7 Types Of Online Classes You Can Take To Advance Your Career

7 Types Of Online Classes You Can Take To Advance Yur Career A few years ago, you couldnt open a newspaper or listen to NPR without hearing about ansprechbar classes, or more specifically, about Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs).Universities around the world, from the Ivy Leagues to community colleges, created erreichbar classes that are available to anyone who wants to enroll and do the work free from traditional classroom restraints.Cathy Davidson, of the City University of New York, claims that the Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Alliance and Collaboratory at CUNY taught the first-ever MOOC well before the acronym was invented during the 2006-2007 school year, with more than 100,000 students.MOOCs can generally be audited for free online, or they can be taken for credit by paying a fee. And online classes can be taken in anything and everything, from how to better understand your household pets to how to become a vegetarian orveganto subject matter that you studied w hileobtaining your MBA.But lets face it taking a class online is only helpful forcareer advancementwhen you can demonstrate to your employer how the knowledge or skills obtained in the course could apply to your job. So this month, weve divided the following online courses into the seven essential categories that could help you advance your career.Understanding People and HiringTake classes to understand people and the hiring process.1. People Analytics$79/month, 11 hoursThe University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School of Business offers a wealth of courses in business fields and beyond. Their People Analytics online class can teach you the secrets to recruiting and hiring the best employees by learning how to analyze soft skills data in candidates.2. Introduction to Negotiation$79/month, 27 hoursOr you could take Yale Universitys Introduction to Negotiation to learn how to uncover peoples interests and persuade others with fair and valid arguments. (This may also come in funkfernspr echer when youreasking for a raise.)Marketing and Social MediaMarketing and social media are ever more important skills to have in this technical world.3. Intro to Marketing, Social Media Marketing or The Art of SEO$79/month, 13 hours, 5 months and 10 hours, respectivelyMarketing and social media are such key 21st century skills. Possible online programs to take in this area could includeUniversity of Pennsylvanias Wharton School of Business Intro to Marketing, Northwestern Universitys Social Media Marketing, or a slew of advanced social media and SEO tactics from the profs (including Eric Enge, who wrote The Art of SEO) at theUniversity of California, Davis.4. Neworks, Crowds and MarketsFree, 10 weeksAnother option Cornell Universitys Networks, Crowds and Markets class offers a generalized look at the tech world, our social circles, and our economy, helping you to understand the ties between them in a way you can use to your advantage.Finance and EconomicsFinance and economic skill s are applicable across all industries.5. Introduction to Corporate Finance$79/month, 10 hoursIf you want to get in-depth into the world of corporate finance, UPenn offers Introduction to Corporate Finance, where youll learn all about risk-return tradeoff, the cost of capital, interest rates, and more.6. National University Degree ProgramTime and price are dependent upon degreeOr you might consider working towards a certificate (bachelor and masters level) in accountancy atNational University. Joseph Hoey, associate provost at National University, said his nonprofit has been providing meaningful, market-relevant programs to adult learners since its founding in 1971. The graduate certificates in accountancy and project management are geared towards working adults looking for career advancement in high demand areas.Data ScienceData science has become a crucial part of many jobs.7. Microsoft Professional Program$99, 16-32 hoursMicrosoft offers aprofessional program certificatein the di scipline. Courses in data science include understanding statistics and probability, as well as machine learning and data analysis.8. Statistical Thinking for Data Science and AnalyticsFree, 7-10 hoursIf doing a whole online degree program seems like too much of a time commitment, you can also learn how statistics play a central role in data science approaches through Columbia Universitys Statistical Thinking for Data Science and Analytics.Project ManagementProject management is also applicable for any career.9. Introduction to Project ManagementFree, 6 weeksThe University of Adelaide (in Australia) offers a six-week Introduction to Project Management online class taught by five instructors. Or if you want to go more in-depth, National Universitys School of Engineering and Computing offers both a bachelor and masters certificate inproject management, too. The graduate degree program includes five core courses on subjects like risks, contracts and legal issues, and project financial m anagement.Foreign LanguageUnderstanding and being able to speak foreign languages will undoubtedly help you in your career. In todays increasingly globalized (and competitive) society, knowing another language could be the difference that sets apart you from a pool of otherwise equally qualified candidates.10. Foreign Language Program$309, 1 semesterThe foreign language online program atOregon State University, as an example, incorporates of-the-moment technology and interaction with live speakers to help you learn one of several new languages, including Chinese and American Sign Language, and you could even get a bachelor degree in Spanish, French, or German.However, when looking at your online education options for foreign language programs specifically, be aware there are plenty of shady for-profit universities out there that would love to take your money. When choosing an online college (or online program through a brick-and-mortar school), make sure the institution is accredite d, uses a legitimate faculty, and has distance learning support services. Otherwise, you may just be better off on Rosetta Stone.And now the fun stuffIsaac Asimov called self education the only kind of education there is. After all, were students of life, are we not? Here a few fun online degree programs and classes that may have less of a direct impact on your career, but could be worth exploring nonetheless. Because pursuing new knowledge still adds to our overall higher education, yes?Understanding Memory Explaining the Psychology of Memory Through Movies Hosted byWesleyan University, the classs instructor, hochschulprofessor of Psychology Emeritus John Seamon, recently published a book of similar name exploring the human memory as illustrated by cinema. Thisfive-week online classis a deeper dive.Game Theory If youve ever seen A Beautiful Mind, you have at least a little familiarity with this mathematical concept. Students will learn about more than just classic strategic games, like chess and poker.This online course, taught in partnership by instructors at Stanford and The University of British Columbia, also studies conflict among nations, political campaigns, competition among firms, and trading behavior in markets such as the NYSE.Photographer Basics and Beyond From Smartphone to DSLR Fancy yourself to be a selfie or Instagram wiz? Learn how to take your handy snaps to the next level with thisintroductory photography courseled by Michigan State University.Wine Tasting Sensory Techniques for Wine Analysis We wish this one was offered as a master degree Learn all there is to know about wine (and culminate your new knowledge by hosting your own wine tasting) throughthis online classoffered by the University of California Davis John Buechsenstein, member of the colleges Wine Appreciation Faculty. (Thats a thing. Were serious.)Demystifying Mindfulness This free online class, hosted byUniversiteit Leiden in The Netherlands and taught in English, is like the Headspace meditation app times 10. Learn about the history, psychology behind, and execution of mindful living, and prepare to dispel anxiety from your work day.Of course, the classes mentioned above are only a select handful of the bounty of online education options the Internet offers, and theyre all just one click away.So, what are you waiting for? Help advance your career (or just learn some cool new things) by enrolling in an on-line course today.--Former professor Jill L. Ferguson is an award-winning author of seven books, including co-author of Raise Rules for Women How to Make More Money at Work, and thousands of published articles. She is also an artist, business and higher education consultant, entrepreneur and founder of Womens Wellness Weekends.