Interested in studying genetics? Unless you need a degree, you don’t need to enroll in a university to take a university-level course about genetics. Using Class Central’s database of 40+ genetics courses, we’ve identified the top-rated online genetics courses for you. This Best Courses Guide (BCG) includes courses from Duke University and MIT, among other educators.

Guided by leading experts, explore the world of genetics, from basic principles to cutting-edge applications to unlock the secrets of life’s code.

The courses in this BCG assume basic biology knowledge, but absolute beginners can look up unfamiliar words as needed. There’s also a subreddit on genetics at r/genetics/ and many courses have discussion forums.

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• Top Picks
• Why You Should Trust Us
• How We Made Our Picks and Tested Them

Here are our top picks

Course Ranking Statistics

Here are some aggregate stats about the ranking:

• 6 courses are free or free-to-audit and 1 is paid.
• Together they account for over 200K enrollments and 630K YouTube views.
• 1.8K people are following the Genetics subject on Class Central.

Best Introductory Genetics Course

Introduction to Genetics and Evolution is on Class Central’s Best Online Courses of All Time list. This free-to-audit, college-level class assumes no previous knowledge of biology, although newbies may need to think carefully as the high-school basics are covered quickly at the start of the course.

Recombination and variation are introduced, then we go onto population genetics, molecular evolution, and adaptive behavior. The last two modules cover speciation and applied evolution, including reading and generating evolutionary trees.

Supplementary materials (texts and videos) are clearly marked for those who want to go deeper into the subject.

An anonymous learner summed it up well: “Excellent class! Dr. Noor is an outstanding professor…very down to earth with a good sense of humor. All topics are explained clearly. Exams can be challenging, but are reasonable.”

Best Advanced Courses on Genetics

If you want a deep dive into genetics, study MIT’s free-to-audit, three-course series: Genetics: The Fundamentals, Genetics: Analysis and Applications, and Genetics: Population Genetics and Human Traits. These are not designed for beginners, with a recommendation to take MIT’s Introduction to Biology – The Secret of Life before starting the genetics courses.

The series focuses on enhancing scientific thinking skills, using real data emphasizing the dynamic nature of biology, uniting research themes and principles, and applying the science of learning. You will gain an appreciation for genetics in everyday life, learn to apply terminology accurately, justify techniques for various genetic questions, design crosses to infer genotypes and inheritance modes, employ quantitative methods to calculate probabilities and distances, and interpret genetic relationships and inheritance patterns from pedigrees.

According to Javier Pizarro: “Great course, but might be quite hard to follow without a relatively good grasp on previous subjects (that and being willing to revisit your math knowledge it you’re not too math-oriented)”

Best Short Introduction to Genetics

Bacteria, being single-celled organisms, reproduce by cloning their genetic material and splitting in two, right? So, why aren’t all bacteria identical? Bacterial Genetics, a 40-min long, free course on YouTube, answers this question by explaining the various ways that bacteria ensure genetic diversity. Conjugation, transformation, transduction, and transposition are all described clearly without using mathematical techniques. If you know absolutely no biology, you may find some terms unfamiliar, but if you want to go on to more in-depth courses later, these basic concepts are a handy starting point.

As I said in my review of the course, “…Ideally, you would already know some biological terms, or be prepared to look them up while going through this short course.”

Best Course on Behavioral Genetics

Is our behavior related to nature or nurture? Introduction to Human Behavioral Genetics starts by using twin and adoption studies to examine this question. The course assumes prior knowledge of high school biology and basic statistics, but also contains some background and introduces genetic terminology. A helpful glossary is provided. You’ll learn about gene-environment interaction, quantitative genetics, molecular genetics, and psychiatric genetics. Understand the successes and limitations of the genetic approach to a psychiatric illness with a  study of schizophrenia.

You’ll also learn about genetic factors relating to intelligence and intellectual disability, and an overview of behavioral genetic research on aging. The Human Genome Project (HGP) has revolutionized our understanding of genetics and is likely to ultimately reform medical practice.

Professor Matt McGue wants learners to address the challenging and sometimes controversial questions with an open mind.

John Smith loved the course: “This is an AMAZING class that I keep recommending to everyone I possibly can.”

Most Popular Course on Genetics

With over 475,000 views, Biology/Genetics by Professor Dave Explains is by far the most popular course in this guide. Dave Farina starts with an overview of life starting from its origins billions of years ago. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic Cells are explained, followed by mitosis, meiosis, Mendelian genetics and punnett squares. Genes and chromosomes lead into a discussion of Darwin’s ideas, evolution, and the Tree of Life. Later, you’ll learn about complex patterns of inheritance, linked genes, genetic maps, and gene expression analysis. Biotechnology, including genetic modification, cloning, gene therapy, biological manufacturing, and genome editing technology are also covered. Professor Dave’s videos are packed with images and diagrams that help you grasp the material more easily.

“Man, I love these videos. Been watching since forever.” – @SmittyWerbenjagermanjensen.

Best Course on Historical Genetic Research

Classical papers in molecular genetics assumes you have heard of basic genetics concepts and discusses many scientific experiments and papers published over the years. The lives and times of the scientists involved are also taken into account. Your knowledge will be gradually extended as you work through the 12 modules, learning of genetic discoveries in bacteria, molds, mice, plants, animals, and humans, particularly over the last few centuries.

MM reviewed the course, saying, “Amazing course! Very well designed and delivered. It was specially delightful to have some historical context to the papers, as well as insight into the biography of the scientists themselves.”

Best Genetics Course by Study.com

If you are a student at one of Study.com’s partner institutions, you may be able to use their online courses for credit towards your degree. Even if you can’t use it for official credit, Biology 102: Basic Genetics is a popular and highly-rated starting point for your genetics studies. You’ll learn about the molecular and chromosomal basis of inheritance, transmission and Mendelian genetics, population genetics, evolution, developmental genetics, DNA damage, mutation, and repair. The course wraps up with comparative genomics, DNA technology and transgenic organisms. Again, some background knowledge in general biology will help you dive straight into the subject.

Study.com also offers Genetics 101: Intro to Genetics and Basic Genetics for Teachers: Professional Development.

Alida D. said, “I liked that Study.com broke things down and explained each topic clearly and in an easily accessible way. It saved time when preparing for exams.”

Why You Should Trust Us

Class Central, a Tripadvisor for online education, has helped 60 million learners find their next course. We’ve been combing through online education for more than a decade to aggregate a catalog of over 150,000 online courses and 200,000 reviews written by our users. And we’re online learners ourselves: combined, the Class Central team has completed over 400 online courses, including online degrees.

I’ve personally completed over 150 online courses in a variety of topics including biology and genetics.

How We Made Our Picks and Tested Them

Trying to find “the best” can be daunting, even for those of us who live and breathe online courses. Here’s how I approached this task.

First, I combed through Class Central’s Catalog and the internet to find a variety of free and paid open courses, some with certificates. I extracted information from course syllabi and reviews, and compiled their ratings, leveraging the Class Central database with its thousands of course ratings and reviews written by our users as well as available course provider ratings. I watched some course videos to sample courses I hadn’t already taken.

Then, I defined the scope for these recommendations. A genetics course can cover various topics, so I chose top courses from a range of sub-fields.

Ultimately, I used a combination of data and my own judgment to make these picks. I’m confident these recommendations will be a reliable way to learn about genetics.