If your future career will be in technology, development, or design, then it’s important that you learn Earth-friendly techniques to ensure you are on the cutting edge of your field and providing for a healthy future for all. Luckily, there are plenty of free open courses on just this topic. There are classes ranging from architecture to urban policy and planning to public health to sustainable development to environmental engineering as well as green classes with a business, political, social, and scientific focus. No matter your specialty, there’s a class for you.

Architecture

With classes teaching how to take advantage of natural lighting to studying how to select responsible materials, these architecture classes will help you plan a green building project.

1. Fundamentals of Energy in Buildings. Find out about energy consumption in buildings and learn about innovative designing and sustainable building. [MIT]
2. Contemporary Architecture and Critical Debate. Learn about architecture after WWII and assess current issues against that period. [MIT]
3. Ecologies of Construction. Industrial ecology is at the heart of this class that looks at resource requirements for current building. [MIT]
4. Emergent Materials II. This course focuses on sustainable design by examining responsible building materials in both current and future buildings. [MIT]
5. Daylighting. Learn how to integrate natural lighting into design to help reduce dependence on electric lighting. [MIT]
6. Sustainable Design and Technology Research Workshop. Explore the issues of sustainability as they relate to architecture in this class where students propose their own solutions. [MIT]
7. Case Studies in City Form. Examine the physical, historical, and social form of cities in the mid-nineteenth and mid-twentieth century periods of expansion. [MIT]
8. CityScope: New Orleans. Practice finding humane and sustainable solutions to difficult situations with this course. New Orleans is the focus of this particular class. [MIT]
9. Introduction to Integrated Design. Take this course to learn about the basics of architecture as it relates to disciplines including sustainability, history, and structures. [MIT]
10. Building Technology Laboratory. Study building concepts and experimental methods to help promote sustainable building in architecture. [MIT]

Social and Environmental Policy and Planning

Take some of these classes to learn about urban planning and policy with social and environmental concerns at the forefront.

11. Gateway: Planning Action. Explore real-life case studies to learn about themes and challenges facing urban planners in this course. [MIT]
12. Special Studies in Urban Studies and Planning – The Cardiner River Corridor Workshop. Learn about preserving and enhancing existing landscapes while examining the Cardiner River Corridor in Catalunya, Spain in this workshop. [MIT]
13. Environmental Justice. Take a look at the issues surrounding environmental justice and the effects of analyses of these issues on environmental policy and planning. [MIT]
14. Wildland Fire Management and Planning. Learn about fire behavior, its interaction with the environment, and ways to predict fire behavior in this class. [Utah State University]
15. Environmental Management Practicum: Brownfield Redevelopment. Participate in an urban renewal project on a former inner-city industrial site being transformed for the best community usage. [MIT]
16. Urban Transportation, Land Use, and the Environment. Three in-depth studies of cities in South and Central America guide students through transportation and environmental issues of urban planning. [MIT]
17. Civil Society and the Environment. This class takes a close look at NGOs and their relationships to environmental policy and planning. [MIT]
18. Integrated safety, health and environmental management: an introduction. Look at the risks involved in safety, health, and environmental management and examine ways to integrate systems and implement emergency planning. [The Open University]
19. Environment and Society. Study the environmental and social impacts of industry, examine personal responsibilities and roles in these problems, and explore solutions here. [MIT]
20. Science, Politics, and Environmental Policy. Examine the role of science in environmental policymaking in the US and compare to other political systems’ processes. [MIT]
21. Regional Energy – Environmental Economic Modeling. Explore the impact of energy and the economy within the context of such topics as supply and demand, energy forecasts, and environmental implications. [MIT]
22. Reforming Natural Resources Governance: Failings of Scientific Rationalism and Alternatives for Building Common Ground. Study the results of scientific management in recent natural resource cases and explore alternative methods for decision-making processes in this class. [MIT]
23. Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Urban and Environmental Analysis. Learn how to use GIS, a computer-based tool, for storing, mapping, and analyzing data when exploring urban planning and environmental issues. [Tufts University]

Sustainable Development

These classes examine ways to plan development projects to ensure sustainability.

24. Planning for Sustainable Development. This class examines ways to incorporate sustainable development in urban planning while looking at the US and Europe. [MIT]
25. Introduction to Environmental Policy and Planning. Get the basics in environmental planning techniques and strategies with this introductory class that sets the foundation for further investigation into environmental policy and planning. [MIT]
26. Sustainable Economic Development. Study environmental and economic development planning, policy, and management for urban communities in this course. [MIT]
27. Agricultural Science and Policy I. Study soil, water, air, and energy as it pertains to natural resource conservation in this first of two classes. [Tufts University]
28. Agricultural Science and Policy II. In the second part of this series, this class examines plant-pest interaction, crop breeding, plant nutrients, and livestock production. [Tufts University]
29. Environment and Sustainable Development. Examine how policy makers respond to environmental problems caused by economic development here. [United Nations University]
30. Foshan China Workshop. This course examines the issues of creating a sustainable environment along the downtown riverfront area of Foshan in order to improve the quality of life for the residents. [MIT]
31. Gaoming Studio – China. Plan and design options for this waterfront district with a focus on watershed and ecosystem protection as well as other urban considerations. [MIT]
32. Managing coastal environments. Learn about estuaries by specifically studying the Blackwater estuary while learning how to manage sustainable development in this type of environment. [The Open University]

Public Health

Take a look at ways to protect the future of the public health through a study of past and present findings.

33. Public Health Toxicology. Learn the basic concepts of environmental toxicology as well as methods of preventing public health issues. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
34. Health and environment. Learn about the impacts of changes in the environment on health by studying the environmental legacy, pollution, population growth, and ecology. [The Open University]
35. Environmental Health. Students will examine health issues, causes, and potential approaches to manage environmental health issues in both developing and industrialized areas. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
36. Food Production, Public Health, and the Environment. Explore public health and food production as it pertains to issues such as economics, population, and equity through case studies. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
37. BSE and vCJD: their biology and management. This course examines mad cow disease, the link between similar diseases that affects humans, and the management of these diseases. [The Open University]
38. Tropical Environmental Health. Examine problems and solutions for water and sanitation issues in developing countries that impact public health. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
39. How Risky is Breathing? Statistical Methods in Air Pollution Risk Estimation. Students examine the health effects of air pollution through the statistical analysis of national-level research done by the instructor. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
40. Water and Sanitation Needs in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies. Learn about the history of water and sanitation on public health and explore ways to assess and quantify water and sanitation needs during extreme emergencies. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
41. Social and Behavioral Foundations of Primary Health Care. Learn basic primary health care premises and understand their role in developing countries as well as discover ways to plan and implement this care within an ecological model of health behavior. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
42. Population Health. This course was designed for veterinary students, but explores the relationships between population and public health, human and animal health, and clinical and population-based health practice. [Tufts University]

Business and Economics

These green classes are also all about business and economics.

43. Laboratory for Sustainable Business. Learn ways in which companies are embracing sustainability in order to make positive changes for their companies. [MIT]
44. Global Climate Change: Economics, Science, and Policy. Explore scientific, economic, and ecological issues surrounding global climate change in this course. [MIT]
45. Environmental Economics and Government Responses to Market Failure. Explore the theory and practical application of several government responses to market failure in this class. [MIT]
46. Environmental factors and organisations. Concepts such as globalization and offshoring are explored in relation to the green environment. The ethics and responsibilities of organizations are also discussed. [The Open University]
47. Environmental Policy and Economics. Students will learn about environmental regulations by the government through real-world experiences. [MIT]
48. Public Economics. Study the role the public plays in economics and how that affects and shapes government intervention. [MIT]
49. Energy Economics. Examine the results of industry and individual demand for energy on the energy markets. [MIT]
50. Developmental Entrepreneurship. While looking at a wide range of developmental markets around the globe, explore the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurs in these systems. [MIT]

Civil and Environmental Engineering

From designing with sustainability in mind to examining how pollutants are carried through natural systems, these civil and environmental engineering classes are the ultimate in green design.

51. Transport Processes in the Environment. With an emphasis on rivers and lake systems, this course examines the mass transport in these flows. [MIT]
52. Systems Perspectives on Industrial Ecology. Learn about life-cycle analysis of the impact of materials extraction, processing, and recycling here. [MIT]
53. Design for Sustainability. Study the issues of water and wastewater management, energy use, material selection, and construction within the context of two methodologies as it pertains to the built environment in this class. [MIT]
54. Fundamentals of Ecology. This class focuses on the basics of the flow of energy and materials through ecosystems, with a special emphasis on aquatic systems. [MIT]
55. Ecology II: Engineering for Sustainability. Examine the relationship between humans and natural environments as it pertains to physical, chemical, ecological, and economic principles. [MIT]
56. Environmental engineering. This class is designed for students to inform them of the type of work done by environmental engineers. [The Nottingham University]
57. Public hygiene and epidemiology. Learn about human pathology as related to water sanitation both throughout history and as it pertains to today. [Delft University of Technology]
58. Environmental Microbiology. Examine microorganisms in both natural and artificial environments with this course. [MIT]
59. Transportation Policy and Environmental Limits. This class looks at economic and political problems that result from issues surrounding transportation and the environment in an effort to teach engineering students ways of developing policy. [MIT]
60. Environmental Engineering MEng Project. This graduate-level class provides a hands-on opportunity to learn about environmental engineering. [MIT]
61. Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering Design I. Study built and natural environments through projects and exercises in this class. [MIT]
62. Groundwater Hydrology. Explore issues surrounding groundwater flow, managing contaminated groundwater, and more in this class. [MIT]
63. Economic & Environmental Issues in Material Selection. Learn how to take into consideration the environmental and economic implications of the materials selected for use in products with this class. [MIT]
64. Chemicals in the Environment: Fate and Transport. Examine how man-made chemicals move through water, air, and soil and the effects of this contamination on the environment and people. [MIT]
65. Globalization of the Engineering and Construction Industry. The challenges and risks involved for senior managers in construction, engineering, and architecture are examined against a backdrop of global markets here. [MIT]
66. Project Management. Learn strategies to plan, organize, and manage a construction project effectively and experience hands-on situations to emphasize what you learn. [MIT]
67. Introduction to Civil Engineering Design. Students will learn about the basics of civil design while taking into consideration such factors as built environment, natural environment, and economic and social factors. [MIT]
68. Soil-based Hazardous Waste Management. Explore engineering management of hazardous waste in this course. [Utah State University]

Chemical and Biological Engineering

Study toxicology and human health, sustainable energy, and the impact of technology on the environment and public health among these classes.

69. Engineering Risk-Benefit Analysis. Learn how to think through the risk-benefit payoff in planning large engineering projects. [MIT]
70. Technology, Law, and the Working Environment. Study the impact of technology-related problems on the environment and public health and their legal ramifications. [MIT]
71. Sustainable Energy. Examine current and future energy sources with topics including extraction, resources, and end-use in this class. [MIT]
72. Chemicals in the Environment: Toxicology and Public Health. Study the relationship between exposure to environmental chemicals and human health in this course. [MIT]
73. Fundamentals of Advanced Energy Conversion. Learn the fundamentals of thermodynamics, chemistry, flow and transport processes as applied to energy systems with a focus on efficiency and environmental impact.

Political and Social Courses

From the politics behind going green to the history and responsibility of technology shaping the environment to environmental struggles, these classes look at the human side of environmental issues.

74. International Politics and Climate Change. The focus of this class is conflict and cooperation in relation to international politics and climate change. [MIT]
75. Democracy? You think you know?. Examine the history of democracy and study what makes a democracy in this course that serves as a fundamental for anyone who may want to make a difference for the environment through politics. [The Open University]
76. Theories of Public Policy. Learn the basics about how and why public policy is shaped. [Tufts University]
77. Field Seminar in International Political Economy. Study the theory of international political economies in both industrial and developing regions in this class. [MIT]
78. Environmental Politics and Policy. Explore the way environmental policy is created in the US through case studies here. [MIT]
79. Environmental Ethics. Examine the human relationship with the environment in this look at contemporary environmental ethics. [Capilano University]
80. Environmental Philosophy. This course looks at the current environmental crisis and explores solutions through a variety of disciplines. [University of Notre Dame]
81. Working with our environment – an introduction. Review the history of technology and its impact on the environment while also exploring ways that society can responsibly embrace technology while being mindful of the environment. [The Open University]
82. Food and Power in the Twentieth Century. Explore the transformation of food over the past 100 years and examine how it has affected industrialization, globalization, agriculture, labor movements, business, and even race and gender. [MIT]
83. Technology and Nature in American History. Study the way technology and industry have shaped the American landscape and explore the place nature holds in a technological world. [MIT]
84. Energy and Environment in American History: 1705 – 2005. Learn the history of how America became the largest consumer of energy in the world and explore possible paths for the future. [MIT]
85. The Social Construction of Technology in Development. This class explores the possibility that technology develops as a response to social factors and examines issues surrounding this development. [United Nations University]
86. Environmental Conflict and Social Change. Examine the relationship between humans and natural environments against a backdrop of environmental conflicts in this course that uses real-world case studies. [MIT]
87. Energy, Environment, and Society. Participate in energy innovation opportunities at MIT with this class that has students create projects based on a learned understanding of energy systems. [MIT]
88. Environmental Struggles. Examine the definition of "nature," explore the connection between nature and humanity, and look at historical conflict over the use of natural environments. [MIT]

Life Sciences

These science classes explore aspects of politics, climate change, ecology, biodiversity, and more.

89. Seminar in Environmental Science. Study the latest in current research going on in the field of environmental science with this course. [MIT]
90. Conservation and biodiversity. This podcast explores the ecological communities in Honduras and Indonesia and introduces the concept of conservation bio-geography. [University of Nottingham]
91. Dynamics of Complex Systems: Ecological Theory. Examine both classical and current works on ecological theory in this course. [MIT]
92. Biology of Water and Health. Explore the ways water and health are related in this multi-disciplinary approach class. [Tufts University]
93. Introducing Environment–taster materials. This course is designed to instruct the novice about scientific and technical aspects of studying the environment while also teaching writing and learning skills to effectively communicate findings. [The Open University]
94. Climate change. Learn about climate change, global warming, and the greenhouse effect in this class. [The Open University]
95. Special Topics in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences: The Environment of the Earth’s Surface. Get the basics of the Earth’s physical and chemical environment in order to implement best practices for management of the environment. [MIT]
96. Global warming. Study the changes in the Earth’s temperature through a study of natural temperature changes, history of the climate, and recorded temperatures. [The Open University]
97. Strange Bedfellows: Science and Environmental Policy. Learn about the relationship between science and politics when it comes to creating environmental policies. [MIT]
98. Practising science: reading the rocks and ecology. This course is a good introduction to both Earth sciences and ecology as well as the interconnectedness of the two subjects. [The Open University]
99. Tropical Ecology and Conservation. Follow the accomplishments of students who experienced a hands-on trip to Costa Rica to study tropical ecology and conservation. [Tufts University]
100. Training Course on Mangroves and Biodiversity. Study the mangrove ecosystems and learn about threats to these environments as well as sustainability management options for them. [United Nations University]