The minute a computer turns on, the Operating System is at work. The primary purpose of the OS is to handle hardware and software systems. In addition, it manages the process scheduling, computer memory, and so much more. The operating system is a computer’s most important software. So, acquiring a step-by-step knowledge of OS and building on this knowledge can be beneficial.
The first method is indeed reading books on OS. However, enrolling in the best online operating system courses is the simplest and easiest way to learn about OS. These courses will benefit anyone curious about what makes a computer easy to use, functional, and fast. Are you one of them? If yes, we have compiled six such courses for you to review.
Best OS Courses for Beginners and Professionals
Here’s a quick roundup of all the six courses for a quick comparative analysis:
| Course Name | Cost | Level | Certification | Industry Application | Duration |
| Operating Systems: Principles and Practice (Udemy) | Free | Beginner | No | Software engineers, cybersecurity experts, system programmers | 1 hr 46 min |
| Diploma in Basic Guide to Microsoft Windows 11 (Alison) | Free | Beginner | Yes (CPD Accreditation) | Administrative roles, IT support professionals | 6-10 hrs |
| IT Security Foundations: OS Security (LinkedIn Learning) | Paid | Beginner | Yes (Shareable Certificate) | Cybersecurity professionals, IT administrators | 1 hr 42 min |
| Fundamentals of Operating Systems (Udemy) | $12.99 | Intermediate | No | Software developers, system architects | 21.5 hrs |
| Computer Architecture (Coursera) | Free | Advanced | No | Hardware designers, computer engineers | 49 hrs (3 weeks) |
| Professional Certificate in IBM Cybersecurity Fundamentals (edX) | $536.40 | Intermediate | Yes (Professional Certificate) | Cybersecurity analysts, compliance officers | 5 months (3-5 hrs/week) |
1. Operating Systems: Principles and Practice – [Udemy]
Cost: Free
Level: Beginner
It is one of the best free online operating system courses. Jothi Kumar C, Dr. B. Arthi, and Dr. Aruna M drafted it. All three of them have done their PhD and have an ocean of knowledge to offer to you through this class. This newly created course offers 1hr 46min of on-demand video. 178 students who took this class have appreciated it and lauded the clarity from the authors.
While it is a beginner-friendly session, it can help students gain basic programming knowledge for this class. It covers both theoretical and practical concepts to make you job-ready. The class offers a comprehensive overview of how to contribute to the development of modern OS.
It is an excellent course for students hoping to specialize in:
- Software engineering
- Cybersecurity
- System-level programming
What will you learn?
Though brief, the class teaches the following:
- Basics of OS – architecture and functionalities
- Components and principles of OS
- I/O Systems
- File systems
- Memory Management
- Concurrency – Understanding deadlock avoidance, multitasking, and threading
- Process Management
- Mechanisms for guarding the user data and system
Why this course?
- It is a free class.
- The course is self-paced and flexible.
Who Should Take This Course?
Students new to operating systems seeking foundational knowledge
Industry Application
Useful for software engineers, cybersecurity experts, and system programmers.
2. Diploma in Basic Guide to Microsoft Windows 11 for Beginners – [Alison]
Cost: Free
Level: Beginner
Are you new to Windows 11? If yes, this is one of the best online operating system courses with certificates. It is a Diploma certification class that will take you through the step-by-step process of navigating Windows 11. The class covers everything from managing files to customizing the desktop or using vital apps like OneDrive.
It is a self-paced session. So, you will learn how easy it is to navigate the new Windows 11 interface and stay safe online. In addition, this course will also simplify how you organize your digital life. So, enroll in this class and commence your journey to master Windows 11.
About 12,456 students have enrolled in this class. Your instructor for this class will be Jan Ekhteyari. He is an accomplished content and course creator. Jan has made an impact on the lives of thousands of people since 2019.
It is a free online course that comprises 6-10 hours of learning. Upon completion, you earn a CPD Accreditation, which can benefit the job market. One of the standout attributes of this course is its final assessment. It can help you examine how well you understand the teachings in this course.
To complete this Diploma program, you must score 80% or higher on the course assessment. It will make you a Graduate with Alison. After completing the course, you can obtain an official diploma. This certification allows you to show your achievements to others, especially potential employers. You can include it in your CV or share it on your social media profiles and job applications.
What will you learn?
- Getting accustomed to the Windows 11 interface
- Personalizing the desktop background
- Customizing the taskbar
- Opening, closing, and switching between different programs seamlessly
- Organizing the folders and files
- Multiple ways to stay safe online
- Features of OneDrive
- Storing the files in the cloud
- Methods to use the start menu
- Finding the settings and programs as required
Why this course?
This Diploma course gives you a certification that can benefit the job market.
Who Should Take This Course?
Individuals new to Windows 11 or needing certification for job market relevance.
Industry Application
Helpful for administrative roles and IT support professionals.
3. IT Security Foundations: Operating System Security – [LinkedIn Learning]
Cost: Paid (price available on sign-up)
Level: Beginner
Usually, most attacks are targeted at an Operating System. It makes OS-level security a crucial aspect of network security for the organization. Lisa Bock shares all the components of securing an operating system, macOS, Windows, or Linux, in this session. She is a certified ethical hacker herself and has all the industry secrets for you.
The LinkedIn Learning course has a 4.7 rating. It is liked by 608 users, making it one of the most popular online operating system courses. This brief course demands 1 hour and 42 minutes of effort. It is a beginner-friendly session that comprises two exercise files. In addition, it has six quizzes that can help you assess what you have learned from the course.
What will you learn?
- User authentication methods, such as multi-factor authentication, biometrics, and passwords
- Assigning permissions
- Creating audit policies
- Structure of Active Directory
- Different cryptographic techniques
- Protecting email and servers
- System security basics to secure operating systems
- Securing the Windows via NTFS management, user access controls, and more
- Methods to shield Linux environments and guard macOS
- Monitoring OS via browser security and firewall usage
- Strategies for encryption techniques and email protection for data security
Why this course?
It grants you a shareable certification that can multiply your chances of landing your dream job.
Who Should Take This Course?
Those interested in learning OS security fundamentals.
Industry Application
Crucial for cybersecurity professionals and IT administrators.
Reviews
Mathew
Really great and interesting information and easy to understand. Great explanations Lisa. Great thanks. This makes one exited to learn more in depth.
Adrian Jardin
Very well done, it explains a lot of terminologies or jargon i have heard over the years but i didn’t know what they mean.
4. Fundamentals of Operating Systems – [Udemy]
Cost: $12.99
Level: Intermediate
It is a best-selling and one of the most affordable online operating system courses on Udemy. 7,965 students have enrolled in this 4.8-rated course. Created by Hussein Naseer, this class has 21.5 hours of on-demand video. Hussein is an accomplished educator for Udemy with a power rating of 4.7. He has been in the business since 2005 and has helped numerous organizations.
The class includes four downloadable resources. The course comprises 10 sections and 50 lectures. While it is a beginner-friendly class, the author encourages having programming experience to have a prosperous outlook on this course. It will make the course more relatable. You will work on multiple OS in this class, such as Mac, Windows, and Linux.
What will you learn?
- Role of the kernel
- How operating systems work
- Running applications within the OS
- Cost of system calls
- How CPU executes processes
- Efficient applications to leverage the working of OS
- Virtual Programming
- Caches
- CPU Architecture
- File system and storage management
- Socket Programming
Why this course?
- It is a comprehensive, self-paced, 100% online class.
- This class comes with lifetime access.
- There is a 30-day money-back guarantee on this class.
Tip: While it is already affordable, you can save more on this course by using the discount code LEARNNOWPLANS.
Who Should Take This Course?
Students with programming experience seeking deeper OS knowledge.
Industry Application
Relevant for software developers and system architects.
Reviews
Asmitha K.
Really good, in-depth videos. Like his way of teaching and, definitely didn’t find a reason to memorize any in the first place. All thanks to Hussain.
Smith
This lecture effectively highlights the importance of computer science knowledge for developers, emphasizing why understanding foundational concepts is crucial for enhancing their skills and capabilities.
5. Computer Architecture – Created by Princeton University – [Coursera]
Cost: Free
Level: Advanced
This Coursera course by David Wentzlaff has a rating of 4.7. David is a PhD holder and an educator at the Princeton University. It is one of the advanced online operating system courses recommended for those already in the industry. It is a detailed class that takes 49 hours to complete. So, you will have to put in an effort of 3 weeks at 16 hours per week to complete this class. Fortunately, it is a 100% online class with a flexible schedule. So, you can learn at your own pace.
About 263,915 students took this course. The class comprises 21 modules, two quizzes, and assessments. Please know, it is a free course. So, you will not earn a certificate of completion upon completing this class.
What will you learn?
- Understand architecture, micro-architecture, and instruction set architectures.
- Learn about pipelines and types of hazards.
- Study control hazards and cache motivations.
- Explore cache characteristics and basic superscalar architecture.
- Analyze issues and solutions in superscalar architecture.
- Delve into out-of-order processors and their performance enhancements.
- Discover very long instruction word (VLIW) processors and their optimizations.
- Investigate branch predictors and their implementations.
- Master advanced cache performance mechanisms.
- Explore memory management, protection, and vector processors.
- Learn about multithreading types and parallel programming techniques.
- Solve consistency issues in parallel programming.
- Design small to large multiprocessors and their interconnects.
- Implement directory protocols for coherence in large multiprocessors.
Why this course?
This course comes from instructors at Princeton University. It will give you the most industry-relevant skills and knowledge to progress in life.
Who Should Take This Course?
Professionals aiming to understand advanced computer architecture concepts.
Industry Application
Essential for hardware designers and computer engineers.
Reviews
Oliver
Really like it, it is a really complete course. Maybe it would be better if they split the classes in shorter ones.
Mitchell
This is a great course. I learned tremendously. The only wish is that it is updated with the new materials and the new text book (H&P 6th, planned soon) in the near future.
6. Professional Certificate in IBM Cybersecurity Fundamentals – Created by IBM – [edX]
Cost: $536.40
Level: Intermediate
| As per the 2019 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, there is an extreme shortage of cybersecurity professionals. There’s a need of over 3.4 million such professionals to defend the organizations. |
| As per CyberSeek.org, there are only 85 cybersecurity workers available for every 100 cybersecurity jobs demanded by employer. |
| According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be a 33% growth in hiring for Cybersecurity Analysts between 2023 and 2033. |
There is an expansion in the number of well-rewarding and exciting jobs in the security industry. Many such jobs do not demand a traditional college degree. So, if you are searching for one such class, this one can be a great pick.
In this edX course, you will study from the recognized and knowledgeable professionals from IBM. So, you will have access to the latest and the most industry-relevant information.
It is a professional certification program that teaches you concepts about cybersecurity processes and tools. The package comprises a bundle of four short online operating system courses. You must dedicate five months and an effort of 3-5 hours per week. After completing the session, you must do some assessments to fetch you a certification.
What will you learn?
- History of Cybersecurity – Motives and types of cyberattacks
- Current threats to individuals and organizations
- Basic system concepts and tools
- Introduction to the Cybersecurity
- Cybersecurity roles in an organization
- Basic commands for different OS
- Understanding the concept of virtualization
- Background necessary for understanding cybersecurity compliance and industry standards
- Basic commands for server and user administration
- Endpoint safety and patch management
- In-depth skills in encryption and cryptography
Why this course?
You will study with the instructors at IBM. They will share the skills necessary to secure IBM and its clients’ security systems.
Who Should Take This Course?
Aspiring cybersecurity professionals wanting industry-recognized certification.
Industry Application
Valuable for cybersecurity analysts and compliance officers.
Bottom Line
So, these are the top six best online operating system courses. We have included free, paid, short and detailed, beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses. So, depending on your needs, budgets, and time, you can select.
