10 Best Online Psychology Courses and Classes [Updated March 2023]

Best Online Psychology Courses and Classes

 

Humans are a spectacular species and it is fascinating to learn what affects human behavior, emotions, personality, and perceptions. Psychology is one of the most exciting subjects as it is the study of the human mind and behavior. As a fact each one of us practices psychology in our daily life while talking to friends and colleagues, negotiating with a vendor, pitching a business deal to clients, etc.

 

Since we live in a time, where mental health is as important as physical health, a lot of people wish to understand what goes behind a human mind, the reason why we behave a certain way, or the factors that shape our personality. As a consequence, a number of students and professionals are exploring the field of psychology to make it their vocation. Taking up psychology as a career choice not only opens up multiple avenues but also leads to personal growth. It helps us understand the various factors such as social pressures, biological influences, and environmental factors that affect how we think, act, and feel.

 

Lucidly, the four main goals of psychology are to describe, explain, predict, and change behavior. Psychology as a science encompasses multiple sub-categories of research and application such as:

 

  • Abnormal psychology
  • Biological psychology
  • Clinical psychology
  • Cognitive psychology
  • Developmental psychology
  • Forensic psychology
  • Industrial-organizational psychology
  • Personality psychology
  • Social psychology

 

If any of the above fields of study entice you, there are a number of online psychology courses that can teach you the popular theories and concepts of psychology without undertaking a formal diploma from a college. By learning through online psychology courses you can gain an insight into human behavior, understand others better, improve your communication skills, and enhance your critical thinking. The best part about pursuing psychology courses online is that you can study at your own pace, share your experience with like-minded people online, display your new-found skills on your social profiles, and thus increase employability.

 

Since you are reading this article, we assume you are willing to learn psychology online and have already donned your Google glasses to search for different psychology studies online and the top online psychology courses offered by popular universities. To cut your search short, we at TrumpLearning along with our 16 psychology experts have curated a list of the best psychology classes online that you can enroll yourself into and get access to the best study content at the comfort of your home.

 

10 Best Online Psychology Courses & Classes :

  1. Diploma in Modern Applied Psychology (Achology Certified) [Udemy]
  2. Introduction to Psychology By Yale University [Coursera]
  3. Stress and Anxiety Management: Psychology – Accredited CERT [Udemy]
  4. Introduction to Clinical Psychology By University of Queensland [edX]
  5. Exploring Psychology’s Core Concepts [edX]
  6. Advanced Level Psychology Accredited Certificate [Udemy]
  7. Alcohol and Drug Addictions: Psychology – Accredited CERT [Udemy]
  8. Introduction to Psychology By University of Toronto [Coursera]
  9. Introduction to Developmental, Social & Clinical Psychology By University of Queensland [edX]
  10. FREE - Introduction to Psychology By San Jose State University [Udacity]
Diploma in Modern Applied Psychology (Achology Certified) [Udemy]

 

We begin our extensive list with a Udemy bestseller in online psychology courses certified by The Academy for Modern Applied Psychology. This beginners’ diploma course will help you attain an in-depth knowledge of the correlation between human reasoning and performance and understand the nuances of modern applied psychology.  The psychology classes online in this course aim to empower you to apply the principles and philosophies of psychology in order to help yourself and others to make positive changes in the mental process and their consequential behaviors.

 

The 50.5 hours-long course comprises of 180 psychology classes online videos that have been divided into eight sections or modules to learn psychology online. The course also contains 220 downloadable resources. Both the videos and the resources are available for full lifetime access.

 

Some of the topics covered in these psychology studies online are:

 

  • The foundations of the modern applied psychology
  • The behavioral school of psychological thought
  • Introduction to psychoanalytical perspective
  • Developmental psychology – stages of cognitive,  moral, and human development
  • Understanding the human cognitive experience
  • The humanistic school  of thought
  • Introduction to  school of social psychology and influence

 

At the end of taking the psychological studies online you will be able to:

 

  • Apply critical principles from all schools of psychological thought.
  • Enhance your capability to self-reflect critically and accurately.
  •  Manage your thoughts and emotional response.
  • Understand how human behavior is affected by the unconscious mind.
  • Use psychology principles to enhance your relations.
  • Take appropriate decisions according to your goals and priorities.

 

The psychology classes online have been created by Kain Ramsay, teacher of Applied Psychology and Achology Ltd. Taking such online psychology courses can open up many career options for you such as teaching, public speaking, coaching, and therapy. An understanding of human behavior also makes you a preferred candidate in the social sector, management teams, HR departments, government organizations, and other businesses as well.

 

This is amongst the best online psychology courses in applied psychology. It has been rated a 4.4 and currently has 11, 233 students on board. This course can be purchased with a one-time fee and you will also be awarded a certificate upon completion. This is one of the online psychology courses that offer a 30-days money-back guarantee.

 

Reviews by Dr. Tomba Singh
It is so useful course for me and now I can apply many of the core concepts of apply psychology in my life. Once again thank you so much for providing such a useful course.

 


Introduction to Psychology By Yale University [Coursera]

 

Next in the queue is this Coursera psychology course for psychology studies online offered by Yale University. If you are looking for online psychology courses, this course is another good option to go with. It doesn’t matter if you are not a psychology student; if you want to pursue psychology studies online to understand human behavior, this beginners’ course gives an outline to the scientific study of human thought and behavior.

 

Under this course, you will learn how the different aspects of psychology develop in children, how psychology differs across people, how the psychological elements are wired in the brain, and how these elements get affected and break down due to illnesses and injuries.

 

The psychology classes online in this Coursera psychology course have been divided into seven modules that take approx. 15 hours to complete. The topics covered under each module in the six- weeks Coursera psychology course are:

 

Module 1:  Foundations

 

  • Foundational psychological theories
  • Findings in psychology
  • Introduction to the field of neuroscience
  • Freud’s psychodynamic theory
  • Skinner’s theory of behaviorism

 

Module 2: Development and Language

 

  • Foundational psychological research into development and language
  • Methods for studying how infants and children think
  • Structure of language and language processing
  • Animal communication
  • Relationship between language and thought

 

Module 3: Cognition

 

  • How we perceive the world
  • How attention works
  • How to store our experiences in memory

 

Module 4: Self and Others

 

  • Psychology examining the self and others
  • Social and non-social emotions
  • Social psychology – how to deal with other people

 

Module 5: Variation

 

  • Human variation – personality and intelligence
  • Role of genes and environment
  • Clinical psychology – prominent mental illnesses and therapies

 

Module 6: The good life

 

  • How psychologists measure happiness
  • Factors that contribute to the good life

 

The instructor of these psychology classes online is Paul Bloom, Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Yale University. This is another in the line of the best online psychology courses with a high rating of 4.8 and 348,932 enrollments. You will also earn a sharable certificate on completing this Coursera psychology course.

 

Reviews by AR
This was my second course using this site, and with Professor Bloom, and once again it was great. I've genuinely learnt a lot, and I've found a new love for psychology I never would have found before.

 


Stress and Anxiety Management: Psychology – Accredited CERT [Udemy]

 

Stress and anxiety have become an intrinsic part of our lives and managing it has become a much-needed life skill. If you are a psychology student and wish to learn psychology online beyond the curriculum or simply looking out for psychology studies online to learn about stress and anxiety management, this beginner’s course is fit for all. This course, accredited by the International Association of Therapists (IAOTH), covers topics such as:

 

  • Psychology of stress and anxiety disorder
  • Generalized personality disorder
  • Burnout
  • Panic disorder
  • Types of therapies
  • Typical medications for anxiety disorders
  • Breathing techniques to reduce panic and anxiety

 

The psychology studies online under this course have been divided into six main modules that consist of 31 online video lectures and take approx. 3.5 hours to complete. This course also consists of seven downloadable resources and all of these are available for full lifetime access on purchasing this course. The psychology classes online have been designed by Elmira Strange, a motivational psychologist. This course too is a bestseller amongst online psychology courses on Udemy with a rating of 4.4 and 1886 students on board. This course also provides a certificate upon completion.

 

Reviews by Gerold A. Oliver
Very informative, it delivered more than what was expected, it provided excellent insight and spark the interest to want more while providing avenue for further studies. The lecturer seems passionate about the subject and it came out in her exuberant delivery which contributed significantly learning and retention of the information.

 


Introduction to Clinical Psychology By University of Queensland [edX]

 

If you wish to understand the common mental disorders out of curiosity or in order to help someone out, or if you are a psychology student, this edX psychology course is one of the best online psychology courses that focus on clinical psychology.  This course is a part of the psychology studies online XSeries program – Introduction to Developmental, Social and Clinical Psychology.  On undertaking this course you will learn about the common psychological disorders such as anxiety, mood disorders, and Schizophrenia. You will also discover the role of stress and its effect on mental and physical health.

 

This beginner’s edX psychology course takes seven weeks to learn psychology online. You are required to dedicate 1-2 hours of effort per week to complete the course in the stipulated time. Other topics covered in these psychology classes online are:

 

  • Treatments of psychological disorders
  • How to cope up with stress
  • Theories about personality and intelligence
  • Explanation of normal aging

 

The instructors of this course are professors and lecturers from the University of Queensland. While you can enrol for this self-paced course for free, you will need to pay an additional fee to acquire an official and verified certificate from the institution. This edX psychology course has been enrolled by 53,578 students already.

 


Exploring Psychology’s Core Concepts [edX]

 

Here is another edX psychology course to learn psychology online that will cover the foundation of this field. The psychology classes online in this course are meant for beginners who are keen on understanding psychology as a science. Some of the key takeaways of this edX psychology course are:

 

  • History of psychology
  • Concepts that form the foundation of psychology
  • Biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, consciousness, learning and memory, and life-span development
  • How psychologists ask questions
  • How psychologists evaluate evidence
  • How psychologists communicate with each other

 

This self-paced edX psychology course has been offered by the Tsinghua University and takes around six weeks to complete the psychology studies online. The instructor of these psychology classes online is Jing QIAN, Associate professor at the Tsinghua University. Students planning to enroll in this course should be available for 3-5 hours per week.  The course is available for free but requires a fee to obtain a verified certificate.  Around 5337 students have already undertaken this edX psychology course.

 


Advanced Level Psychology Accredited Certificate [Udemy]

 

This is another one of the IAOTH accredited online psychology courses for candidates who wish to undertake psychology studies online in a self-paced manner. Under the advanced level psychology classes online you will learn about perception, attention, and thinking, and the reasons why we conform to other people and authorities. You will also learn how children develop at different ages, what is anxiety and depression, and how to treat abnormal behavior.

 

While the course is mentioned under advanced online psychology courses, it is fit for any individual who has an interest in psychology, planning to make a career in psychology-related work, or want to learn its advanced form.

 

The four-hour-long psychology classes online in this course have been divided into six modules that contain 30 video lessons. There are also 11 downloadable resources at your disposal. The six modules in this course to learn psychology online are:

 

  • Perspectives in psychology
  • Social psychology
  • Cognitive psychology and its applications
  • Child development
  • The psychology of atypical behavior
  • Research methods

 

The instructor of this course is Elmira Strange, a motivational psychologist and creator of some of the online psychology courses in our list of best online psychology courses. This course has a rating of 4.4 and has been enrolled by 4718 students. This course can be availed with a one-time-fee and comes with a money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with psychology studies online under this course. You will be awarded a certificate on completing all the psychology classes online of the course.

 

Reviews by Dolly Tekade
This looks like a proper college level course to me. This is amazing. Great approach of teaching and clean notes. Thanks to Elmira Strange! I have tried doing other courses but this is so far the best. I will recommend this to any one who is looking for quality online course on Psychology.

 


Alcohol and Drug Addictions: Psychology – Accredited CERT [Udemy]

 

Do you know someone in your vicinity trying to cope with alcohol or drug addiction?  Substance addiction is one of the biggest banes of the modern world. If you plan to learn psychology online to help someone out by understanding the psychology behind it, this is the best online psychology courses for you. By undertaking the 26 video psychology classes online in this course you will be able to understand:

 

  • The nature of addictions
  • The environmental factors that contribute to addiction
  • The drug and alcohol symptomatology and treatments
  • The detoxification treatment
  • The experience of withdrawal from the substance
  • Drug overdose

 

The psychology classes online mentioned above can be completed in approx. 3.5 hours. This course too has been created by Elmira Strange and is amongst the best online psychology courses on addiction psychology. The course has a rating of 4.5 and has 1324 students enrolled already. You can purchase this course with a one-time fee and will be awarded a certificate on completion.

 

Reviews by Ravleen Bhatia
The course is very informative and the instructor is very engaging and delivers the idea and information in simple yet interesting way. The lecture is the best if you are a beginner and want to grow in this particular area. I am in love with the subject and looking forward to attend more courses with the Tutor. Thanks Elmira for making the knowledge so simple yet interesting.

 


Introduction to Psychology By University of Toronto [Coursera]

 

This Coursera psychology course, offered by the University of Toronto, is suitable for anyone who wishes to take up psychology studies online to understand the human mind but may not necessarily have a background of psychology.  This course aims to create a much better understanding of who you are and how your mind works. This beginners’ Coursera psychology course will fundamentally change the way you think of yourself and others. The course also touches on some of the most interesting experiments in the field of psychology and the implications these studies have had in understanding the human mind and behavior.

 

The psychology classes online in this 26-hours-long Coursera psychology course have been spread over 12 weeks that will explore the following aspects of psychology:

 

  • Cognitive abilities of the brain – memory, learning, attention, perception, and consciousness
  • Human development – growing up and growing old
  • How the behavior of others affects our behavior and thoughts
  • Different types of mental  illnesses and their treatment

 

The instructor of this Coursera psychology course is Steve Joordens, Professor at the University of Toronto. The course is one of the best online psychology courses online with a high rating of 4.9 and 273,208 students on board.  This is a subscription-based Coursera psychology course for which you can also avail of financial aid. The course offers flexible deadlines to learn psychology online and you will also earn a certificate by completing all the psychology classes online.

 

Reviews by HW
I loved every minute of this course! Professor Joordens was very engaging and it was set at just the right pace. I'm looking forward to my next course already! The discussion forums are very helpful.

 


Introduction to Developmental, Social & Clinical Psychology By University of Queensland [edX]

 

This is an edX psychology XSeries program offered by the University of Queensland. This psychology studies online series consists of four online psychology courses.  This is one of the best online psychology courses to study the human mind and behavior by understanding the three different branches of psychology – developmental, social, and clinical psychology.

 

By undertaking the four online psychology courses you will learn about:

 

  • Different psychological disorders and their treatment
  • Reason for human behavior in certain settings and situations
  • Development of the human body and mind right from birth
  • Methods of psychological research and ways to interpret and report research

 

The four online psychology courses under this series are: Course 1: Introduction to Social Psychology Course 2: Introduction to Developmental Psychology Course 3: Introduction to Clinical Psychology Course 4: Introduction to Psychological Research Methods

 

The entire series can be completed in seven months by investing 1-2 hours of effort per week.  The first three courses can be taken in any sequence, but it is advisable to take the fourth course at last. The instructors of these courses are the professors and lecturers from the University of Queensland.  You can purchase the entire series of psychology studies online with a one-time fee.

 


FREE - Introduction to Psychology By San Jose State University [Udacity]

 

This free Udacity beginners’ course to learn psychology online covers all the major psychological concepts and principals in one course. The psychology classes online, under this course, have been created by the San Jose State University that will teach you how to place contemporary developments in cultural, historical, environmental, and spatial contexts. You will be able to identify the dynamics of different identities and the similarities, differences, linkages, and interactions between them. You will also understand the interactions of social institutions, culture, and the environment with the behavior of individuals.

 

This course will take approx. four months to learn psychology online and is divided into nine modules. The topics covered in these psychology studies online are:

 

  • Introduction to psychology
  • Research methods
  • The biology of behavior
  • Sensation and perception
  • Psychological development
  • Consciousness
  • Depressants, hallucinogens, and opioids
  • Memory

 

The course is led by the professors of the San Jones State University. While the course does not provide any certificate on completion, you can enroll for the nanodegree program of UX designer to earn a verified certificate.

 


Conclusion

That brings us to the end of our list of online psychology courses. We wish to reiterate that the human mind is a beautiful and complex entity, and it is intriguing to study psychology online to understand how the conscious and the unconscious function together to affect our behavior. Gaining a deeper understanding of human behavior can be of great help in developing educational and social programs, understanding child development, developing ergonomics, informing public policy, as well as for self-help, and personal health and well-being. Undertaking psychological studies online can help you access the content of some of the best online psychology courses from the comfort of your home. Most of the psychology studies online selected by our experts are self-paced so that you don’t have to compromise with your ongoing engagements. Scan the contents of the psychology classes online in each course and go ahead with the one that suits you best.

 

Best Online Psychology Courses and Classes Reviewed by 16 Psychology Experts 4.5
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