Introductory Programming

This page will help you begin to learn programming and computer science, with some suggested introductory courses on OCW. Choose from:

General Introductions to Programming

These courses introduce principles of computer science and begin to develop programming skills, specifically in the Python language. Learn more about these courses’ learning goals, history and student experience in this MIT news article.

General Introductions to Programming

Language-Specific Courses

Beyond the introductions above which use Python, here are several introductions to other programming languages. Many are taught during MIT’s four-week Independent Activities Period (IAP) between the fall and spring semesters.

Language Specific Programming Courses

Follow-up Courses

Once you’ve worked through some introductory material, you may be interested in trying more advanced courses such as these.

Follow-up Programming Courses