List of Free Distance Learning University Modules

Just applied for Celtic History and Culture & Introduction to Celtic Literature.

PRSOM!

Will you be applying for any? I want to do Modern Irish next year.

I thought it would be a good idea to compile a list of university modules/courses which you can study (in English) via distance learning for free. Maybe you're looking for a way to cut the cost of a degree, or perhaps you would like to do something a bit different to make your UCAS application stand out. Some of these modules require 60 ECTS (1 year of university study) to enol, but the majority are open to everyone.

You can also visit Sweden's university admissions website and use the search function to find newer modules which may not be featured on this list.

Uppsala University

American History (7.5 ECTS)
American Politics (7.5 ECTS)
Ancient Near East: Introduction (7.5 ECTS)
Applied Pharmaceutical Bioinformatics (5 ECTS)
Applied Pharmaceutical Structural Bioinformatics (5 ECTS)
Bioinformatic Analyses (5 ECTS)
Bioinformatics on the Web (5 ECTS)
Celtic History and Culture (7.5 ECTS)
Decision Analysis in Energy Planning with Focus on Wind Power (7.5 ECTS)
Drug Discovery Based on Natural Products (7.5 ECTS)
Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance (7.5 ECTS)
Energy and Environment (7.5 ECTS)
Fundamentals of Management (7.5 ECTS)
Hindi A1 (Beginners) (30 ECTS)
Human-Computer Interaction (5 ECTS)
Informatics Toolbox for Systematics (5 ECTS)
Information Technology (7.5 ECTS)
Introduction to Celtic Literature (7.5 ECTS)
Introductory Course in Turkic Languages (22.5 ECTS)
Irish Love Poetry (7.5 ECTS)
Modern Irish I (7.5 ECTS)
Modern Irish II (7.5 ECTS)
Modern Irish III (7.5 ECTS)
Modern Irish Reading (7.5 ECTS)
Neuroethics (7.5 ECTS)
Old Irish I (7.5 ECTS)
Old Irish II (7.5 ECTS)
Old Irish Reading (7.5 ECTS)
Pharmaceutical Bioinformatics (7.5 ECTS)
Pharmacognosy, Intermediate Course (15 ECTS)
Preclinical Safety Assessment and Pharmacovigilance (7.5 ECTS)
Principles of Marketing (7.5 ECTS)
The Religions, History and Cultural History of India (7.5 ECTS)
Welsh I (7.5 ECTS)
Welsh II (7.5 ECTS)
Welsh III (7.5 ECTS)
Western Esotericism: Sex, Magic and Resistance from the Renaissance until Today (7.5 ECTS)
Wind Energy Calculations (7.5 ECTS)
Wind Power Basics (7.5 ECTS)
Wind Power Installation, Operations and Maintenance (7.5 ECTS)
Wind Power Planning and Economics (7.5 ECTS)
Wind Power Planning and Permission (7.5 ECTS)
Wind Power Project Development (7.5 ECTS)
Wind Power System and Grid Integration (7.5 ECTS)
Wind Resources (7.5 ECTS)
Wind Turbine Technology (7.5 ECTS)

Lund University

Biology: Bryophyte Morphology and Identification (5 ECTS)
Biology: Plant Systematics and Diversity (10 ECTS)
Cultural Sciences: Intellectual Property and Digital Information - Law, Politics and Culture (7.5 ECTS)
Economic History: The Global Economy (15 ECTS)
Globalisation and Culture (7.5 ECTS)
Globalisation and Gender Relations (7.5 ECTS)
Globalisation and Social Change (7.5 ECTS)
Globalisation and Social Policy (7.5 ECTS)
Yiddish: Language and Literature (Beginners) (15 ECTS)
Yiddish: Language and Literature (15 ECTS)

Malmö University

Caucasus Studies I (30 ECTS), modules include:
Introduction to Caucasus Studies
A language of the Caucasus (Georgian or Russian)
Post-Soviet developments in the Caucasus
History of the Caucasus

Caucasus Studies II (30 ECTS), modules include:
State and Nation Building in the Caucasus
Peoples and Languages of the Caucasus
Conflict and Conflict Resolution in the Caucasus
The Caucasus Region: Causes and Consequences of Migration

Creative Writing I (15 ECTS)
Creative Writing II (15 ECTS)
Gender and sports I (7.5 ECTS)

University of Gothenburg

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) - Introduction (7.5 ECTS)
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) - Part 2 (7.5 ECTS)

Stockholm University

BSc Earth Sciences (the majority of modules can be studied via distance learning)
Tellus I - Physical Geography (15 ECTS)
Tellus II - Physical Geography (12.5 ECTS)
Mathematics III - Complex Analysis (7.5 ECTS)
Mathematics III - Combinatorics (7.5 ECTS)
Tropical Marine Biology (7.5 ECTS)

Umeå University

Applied Sports Coaching (7.5 ECTS)
Democracy, human rights and gender: global perspectives in education (7.5 ECTS)
Geographic Information Systems 1 - Scientific Data (7.5 ECTS)
Geographic Information Systems 2 - Scientific Data (7.5 ECTS)
History of Technology (7.5 ECTS)
International Economic History (15 ECTS)
Law and Society: Introductory Course (15 ECTS)
The Physics of Virtual Environments (7.5 ECTS)

Linköping University

Swedish for Foreign Students (7.5 ECTS)

Linnaeus University

Introduction to Game Programming (7.5 ECTS)
Astrophysics (7.5 ECTS)
Computational Physics I (7.5 ECTS)
Rock Art in northern Europe - an Introduction (7.5 ECTS)
Digital Image Editing (7.5 ECTS)
Structured programming with C++ (7.5 ECTS)
Elementary number theory (7.5 ECTS)
Internet Security (7.5 ECTS)
Advanced Analog Electronics (7.5 ECTS)
Introduction to Transgender studies (7.5 ECTS)
Global Health (7.5 ECTS)
Digital Image Editing (7.5 ECTS)
Graphic Tools (7.5 ECTS)
Discrete Mathematics (7.5 ECTS)
Applied Quantum Mechanics (7.5 ECTS)
Bioenergy Technology (7.5 ECTS)
Sustainable energy supply (7.5 ECTS)
Typography and digital publishing in Adobe Indesign (7.5 ECTS)
Android for Java Programmers (7.5 ECTS)

Dalarna University College

Chinese Basic Training I (7.5 ECTS)
Chinese Characters II (7.5 ECTS)
Chinese in Speech and Writing (15 ECTS)
Chinese in Speech and Writing II (15 ECTS)
Chinese Oral Proficiency I (7.5 ECTS)
Chinese Oral Proficiency II (7.5 ECTS)
Development of Mobile and Embedded Systems (7.5 ECTS)
Forensic Computing I (7.5 ECTS)
Fundamentals of Programming (7.5 ECTS)
Introduction to Internet Applications (7.5 ECTS)
Logic and Mathematics for Computer Science (7.5 ECTS)
Script Programming (7.5 ECTS)
Introduction to Object-oriented Programming (7.5 ECTS)
Qualification course in Database Systems for masterprogram in Business Intelligence (7.5 ECTS)
Literature in English (15 ECTS)
The History of British and American Literature and Ideas (15 ECTS)
Engish Corpus Linguistics (7.5 ECTS)
The Contemporary Coming-of-Age Novel in English: Female, Ethnic and Ageing Perspectives (7.5 ECTS)
Social variation, language contact and power in English (7.5 ECTS)
Literature and Theory (7.5 ECTS)
Introduction to linguistic method (7.5 ECTS)
American Fiction: 1960s to the Present (7.5 ECTS)
Contemporary Irish Poetry: From National to Global Identities (7.5 ECTS)
Italian: Beginners Course I (15 ECTS)
Italian: Beginners course II (15 ECTS)
Japanese Pop Culture Represented in Anime and Manga (7.5 ECTS)
Modern Japan: Culture and Society (7.5 ECTS)
European Union: Institutions and Politics (7.5 ECTS)
Foreign Policy Analysis (7.5 ECTS)
Globalisation - Meanings and Consequences (7.5 ECTS)
International Organisations (7.5 ECTS)
International Relations: an Introduction (7.5 ECTS)
International Security (7.5 ECTS)
Method in Social Science I - International Relations (7.5 ECTS)
Conflict, Intervention and Peace (7.5 ECTS)
Method in Social Science II - International Relations (7.5 ECTS)
The EU in International Relations (7.5 ECTS)
Portuguese: Basic Course I (15 ECTS)
Portuguese: Basic Course II (15 ECTS)
Human Rights and Democracy in a Global Era (30 ECTS)

University of Tromsø

An introduction to Circumpolar World (10 ECTS)
Peoples and Cultures of the Circumpolar World (15 ECTS)
Contemporary Issues of the Circumpolar World 1: Economy (10 ECTS)
Land and environment of the Circumpolar World (15 ECTS)
Contemporary Issues of the Circumpolar World 2: Politics (10 ECTS)
High north politics and Barents cooperation (10 ECTS)
Culture and Identity in the Barents Region (10 ECTS)
Nordic and Russian Government in a Comparative Perspective (10 ECTS)

Nord University

Scandinavian Politics (10 ECTS)
History, Politics and Northern Resources (10 ECTS)
Northern Scandinavian Societies (10 ECTS)

Great list!

I have a few questions, though. Say someone does 60 credits with these online distance-learning modules. What can they do besides transferring the credits to the OU? Where would these modules be mentioned in their CV?

Not sure. I suppose it depends on which modules you do and over what time frame. If you completed 60 ECTS in a year then you could say something like: 2015-2016: One-year programme in X subject (60 ECTS, equivalent to first year of a degree). Or you could list modules you've taken under a separate 'Independent Coursework' heading.

Are all ECTS the same level? It does not seem to level them on the links you provided.

With the OU you have to study a certain amount of credits at level one, two and three for a degree. Is there no leveling system in ECTS? or are all credits equal?

Many thanks in advance