University of the Philippines offers 44 free online courses for 2025

The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) has announced 44 free online courses for 2025. These cover a wide range of disciplines from teaching and writing to business and leadership.

These courses are available through the open university’s MODeL (Massive Open Distance eLearning) platform, and students can take them at their own pace throughout the year.

New registration batches open every Thursday, with offerings spread across various subjects. For example, January’s courses cover disaster resilience, while some other months include niche topics in media such as video editing, which will be offered in October.

Upon completion, participants will receive e-certificates, each equivalent to 16 hours of training, which can be added to resumes. UPOU also says it plans to expand its course offerings later in the year.

See the full list below. Interested readers may visit UPOU’s MODel platform here.

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