Seeking an online intro to programming course for college credit

January 6, 2020 4:36 PM

2020 update to this question. I'm looking for an introductory programming course that can be taken this spring for college credit. Any suggestions/ recommendations/ other input would be greatly appreciated.

Uh oh! I thought I didn't need to take an introduction to programming course as a prerequsite for a grad school application. I was mistaken. The admissions office suggested that I find an accredited online course to enroll in this spring. From my end, I'd prefer a course that is a) high quality and b) uses python.

This class via Harvard Extension school seems perfect, except that it is not offered online in spring 2020.

I've also found a class via UC Berkeley Extension. Can anyone comment about the experience of taking an on demand course in general or though UC Berkeley Extension?

What other classes are out there? Any experiences with them? What do I need to know about taking an online course?

posted by oceano to Education (5 answers total)

Best answer: The university I teach at offers an Introduction to Programming course that uses Python. It's an asynchronous course, but it is not self-paced. I don't know the specific instructor, but I work with some of the folks in that department and I expect it's a solid course. It assumes you do not have a lot of programming experience.

If you're interested you can register as a non-degree-seeking student.
posted by leahwrenn at 8:00 PM on January 6, 2020 [1 favorite]

I took several intro to programming courses at Harvard and they are excellent, with good support for remote students. Are there no other options there you’d find useful? There are some decent data viz classes that use python as a basis that might qualify.
posted by q*ben at 9:54 PM on January 6, 2020

I thought this course at MITx was very good, and it starts January 23. It's an introduction to computer science, computational thinking and data science, so while it uses Python, it covers more than how to write programs in Python.

I've looked at some similar Harvard courses, and they also look very good, but they tend to require more in the way of independent projects, which may or may not suit your needs as a remote student. The MIT course seems to offer more structured guidance IMO.
posted by Umami Dearest at 4:38 AM on January 7, 2020

I'm not sure if it technically meets your requirements, but last I checked Harvard's CS50 course was the most popular programming course in the world. It's extremely well done and has a ton of outside resources available.
posted by matrixclown at 8:56 AM on January 7, 2020 [2 favorites]

Seconding CS50 generally as an absolutely excellent intro programming course.
posted by lazaruslong at 8:12 AM on January 8, 2020