These days knowledge of electronics and electricity holds high value. Electronic circuits are around us everywhere – from smartphones and computers to cars and home appliances. Consider all the everyday objects that are now becoming smart. Thus, there is an equal and growing popularity for students wanting to enroll in basic electrical courses.
In the times to come, most things we own will have some ‘electronic’ component. There is also a surge in demand for jobs in electronics, the most well-paid careers in every country.
The basic electrical classes online can prepare you to create rewarding electronic products – whether you do it as a hobby or professionally. Something is exciting and different about designing something physical that interacts with the outside world and can be held in one’s hand.
Today it is easier than ever to get started, thanks to the cheap development boards like Raspberry Pi and Arduino and the correct knowledge. An added advantage of electronics knowledge is that it is something that never goes obsolete. Hence, it stays just as current as it is connected to physics and nature’s fundamental laws.
Hence, while new chips and components might come along every year, the electronics’ fundamental principles will always stay the same. So, it will pay to acquire electronics knowledge. You can enroll in basic electrical training courses free or paid. This guide will discuss the top classes for your reference.
Top 10 Beginner Electrical Courses Online
- The Complete Basic Electricity & Electronics Course – [Udemy]
- Electricity, The Basics: Charges, Forces & Fields (Physics) – [Udemy]
- Basic Electricity and Electronics – [Udemy]
- Single and Three-Phase Electrical Circuit Basics. A To Z – [Udemy]
- The Basics of Household Wiring. The Electrical System A to Z – [Udemy]
- The Complete Electronics Course 2022: Analog Hardware Design – [Udemy]
- Electric Power Systems – Offered by The University at Buffalo (UB) and The State University of New York [Coursera]
- Understanding Basic Electricity – [Alison]
- Basic Electronics & Electricity Course – [TPC Training]
- Free Electrician Training Online – [Skillcat]
How Did We Rank These Basic Electrical Courses Online?
Before we enlist the courses, you must know what made us pick these over the internet’s other options.
So, before selection, we scouted the web looking for courses on this subject. We were flooded with options. So, we decided on individually screening the 50 listings and comparing them on five parameters:
- What are the offerings of these classes?
- Ratings and reviews received
- Instructor’s experience and knowledge
- Is it free or paid?
Is there a certification included in these beginner electrical courses?
This comparison helped us narrow our original list of 50 to 27 options. We presented the same to top electrical and electricity enthusiasts who helped us pick the ten best basic electrical training courses free and paid. Let us address them below.
Top 10 Basic Electrical Classes Online and Advanced Lessons
1. The Complete Basic Electricity & Electronics Course – [Udemy]
| Rating | 4.2 |
| Who should take this class? | This basic electrical training online will benefit:
|
| Enrolled | 15,325 students |
| Duration | 6.5 hours of on-demand video |
| Instructor | Fabrizio Guerrieri |
| Paid | Yes |
| Certification | Yes |
| Return or refund policy | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee |
| Cons | The instructor in this basic electrical course could work a little on his English. |
In the majority of the courses online, the content is centered on applications and high-level. But the same is not the case with these basic electrical classes online. This session helps students understand how to connect components on a breadboard to create a circuit.
The objective is to elucidate the fundamental concepts of Electricity and Electronics to let you comprehend the working of the circuits. Every topic is addressed in detail – starting from the first principles of the fundamental laws and underlying physics. Thus, it is an excellent class.
Learning Outcomes
It is one of the top beginner electrical courses. In this class, you will learn the following:
- Understanding the concept of electric current, energy, Power, and voltage
- Knowledge of the working of the vital electronic components
- Designing and analyzing the elementary electronic circuit
- Interface with Microcontrollers (coming soon)
- Laws governing currents and voltages in circuits (Ohm’s law, Kirchhoff’s laws, etc.,)
- Most vital electronic components (Resistor, Capacitors, Diodes)
Prerequisites
It is not a basic electrical course online free. So, you need money to take this class. In addition, you also require:
- Basic physics and arithmetic
- No components, software, or hardware are needed
- Willingness to learn how circuits and components work
- No previous knowledge as it is an introductory class
Review Akshan S.
This was such a good course! I never expected it to be so detailed! I am really happy buying this course. The instructor’s Italian accent is amazing.
2. Electricity, The Basics: Charges, Forces & Fields (Physics) – [Udemy]
| Rating | 5.0 |
| Who should take this class? | These basic electrical classes online will benefit:
|
| Enrolled | 180 students |
| Duration | 3 hours or on-demand video |
| Instructor | Edouard Reny |
| Paid | Yes |
| Certification | Yes |
| Return or refund policy | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee |
| Cons | However, this basic electrical training online does not cover electric circuits or talk about electric potentials and electrical potential energy. It only offers an elementary knowledge of the fundamental notions that help you enjoy the study of these topics. |
It is one of the top beginner electrical courses that educate you on the elementary notions you need to know to fully enjoy learning electricity-related subjects – Electric forces, charges, and fields.
This one right here – the highest-rated class is divided into three sections. Each contains exercises, lessons, applied examples with detailed corrections, and several tips and tricks on approaching questions in Physics.
After every section in this basic electrical course online, you will be working on quizzes and exercises to assess how well you understand. All activities are in increasing level of difficulty.
Learning Outcomes
In these basic electrical classes online, you will learn the following:
- The behaviors and interactions of electric charges
- What is an electric field
- What is an electric charge
- How to quantify a charge
- What are fields in general
- Radial and uniform electric fields
- What are electric currents
- Drawing electric field lines
- Why do some materials conduct electricity and why others do not
- Cause and the effect of an electric field
- Principles of conservation of charge
- Manipulate the equation to solve physics problems involving electric charges
- Magic tricks using static electricity
- Understand and use the concept of electric field strength
- Parameters that impact the force between two charges
- Why are some materials insulators while others are conductors?
- How to solve problems that involve electric charges, forces, and fields
- The mathematical expression of the electric interaction between charges and Coulomb’s Law
- How to use Coulomb’s law to predict the motion of an electric charge
Prerequisites
For this basic electrical course online, you require:
- Fundamentals in Algebra (from around grade 8 – 9)
- Basics in vector mathematics (equivalent grade 9) –
Review J S.
Excellent course! Looking forward to future courses on electric potential, electric circuits, how energy is transformed to other forms of energy in electric circuits and how energy flows in circuits.
3. Basic Electricity and Electronics – [Udemy]
| Rating | 4.4 |
| Who should take this class? | These basic electrical classes online will benefit:
|
| Enrolled | 1,451 students |
| Duration | 3.5 hours of on-demand video |
| Instructor | Joseph Shepherd and Nicholas Eagle |
| Paid | Yes |
| Certification | Yes |
| Return or refund policy | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee |
| Cons | It is not one of the basic electrical training courses free. It is a paid class. In addition, it is somewhat difficult to understand. |
In this one of the top-rated beginner electrical courses, you will find a series of lessons covering basic concepts, circuit analysis, use of circuit simulation programs, direct current and alternating current principles, use of measuring, and working logic of active circuit elements made of passive and semiconductors.
Learning Outcomes
In these basic electrical classes online, you will learn the following:
- Basic electrical circuit and Ohm’s Law.
- Breadboard usage and circuit design.
- Electric current and voltage concepts.
- Operating logic of coil and capacitor from passive circuit elements.
- Use of Proteus circuit simulation program.
- AC and DC properties and differences between them.
- Resistance types, properties, and use of the circuit.
- Resistance, current, and voltage measurement with a multimeter.
- Operating logic of semiconductor circuit elements.
Prerequisites
For this course, you require no special hardware or software. It is an introductory basic electrical training online that covers the theory of Electricity and Electronics. Hence, you need no prior knowledge for this class.
However, to make the most of these lessons, you must be familiar with basic arithmetic as you will write and solve equations across the session. Knowledge of basic Physics knowledge can also help.
Review Macrin.
Very good presentation. I have thorough knowledge about basic electricity and electronics.
4. Single And Three-Phase Electrical Circuit Basics. A To Z – [Udemy]
| Rating | 4.7 |
| Who should take this class? | These classes will benefit several people. These include:
|
| Enrolled | 297 students |
| Duration | 4.5 hours of on-demand video |
| Instructor | Rainer Halbich |
| Paid | Yes |
| Certification | Yes |
| Return or refund policy | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee |
| Cons | It is one of the top-rated beginner electrical courses. So, the information included is excellent, but the class is very brief. The instructor could add more videos. |
It was crafted in a manner that people who do not have any electrical work experience will understand. But, even people with experience in the field can learn something from the class. Across these basic electrical classes online, you will find crisp, short videos that cover every topic to the point.
However, learning from this basic electrical course online does not qualify you as an electrician and will not authorize you to perform any electrical work. It is not a math-intensive class, but you will work on some basic formulas. So, even if you are not well-versed in mathematics, you will still find this course beneficial.
Learning Outcomes
It is one of the most comprehensive beginner electrical courses. The class covers:
- Power Supplies and Loads in Series explained
- Direct Current and Alternating Current explained with oscilloscope graph examples
- Voltage, Current, Resistance, Power, and Energy are explained in a manner
- Fundamentals of electricity / Electrical Circuit basics (Conductors/Insulators, Open/Closed Circuits, Series/Parallel Circuits)
- Ohm’s Law Triangle and Wheel explained with examples
- Alternating Current power generation explained (Alternators, Power Stations, Transformers, Long Distance Transmission)
- Frequency, Peak values, Peak-to-Peak values, and RMS values are explained with the example of basic calculations for each type of measurement
- Capacitive and Inductive Reactance explained (Simplified).
- PSC/Loop Testers and how to use them (Testing Loop Impedance, Testing Prospective Short-Circuit Current, Calculating Prospective Fault Current).
- Ohm’s Law applied to five different scenarios (1. Matched Load and Supply / 2. Over-Current / 3. Under-Current / 4. Under-Voltage / 5. Over-Voltage).
In addition, in this basic electrical course online, you will learn:
- Electrical Transformers explained (Step-Up / Step-Down Transformers, Single / Three-Phase Transformers).
- Three-Phase motors are explained (Wye / Delta configurations).
- ELCB/Polarity Testers and how to use them (Testing the Earth Leakage trip current, Socket outlet polarity testing).
- three-phase voltage potentials explained.
- Power Supplies and Loads in Parallel explained.
- Single / Three-Phase transmission explained with Wye / Delta examples.
- Electrocution, Protective Earth, and other safety components are explained.
- Three-Phase motor and control circuits are explained with several upgrades.
- Earthing systems explained (TN-C, TN-CS, TN-S, TT, IT).
- Capacitors and Capacitance explained.
In this basic electrical training online, you will also discover:
- Earth Resistance Testers and how to use them (Layout, Testing the Earth Resistance).
- Inductors and Inductance explained.
- Phase Rotation Testers and how to use them (How to determine phase rotation).
- Impedance explained (Simplified).
- Multimeters and how to use them (Layout, AC/DC Voltage, AC/DC Current, Resistance, Capacitance, Frequency, Display Count, Accuracy, Category ratings).
- Star/Delta starters explained (How to start a Three-Phase motor in two mild stages, instead of a single but more aggressive start-up).
- Single / Three-phase circuit layouts explained.
- Single / Three-Phase motor inspections explained (External and Internal).
- Insulation Resistance Testers and how to use them (Layout, Normal Resistance, Insulation Resistance Testing, Capacitance Discharge, AC Voltage measurements).
- Clamp Meters and how to use them (Layout, AC/DC Current).
- Fault Finding procedures and circuit inspection.
Prerequisites
For this basic electrical course online, you will require:
- Nothing because, as such, there are no prerequisites associated with this class.
Review Chrisni H.
Looks very good, the videos are short and easy to understand.
5. The Basics of Household Wiring. The Electrical System A to Z – [Udemy]
| Rating | 4.4 |
| Who should take this class? | It is one of the top-selling beginner electrical courses and is ideal for:
|
| Enrolled | 12,096 students |
| Duration | 2 hours of on-demand video |
| Instructor | Terry Peterman |
| Paid | Yes |
| Certification | Yes |
| Return or refund policy | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee |
| Cons | It lacks demonstration and examples. |
It is a bestselling Udemy basic electrical course online. In this class, students will know how to take on most small electrical projects and repairs around the home without compromising safety.
Learning Outcomes
In these beginner electrical courses, students will acquire the following information:
- Knowledge of how electricity works
- Understanding how electricity is generated, transmitted, and distributed across the home via the power meter, the main breaker, and the branch circuit breaker panel
- Learning about all kinds of receptacles, switches, and light fixtures
- Wiring a receptacle (regular, switched, GFCI), a light fixture, a single-pole switch, etc
- Competently and safely completing most home electrical projects and repairs.
- The role, use, and importance of ground fault circuit and arc fault circuit protection
Prerequisites
It is not a basic electrical course online free. So, you need money to pay for the class. In addition, you will also require:
- A desire to learn
- A healthy respect and interest in electricity
- Basic math skills and some mechanical inclination would be an asset
Review Michael H.
Very informative and puts everything into a way that is easy to understand.
6. The Complete Electronics Course 2022: Analog Hardware Design – [Udemy]
| Rating | 4.5 |
| Who should take this class? | These basic electrical classes online are suitable for:
|
| Enrolled | 34,202 students |
| Duration | 24.5 hours of on-demand video |
| Instructor | Hardware Academy |
| Paid | Yes |
| Certification | Yes |
| Return or refund policy | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee |
| Cons | Though it is a bestselling basic electrical training online, some people may find it too elementary. |
Did you ever ponder why it is so challenging to understand electronics? Are electronics that difficult? Are the teacher’s explanations so hard to understand? Are the educators using outdated teaching methods?
Regardless of the difficulty, you have faced so far, the Hardware Academy’s basic electrical course can change it for you. In this class, you will cover two years of knowledge that you will otherwise acquire by attending a BSc in Electrical Engineering.
One of the best things about this one of the top-ranked beginner electrical courses is that the instructor commences the class from the basics and then progresses to the more complicated aspects. Every chapter in the class has multiple exercises that you need to complete. It can help the instructor know whether you understand the sessions well, and he can proceed further.
The simulator employed in the class is free for everyone. The instructor guarantees that you will understand everything well in every session because he explains it all in the most coherent manner using one of the best software to simulate the circuits, which will be an eye-opener for you.
Learning Outcomes
In this basic electrical course online, you will learn the following:
- Electronics from zero to an advanced level of understanding
- Understanding of how electronic circuits work
- Learning to build Analog Circuits from scratch
- Over 100+ circuits were covered and explained
- Starting with Ohm’s Law and progressively building more and more complex circuits
Prerequisites
It is not one of the basic electrical training courses free. So, you will have to pay for the class. Hence, money is a vital prerequisite for the class. In addition, you will also require:
- A computer to simulate the circuits that you will build
- A basic understanding of mathematics
- Time and patience because it covers two years of knowledge that you could acquire if you were attending a BSc
- A moderate understanding of English
Review Saravanan.
i am completely zero in analog electronics because i am a mechanical person. but now i got basics and idea to go forward to improve my analog electronics skill.
7. Electric Power Systems – Offered by The University at Buffalo (UB) and The State University of New York [Coursera]
| Rating | 4.7 |
| Who should take this class? | It is not a basic electrical course online, free. So, if you seek a zero-cost class, this one may not be the pick. But, this class will benefit:
|
| Enrolled | 89,917 students |
| Duration | Approx. 12 hours to complete |
| Instructor | Ilya Grinberg |
| Paid | Yes |
| Certification | Yes |
| Return or refund policy | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee |
| Cons | The instructor should attempt to make these classes more engaging. |
This basic electrical course online is 1 of 4 in the Energy Production, Distribution & Safety Specialization. You will find an amalgam of online lectures, videos, readings, and discussions. It comes with flexible deadlines you can set and reset at your convenience.
Learning Outcomes
In this Coursera’s leading beginner electrical courses, you will learn the following:
- Standards and policies of the electric utility industry
- Familiarity with the basic vocabulary used in the business
- Understanding of the electric power system, from the generation of the electricity to the wall plug
- Clarity on the segments of the system and common components like power cables and transformers
Prerequisites
It is a beginner-friendly basic electrical course online. So, as such, there are no prerequisites for the class.
8. Understanding Basic Electricity – [Alison]
Most people find it challenging to understand electricity, but with guidance and orientation, it is easy to understand the electricity basics. Regardless of your profession or hobby, it makes sense to familiarize yourself with the electricity basics.
You will also understand the basics to know vital electrical components and their impact on electric circuits. In this Alison’s one of the top-liked beginner electrical courses, you will learn about the electricity fundamentals and the behavior of the vital elements of electrical circuits.
It is a basic electrical course online free that trains you on the behavior of AC and DC circuits and the relationship between the critical elements of electricity. Though free, you still earn certification on completion.
Learning Outcomes
In these classes, you will learn the following:
- Structure of an atom and how a sub-particle of an atom is
- The flow of electricity from one material to another with the three crucial elements of electricity
- Unit of measurement and how unit names were coined
- Ohm’s Law of Electricity and how it expresses the relationship between three electrical variables and the direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) circuits’ behaviors
- How to apply Kirchhoff’s laws in a DC circuit
- Calculating resistors in series and parallel circuits
- Tips and demonstrations on computing cells or batteries
- Causes of voltage rise or drop in a circuit
- Determining the ohmic value of a resistor through its color code
- How capacitors store charges
- Factors that affect the capacitance of a capacitor
- In addition to all of that, you also learn to calculate the total capacitance in a series or parallel circuit in this basic electrical course.
9. Basic Electronics & Electricity Course – [TPC Training]
This basic electrical training online covers the basic, non-mathematical approach to understanding the principles of electricity. In this class, you will cover electron theory, static electricity, electrons in motion, and magnetism.
It also includes the basic methods of measuring current, voltage, and resistance during electrical troubleshooting procedures.
In addition, there is also detail on the circuit components-conductors, insulators, resistors, capacitors-and simple Ohm’s Law calculations for DC and AC circuits. IACET authorized TPC Training to offer [0.5] CEUs for the online version of this program.
Prerequisites
It is one of the beginner electrical courses. Hence, there are no prerequisites associated with it.
10. Free Electrician Training Online – [Skillcat]
It is the last listing on this list. Skillcat has several basic electrical courses online both free and paid. They are 100% online and free and allow learning at your pace. There are sessions for beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. You can browse through their offerings and make your pick.
Conclusion
So, these are the top 10 best basic electrical classes online. Through this guide, we have tried including all information around them. But, you can explore them further to make your selection. We believe that they are all excellent picks, but we have our personal favorite – The Complete Electronics Course 2022: Analog Hardware Design – [Udemy].
It is one of the best beginner electrical courses and is very comprehensive and detailed. So, you will acquire information on everything you should know.
