UP offers 44 free online courses for 2025

MANILA, Philippines — The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) has announced its lineup of 44 free online courses for 2025, covering topics from artificial intelligence to environmental protection.

Students can take the courses at their own pace throughout the year, with new batches of registrations processed every Thursday, according to a social media post by the university on Thursday, January 8. 

These self-paced courses are offered through the MODeL (Massive Open Distance eLearning), the university's distance learning platform. Those interested have been directed to self-enroll after creating an account on the platform's website. 

The courses span multiple disciplines, with different offerings distributed across all months. January kicks off with courses focused on resilience and climate change.

Those who complete the courses can earn e-certificates that can be added to resumes as 16-hour training, the UP Open University said in its announcement. 

The university said it plans to expand its course offerings later this year.

The full list of course offerings is as follows:

January

• Basics of Resilience
• Hazard and Risk Assessment Fundamentals
• Overview of Policies and Strategies for Climate and Disaster Resilience

February

• Social Entrepreneurship
• Principles of Graphic Design
• Creativity and Innovation

March

• Introduction to Open Distance eLearning (ODeL)
• Strategic Planning in Open Distance eLearning (ODeL)
• Understanding the Child Better
• Resilience Strategies Across the Four Pillars
• Introduction to Biodiversity Mainstreaming and Approaches in the ASEAN Region
• Strategies and Best Practices on Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Agriculture
• Policy Development and Governance Supporting Agrobiodiversity
• AI Essentials: Theory and Practice

April

• Maging Mapanuring Botante at Mamamayan
• Introduction to Technology for Teaching and Learning
• Introductory Course on Contact Center Services
• Quality Assurance in Open Distance eLearning (ODeL)
• Learner Support in Open Distance eLearning (ODeL)
• Legal Instruments for the Protection of Children
• Scriptwriting for Educational Video Materials
• Project Management

May

• Technology in Open Distance eLearning (ODeL)
• Teaching and Learning with Modern ICTs
• Business Analytics Concepts and Frameworks
• Online Mother's Class on Newborn and Infant Care

June

• Gender Sensitivity Training
• Blended Teaching and Learning Using Open Educational Resources (OERs)
• Institutional Mechanism Towards Child Rights Protection and Promotion
• Creating Educational Materials Using PowToon
• Identifying Red Flags
• AI in Education: Teaching and Learning Strategies

July

• Introduction to Open Distance eLearning (ODeL)
• Strategic Planning in Open Distance eLearning (ODeL)
• Introduction to Technology for Teaching and Learning
• Fundamentals of Marketing
• E-Commerce Essentials: A Beginner's Guide to Online Business
• Introduction to Permaculture: The Ethics of Permaculture Design and Principles

August

• Teaching and Learning with Modern ICTs
• Planning Programs on Child Rights Protection and Promotion
• Developing and Producing an Interactive Educational Video Material
• Quality Assurance in Open Distance eLearning (ODeL)
• Learner Support in Open Distance eLearning (ODeL)

September

• Technology in Open Distance eLearning (ODeL)
• Blended Teaching and Learning Using Open Educational Resources (OERs)
• Implementing and Evaluating Programs for Child Rights

October

• Video Editing Using an Open-Source Video Editing Software
• Business Concepts, Ideation, and the Business Plan
• What Makes an Entrepreneur?

November

• Understanding the Language of Business: Accounting Overview and Basic Financial Statements
• Basic Leadership and Management Competencies in the Workplace

December

• Rights of Nature