Online Open Content

Learn at your own pace from courses, teach-outs and lectures.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are self-paced learning opportunities that are free and available to all. They often include video lectures from experts, assignments or quizzes to assess your understanding and discussion forums to engage with other learners. 

MOOCs are available through the Michigan Online platform, as are other learning opportunities, such as degree and certificate programs. Through Michigan Online, U-M alumni, faculty, staff and students with a U-M login and password have access to over 200 open online courses spanning sustainability, programming, business and more. The wide variety of learning opportunities is designed to help users develop their skills and expand their knowledge, offering flexible formats to fit any schedule.

MOOC: Green Skills for a Sustainable and Just Future

The four-course Green Skills for a Sustainable and Just Future series is designed to equip you with the theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and holistic understanding needed to engage with the key environmental and sustainability issues of the 21st century. 

The four courses are:

  • Environmental Economics
  • Environmental Justice
  • GIS: Geographic Information Systems for Sustainability
  • Sustainability Leadership Development

MOOC: Act on Climate

Act on Climate: Steps to Individual, Community, and Political Action is intended to help learners understand, address and respond to climate change as individuals and in partnership with their communities and political leaders. The course focuses on how to translate learning into action on climate change in the areas of food, energy, transportation and the built environment (cities).

MOOC: Beyond the Sustainable Development Goals

Beyond the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Addressing Sustainability and Development introduces you to the theoretical currents in Sustainability and Development and will garner an in-depth understanding of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Teach-Outs

Teach-Outs are short online learning events on important sustainability topics. The teach-outs are self-paced and free and available to all. 

Teach-Out: Earth Day at 50

This teach-out allows you to engage in an intergenerational and interdisciplinary conversation about what sustainability means across different sectors, disciplines and lived experiences. You will explore themes including global sustainability efforts, climate change, environmental justice and more to inspire you to take action on Earth Day and beyond. Together, we will collectively develop visions for a sustainable, just and peaceful world.

Teach-Out: Sustainable Food

Join other participants and a range of experts in this teach-out to explore the complexities of the food system and how we can, individually and collectively, create food habits that reduce our impact on climate change. We break down behaviors in three parts: 1) what we choose to eat, 2) where we source our food from, and 3) reducing food-related waste.

Online Lectures

Through the Online Lectures portal, anyone can access recordings by SEAS faculty, guests and other collaborators.

Lecture Channels

Browse various channels to discover and learn about a wide range of topics such as food literacy, environmental justice and much more.