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Since 2001, MIT OpenCourseWare has been creating new opportunities for millions of learners and educators, sharing Open Educational Resources (OER) from MIT and helping to lead a global revolution in free access to knowledge.

MIT OpenCourseWare continues to build on this foundation. With a new web platform, ever-growing content, and collaborations across the vibrant open education ecosystem, we're creating a world of more equitable and inclusive education for all.

MIT OpenCourseWare is a free and open collection of material from thousands of MIT courses, covering the entire MIT curriculum.

Knowledge is your reward. Use OCW to guide your own life-long learning, or to teach others. MIT does not offer credit or certification to users of OCW – and asks for nothing in return.

No enrollment or registration. Freely browse and use OCW materials at your own pace. There's no signup, and no start or end dates.

Made for sharing. Download files for later. Send to friends and colleagues. Modify, remix, and reuse (just remember to cite OCW as the source.)

The OCW@20 Vision

Over our first 20 years, we’ve unlocked access to knowledge, helped launch the global OER movement, and opened MIT's full curriculum to the world. And we'll keep growing and evolving.

Our new platform, which you are now using, brings mobile users fully into OCW's global community…provides more powerful and insightful ways to discover the content you need…and will keep OCW a vibrant and current reflection of MIT’s world-changing teaching and learning.

Here's what's in store in the months and years to come...

More emerging knowledge about the world’s biggest challenges, such as improving equity, tackling climate change, and building the future of computing and artificial intelligence.

More dynamic media like video lectures, podcasts, interactive assessments, and new forms like augmented and virtual reality.

More inspiring examples of MIT's "mind, hand, and heart" approach that deeply engages learners and teachers in real-world problems.

More support for educators teaching with Open Educational Resources (OER), adapting and remixing OCW content to maximize cultural relevance for their students.

More collaborations across the OER ecosystem, working together to advance educational equity through open content and practices.

OCW Milestones

2001-2005

2011-2015

  • MIT launches MITx online courses, complementing OCW’s open course materials while extending commitment to open learning.
  • OCW Educator project begins, sharing the “how” as well as the “what” of MIT education.
  • OCW website exceeds one billion page views and 200 million lifetime visits.

2021+

  • OCW celebrates its 20th anniversary and two decades of open sharing (video).
  • New OCW platform launches: mobile responsive, enhanced search and more
  • 440 OCW mirror sites are installed around the world.
  • Over 300 million lifetime visits to OCW website and YouTube channel.

2006-2010

  • 2007: OCW achieves its original goal to represent MIT’s complete curriculum, with more than 1,800 courses. (View celebration video and site on Internet Archive.)
  • The OCW website exceeds 100 million lifetime visits.
  • 2,000 courses are published.
  • 225 OCW mirror sites are installed around the world.

2016-2020

  • OCW becomes the most-subscribed .edu channel on YouTube.
  • New MIT Open Learning Library launches in 2019, offering new, self-paced learning options complementing OCW and MITx.
  • Chalk Radio podcast launches in February 2020.
  • OCW supports learners around the world as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts education.

Beyond Course Materials

While OCW is most known for free course materials, there’s more to OCW than just syllabi, lecture videos, notes and problem assignments from MIT classes.

  • OCW Educator

    The OCW Educator project shares teaching inspirations from MIT faculty for colleagues at the Institute and around the world.

    Educators start here

    Many OCW courses include an “Instructor Insights” section for practicing teachers, covering topics such as course design, active learning methods, and strategies to engage learners.

    Find courses with Instructor Insights
  • Chalk Radio

    Listen to OCW wherever you go. On this podcast, meet the instructors behind some of MIT’s most interesting courses, from nuclear physics to film appreciation to ethical responsibilities of computing.

  • Open Textbooks

    OCW includes a growing collection of free open textbooks, perfect for educators to use and adapt in their teaching, and for all learners to guide their studies.

    Explore Open Textbooks on OCW
  • MIT Open Learning Library

    These free online MIT courses feature sequences of short videos with auto-graded assessments for instant feedback. Like OCW, the Open Learning Library is always open for self-guided learning, and does not include live support, discussion forums, or certificates of completion.

    Explore Open Learning Library courses

President's Message

MIT President Sally Kornbluth

We almost take for granted the idea that an enormous amount of outstanding educational content is available to anyone in the world with an internet connection. Yet the fact that this is now the norm has a great deal to do with a groundbreaking project launched at MIT in 2001. OpenCourseWare changed the landscape of education, and it continues to inspire students, teachers and lifelong learners around the globe to follow their curiosity wherever it leads.

Sally Kornbluth
February 2024

The Next Generation of OCW

Our Team

OCW Staff

Jennifer Carter

Jennifer Carter

Technical Project Manager
Peter Chipman

Peter Chipman

Digital Publication Specialist
Elizabeth DeRienzo

Elizabeth DeRienzo

Senior Publication Manager
Maureen Fahey

Maureen Fahey

Senior Video Editor
Alicia Franke

Alicia Franke

Digital Publication Specialist
Sarah Hansen

Sarah Hansen

Assistant Director, Open Education Innovation
Stephanie Hodges

Stephanie Hodges

Data Systems Specialist
Reese Jenkins

Reese Jenkins

Digital Publication Specialist
Peter B. Kaufman

Peter B. Kaufman

Senior Program Officer for Resource Development and Strategic Initiatives
Sharon Lin

Sharon Lin

Digital Publication Specialist
Cathleen Nalezyty

Cathleen Nalezyty

Digital Publication Specialist
Shiba Nemat-Nasser

Shiba Nemat-Nasser

Digital Publication Specialist
Curt Newton

Curt Newton

Director
Yvonne Ng

Yvonne Ng

Annual Giving and Donor Relations Officer
Duyen Nguyen

Duyen Nguyen

Assistant Officer, Annual Fund and Communications
Brett Paci

Brett Paci

Video Publication Manager
Aline Passos

Aline Passos

Intellectual Property Coordinator
Angela Pignatiello

Angela Pignatiello

Administrative Assistant
Jason Player

Jason Player

Web Production Specialist
Shira Segal

Shira Segal

Collaborations and Engagement Manager
Cheryl Siegel

Cheryl Siegel

Publication Manager and Social Media Coordinator
Yunpeng Wang

Yunpeng Wang

Digital Publication Specialist
Geoff Wilson

Geoff Wilson

Intellectual Property Manager

OCW Faculty Advisory Committee

Hal Abelson

Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Michel DeGraff

Professor of Linguistics, Director of MIT-Haiti Initiative

Gloria H. Kang

Undergraduate student, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Nancy Kanwisher

Professor of Cognitive Science, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences

Eric Klopfer

Professor and Section Head, Comparative Media Studies/Writing; Director of Scheller Teacher Education Program

Robert Miller

Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, Education Officer for Computer Science

Caitlin Mueller

Associate Professor, Department of Architecture; Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Rosalind Picard

Professor, Program in Media Arts and Sciences; Faculty Chair, MIT Mind+Hand+Heart

Krishna Rajagopal

Professor of Physics

Shannon Shen

Graduate student, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Michael Short (Chair)

Associate Professor, Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Yufei Zhao

Associate Professor of Mathematics

Ex-Officio Members

Christopher Capozzola

Senior Associate Dean for Open Learning, Professor of History

Eric Grimson

Vice President for Open Learning, MIT Chancellor for Academic Advancement

Curt Newton

Director, MIT OpenCourseWare

Anjali Sastry

Faculty Director of J-WEL, Associate Dean for Open Learning