5 Top Free Online Certificate Short Courses for African Students

You might have failed your high school examinations. Maybe you didn’t get the required cut-off points for your dream course at university. You might not have enough money to pursue higher education or maybe, you want to make a career change but cannot afford to go back to school. (5 Top Free Online Certificate Short Courses for African Students)

Whatever your reason, a free online certificate short course might be the answer to your worries. 

Although an online certificate course is no substitute for a formal degree, it might be exactly what you need to advance toward your goals. An online course could empower you with the skills and knowledge to qualify for a new job, a pay rise, or prepare you for university.

If the above reasons sound important to you, read on for our recommended top five free online certificate courses for African students.

1. Machine learning Specialization by Stanford University

According to Glassdoor, the average machine learning engineer salary is $133,336/year (bonuses included). If that’s not motivation enough to buff up your CV with Machine learning skills, I don’t know what is. 

With over 423,000 students already enrolled, this free online certificate short course will teach you the fundamentals of machine learning. It will also teach you how to use the techniques taught in class to build real-world AI applications.

The reputable Stanford University offers this beginner-friendly free online course through Coursera – an online education platform. The course will take you two months to finish at about ten hours per week.  

If you’re looking to break into AI or build a career in machine learning, this Machine Learning Specialization is the best place to start. To enroll in the course for free, follow this link. 

2. IBM Data Science Professional Certificate

Data scientists are in very high demand in almost all industries: From Banking to Software Engineering to Medicine and Agriculture. All major industries rely on collecting and making sense of big data to make informed decisions. 

If you‘re an African student looking for a free online short course in data science, look no further than this certification from Coursera. 

Offered in conjunction with IBM, this short course will take you only five months to complete at about 10 hours per week.  

With over 223,480 students already enrolled, this short course will give you n employer-recognised certificate from IBM. It will also make you qualified for qualify for in-demand job titles such as Data Scientist, Junior Data Scientist, as well as Data Architect.

To enroll in this course for free, follow this link.

3. Web development Certifications by FreeCodeCamp

Since 2014, over 40,000 students who graduated and earned certificates from FreeCodeCamp got jobs in reputable Tech companies. These companies include Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Spotify. 

If you’ve been bitten by the coding bug, if you’re an African student who would love to begin a career in web development, look no further than FreeCodeCamp’s free online short courses.

The organization offers free online certificate short courses across different tracks in Web Development. All you have to do is pick a path you want to explore. Some of the Web Development certifications the organization provides include Responsive Web Design certification, Back-End Development and APIs, Relational Databases Certification, and quality Quality Assurance. 

At about ten hours a week, you will finish any of these short online courses in less than a month. Follow this link to start learning. 

4. Content marketing for Beginners by Hubspot Academy

With the rise of Social Media and online businesses, Content Marketing specialists are in high demand now more than ever. Companies need content marketers to get their products in front of their target audiences.

If you’re good with words, or if you’re passionate about social media, this free short online course from Hubspot might be what you need to turn your passion into a career.

In this free short course, Hubspot Academy will teach you how to craft content that captivates your audience. Industry experts will teach you how to build content optimization frameworks that can produce measurable results. 

The seven-hour-long free short course will teach will also show you how to work with influencers to increase your reach. Click here to start learning content marketing with Hubspot Academy.

5. The Science of Well-Being by Yale University

The COVID-19 global pandemic shone a light on the acute state of our mental health. It showed that now, more than ever, people lack the skills they need to maintain their inner well-being. As a result, more and more people are taking their wellness into their own hands. 

According to the Global Wellness Institute, the wellness economy will be worth nearly $7.0 trillion by 2025. That’s massive!

If you’d like to break into the Health and Wellness industry, this free short certificate course from Yale University is perfect for you. 

With over 4.5 million students already enrolled, this course, which is offered through Coursera is one of the most famous short online courses.  

By the end of the course, you will have learned essential life skills such as meditation and how to nurture and maintain your happiness. You will also learn how to remain grounded in gratitude no matter what’s happening around you. 

You will finish this 18-hour short course in less than a month.  

If you would like to enroll in this free online course, click here. 

And there you have it, our top 5 recommended free online short courses with certificates. If you’re an African student looking to upskill, start with the above-mentioned courses.

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