Get Started with OCW

“The idea is simple: to publish all of our course materials online and make them widely available to everyone.” — Dick K.P. Yue, Professor, MIT School of Engineering

Whether you’re a student, a teacher, or simply a curious person that wants to learn, you'll find a wealth of insight and inspiration in MIT OpenCourseWare.

What is OCW?

OCW is a free and open publication of material from thousands of MIT courses, covering the entire MIT curriculum. That's every MIT department and degree program, and ranging from the introductory to the most advanced graduate level. Each OCW course includes a syllabus, some instructional material (such as lecture notes or a reading list), and some learning activities (such as assignments or exams). Many courses also have complete video lectures, free online textbooks, and faculty teaching insights. While some OCW content is custom-created for online use, most of it comes straight from the MIT classroom.

How do I use OCW?

There's no signup, no enrollment, and no start or end dates. The entire OCW collection is always here for you. Freely browse and use it at your own pace.

Knowledge is your reward. We don't offer credit or certificates for using OCW. Instead, use OCW to guide your own life-long learning, or use OCW to teach others.

OCW is made for sharing. Download and save files and complete courses for later. Send them to friends and colleagues. Modify or remix OCW content for any non-commercial use (just remember to credit OCW as the source). It's all good, per the terms of our Creative Commons license.

For Learning

With thousands of courses to choose from, where to begin? Some popular starting points include:

These and many other options are under the 'Find Courses' and 'Featured Sites' tabs on the top menu bar.

When you find a course of interest, begin by skimming the syllabus and calendar. This tells you the course goals, key topics, and the sequence of what is taught and studied.

Then it's up to you to decide what and how you'd like to learn. Study a course from beginning to end, or select a concept or two from several different courses. You’re free to follow your own curiosity!

For more inspiration, read OCW Stories from students and self-learners.

For Teaching

The OCW Educator portal features two ways to find OCW content that's of special interest to teachers.

  • Search by Instructional Approach to find courses by teaching strategy, from “Active Learning” and “Assessment” to “Instructional Design” and “Teaching Problem Solving.” Discover how individual MIT faculty have applied these concepts, and use their insights to inform your own practice.
  • Search by Teaching Materials opens OCW’s vast library of resources to targeted queries by content type. Find new examples, explanations, and simulations to make concepts come to life in your classroom. Enrich your students’ experience with OCW images, lecture slides, and videos. All these resources come straight from the classrooms of MIT’s leading researchers and teachers. Because OCW is Creative Commons licensed, you can freely adapt OCW materials for your own teaching.

High school teachers should also explore OCW's Highlights for High School, a collection of OCW and other resources curated to enhance your classroom experience, guide preparations for AP exams, and enrich your students' learning.

For more inspiration, read these educators' OCW stories.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I register to use MIT OpenCourseWare?
There’s no registration and no enrollment to use OCW. It's open! You can skim through courses, read the pages, watch videos, download any files … all without registration, anytime, anywhere.
Can I get credit or certification for learning with MIT OpenCourseWare?

OCW does not offer any degree, credit or certification. For online courses with certificates of completion, visit MITx on edX.
Why doesn't every MIT OpenCourseWare course offer video lectures?

We know that video lectures are important. In recent years, OCW has substantially increased its video content. However, the high cost of video production means we can only provide video for some of the courses we publish. Your donation can help fund more video.
Why doesn't every course have solutions to assignments, quizzes, and exams?
OCW only publishes content that instructors are willing to share on our freely accessible website. Sometimes instructors hold back certain course materials, such as the solutions to homework assignments so they can use the assignments in their future teaching.
Can you suggest a sequence of courses to study?
To see what courses MIT requires for its degree programs, refer to the MIT curriculum guide and the individual department websites linked from OCW department pages. But please note that OCW cannot offer degrees or course credit.
How do I get a copy of the course pack or readings for a particular course?

The course pack or reading materials that accompany most MIT courses contain proprietary information and copyrighted work that MIT faculty and students only use within their classrooms. OCW cannot provide these materials under our license.
I still have questions…
See our complete Help section or contact us.