130+ Online Course Ideas & Examples (Plus Tips On How To Get Started)

Online learning offers unparalleled growth and skill acquisition opportunities, making it a prime choice for those eager to advance personally and professionally.

This article aims to inspire learners and creators by presenting course examples from a variety of fields, like marketing, design, technology, and more. From mastering digital marketing to unlocking the secrets of AI, we showcase courses that inspire and provide actionable insights for creating your own.

Join us as we explore the diverse world of online course ideas , providing you with 130+ examples and ideas that showcase the best of what digital learning has to offer. Let’s get started on this educational journey together, where knowledge is just a click away.

Finding your profitable course topic

Discovering the best online course topic isn’t just about teaching what you know—it’s about filling a need and solving real-world problems for your audience. Here’s a strategic approach to uncovering topics that can transform your expertise into a successful online course:

Identify challenges and questions

Start by reflecting on your own experiences. What obstacles have you overcome? What insights have you gained? Then, listen to your audience. What questions do they frequently ask? These inquiries and your answers highlight areas where you can provide valuable knowledge and solutions.

Conduct thorough market research

Use tools like Google Trends to gauge interest levels in various subjects. Explore forums and social media groups related to your expertise. Pay attention to the questions people ask and the problems they discuss. Are there recurring themes or frustrations with existing courses? This research can reveal untapped niches or areas where current courses fall short, offering you a clear path to make an impact.

Analyze and refine your approach

Take a close look at what’s already out there. Can you bring a new perspective to the topic? Maybe there’s outdated content that you can refresh with the latest information or trends. Consider how you can elevate the e-learning experience—perhaps through more engaging content, interactive elements, or offering personalized support and feedback. Highlighting what makes your course different sets it apart and makes it more appealing to potential learners.

Solve a specific problem

People are drawn to courses that promise and deliver solutions to their specific challenges. Define the problem your course solves in clear, direct terms. Then, outline how your course provides the solution. This approach makes your course more attractive and more actionable for your students.

Offer actionable insights and tools

Your course should empower students with practical knowledge they can apply immediately. Include actionable tips, step-by-step guides, and resources for students to implement what they’ve learned. This enhances the value of your course and boosts student satisfaction and success.

Online career growth and leadership course ideas

Career and leadership development courses need to resonate with the unique aspirations and challenges of your audience:

Online business and marketing course ideas

The world of online business courses can be overwhelmingly large, but focusing on entrepreneurship, marketing, and critical business skills can yield significant benefits for your students. Here are some helpful courses:

Thinkific online course example

Entrepreneurs on Fire , led by John Lee Dumas and Kate Erickson, has harnessed Thinkific to support entrepreneurs through their journey with courses like Podcasters’ Paradise, hosting a vibrant community of 3,000 students. Their strategic use of Thinkific’s features, from welcome videos to progress check-ins, has enhanced student engagement and provided valuable feedback for course improvement. Offering free courses like Your Big Idea has generated thousands of leads and bolstered their monthly revenue, demonstrating the power of online courses in growing their business and fostering a community of inspired entrepreneurs.

Online design and creativity course ideas

Unleash your inner artist with courses designed to spark creativity and enhance your aesthetic skills. Here’s a snapshot of courses tailored for the imaginative mind:

Online personal development and lifestyle course ideas Online personal finance and money course ideas

Empowering individuals through financial education can lead to significant personal growth and stability:

Online relationship course ideas

Improving relationships through targeted courses can offer profound benefits to your students’ personal lives:

Online language course ideas

With globalization and the accessibility of international travel, language learning has never been more in demand:

Online music course ideas

Music courses can attract a broad audience, from beginners who want to learn a new hobby to professionals seeking to refine their craft:

Thinkific online course example

James Testani, the founder of Good Guitarist , has transformed traditional guitar teaching into a global online school using Thinkific. His transition from one-on-one lessons to creating a comprehensive online learning experience allows students worldwide to discover guitar playing’s joy. From beginner to advanced levels, Good Guitarist offers structured courses, play-along songs, and lessons tailored to different skill sets, all made possible by Thinkific’s user-friendly platform. This hassle-free approach enables James to focus on delivering quality content, from strumming patterns to soloing techniques, ensuring students progress confidently at their own pace.

Online science course ideas

Science courses offer endless opportunities for engaging content that appeals to students and hobbyists alike:

Thinkific online course example

New Scientist used Thinkific Plus to launch the New Scientist Academy, expanding its repertoire into online education alongside its established science and technology content. The platform’s simplicity and scalability enabled a quick launch, enriching their mission to disseminate scientific knowledge. Leveraging Thinkific Plus’s customization options, New Scientist integrated its distinct branding into the course design, offering an immersive learning experience. With dedicated support from Thinkific, New Scientist Academy was successfully launched within just over three months, marking a significant milestone in its journey towards diversifying revenue through online learning.

Online sports & fitness course ideas

The desire for physical well-being continues to drive interest in sports and fitness courses, catering to beginners and seasoned athletes alike:

Thinkific online course example

Jason Yee , leveraging his expertise as a former professional hockey player and kinesiologist, utilizes Thinkific to revolutionize how hockey players enhance their skills. Through his online coaching programs like Downhill Skating System and Train 2.0, Jason offers detailed analyses of NHL techniques and personal support, transforming players’ on-ice potential globally. Moving from WordPress to Thinkific, Jason found a seamless way to share training content, including video reviews and community feedback, significantly improving the learning experience for his clients. His pathway from free courses to paid memberships on Thinkific streamlines the learning process and effectively builds his client base.

Online cooking course ideas

Whether for budding chefs or home cooking enthusiasts, these courses blend culinary skill development with cultural exploration:

Online parenting course ideas

Parenting is a journey that’s both rewarding and challenging. Equip yourself with strategies and insights to navigate this journey with courses designed for today’s caregivers:

Online religion & spirituality course ideas

For those seeking inner peace and understanding, courses on religion and spirituality can provide meaningful insights and practices:

Online lifestyle course ideas

Lifestyle courses offer practical advice and skills for enhancing everyday life in various domains:

Online technology and innovation course ideas

Stay ahead of the curve with courses on the latest in technology and innovation, designed to demystify complex topics and open up new realms of possibility:

Online academic and tutoring course ideas

Supporting students’ academic achievements and tackling challenging subjects can be both rewarding and impactful. Here are courses designed to meet learners where they are in their educational journey:

Thinkific online course example

Schudio has harnessed Thinkific Plus to empower UK schools and educators, providing them with a powerful online platform for learning and communication. With SchudioTV and The Ability Bridge, they offer on-demand, specialized training for engaging with school communities and supporting students with Autism and special educational needs. Thinkific Plus was chosen for its flexibility, easy integration, and ability to create customized learning experiences across multiple sites. This approach has transformed how Schudio’s clients—over 500 schools—access training and resources, making education more inclusive and accessible.

Other online course ideas

Broadening the scope of online learning to include niche and unconventional topics opens up new avenues for exploration and skill acquisition:

Unlocking the power of course creation on Thinkific

Creating your own online course can seem daunting, but with Thinkific, it’s a journey filled with discovery and success. Whether you’re looking to share your expertise in business, design, technology, or personal development, Thinkific provides an intuitive platform to bring your educational vision to life.

Here’s a brief guide on how to start:

  1. Define your course goals: Outline what you want your students to learn. Setting clear objectives guides your content creation and helps you measure success.
  2. Structure your content: Organize your course into modules and lessons that logically progress toward achieving the course goals. Thinkific’s flexible structure allows for a variety of content types, including videos, quizzes, and downloadable resources.
  3. Engage with multimedia: With Thinkific, you can enrich your courses with multimedia elements to cater to different learning styles. From HD videos to interactive assignments, make learning dynamic and engaging.
  4. Leverage Thinkific features: Use Thinkific’s comprehensive set of tools to enhance the learning experience. Features like quizzes, discussion forums, and certificates of completion can significantly boost student engagement and satisfaction.
  5. Market your course: Thinkific offers built-in marketing tools to help you promote your course. Use coupons, email marketing, and affiliate programs to reach your target audience and drive enrollments.

Benefits of course creation on Thinkific

Course creators have harnessed Thinkific to reach thousands of students worldwide. By focusing on quality course content and leveraging Thinkific’s online course platform, they’ve seen remarkable benefits:

Thinkific success stories

BankersHub

BankersHub® has leveraged Thinkific Plus to redefine financial services training, offering an all-access 12-month Passport membership that supports global financial institutions with the latest industry insights and trends. By choosing Thinkific Plus for its simplicity and scalability, BankersHub® successfully transitioned to online education, enhancing customer autonomy and engagement. Their platform, BankersCollegeTM, simplifies B2B selling and improves customer service through Thinkific Plus’s advanced features, demonstrating a commitment to staying at the forefront of financial education technology.

IntelyCare

IntelyCare responded to the urgent educational needs during the COVID-19 pandemic by launching a free online certification course for nurses on Thinkific Plus. Reaching over 500,000 students across 30+ countries, the course’s success was amplified by social media sharing and the platform’s ability to support a large-scale rollout quickly. IntelyCare’s initiative showcases how Thinkific Plus facilitates rapid, impactful educational responses to global challenges, leveraging the platform’s robust integration capabilities and dedicated support.

Ellie Diop

Ellie Diop transformed her career setback into an opportunity by creating engaging, interactive online business courses with Thinkific Plus. Focusing on a branded and modular student experience, Ellie Talks Money Academy offers in-depth training with built-in accountability, resulting in higher completion rates and tangible outcomes for students. Her transition to Thinkific Plus enabled a more polished and effective delivery of content, emphasizing the platform’s ability to enhance the educator’s brand and student success.

Alacrity Canada

Alacrity Canada expanded its educational impact by opening its Digital Marketing Bootcamp to the public through Thinkific Plus, adapting to virtual delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Supporting over 6,000 students with diverse content types and interactive learning, Alacrity Academy illustrates Thinkific Plus’s flexibility and ease of use for delivering comprehensive digital marketing training. The platform’s capability to accommodate a wide range of educational materials has made it an ideal solution for Alacrity’s mission to support Canadian entrepreneurs in today’s digital landscape.

SuperHuman Academy

Jonathan Levi’s SuperHuman Academy on Thinkific exemplifies how premium online courses can elevate learning and memory skills for students worldwide. Since 2016, Jonathan has attracted over 120,000 learners to his 12 courses, focusing on productivity, lifestyle design, and personal finance. Leveraging Thinkific’s customizable platform, he’s enhanced course delivery with high-quality videos, interactive assignments, and branded content, setting his courses at a premium price to match their value. This strategic approach improved educational outcomes and allowed for creative marketing strategies, further expanding his reach.

NICP

The National Institute for Crime Prevention (NICP) quickly adapted to the challenges posed by COVID-19 by transitioning 64 hours of in-person Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) training to Thinkific Plus. This quick pivot, achieved in just over a month, expanded NICP’s global reach, maintaining its mission to educate law enforcement, architects, and city planners. With Thinkific Plus’s dedicated support and flexible platform, NICP seamlessly converted their expert onsite training into accessible online content, ensuring continuous learning amid global disruptions.

Latrina Walden

Latrina Walden Exam Solutions on Thinkific is a testament to the power of personalized and effective online education in the medical field. Since 2019, nearly 5,000 students have succeeded in their board exams thanks to Latrina’s engaging and comprehensive courses. With a focus on exceptional student experiences and a rapidly growing course library, Latrina leverages Thinkific’s user-friendly platform and supportive community to achieve remarkable growth, transitioning her passion for clinical education into a thriving online business that continues to expand its reach and impact.

Wallbreakers

Wallbreakers leverages Thinkific Plus to bridge the gap between recent computer science graduates and top tech companies looking for specific development skills. By offering specialized online certification courses, Wallbreakers prepares candidates to excel in the tech industry and ensures diversity in tech talent. The platform’s features, like reminder emails and analytics, have been instrumental in scaling their training programs, making it a strategic solution for both job seekers and employers aiming for excellence and inclusivity in the tech field.

Epoch Education

Epoch Education , a leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training, utilizes Thinkific Plus to extend its impactful DEI courses to a broader audience. Transitioning seamlessly to online education in response to COVID-19, they’ve enhanced their training delivery through engaging multimedia lessons, personalized content, and quizzes. With Thinkific Plus, Epoch Education has significantly widened its reach, offering over 50 in-depth courses that facilitate meaningful conversations and foster inclusivity in educational and corporate environments.

Unleashing Potential: The Power of Online Courses

Online learning isn’t just about accessing information but unlocking potential. Through platforms like Thinkific, educators are empowered to share their unique insights and skills, while learners gain the flexibility to grow personally and professionally on their own terms. This article has journeyed through various online courses, from the foundational to the innovative, each designed to inspire and foster success.

Thinkific successes like Entrepreneurs on Fire and SuperHuman Academy illustrate the transformative impact of well-crafted courses. They demonstrate that online education can achieve remarkable outcomes with the right tools, a commitment to quality, and a focus on student success. Whether it’s enhancing career prospects, exploring new hobbies, or advancing technical skills, the potential is limitless.

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Stephanie Trovato

Stephanie is a content marketing expert with a passion for connecting the dots of strategy and content. She has worked with industry leaders including HubSpot, Oracle, Travel + Leisure, and Forbes.

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