Important Update: Our moderated courses are now offered as self-paced experiences. Learn on your own schedule and at your own pace.
Learning
Grow Your Internet Knowledge—And Boost Your Career
To succeed as leaders in Internet technology, policy, and business, the next generation of Internet leaders needs a wide range of skills in various disciplines.
Learning @ Internet Society empowers professionals with the knowledge you need to apply new skills, advance in your careers, and become Internet champions. The Internet Society is a global Internet education pioneer and has trained more than 100,000 learners worldwide.
Available Courses
Choose from moderated online courses, face-to-face courses, and self-paced tutorials—all free.
Our courses provide you with practical technical skills designed and delivered by Internet experts. You will gain knowledge and skills on how the Internet works, how it is governed, and how to keep the Internet and its users safe and secure. By learning with the Internet Society, you’ll be able to:
Enhance employability, entrepreneurship, and career skills in the Internet industry
Learning @ Internet Society offers structured learning tracks that empower you to build deep expertise in critical Internet topics. Each track is designed to help you develop specialized skills and competencies, expand your knowledge, earn a certificate, and become part of a global alumni network that shapes a secure, open, and trustworthy Internet.
Explore our four specialization tracks and take the next step in your learning journey:
Government Track—Internet Policy and Advocacy Champion
As governments worldwide develop policies to regulate the Internet, decision-makers and public sector professionals must be equipped with the right knowledge to understand and advocate for an open, globally connected, secure, and trustworthy Internet for all. This track is specifically designed for government officials, policymakers, and regulators who influence Internet governance, digital rights, and security frameworks. You’ll also explore the role of government encryption and policy frameworks in shaping national and global Internet ecosystems.
Courses in this track:
Internet Governance
What the Internet Needs to Exist
What the Internet Needs to Thrive
Government Encryption
Online Trust & Safety Specialist
The Internet thrives when it remains open, secure, and trusted. A safer global Internet starts with you. This track covers the fundamentals of online safety, from keeping yourself safe online to ways that all members of society are responsible for upholding privacy and security-enhancing best practices.
Courses in this track:
Internet Governance
Encryption
Digital Footprints
Privacy
Internet Security
Network Operations Support Specialist
Master the foundational and advanced skills needed for careers in network and systems administration. This track takes you from the basics of network operations to advanced deployment strategies, equipping you to design, implement, and manage resilient network systems. You must complete all four courses to receive your network Certified Professional certificate.
Courses in this track:
Introduction to Network Operations
Advanced Network Operations
IPv6 (Offered by APNIC)
Fundamentals of Designing and Deploying Computer Networks
Internet Policy and Advocacy Champion
Learn how to effectively influence Internet policy and governance. These courses will help you gain insight into crafting policies that protect the Internet’s critical properties, openness, global connectivity, security, and trustworthiness. With these courses, you’ll learn how to analyze legislation, assess its impact on the Internet, and advocate effectively for strong encryption and user protections. By the end, you’ll be ready to advocate for an Internet that benefits everyone.
Courses in this track:
What the Internet Needs to Exist
What the Internet Needs to Thrive
How to Write an Internet Impact Brief
Encryption
Community Centered Connectivity Technicians
Too many communities around the world remain cut off from opportunities offered by the Internet, often due to limited infrastructure and a lack of local expertise. Courses in this track will teach you how to design, deploy, and maintain connectivity solutions tailored to your community’s unique needs. Beyond technical skills such as network design and wireless deployment, you’ll also learn how to lead, mentor, and inspire local initiatives to make Internet access a sustainable reality.
Courses in this track:
Fundamentals of Designing and Deploying Computer Networks
Community Network Readiness Assessment
Building Wireless Community Networks
Affordable and Reliable Access Specialist
Having affordable and reliable Internet access is essential to personal economic growth, educational opportunities, and innovation. Yet, over 2.6 billion people remain unconnected, largely due to costly and unreliable Internet services. This track equips you with the knowledge and technical skills needed to design, deploy, and maintain scalable Internet infrastructure that supports affordable and reliable access in underserved areas. You’ll also explore key challenges in affordability, accessibility, and network resilience—preparing you to create impactful, real-world solutions.
Courses in this track:
Introduction to Advanced Network Operations 1.0
Advanced Network Operations 2.0
Internet Exchange Point (IXP) 2.0
Government Track—Internet Policy and Advocacy Champion
As governments worldwide develop policies to regulate the Internet, decision-makers and public sector professionals must be equipped with the right knowledge to understand and advocate for an open, globally connected, secure, and trustworthy Internet for all. This track is specifically designed for government officials, policymakers, and regulators who influence Internet governance, digital rights, and security frameworks. You’ll also explore the role of government encryption and policy frameworks in shaping national and global Internet ecosystems.
Courses in this track:
Internet Governance
What the Internet Needs to Exist
What the Internet Needs to Thrive
Government Encryption
Online Trust & Safety Specialist
The Internet thrives when it remains open, secure, and trusted. A safer global Internet starts with you. This track covers the fundamentals of online safety, from keeping yourself safe online to ways that all members of society are responsible for upholding privacy and security-enhancing best practices.
Being part of the Alumni Network helps you stay connected with peers and gives you access to continuous learning and sharing opportunities, as well as tools and resources to support the development of the Internet in your own communities.
What Alumni Say About Subject Tracks
The track certificate will help me with job applications and mentoring upcoming students in the field.”
I’ll use the tracks to get involved in communities and organizations with the drive to introduce the Internet in places where the Internet is needed.”
Who Can Take Courses?
Everyone. If you would like to learn about the Internet, how it works, and shape its future, our online courses are for you! Our courses are for people with different experience levels.
There are both technical and nontechnical courses in our catalog. Technical courses may have prerequisites. Please check these before enrolling in a course.
Meet Our Tutors
Our tutors are world-class experts with deep knowledge of the Internet. They support course delivery by leading live chat sessions, responding to learner questions on the course forum, and sharing their expertise with the community. Our tutors hold relevant academic qualifications and complete an annual training session certifying them to be official Internet Society tutors.
Our courses are offered free of charge thanks to the generous contributions of our community. Your support helps us to build the skills of over 10,000 people every year.
Learning @ Internet Society is a way to bring people together in support of an open, globally connected, secure, and trustworthy Internet. It empowers people with the knowledge they need to take action and prepare learners to become the future leaders the Internet needs. Since its inception in 1992, the Internet Society has been at the forefront of Internet education, bringing essential information and training to people throughout the world.
Which courses are offered?
Our courses cover topics important to the Internet industry, particularly for growing and strengthening the Internet. View our course calendar and find out when courses will be offered during the year.
What types of courses are available?
We offer moderated, online, face-to-face (when it is safe to do so), and self-paced courses.
What is the pilot program for self-paced courses?
We are excited to introduce a pilot program where our previously moderated courses will now be available as self-paced learning experiences. This allows you to complete the course on your schedule, at your own pace. Stay tuned for more updates!
What is the duration of a course?
Our online courses are organized in weekly cycles starting on Mondays and they last four to six weeks.
How do I access the learning platform as an Internet Society member?
As an Internet Society member, you can log into learning.internetsociety.org with your member login credentials. There is no need to create a new account. If you do not remember your login information, select Forgot Login? to be emailed your username and receive a link to reset your password. Once logged in, you will be able to view the course catalog and select the course you’d like to enroll in.
How do I access the learning platform as a non-member?
Both guests and Internet Society members can access the learning platform. To register as either, click Register on the login box at learning.internetsociety.org. Next, either register as a member or click on the guest registration form to register as a guest. Once you create an account, you can use the credentials you created (username and password) to log into learning.internetsociety.org. Once logged in, you will be able to view the course catalog and enroll in courses.
How do I enroll in a course?
Browse available courses in the course catalog or use the search bar to find the course you would like to enroll in. On each course page, click the “Enroll” button in the top right corner of the page to immediately be added to a course. Once you have successfully been enrolled, you will be able to see the course under “My Courses and Learning Plans”. You will also be able to see information about the course instructor, view the course’s forums, and access any modules that are available. If the course has not yet started, you will not see any modules until the day the course begins.
How do I join the waitlist for a course?
If you are on a course page and the button in the top right corner of the page reads “Enroll (Waiting List)”, this means the course has reached the maximum number of participants able to enroll. You can click the button to join the waitlist for the course and you will be notified if a spot becomes available.
Who teaches the courses?
Our tutors have solid knowledge of our course topics and support course delivery by leading live chat sessions, responding to learner questions on the discussion forum, and sharing their expertise with the learning community. Our tutors have completed an annual training session to prepare them to be official Internet Society tutors.
How do I select the right course format?
When browsing the course catalog, you will see multiple versions of the same course available. All courses are available in English, French, and Spanish so first select the right language for you. You can do this by selecting the language of your choice in the left-hand filter in the course catalog or choosing the course that denotes the correct language (EN=English, FR=French, ES=Spanish).
You also have the option to choose the format that will work best for your connection type. All courses have 3 format options: high bandwidth, low bandwidth, and text-based for all connections. You can filter by bandwidth option in the left-hand filter on the course catalog or select the “Additional Information” tab when viewing a course to see which bandwidth connection you have selected.
If you have any questions about which version is best for you, feel free to reach out to us at learning@isoc.org to get assistance.
Is there a charge for the courses?
All of our courses are free.
Are textbooks required to take a course?
No. However, you will be able to download course content and resources in a PDF format from the course page.
Are there any homework assignments?
No, there are no homework assignments.
Is there a final exam?
No, there are no final exams. However, the completion of quizzes and other activities during the course is required.
In which languages are the courses available?
All course content is available in three languages: English, French, and Spanish. Some content is also available in Arabic.
Is there a set of learning community guidelines for learners?
The learning platform is WCAG compliant, and we’ll continue to evaluate and update to ensure it’s accessible for all. We also have WCAG 2.1 AA-certified formats for all of our courses in English, French, and Spanish. Course content will be made available in a downloadable format for offline access and use.
What bandwidth do I need to take courses?
To offer the best experience for every learner no matter where they are located, all courses have high-bandwidth, low-bandwidth, and text-based versions. All content will also be made available in offline mode.
What about mobile access?
The learning platform and all courses are now mobile-responsive. Our courses can now also be accessed on a mobile device by downloading a mobile app, so you no longer need a computer to be able to take an Internet Society course. Course content downloaded through our mobile app will be available even when you are not connected to the Internet.