Yes | Learn More |
| Introduction to Self-Development: Apply a Working Plan | Udemy |
• Prioritization • SMART goals • Mind-Mapping |
Beginner | 25 Mins | Yes | Learn More |
| Find Your Style: Five Exercises to Unlock Your Creative Identity | Skillshare |
• Unpacking your identity, influences, and experiences • Building Resilience and Embracing Unexpected Change • Translating your taste into what you make |
All levels | 1 Hours 13 Mins | Yes | Learn More |
| Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential | Coursera |
• Change is Possible • Getting Deeper into Happy Learning • Learning and Careers |
Beginner | 11 Hours | Yes | Learn More |
| Improving Communication Skills | Coursera |
• Cooperation, Competition, and Comparisons • Trust • Effective Communication |
Beginner | 10 Hours | Yes | Learn More |
| Intro to Psychology | Udacity |
• Introduction to Psychology, Biology of Behavior • Sensation and Perception • Psychological Development, Psychological Disorders, Social Behaviors |
Beginner | 4 Months on-demand | Yes | Learn More |
1) Complete Personal Development Personal Transformation Course (Udemy)
Specs: Rating: 4.6| Duration: 29 hours of on-demand video| Fee: $19.99 | Certificate: Yes| Level: Beginner
Complete Personal Development Personal Transformation Course is created by TJ Walker, a leading personal development trainer. TJ Walker has authored 6 books on personality development. He coached over 200,000 students on personal development in 30 countries. The course addresses the suffering resulting from an overabundance of information, junk, and possessions. People are heavily addicted to technology via their mobile phones and laptops. This course teaches them to lead better, more fulfilling lives through personal transformation.
In this course, you can learn how to take control of your mind, time, and habits for personal growth. He teaches counter-programming the brain and conditioning thoughts, actions, and methods of living. It includes techniques to control how much and what we absorb from external stimuli. People who want to be in leadership roles will find this course helpful. It is for ambitious learners who want more out of life or for those stuck in a rut, looking for something more. It also addresses the stressors of modern life and how to avoid them. The two most important things to learn from this course are: 1) How to take 100% control of your life, including your present and future? 2) How to embrace the ability to work on your thoughts, actions, and methods of living life to its fullest?
Key Topics:
- Personal Development and Transformation
- Time Management and Personal Productivity
- Creativity
- Lifestyle Design, Life Purpose
- Goal Setting, Focus Mastery, Mindfulness
- Stress and Burnout Management
- Achieve Better Work/Life Balance
Features:
- 29 hours of on-demand video
- 3 articles
- 14 downloadable resources
- Access on mobile and TV
- Certificate of Completion
- Available with subtitles in languages: English, French, German, Indonesian, Portuguese, Spanish
Pros
Cons
2) The Complete Personal Development Course – 22 Courses in 1 (Udemy)
Specs: Rating: 4.4| Duration: 54 hours of on-demand video| Fee: $19.99 | Certificate: Yes| Level: Beginner
The Complete Personal Development Course – 22 Courses in 1 is a complete and comprehensive master-class in personal development. It shows what drives human beings and how to motivate ourselves. It teaches how to unearth emotional pain that could be stopping you from being your best version. Created by Sandor Kiss and Prof. Paul Cline, you learn basic psychology in this course. The techniques on mind-reprogramming help in your personal and professional life. The course covers Communication skills, Networking, and leadership skills, Psychological skills, Time and stress management skills, Ways to handle negative or difficult people around you, Ways to control your own emotional thoughts, Ways to fight against anxiety and depression, Skills to make life more extensive and successful.
Key Topics:
- Psychology – Why People Do The Things They Do
- Persuasion, Leadership, Communication Skills, Time Management, Networking
- REBT – Reprogram Your Mind, NLP, ZEN, Motivation, Coping skills
- Dealing with Difficult People, Parenting Skills, Customer Service
- Stress, Anxiety, Depression Management, Physical, and Mental Health
- Pain Management
Features:
- 54 hours of on-demand video
- This personality development class gives 1 article to study
- 14 downloadable resources
- Access on mobile and TV
- Certificate of completion
Pros
Cons
3) Communication Strategies for a Virtual Age (Coursera)
Specs: Rating: 4.8| Duration: 7 hours| Fee: Free | Certificate: Yes| Level: Beginner
Communication Strategies for a Virtual Age is a public speaking course that teaches people to be better communicators. It addresses several aspects like connecting with ourselves and with others. It shows how to organize thoughts. You can learn about body language, confronting anxiety, and breathing techniques. Easy techniques and practical examples will make application easy.
Ivan Wanis Ruiz teaches simple communication skills to hone leadership abilities. You learn how to take better control over emotions to communicate well.
Key Topics:
- Be a better communicator
- Honing your message
- Say it like you mean it
- Look like you mean it
- Confronting anxiety
- Hand gesture coaching
Features:
- 7 hours video
- Access on tablet and phone
- Certificate of completion
Pros
Cons
4) Introduction to Self-Development: Apply a Working Plan (Udemy)
Specs: Rating: 4.6| Duration: 25 mins| Fee: Free | Certificate: No| Level: Beginner
Introduction to Self-Development, is developed by Rayan Hejazi, who is the creator of How to Be Awesome at Your Job podcast. Want to build on your presentation skills to have a competitive advantage in your career? The ability to present and communicate well is crucial in any work environment. These skills are a prerequisite for people who want to be leaders and executives. It teaches how to make presentations more professional and impactful. It also trains the learner to conquer the fear of speaking. Learn important techniques like worst-case scenario planning, recovery strategies, and handling touch questions.
Key Topics:
- Great speaking skills are a must-have
- Give your audience only what they need to know
- Learn how to use technology as tools for the success
- Align your body, tone, and words.
- Keeping well designed lists of goals
- SMART goals
- Plan for your biggest fears.
Features:
- Online video content
- Certificate on completion
- Includes one quiz to test your knowledge.
Pros
Cons
5) Find Your Style: Five Exercises to Unlock Your Creative Identity (skillshare)
Specs: Duration: 1 Hours 13 mins| Fee: 1 Month Free Trial| Certificate: Yes| Level: All levels
Find Your Style is a combination of 13 short soft skills courses from skillshare experts. It teaches young professionals the art of presenting themselves as the ideal employee. Learn the skills that employers value most to get ahead faster in your career.
In this course, learn how to:
- Unpacking your identity, influences, and experience
- Think more when it comes to problem-solving.
- Communicate, listen, and be a good team player.
- Translating your taste into what you make
- Develop emotional intelligence at work.
- Creating successful projects, now and into the future
- And improve decision-making, teamwork, persuasion, and writing skills.
Key Topics:
- Developing your Emotional Intelligence
- How to Find Your Style
- The Big Ideas
- Find Your Patterns
- Writing in Plain Language
- Create Your Style Key
Features:
- This course is part of skillshare’s Learning path. It qualifies for academic credit at select partner universities.
- Easy accessibility on phones and tablet
- 13 sub-courses in a total of 1 hours of content
- This is one of the personal development courses online that offers a Certificate of Completion.
Pros
Cons
6) Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential (Coursera)
Specs: Rating: 4.8| Duration: 11 hours| Fee: Free | Certificate: Yes| Level: Beginner
The Mindshift course is for people with short attention spans or for those who want to speed up the process. MOOCs or Massive Open Online Courses and affordable online courses are everywhere. But one needs to learn how to get the most from them. This course teaches how to train the mind to adapt to change and pivot in new directions. It shows how to use online learning to master tough subjects.
Through this course, teach yourself how to be open to change in three ways:
- Learn about hidden capabilities and assets,
- Effective learning, and
- Matching assets with opportunities.
- Gain helpful tips on beating procrastination and focusing better.
Key Topics:
- Change is Possible
- Meta-Learning – Learning to Learn
- Lifelong Learnings: Adopting a Learning Lifestyle
- Pomodoro Technique
Features:
- Flexible deadlines to suit the learners’ schedules.
- It is one of the best self improvement programs that offers a Certificate upon completion
- 100% online and self-paced
- English audio with subtitles in Vietnamese, Dutch, Korean, German, Thai, English, Spanish, Hungarian
- Contains quizzes.
- Free enrolment
- Financial aid
Pros
Cons
7) Improving Communication Skills (Coursera)
Specs: Rating: 4.7| Duration: 10 hours| Fee: Free | Certificate: Yes| Level: Beginner
Improving Communication Skills course is part of the “Achieving Personal and Professional Success Specialization” . It is from Maurice Schweitzer, Wharton professor and author of several best-sellers. This online communication skills course can help your personal development journey.
The professor teaches you three main things:
- How to build trust in someone?
- How to communicate for negotiation?
- How to apologize to someone?
This course aims to bridge the gap between the expected response and our actual response.
Key Topics:
- Goal Setting
- Communication Skills
- Negotiation Skills
- Deception Skills
Features:
- 100% online course
- 10 hours of content
- Certificate of Completion
- Subtitles are available in 10 other languages.
- Flexible deadlines available
Pros
Cons
8) Intro to Psychology (Udacity)
Specs: Rating: 4.5| Duration: 4 months on-demand| Fee: Free| Certificate:Yes | Level: Beginner
Intro to Psychology is an online personal development course in basic psychology that talks about human behaviors. It trains the learner on the biology of behavior. Sensation and perception, memory, learning, and thought are some of the topics. One can also learn about some common psychological disorders and their treatments.
Key Topics:
- Introduction to Psychology, Biology of Behavior
- Sensation and Perception
- Psychological Development, Psychological Disorders, Social Behaviors
- Consciousness and Memory
- Depressants, Hallucinogens, and Opioids
- Language, Intelligence, Motivation, and Emotion
- Stress, Health, and Personality
Features:
- Four months to complete the course.
- This self-development course offers a Certificate of Completion
- Interactive quizzes available
- Taught by industry professionals.
Pros
Cons
How does Personal Development Course works?
A personal development course enhances a student’s personality. It teaches you to stay focused and confident. It guides you to adjust and adapt to new changes in life.
