Online courses for academic skills

As a university student, you may come across new ways of learning, studying and communicating. To help you thrive at university, we have developed a series of free online courses.

Enrol and boost your academic skills. 

These online courses have no prerequisites and are available on FutureLearn. 

Our academic skills courses 

Listening skills to succeed at university

This two-week course will help you to understand the importance of active listening and show you practical strategies to help you improve your listening skills for academic success. 

Sign up for listening skills to succeed at university on FutureLearn

Skills to succeed at university

Prepare for university and master academic skills essential for undergraduates studying in the UK. In Skills to Succeed at University, you will pick up top tips and first-hand advice on how to start and thrive at university from current students who came to the University of Leeds through different routes, such as after completing a BTEC, A-levels or as mature students.

Sign up for skills to succeed at university on FutureLearn.

Preparing to learn online at university

Learning to work in an online environment is an essential skill not only for the university but also later on in life. In this course, you will explore different approaches to online learning and develop practical skills that will enable you to become an effective online learner at a university level. By the end of the course, you’ll have mastered the independent study skills and tools for online learning that work for you. 

Sign up for the preparing to learn online at university course on FutureLearn.

Critical thinking at university: an introduction

Critical thinking is a vital skill at university and later in life. University study introduces you to new concepts, ways of learning and requires you to think critically. This course will show you what critical thinking skills you need at the university level, how they can be applied to different disciplines and how to use practical strategies to develop these skills for a successful academic life.

Sign up for the critical thinking course on FutureLearn.

Interdisciplinary learning: working across disciplines

Real-life problems are too complex to be solved by a single field of study. That’s why learning to work across different disciplines is a vital skill in our modern society. Join this course to understand what interdisciplinary learning is, the challenges of working in an interdisciplinary environment and practical strategies to overcome them. This is an essential course if you are doing or thinking of starting an interdisciplinary degree or research. 

Sign up for the interdisciplinary learning course on FutureLearn.

Introduction to research ethics: working with people 

Research ethics is vital when using social research methods like questionnaires or interviews. Non-ethical research may put research subjects at risk and could jeopardise the validity of your findings. Join this course and learn the principles of ethical research and how to manage people in sensitive and appropriate ways. You will consider issues like gaining consent and making sure personal information is handled safely. 

Sign up for the introduction to research ethics course on FutureLearn.