I’ll confess, when it comes to computers, I’m pretty much strictly a user. And these days, with the potential freedom and creatively afforded by open access software, the endless hacks for virtually everything, and the availability of free online computer classes, that seems like kind of a lame admission. So I’m tempted to rectify my programming ignorance by pushing through what promises to be a rigorous intro to computer science, CS50, Harvard’s introductory course for both majors and non-majors alike. The course offers a broad knowledge base to build on, as you can see from the description below:
Topics include abstraction, algorithms, encapsulation, data structures, databases, memory management, security, software development, virtualization, and websites. Languages include C, PHP, and JavaScript plus SQL, CSS, and HTML. Problem sets inspired by real-world domains of biology, cryptography, finance, forensics, and gaming. Designed for concentrators and non-concentrators alike, with or without prior programming experience.
Harvard has made this course available free to anyone—via YouTube, iTunes, and the course page—with a series of lectures filmed during the Fall 2011 semester. The class is led by David J. Malan, an enthusiastic young professor and Senior Lecturer on Computer Science at Harvard, and himself a product of Harvard’s Computer Science program. Professor Malan has also offered Harvard’s CS50 as a MOOC through edX. In the introductory lecture to CS50 (above), Malan promises that “this is one of those rare courses that actually squeezes your brain so much and your schedule so much that by the end of the semester you actually feel smarter.”
Professor Malan has become something of a hot shot at Harvard. His mission—to make computer science more accessible and far less daunting. He’s done this in part by generously making several of his courses available free online to non-Harvard students. In addition to CS50, Malan offers the following courses for those who want to pursue programming or web design further:
- Building Dynamic Web Sites - iTunes - Video & Audio
- Building Mobile Applications - iTunes - Web Site
- Understanding Computers and the Internet - iTunes - Web Site
- XML with Java - iTunes - Web Site
And if you still need some selling on the values and virtues of computer science, watch Malan below deliver an inspiring talk called “And the Geek Shall Inherit the Earth” at Harvard Thinks Big 2010 (Harvard’s version of TED Talks).
We’ve added Harvard’s CS50 to the Computer Science section of our list of 650 Free Online Courses.
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Computer Science: Free Courses
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Josh Jones is a writer, editor, and musician based in Washington, DC. Follow him @jdmagness
But there’s no free lunch, right?
So how is it “free”?
Is this a deliberately obtuse question? It’s free in that you don’t have to pay for it. The cost you incur in terms of your time and effort should be an assumed part of any endeavor.
If they really want to make it freely available they should post it to some site that everyone can access and in open formats rather than locking it up in itunes.
A non-apple product user.
Sigh. CS50 is not “locked up.” Read the post again carefully. All lectures are on YouTube and all course materials are freely available on the course’s website. All you need is a browser. So relax.
This is fantastic. Definitely a good broad starting course.
Hah, I love this inanely negative comments. This is an awesome scoop. Thanks for sharing!
definately this is a gud course…
Josh, you must be a blast at parties.
Visit codejuke.com once. It will give everything regarding programming.
MIT already has free classes in place – and not just IT related – also if you complete them you get a certificate i believe
What’s the deal with the negative comments? Are they unable to read or are they just republicans?
Anyway, thanks for the post! Looking forward to learning some more languages! :)
This is fantastic! Now if only I had the free time to invest myself in something like this…
I’ve always been a computer afficionado, but mostly on the hardware side. I’ve never been that great at programming.
Oh, and you forgot to mention in your article that the lecture comes with eye candy ;) haha
In that 650 course list, are there any computer security sources?
Experienced programmer here… I wish I would have used this in the beginning. I appreciate that you guys are doing this.
Love this ..! Take the courses and perhaps to find a mentor and away ya go ….
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Thanks for sharing this!
Love to code with Harvard!!
excellent!
Lol I remember sudoku while during CompSci @ massey last year.
woooo CAKE
YAY! FREE KNOWLEDGE
wow this is amazing! thanks to Philip DeFranco on YouTube i heard about this an i am ecstatic! i’m a high school student looking for an education in programming and this looks amazing! thank you free education and open culture!!
650 of free online tech course? Wow, that’s a lot already.. hope to view all the vids here..
amazing site, i hope all we find what we need here, good luck :D
Not only Harvard nowadays there are many universities that free online resources and computer science courses, like MIT etc. Byte-Notes provide free lecture notes of computer science and other IT related fields. for more information visit http://www.byte-notes.com/introduction-computing
sir, m persuing b. tech in computer science so plz suggest me da course that i shhould take on which would help me getting placed in top mnc’s