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I recently posted a list of free online courses for veterans. Free resources can be great, but sometimes it is worth it to pay for classes.
In leaving the military, veterans can be reticent to pay for things. So much was given to us while we served. We could access tax preparation, marriage counseling, and financial advice for free. Likely you will be unable to access so much for free once you leave the military. But that doesn’t mean that there can’t be value in paying for education and services.
That being said, many of these courses are still free. Payment may only be required if you want to earn a certificate.
None of these courses are meant to make you an expert but can be good places to start. We built a lot of great skills in the military and with a little extra help we can understand how those skills fit into the civilian world. Some of these courses can also be ways to gain a basic understanding and test-drive a certain field before you go all-in with your GI Bill on education or spend time applying to jobs in that function.
Managing
Course: Game Theory
# Students: 231k+
Instructors: Matthew O. Jackson
Host University: Stanford University, University of British Columbia
Time needed to complete: 21 hours
Why take it: Managers need to understand and account for incentives. They may be the single most aspect of understanding behavior in your employees, your customers, and your competitors. This course is a primer for veterans and anyone interested in understanding incentives and how that understanding can be applied to problem-solving, models, and strategy.
Course: Financial Markets
# Students: 242k+
Instructor: Robert Shiller
Host University: Yale University
Time needed to complete: 38 hours
Why take it: The stated goal of this course is to use financial industries “effectively and towards a better society.” That’s a mission statement that most veterans can likely get behind. The intent is not to make you a financial whiz-kid, but to educate financially savvy leaders.
Course: Introduction to Operations Management
# Students: 79k+
Instructor: Christian Terwiesch
Host University: University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business
Time needed to complete: 18 hours
Why take it: Operational functions can be a natural fit for veterans. We have attention to detail, know how to adhere to time hacks, and understand the importance of high standards. But military experience does not always directly translate to business experience. This course can be a good starter in understanding the business fundamentals of operations management.
Technical skills
Course: Introduction to Computer Science
# Students: 1.6 million
Instructor: David J. Malan, Doug Lloyd, Brian Yu
Host University: Harvard University
Time needed to complete: 25 hours
Why take it: For veterans interested in learning the basics of programming, this course gets you started on the fundamentals. Through the course, you gain a familiarity in a number of languages, including C, Python, SQL, and JavaScript plus CSS and HTML. What I also like about the course is that it involves you presenting a programming project. It’s one thing to sit at a desk by yourself and learn, it’s another to have to put your knowledge to the test and present it to to a group of people you don’t know.
Course: Machine Learning
# Students: 2.9 million
Instructor: Andrew Ng
Host University: Stanford University
Time needed to complete: 56 hours
Why take it: According to Forbes, the machine learning market is expected to grow from $1.58B (2017 numbers) to $20.83B in 2024. With this growth, businesses will also have a continued need to understand this technology and how to incorporate it.
Course: R Programming
# Students: 445k+
Instructors: Dr. Brian Caffo, Dr. Jeff Leek, Dr. Roger D. Peng
Host University: Johns Hopkins University
Time needed to complete: 20 hours
Why take it: As I’ve written before on this site, there are lots of good reasons for veterans learning to code. The R languge and this course are focused on data science and working with large data sets- a skill set that is extremely relevant.
Course: Microsoft Excel — Excel from Beginner to Advanced
# Students: 343k+
Instructors: Kyle Pew
Host University: N/A
Time needed to complete: 25 hours
Why take it: Excel is an extremely useful tool, and knowing how to use it well can help you stand out in a job. It’s not complicated, it just requires technical practice. Especially for veterans interested in an MBA, learning the basics of excel is essential.
Course: Practical Ethical Hacking — The Complete Course
# Students: 15k+
Instructors: The Cyber Mentor
Host University: N/A
Time needed to complete: 30hours
Why take it: The Cyber Mentor is a veteran who is doing a lot to share instruction on cybersecurity. This field can be an attractive one for veterans who want to continue working in a security role and maintain that sense of working to a higher purpose.
Course: Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)
# Students: 1 million
Instructors: Charles Russell Severance
Host University: University of Michigan
Time needed to complete: 12 hours
Why take it: According to The Economist, Python is already one of the more popular programming languages and is getting more popular. For veterans interested in adding Python to their tool kit, this is a good course to get started in the basics.
Course: Algorithms, Part I
# Students: 493k+
Instructors: Robert Sedgewick, Kevin Wayne
Host University: Princeton University
Time needed to complete: 33 hours
Why take it: As the course describes: “This course covers the essential information that every serious programmer needs to know about algorithms and data structures.” If you really want to up your programming game, knowing the basics of algorithms can be extremely helpful.
Personal Development
Course: Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects
# Students: 2 million
Instructors: Dr. Barbara Oakley, Dr. Terrence Sejnowski
Host University: University of California San Diego, McMaster University
Time needed to complete: 12 hours
Why take it: With a 4.8 star rating (from 50k+ ratings)- this is one of the most popular courses on the web. Meant to help you deal with procrastination, sharpen your memory, and learn new skills in any field- this can be an invaluable tool to help you progress. For veterans in the transition process from the military, you likely may need to learn some new skills.
Course: The Science of Well-Being
# Students: 534k+
Instructors: Laurie Santos
Host University: Yale University
Time needed to complete: 20 hours
Why take it: Especially during the transition process from the military, there can be some serious stress. It’s easy to start questioning what you want your next chapter to be and how you want. This course is focused on building happiness and productive habits that can be helpful for veterans in the transition journey.
Course: Introduction to Public Speaking
# Students: 73k+
Instructors: Dr. Matt McGarrity
Host University: The University of Washington
Time needed to complete: 16 hours
Why take it: According to Warren Buffet, the famed investor and CEO of Berkshire Hathway: “You can improve your value by 50 percent just by learning communication skills — public speaking.” You can be the smartest person in the room, but if you don’t have the means to communicate effectively then your potential can be greatly diminished.
Course: English Grammar and Style
# Students: 593k+
Instructors: Roslyn Petelin
Host University: The University of Queensland Australia
Time needed to complete: 32 hours
Why take it: Just like with public speaking, effective writing is a critical skill. In today’s electronic age and with the growth of remote work, having effective written communication skills is imperative. This is a skill I’ve noticed particularly lacking for many veterans.
Entrepreneurship
Course: Zero to One: Real Estate Investing for Beginners
Instructors: David Pere
Host University: N/A
Time needed to complete: 8 hours
Why take it: David operates a brand, From Military to Millionaire. He is an active-duty Marine who has an extremely successful real estate business, enough so that he’s been featured on Bigger Pockets multiple times. Real estate can be an attractive side-hustle because there are so many ways you can enter it. This is also a great brand to follow for veterans because we do have some unique circumstances and resources that can alter our real estate investing strategy.
Course: Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies: The First Step in Entrepreneurship
# Students: 39k+
Instructors: Dr. James V. Green
Host University: The University of Maryland at College Park
Time needed to complete: 10 hours
Why take it: I’m a big believer in the power of veterans in entrepreneurship. We know how to handle risk well, have leadership experience, and just know how to get things done. This course is about thinking of and evaluating ideas. Given that it is relatively short, it would also pair well with Bunker Lab’s Launch Lab Online.
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Related:
You Should Learn to Code. Seriously.