20 Courses and Certifications

Smithsonian Institution Courses & Certifications 2024

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Established in 1846 by an act of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution is a group of museums, education and research centres. There are a wide range of Smithsonian courses designed for all ages and educators. The institute’s extensive collections and the research surrounding them are available to every learner online on a kaleidoscope of topics, from art to zoology. Smithsonian online courses are offered in history, teaching and education, environmental studies, general management, philosophy, textile design and more.

Smithsonian Institution has youth programs that provide fun and challenging experiences for K-12 kids who are interested in nature, science, technology, art, design, culture, history, or all of these. Through these Smithsonian online courses, students will be able to develop confidence and skills such as communication, leadership, and self-expression. They can also get college and career preparation in extraordinary museum environments.

Smithsonian Institution - Overview

  • A group of museums, education and research centres

  • Opening doors to discovery and research

  • Courses designed for all ages and educators 

  • Virtual and in-person events

  • Smithsonian free online courses via edX

  • Expert-led lectures

  • Virtual tours and studio art classes

  • Libraries, archives and more digital resources

About Smithsonian Institution Courses

Smithsonian courses are available in a variety of disciplines designed for all types of learners from kids and teens to youths and educators. Smithsonian Institution also offers fellowships and internships for graduate students and doctorate holders to perform independent research under the aegis of the institute’s world-class research staff. Students can attend Smithsonian online classes through expert-led lectures. Smithsonian courses online also involve virtual tours and Studio Arts classes created by Smithsonian Associates.

Smithsonian Institution - Collaborations and Accreditations

Smithsonian Institution has a partnership with PBS to share educational programs online. Smithsonian Institution offers Smithsonian free online courses in a variety of subjects via edX.

Types of Smithsonian Institution Courses

There are numerous Smithsonian courses online offered in a variety of subjects for kids and teens, youths and educators. Smithsonian Institution also allows graduate students and doctorate holders to do research under the guidance of a member of its world-class research staff. Here are the top Smithsonian Institution online courses and certifications that students can choose from and pursue the best:


Smithsonian Institution Job Assist Programme

Smithsonian Institution provides internships that are as varied as the museums and research centers themselves. Smithsonian Internships are workplace-based learning opportunities providing participants with hands-on experience in different fields so that they can make their desired careers. Here’s the list of some Smithsonian Wide Internships:

  • Katzenberger Foundation Art History Internship

  • Benjamin Lawless Internship

  • Conservation Internship for Broadening Access (CIBA)

  • Robert P. Kogod Arts Internship

  • The Shirley Ann Jackson Science Internship

  • Internships at the Archives of American Art

  • Internships at the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center

  • Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Internships

  • Peter A. Krueger Internships at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

  • Advancement Internship

  • Digital Engagement Internship

  • Media Relations Internship

  • Robert Frederick Smith Internships

  • Summer 2022 Internships at the National Museum of African American History and Culture

  • Pre-program Internship in Conservation at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art

  • Cheng-Harrell Graduate Internship

Also Read:

Apart from Smithsonian Institution, there are many online learning platforms that offer online courses and certifications in diverse fields. Let’s have a look at some of the top MOOC providers below:

Career Category
Specialization
Job Role
Skills

Offered by

Certificate

Teaching Critical Thinking through Art with the National Gallery of Art

The Smithsonian Institute has developed a course on Teaching Critical Thinking through Art with the National Gallery of Art for learning important critical thinking using artwork. This is a development programme for teachers where the coursework strives to create a culture of critical thinking in classrooms. It tries to include teachers from any subject and level without any particular condition set in the background. 

The candidate must be willing to experiment with new teaching practices and strategies. This course was developed by the Harvard Graduate School of Education through the Project Zero development program. The three main areas used to explore through this program are observing and describing, reasoning with evidence, and then finally, questioning and investigating. 

The resources provided in this program will strengthen the critical thinking abilities of the candidates and programmes have more than 20 video tutorials and important tools such as a Zoom tool, polls, a discussion board, video demonstrations, and video interviews. The medium of instruction is in English but video transcripts are available in four languages. The programme runs for a duration of 16 weeks and the student needs to put in a minimal effort of three to four weeks per week since it is an introductory-level course.

The self-paced course is available for learners to pursue by paying the fee or free to audit. In the paid mode, the candidates will have unlimited access and in the free mode, they will have only limited access. 

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16 Weeks
Beginner
Free
Skills Covered:
Teaching skills

Offered by

Certificate

Fundamentals of Artisan Business Development

Fundamentals of Artisan Business Development by edX is an introductory programme that falls under the Art and Culture domain. It has been curated by the Smithsonian Institution in the framework of the ‘My Armenia Program’. The course curriculum includes topics like costing, marketing, export and business registration. Some parts of the programme that include Law and procedures are explicitly aimed at an Armenian audience.

The Fundamentals of Artisan Business Development online course will be delivered in the Armenian language by Ashkhen Khudaverdyan, an enterprise specialist at the Smithsonian Institution. You will learn fundamental skills and knowledge that is required to convert you from an amateur to a business-level craftsman. 

The Fundamentals of Artisan Business Development certification programme will run for 16 weeks, and you will have to put in one to two hours in a week to complete this course. Since this is not an instructor-led course, you can choose your own study schedule and start learning the course free of cost.

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16 Weeks
Beginner
Free
Skills Covered:
Marketing skills

Offered by

Certificate

Interdisciplinary Teaching with Museum Objects

The Interdisciplinary Teaching with Museum object course is available on the platform of edX which is designed to introduce the course takers to different teaching modes and strategies that they can integrate into the real world. 

The course ensures practical and in-depth knowledge for the learners by implementing pre-recorded sessions from educators at the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian Centre for learning and digital access. The candidates will get a chance to observe different teaching ways by using objects from the museums and art objects which they can use to make students learning more effective and innovative. 

During the programme the learners will also become familiar with the usage of the Smithsonian learning lab. This 14-week programme is very suitable for teachers, especially those having subjective knowledge of humanities. On completion of the course, the verified candidates will receive a certificate that will benefit them professionally. The course can be learnt in a self-paced mode but in the Audit Track, the candidates will have only a limited period to finish off the course whereas they can have unlimited access during the Verified Track.

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14 Weeks
Beginner
Free
Skills Covered:
Knowledge of history

Offered by

Certificate

Star Trek: Inspiring Culture and Technology

The Star Trek: Inspiring Culture and Technology programme explains how Star Trek, which was initially a failed series, became supremely influential. Today, this cult favourite encompasses additional television series, feature films, and a world of fan memorabilia and conventions. Undertaking this seven-week course, you will understand why people resonate with Star Trek, how it has inspired generations to ask essential questions about their identity and relation with their surrounding world. 

Through the Star Trek: Inspiring Culture and Technology certification syllabus, you will explore how Star Trek’s motion pictures and live-action tv shows impacted audiences globally. Offered by the Smithsonian Institution - the curriculum features trained instructors to explain the relationships between Star Trek and culture, History, society, and technology. The training also includes clips from the films and shows, experts’ opinions, and debate sessions with fellow fans. 

EdX’s Star Trek: Inspiring Culture and Technology course is an introductory free programme under the ‘History’ category. It features no enrolment prerequisites, a self-direct schedule, and a purchasable e-certificate. The institute offers this curriculum under the CBS Consumer Products’ license. 

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7 Weeks
Beginner
Free
Skills Covered:
Knowledge of history

Offered by

Certificate

The Rise of Superheroes and Their Impact On Pop Culture

With his course of The Rise of Superheroes and Their Impact On Pop Culture programme, the candidates will be acquainted with the evolution of superheroes throughout history and their rise as well as their impact on the current society. The candidates will come to know about how the Greek, Roman and Egyptian myths about ancient gods have been moulded, such that in the current world, they possess superpowers. The Rise of Superheroes and Their Impact On Pop Culture Course will also cover information regarding superheroes such as Hulk, Spiderman, Superman, and the Avengers, along with how they came into their current versions evolving through different folktales and myths. 

The candidates will learn historical facts about superheroes such as the reason behind their rise during World War II in 1938, referred to as the golden age. The Rise of Superheroes and Their Impact On Pop Culture Online Certification is brought to the students by one of the best in the industry, that is Smithsonian. The Rise of Superheroes and Their Impact On Pop Culture Programme will be running for six weeks. The course can be accessed for a limited period if the candidates choose the audit track. In case the stduents choose the verified track they can access the course for a lifetime.

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6 Weeks
Beginner
Free
Skills Covered:
Knowledge of history

Offered by

Certificate

Teaching Historical Inquiry with Objects

The Teaching Historical Inquiry with Objects online course offered by edX is created by Smithsonian. This course's instruction mode is English with Kathleen Owings Swan and Naomi Coquillon as the instructors. This course will span over six weeks, and candidates can complete the course material at their pace.

Middle and high school teachers will learn innovative methods to create an engaging atmosphere for students in-and-out of the classroom. The Teaching Historical Inquiry with Objects certification teaches beneficial strategies and techniques that are readily applicable in a classroom. Teachers can use these techniques to instill inquiry-based learning methods for the currently taught history lessons.  

With Smithsonian's help, the Teaching Historical Inquiry with Objects training incorporates the new C3 social studies framework. These educational methods are museum-based and generate interest among students by bringing historical artifacts to life. Teachers are given demonstrations, explanations, and examples of generating practical ideas in the classroom. This helps encourage the students to think critically, ask tricky questions, form evidence-based opinions, come to conclusions, and much more in the field of historical sources.

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6 Weeks
Beginner
Free
Skills Covered:
Teaching skills

Offered by

Certificate

Star Trek: Inspiring Culture and Technology II

The Star Trek: Inspiring Culture and Technology Part II is a six-week programme that offers insightful knowledge about how this globally favourite series left a lasting impact. This introductory curriculum features top educators with whom you’ll analyse Star Trek clips and movies to understand why it’s a cult classic. Experts will lay down their opinions, and you will also debate with fellow fans for an immersive experience.

The Star Trek: Inspiring Culture and Technology II certification syllabus will dive deep into how this sci-fi phenomenon tackled controversial topics like ethics, race, sexuality, and gender. You will explore vital topics, examine Star Trek’s connections with culture, technology, society, and History, and engage in critical analysis. 

Presented by The Smithsonian Institution, the Star Trek: Inspiring Culture and Technology II online course is entirely self-paced. While there’s a paid certification track for the shareable certificate, you can choose to audit the curriculum at zero cost as well.  It is recommended that you complete Star Trek: Inspiring Culture and Technology (Part I) before enrolling in this training.

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6 Weeks
Beginner
Free
Skills Covered:
Knowledge of history

Offered by

Certificate

Design in the Classroom with Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

The Design in the Classroom with Cooper Hewitt programme is offered by the Smithsonian Design Institute in conjunction with edX. In this course, you will learn to employ design thinking in a classroom setting to find innovative and creative solutions to problems that arise within a community every day. The curriculum is based upon a creative classroom activity by Cooper Hewitt.

Through the Design in the Classroom with Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum course, aspiring and professional teachers will learn the skills to educate other teachers about the design process. 

It is a five weeks course that requires you to invest nearly one or two hours every week for completion. It is, however, a self-paced programme; so you can complete it as per your convenience.

The online Design in the Classroom with Cooper Hewitt course will allow you to evaluate current design-based lesson plans and construct new ones. The stages of the design process are also a part of the programme curriculum, along with creating a solution for a real-world community challenge. The programme is free to enrol in.

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5 Weeks
Beginner
Free
Skills Covered:
Teaching skills

Offered by

Certificate

Power and Responsibility: Doing Philosophy with Superheroes

Learning philosophical concepts with a newer twist, that is, from analysing our favorite superheroes is what this course on Power and responsibility: Doing philosophy with superheroes offers the interested learners. This introductory course on Arts and culture is offered by edX, an online provider of quality education in association with Smithsonian institute and Harvard University’s Division of Continuing education. The Power and responsibility: Doing philosophy with superheroes certification program is under the guidance of the experienced faculty, Professor Christopher Robichaud of the Harvard Kennedy school. 

Power and responsibility: Doing philosophy with superheroes certification course mainly focuses on key topics in the field of philosophy such as epistemology and metaphysics, social and political philosophy, existentialism, ethics, philosophy of mind, moral relativism, and so on, from the analysis of the superheroes such as Peace and Wonder women, Identity and Spiderman, social justice and X-men and punishment and Batman. The short yet comprehensive curriculum provides the students with a fresh learning experience on philosophy with the flexible learning system. 

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5 Weeks
Beginner
Free
Skills Covered:
Knowledge of history

Offered by

Certificate

Objects That Define America

A significant part of the history of the world, the American past holds a great number of gems hidden to date from many which can be used to figure out patterns that are closely interlinked with the present of this globe, which precisely the course will be mentioned in detail. Smithsonian’s Objects That Define America boasts about a perspective of history that is unique to its contents and mentions the iconic symbols, which though were of great significance in that era, have come to be forgotten.

By the end of the Smithsonian’s Objects That Define America certification course, the candidates will have a distinct knowledge of objects narrating the key points in the history of America. They will have gained insight into the distance as well as the recent past through observation of the moments collected in Smithsonian, giving them the opportunity to recognize precious artifacts, their stories and be able to connect and create their lifetimes. 

Smithsonian’s Objects That Define America course will help the candidates in all fields connected to or using the knowledge of, America’s history, valuable memorabilia, their theoretical studies, sequencing timelines, and such.

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5 Weeks
Beginner
Free
Skills Covered:
Knowledge of history

Offered by

Certificate

Our Global Ocean – An Introduction Course

Through the Our Global Ocean – An Introduction Course by edX, the Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History aims to teach the public that the ocean is a global system essential for all life forms on this planet, including human beings.

With the Our Global Ocean – An Introduction Course online program, you will get to explore the ocean from the coast to the deep sea, and from the beginning of life on this planet to its functions today. 

Through this course, you will realize why we truly live on an “ocean planet,” as well as your part in our collective responsibility to protect the ocean and all the life that depends on it, directly or indirectly.

The curriculum for the Our Global Ocean – An Introduction Course was developed by the educators at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and reviewed by scientists at the Smithsonian and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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5 Weeks
Beginner
Free
Skills Covered:
Knowledge of ecosystem

Offered by

Certificate

Climate Change Communication

Climate Change Communication certification course is spread over five weeks and introduces the fundamental concepts of climate science to its learners. This course also provides effective communication strategies to empower educators, individuals, and volunteers who like to indulge in conversations about climate change. 

Moreover, the Climate Change Communication program allows learners to understand the importance of communicating the solutions for climate change. This course is offered by the top educators from the Smithsonian University in New York City. Being a self-paced training course also gives students ample time to understand and fine-tune their communication strategies. 

Climate Change Communication course by edX falls under the domain of Environmental studies and requires enthusiasts to dedicate at least one-three hours per week. The training curriculum includes a comprehensive overview of the need for communication concerning climate change, fundamentals of climate science, how climate change is perceived, and the facilitation strategies. 

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5 Weeks
Beginner
Free
Skills Covered:
Knowledge of Environmental Science

Offered by

Certificate

Star Trek: Inspiring Culture and Technology III

Have you ever wondered what made Star Trek a cult classic? How it began as an unsuccessful network series and transformed into a whole universe of feature films, fan conventions, television series, and memorabilia? If yes, then choose edX’s Star Trek: Inspiring Culture and Technology III programme. Here, you’ll take an in-depth look into why this globally popular series resonates with millions. Offered by The Smithsonian Institution, this is a five-week introductory training in ‘History’

The immersive Star Trek: Inspiring Culture and Technology III certification syllabus will employ object exploration, critical analysis, Star Trek’s clips, experts’ viewpoints, and debate sessions with fans. Additionally, you will also examine how this series’ motion films and live-action tv shows impacted audiences worldwide. The curriculum will also explain how this cult movie tackled various controversial subjects, including gender, sexuality, race, and ethics.

The Star Trek: Inspiring Culture and Technology III online course provides free auditing and an optional certificate (paid). The curriculum schedule is self-paced, has English transcripts, and requires just one to three hours of study every week. 

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5 Weeks
Beginner
Free
Skills Covered:
Knowledge of history

Offered by

Certificate

Foundations for Transforming Teaching and Learning about Native Americans

The candidates interested in brushing up their skills can enrol in the Foundations for Transforming Teaching and Learning about Native Americans certification and learn about the impact of problematic narratives. Different ways to recognize this impact have been covered in the course. For the course, the candidates will join the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.

Assignments, projects, and modules have been designed by the experts to help the participants have a grab on the topic. The Foundations for Transforming Teaching and Learning about Native Americans online course is based on a three-part live webinar series. Modules have been designed to help candidates know the topic.

After the completion of the course, the candidate shall be awarded a certification if they chose the enrolment by paying the course fee. The certificate shall help the candidates get a hike in salary and better jobs in any organization. The candidates can share the certificate on LinkedIn for broader exposure. Also, the students can audit the programme for a limited duration free of cost. 

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4 Weeks
Beginner
Free
Skills Covered:
Teaching skills

Offered by

Certificate

Designing for Textiles

2 Weeks
Beginner
Free

Offered by

Certificate

Science: A Work in Progress

1 Weeks
Beginner
Free

Offered by

Certificate

That's So Meta(cognitive)!

1 Weeks
Beginner
Free

Offered by

Certificate

Conceptual Change: How New Ideas Take Root

1 Weeks
Beginner
Free

Offered by

Certificate

Fired Up About Energy

1 Weeks
Beginner
Free

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