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Open online courses

Open online courses are online educational programs that provide free and open access to a wide range of academic content. 

Courses are offered by universities and organisations from around the world and typically include video lectures, readings, interactive quizzes and discussion forums, allowing learners to engage with the material and interact with a global community of students. Open online courses offer the flexibility to learn at your own pace, making them a valuable resource for supplementing your PhD studies with additional knowledge and skills, as well as connecting with experts and peers in your field of interest.

While there may be costs associated with earning a certificate of completion for the courses below, all the content can be accessed free of charge by selecting the ‘audit only’ option when enrolling. Where a course has been 'archived', you can still access and review all the course content, but interactive elements such as discussion boards will no longer be active.

(opens in a new window)Writing

The following courses cover a spectrum of essential academic and scientific communication competencies, providing valuable resources for students at various stages of their research journey. 

  • (opens in a new window)Academic English – How to Write a Thesis: Designed for anyone in the early stages of writing an academic research project, this course takes you through the key stages of planning, drafting, writing and revising a research thesis, dissertation or journal article. 
  • (opens in a new window)Good with Words – Writing and Editing Specialisation: This course covers word choice and word order, structure and organisation, drafting, and revising. The skills developed in this course range from presenting complex information in reader-friendly ways to giving and receiving high-quality feedback and consistently meeting deadlines.
  • (opens in a new window)How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper: In this project-based course, you will outline a complete scientific paper, choose an appropriate journal to which you'll submit the finished paper for publication, and prepare a checklist that will allow you to independently judge whether your paper is ready to submit.
  • (opens in a new window)Writing in the Sciences: This course teaches scientists to become more effective writers, using practical examples and exercises. Topics include principles of good writing, tricks for writing faster and with less anxiety, the format of a scientific manuscript, peer review, grant writing, ethical issues in scientific publication, and writing for general audiences. 

(opens in a new window)Personal and professional development

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The following courses cover transferable skills relevant to PhD students, such as communication and negotiation, leadership, open science, and presentation skills.  

(opens in a new window)Staying well

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The following courses will support you to stay well during your PhD journey, covering topics such as mindfulness and stress reduction techniques, resiliency, and overall mental and emotional health. In addition, you may also like to review our dedicated Staying Well webpage.

Useful links

UCD Graduate Studies

University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
T: +353 1 716 7777