5 Best Online Immunology Courses: Get Certified After Class Completion

Best Immunology Courses Online
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Immunology, a pivotal branch of biomedical science, explores the intricate workings of the immune system, defending against various pathogens. Over the years, it has transformed modern medicine, contributing to groundbreaking discoveries in blood group identification, organ transplantation, cancer and autoimmune disease treatment, and the application of monoclonal antibodies.

 

In times of global pandemics like COVID-19, immunology gains even more significance, leading to ongoing research for new diagnostics and vaccines. This increased importance attracts biology students, pharmaceutical professionals, researchers, nurses, clinicians, and academicians seeking the best immunology courses to expand their knowledge and earn a verified immunology certificate online.

 

Motivations for enrollment range from personal curiosity about bodily functions to aspirations for a medical career and a desire to contribute to scientific advancements. To aid those navigating the multitude of immunology courses online, TangoLearn, with insights from 15 biomedical experts, has curated a list of the top five online immunology courses, each offering the opportunity to earn an immunology certificate online.

 

Prospective learners are encouraged to explore these courses, recognizing that successful completion will be recognized with a valuable immunology certificate online.

 

5 Best Immunology Class Online

  1. Fundamentals of Immunology Specialization By Rice University [Coursera]
  2. HMX Immunology By Harvard Medical School [Harvard.edu]
  3. Introduction to Immunology – Revised [Alison]
  4. Applied Immunology By University of California [UCSD Extension]
  5. 3128 – Principles of Immunology By University of Toronto[utoronto.ca]

 

5 Best Immunology Courses Online With Certifications

1. Fundamentals of Immunology Specialization – Offered By Rice University [Coursera]

Best Immunology Courses Online With Certifications

 

What Is This Course About?

For those seeking comprehensive immunology courses from the ground up, our first recommendation is the Coursera immunology specialization by Rice University. This intermediate series consists of four courses aimed at establishing a strong foundation in immunology. The goal is to enhance understanding of recent developments and evolving theories in connection with various diseases.

 

These immunology courses acknowledge the significance of medical vocabulary. They focus on essential basic medical terms required for critically analyzing clinical and commercial applications in new diagnostics.

 

The four core courses in this Coursera immunology specialization are as follows:

  1. 1st Course: Innate Immunity and B-Cell Function
  2. 2nd Course: T Cells and Signaling
  3. 3rd Course: Death by Friendly Fire
  4. 4th Course : Dueling with the Dark Side

As a specialization, learners have the flexibility to either choose the best online immunology course from the four offered or complete the entire series to earn a specialization certificate online. Regardless, participants receive a course-specific immunology certificate online for each completed course. Subscribing to any single course also grants access to the entire specialization.

 

Dr. Alma Moon Novotny, a lecturer in biochemistry and cell biology at Rice University, serves as the instructor for these immunology training courses. The estimated time for completion is approximately six months, assuming a commitment of two hours per week for the online immunology class.

 

Being 100 percent online and self-paced, these courses offer flexibility in adjusting deadlines according to individual schedules. In addition to video lectures, the specialization incorporates practice quizzes, graded assignments, and feedback from peers and mentors to track progress.

 

With a commendable rating of 4.8 on Coursera, these immunology courses have garnered enrollment from 2,823 students to date. Financial aid options are available for those planning to enroll in this immunology class online.

 

Courses Included In This Specialization

To give you a quick overview of this course, we have briefly mentioned the areas that will be covered in each of the immunology courses online of this comprehensive Coursera immunology specialization.

 

Course 1: Fundamentals of Immunology: Innate Immunity and B-Cell Function

The first course will take you through the vocabulary and concepts of immunology that you will need to interact with the medical community. You will also learn about the differences between adaptive and innate immune systems. You will proceed to understand the characteristics of different pathogens and the strategies that the immune system employs for protection against these invaders.

 

This immunology class online will teach you what antibodies are, their detailed structure, and the related immunoglobulin receptors. You will also be familiarized with the features and function of different antibodies, the recognition, and stem regions producing mechanism. Plus, you will learn how the antibody structures are expressed in the B-cells.

 

Course 2: Fundamentals of Immunology: T Cells and Signalling

The second Coursera immunology course will take you through the basics of signaling and how the complement system uses adaptive and innate prompts to target pathogens in the body. You will understand the detailed structure and coding of Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC proteins).

 

You will understand how these proteins interact with the adaptive immune system to initiate a response. This course will demonstrate the varieties of external receipt and internal activation pathways and how the signals and crosstalk control the immune system activities.

 

Course 3: Fundamentals of Immunology: Death by Friendly Fire

In the third Coursera immunology course, you will learn how the immune cells attack pathogens the mechanism of inducing apoptosis, and what Antibody Directed Cell-mediated Cytotoxicity is.

 

You will be introduced to the inflammatory response mechanisms of generating tolerance and the decision-making involved in controlling attacks. This course will also teach you about autoimmune diseases, their characteristics, causes, and treatment.

 

This is one of the immunology courses online where you will learn concepts such as hypersensitivity, allergy, anaphylaxis, anemia, and other skin responses; and their identification, prevention, and treatment. Lastly, you will be taught the antibody technology and the methods of testing for incompatibility to prevent transplant rejection.

 

Course 4: Fundamentals of Immunology: Dueling with the Dark Side

The last Coursera immunology course of this series will address the persistent clash between the immune system and health threats. You will learn how certain viral and cellular pathogens use specific tactics to deflect the human immune system. You will also learn about advances in immune-based therapies, such as the use of engineered antibodies to cure particular illnesses such as cancer.

 

This immunology class online will even touch upon vaccine development and vaccination strategies, including herd immunity and the anti-vaccination movement.

 

Pre-Requisites For This Course

This Coursera immunology specialization requires relevant experience or a biology background to understand the terms and concepts taught in the immunology class online.

2. HMX Immunology By Harvard Medical School [Harvard.edu]

HMX Immunology By Harvard Medical School

 

What Is This Course About?

Second in line for the top immunology courses online is a course offered by the online learning platform of the Harvard Medical School. This course will teach you the processes between different entities of our body that equip our immune system to respond to and counter the ever-changing threats from bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens.

 

This is one of the immunology training courses where you will also learn about the autoimmune and immunodeficiency diseases that result from the malfunctioning of the immune system.

 

This course is the best online immunology course to study this branch of medicine in a clinically-relevant context. This course is also one of the top immunology courses online to learn about new immune-related diseases and their treatments.

 

The mentors of this course are Dr. Andrew Lichtman and Dr. Shiv Pillai, both professors at Harvard Medical School. This immunology class online comprises ten sections that will take around ten weeks to complete. The classes are self-paced, but you must prepare to dedicate at least 3 to 6 hours of study per week to complete all the classes and to obtain your immunology certificate online.

 

The commencement dates and last date for registration for this immunology class online have been mentioned on the official site. Another reason why we consider this course of the top immunology training courses is that you get the choice of a free trial before you pay an online fee to enroll in the classes.

 

What Will You Learn?

The topics included in this immunity class online are:

  • Innate immunity, the guard cells, circulating leukocytes, the inflammatory events and signaling, and the formation of pus
  • Antibodies structure and function – B lymphocytes, and how antibodies can cause diseases
  • Recognition and response of the immune system; innate immune signaling, the antiviral state, and the complement system
  • Lymphocyte development, the difference between B and T lymphocytes, and lymphocyte receptor diversity
  • T-cell activation by antigens and supply of antigens to the lymph nodes, the role of dendritic cells, and adaptive immune activation
  • Failure of the immune system leads to allergic diseases, immune deficiency, and auto-immunity
  • T-cell-dependent B-cell responses, helper T-cells, and cytotoxic T-cells
  • Transplantation and transfusion and neoantigen discovery

 

Pre-Requisites For This Course

This is an intermediate course, therefore, students with relevant basic knowledge can undertake this immunology class online to bag Harvard’s immunology certificate online.

 

3. Introduction to Immunology – Revised [Alison]

Introduction to Immunology

 

What Is This Course About?

If you’re exploring online courses for the first time and wish to avoid substantial financial commitments, consider enrolling in the free Alison immunology class online. Representing one of the best online immunology courses available for free, this academic course offers insights into how the immune system empowers the body to fend off pathogens.

 

As part of these immunology courses online, you’ll gain knowledge about the role of phagocytes in the non-specific immune system and delve into the types and functions of Major Histocompatibility Complexes (MHC).

 

You will also learn about autoimmune diseases, wherein the immune system goes haywire and fails to protect our body and also attacks it.

 

If you are in search of shorter immunology training courses, this course can be completed in just 1.5 to 3 hours. This immunology class online has been published by Khan Academy and is also accredited by Continuing Professional Development (CPD UK). It has a rating of 4 with 7015 students enrolled so far.

 

Though you can complete this immunology class online for free, you will have to score more than 80% in the course assessment to receive an immunology certificate online.

 

Besides, Alison provides three types of immunology certificates online that you can obtain by paying a fee. You can choose from a downloadable digital certificate in PDF format, a physical security-marked certificate, or a framed verified certificate. All three are available on the online Alison shop.

 

What Will You Learn?

The key areas covered through this immunology class online are:

  • Role of phagocytes in overpowering pathogens and their role in the innate or non-specific immune system
  • Types of immune responses – humoral and cell-mediated
  • The role of B-lymphocytes
  • Professional antigen-presenting cells and their purpose
  • Major Histocompatibility Complexes (MHCs) – types and functions
  • Helper T-cells and their role in eliminating pathogens from the body
  • Cytotoxic T-cells
  • Causes and symptoms of an inflammatory response

 

Pre-Requisites For This Course

This immunology certificate online course is an advanced academic level course that will require prior knowledge of biology and related fields.

 

 

4. Applied Immunology By University of California [UCSD Extension]

Applied Immunology By University of California

 

What Is This Course About?

New species of pathogens are being identified every year, and a majority of them turn out to be viruses. To be able to fight such invaders and treat infectious diseases, we need newer and innovative immunological approaches to enhance our immune system response. Such discoveries will continue to play a pivotal role in the biomedical, medical, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical industries.

 

Keeping this need in focus, the next in our immunology courses online is the Applied Immunology online course. It aims to study mammalian immunology concepts and discusses its role in understanding clinical diseases and therapies.

 

The duration of this course is around three months, and it is being offered by the online platform of the prestigious University of California. It is currently available in different batches, the dates of which have been put out on the website. This course also qualifies for 4.5 CE credits. You can purchase this course for a one-time fee.

 

What Will You Learn?

This course is one of the top immunology courses online to study the role of immunology in understanding different diseases. Therefore, this immunology class online will discuss –

  • The diverse cell types and their functions form a complex immunological process
  • Molecular, cellular, and laboratory tools that can be used for research purposes and to devise diagnostic tools for characterizing human diseases.
  • How the mutation or inhibition of response pathways can lead to disease pathology

 

Pre-Requisites For This Course

No prerequisites have been mentioned to enroll in the immunology courses online on the UCSD extension. However, listed here are some immunology prerequisites that will help you do better in any immunology course you take.

5. 3128 – Principles of Immunology By University of Toronto

3128 - Principles of Immunology By University of Toronto

What Is This Course About?

The fifth and final course in our top immunology training courses is an online class offered by the University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies, in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine. This best online immunology course introduces you to the molecular and cellular components of our immune system and its role in health and diseases.

 

This immunology class online also covers in detail the consequences of an ill-functioning immune system, leading to allergies and autoimmunity. You’ll learn how the faulty functioning of our immune systems contributes to cancerous growths, transplant rejections, and other diseases like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes.

 

The duration of this immunology certificate online course is around 24 hours, comprising 24 video lectures of approximately one hour each. The course hours are equivalent to a half-course. Currently, three sections are available for Toronto University’s immunology courses online – for the spring, fall, and winter sessions. You can enroll in this course by selecting your preferred section and paying a one-time fee.

 

What Will You Learn?

The topics covered under the six modules of this immunology course online are:

  • Basics – History of immunology, innate and adaptive immune systems, the role of different cells and tissues of the immune system, and leukocyte communication and movement
  • Innate Immunity – Immune barriers, pattern recognition receptors, mechanisms of defense
  • B-cells – Immunoglobulin proteins and genes, B-cell development and activation, and antibody effector function
  • T-cells – Receptor proteins and genes, MHC structure and function, antigen processing and presentation, and T-cell development and innate lymphoid cells
  • The Adaptive Immune Response – T-cell activation, differentiation and effector responses, adaptive responses to ‘Self’ – autoimmunity
  • Immunity to Infection – immune responses to pathogens, vaccination and immunotherapeutics, and immunity to influenza and influenza vaccines

 

Pre-Requisites For This Course

  • Good knowledge of first-year general biology course
  • Access to a dependable high-speed internet connection to seamlessly access such immunology training courses.
  • Prescribed textbook – Primer to the Immune Response, 2014, (2NDEdition), Tak W. Mak, Mary, E. Saunders, and Bradley D. Jett. Elsevier Inc., Amsterdam.

 

Related: Reiki Classes Online

 

Conclusion

That brings us to the wrap-up of our list of immunology courses online. We live in times where viruses pose a more significant threat than an imminent nuclear war. It is, therefore, vital to continue our efforts to understand and innovate our immunological approaches to be able to adapt our immune systems to different pathogenic challenges.

 

Whether you want to do it through medical research, while working in medicine, or as a part of the pharmaceutical industry, enrolling in immunology training courses online can be an excellent way to start. We hope that our top immunology certificate online courses will help you understand the related concepts in-depth and give you an edge over others in the competitive world.

Best Online Immunology Courses is rated 4.9 and reviewed by 14 Immunology Experts & 20+ Immunology Classes Students

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