Are you studying organic chemistry for a school or college exam? Need to plug some holes in your knowledge? Or just learning for interest? I combed the Class Central catalog and collated enrollments and views, ratings and reviews to narrow down the best and most popular organic chemistry choices for this Best Courses Guide (BCG) to Organic Chemistry. I’ve handpicked basic courses for beginners and high school students as well as some university-level courses.

Most courses in this BCG assume some basic chemistry knowledge, so if you’re finding these courses too challenging, take a look at our Chemistry BCG to fill in the gaps.

Click on the shortcuts for more details:

• Top Picks
• What is Organic Chemistry?
• Resources Overview
• Why You Should Trust Us
• How We Made Our Picks and Tested Them

Here are our top picks

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What is Organic Chemistry?

Organic chemistry is the branch of chemistry that deals with the study of compounds containing carbon. It focuses primarily on the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and synthesis of organic compounds, which are molecules that contain carbon-hydrogen bonds. Other elements including oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and halogens are also present in most organic molecules.

Organic chemistry has numerous applications in fields such as:

• Pharmaceuticals
• Materials science
• Petroleum industry
• Food science
• Biotechnology.

Resources Overview

• 8 resources are free or free to audit and 2 are paid
• 2 courses offer a certificate of completion
• The Organic Chemistry subject, with over 160 courses, is followed by 1.7K learners on Class Central
• Courses in this guide have more than 8 million enrollments and views
• The most featured provider is YouTube with 5 courses.

Best Practical Organic Chemistry Course (University of York)

Exploring Everyday Chemistry delves into the chemistry behind daily life, focusing on organic chemistry. Practical kitchen experiments include extracting plant fragrances and testing spices against microbes. The course is ideal for interested adult learners and sixth formers preparing for university, enhancing your understanding of organic compounds through real-life examples and developing independent learning skills.

You will learn about:

• Chemical attraction: fragrances and pheromones
• Antibiotics: penicillin, other antibiotics, and new directions
• Brewing: antioxidants, flavour, tea, coffee, and beer
• Sport: polymers, sports medicine and nutrition.

“The course includes a tremendous variety of teaching materials, including a range of experiments to do at home. It is informative and cutting-edge…” – Anonymous Class Central learner.

Best Beginner Organic Chemistry Course (Udemy)

Are you starting out with organic chemistry or looking for a refresher? Or wanting to prepare for IGCSE, A-levels, WAEC, or JAMB exams? High School Organic Chemistry 1 provides a comprehensive introduction to organic chemistry, covering fundamental concepts and various compounds through engaging teaching methods. Delivered by experienced tutors, the course includes numerous examples, exercises, and take-home tasks to ensure thorough understanding and preparation for exams.

This course covers:

• Basic concepts and importance of organic chemistry
• Fundamental topics: hydrocarbons, homologous series, alkanes, alkyl groups
• Detailed study of organic compounds: alkenes, alkanols, esters.

“Me gustó mucho la forma de desarrollar el tema y se me hizo muy fácil comprenderlo.” Translated to: “I really liked the way the topic was developed and it was very easy for me to understand it.”- Diana Karina V., Udemy learner.

Best General Interest Organic Chemistry Course (CrashCourse)

I love CrashCourse videos, with their fast pace, nifty animations, and the snappy editing that keeps my brain engaged. Organic Chemistry by CrashCourse covers sophomore-level college material in 50 episodes over 6 hours. The course is based on multiple reference texts and journal articles, covering topics from Organic Chemistry I and II. Students will learn about functional groups, molecular structure, reaction mechanisms, synthetic routes, spectroscopy, and real-world applications of organic compounds.

You will learn:

• Organic nomenclature (including heteroatom functional groups)
• 3D structure and bonding
• Analytical techniques: IR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, proton NMR
• Alkanes and cycloalkanes
• Stereochemistry
• Polarity, resonance, and electron pushing
• Acidity
• Nucleophiles and electrophiles
• Reaction mechanisms
• Thermodynamics and energy diagrams
• Alkenes and alkynes and their reactions
• Radical reactions and Hammond’s postulate
• Substitution and elimination reactions: SN1 and SN2 mechanisms, E1 and E2 reactions, and determining reaction types
•  Functional groups: alcohols, ethers, epoxides, aldehydes, and ketones
• Synthesis and purification: column chromatography, organometallic reagents and carbanions
• Advanced reactions.

“I can already tell this will save my O Chem grade next semester! Thanks for doing this series Crash Course!! I’ve been watching religiously for a couple years and I love you guys so much!” – @ahlea1353, YouTube learner.

Also Great General Organic Chemistry Course (Professor Dave Explains)

“Professor” Dave Farina is great at breaking down complex scientific concepts and explaining them in simple terms. He’s taught organic chemistry at schools and colleges and has produced around 1,500 videos on chemistry, biology, and other sciences. Dave’s goal is to “increase science literacy in our society”.

Organic Chemistry covers a comprehensive range of organic chemistry topics, from basic nomenclature to advanced reaction mechanisms and synthetic strategies.

You’ll learn about:

• IUPAC Nomenclature (alkanes, haloalkanes, alcohols, alkenes, alkynes, cyclic compounds)
• Resonance structures and formal charge
• Conformational analysis (Newman projections, cyclohexane chairs)
• Stereochemistry (enantiomers, R/S configuration, meso compounds, diastereomers)
• Nucleophilic substitution reactions (SN1, SN2)
• Elimination reactions (E1, E2)
• Addition reactions (hydrohalogenation, hydration, dihalogenation)
• Carbocation rearrangements
• Alkyne reactions and synthesis
• Diels-Alder cycloaddition
• Oxidation and reduction reactions
• Aldol and Michael additions
• Aromaticity and electrophilic aromatic substitution
• Free radical reactions
• Grignard and Wittig reactions
• Spectroscopy (IR, NMR, Mass Spectrometry)
• Retrosynthetic analysis
• Protecting groups
• Separation techniques (extraction, chromatography, distillation, recrystallization)
• Carboxylic acid derivatives
• Organometallic reagents
• Pericyclic reactions
• Heterocyclic chemistry.

“YOU JUST SAVED MY GRADES, MY GPA, MY LIFE AND PROBABLY MY CAREER! Thank you so much!!” – @TrangNguyen-ne5st, YouTube learner.

Best Free Organic Chemistry Textbook (OpenStax)

John McMurry’s Organic Chemistry has been helping students for many years and now the 10th edition is available online for free!

Or you can buy a hard copy if you prefer studying from a physical book.

This book covers:

• Types of bonds
• Organic compounds and reactions
• Alkenes, alkynes, organohalides and alkyl halides
• Structure determination: mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy
• Benzene, alcohols and phenols
• Ethers, aldehydes, nitriles, and carboxylic acids
• Biomolecules: carbohydrates, amino acids, peptides, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids
• Metabolic pathways
• Synthetic polymers.

“It starts from the very basics of organic chemistry and it explains things in a way that is actually interesting. I read the whole thing while commuting and I wouldn’t be a chemical engineer today if not for this book.” – Fabio, Class Central.

Best Concise Organic Chemistry Course (The Organic Chemistry Tutor)

Organic Chemistry – Basic Introduction serves as a basic introduction to organic chemistry, exploring foundational concepts tailored for college students entering their first semester in the subject.

Topics covered:

• Different types of bonds, bond strength and length
• Alkanes, alkenes, alkynes
• Lewis structures, functional groups, and examples
• Hybridization
• Formal charge
• Lone pairs
• Expand a structure.

“All the basic concepts of organic chemistry are explained with great depth and easy examples…” –  Divyanshu Raturi, Class Central learner.

Also Great Concise Organic Chemistry Course (Udemy)

If you’re a pre-university student with basic General Chemistry knowledge, The Organic Chemistry Course is for you! It covers naming and drawing organic compounds, understanding their reactions, behavior, and synthesis. It also aims to provide a deeper understanding of organic chemistry and its applications in everyday life. Students will gain lifetime access to course materials, including notes and a mindmap for memorizing organic reactions.

Syllabus covers:

• Naming organic compounds
• Interpreting skeletal and displayed formula of organic compounds
• Identifying functional groups
• Describing the formation of organic compounds
• Explaining and comparing acidity, basicity, and reactivity of organic compounds
• Identifying organic compounds in solutions
• Drawing structures of organic compounds
• Understanding organic reactions and behavior
• Organic compound synthesis
• Free radicals and their dangers
• Differences between lab-synthesized and naturally-occurring drugs.

“The course covers a lot of information in a short amount of time. This is a good course to review before an exam or to refresh your memory of organic chemistry.” – Scott C., Udemy learner.

Best Organic Chemistry Exam Prep Course (Study.com)

Organic Chemistry: Help & Review offers a comprehensive review of organic chemistry, designed to assist students in catching up with coursework, completing assignments, and preparing for exams. The 14-hour course covers essential topics in organic chemistry through engaging lessons and mini quizzes.

You will learn:

• Organic molecules and compounds, structure and properties, nomenclature, functional groups
• Types of spectroscopy in organic chemistry, interpreting spectra, structural determination
• Organic reactions and mechanisms: types of reactions, reaction mechanisms, stereochemistry.

Study.com also offers Organic Chemistry I (11-12 hours) with info sheets and quizzes.

Best University-level Organic Chemistry Course (NPTEL and IIT, Kharagpur)

Organic Chemistry in Biology and Drug Development focuses on biological molecules, protein structure and synthesis, enzyme kinetics, nucleic acids, molecular biology, cofactors, and various aspects of drug discovery and development. It explores topics ranging from amino acids and DNA sequencing to neurotransmitters, antibiotics, and cancer treatments. The course provides a comprehensive overview of the intersection between organic chemistry, biochemistry, and pharmacology.

Main topics:

• Biological macromolecules and small molecules
• Amino acids and proteins: structure, detection, and separation, peptide synthesis and protein structure,protein purification techniques
• Enzyme kinetics, catalysis, and inhibition
• Synthetic biology
• Nucleic acids: DNA sequencing and synthesis
• Central dogma: DNA replication, transcription, and translation
• Molecular biology
• Cofactors and coenzymes
• Drug discovery and development: fundamental principles and processes, combinatorial chemistry
• Neurotransmitters and related drugs
• Antimicrobial drugs: beta-lactam antibiotics and resistance, non-beta-lactam antibiotics
• Polyketide biosynthesis
• Antiviral drugs
• Cancer and chemotherapy
• Other drug types:anti-ulcer drugs, cholesterol-lowering agents
• Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
• Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) principles.

“good course, understood everything taught in depth. highly recommended…” – Rafia Imran, Class Central learner.

Best Organic Chemistry Course in Hindi (J Chemistry)

If you’re studying for exams, Organic Chemistry – CSIR-NET, GATE, IIT-JAM will help! This Hindi language course delves into various reaction mechanisms, stereochemistry, and organometallic compounds. It emphasizes understanding complex organic reactions and their applications in synthesis.

Syllabus:

• Enolates and related reactions
  • Alkylation, tautomerism, and stability
  • Stork enamine reaction
  • Michael addition
  • Aldol and related reactions

• Organometallic compounds and reactions
  • Alkyl lithium and Grignard reagents
  • Organozinc, organocopper, and organochromium compounds
  • Coupling reactions (Stille, Negishi, Sonogashira, Suzuki, Hiyama)

• Elimination reactions
  • E1, E2, E1CB mechanisms
  • Syn and anti eliminations
  • Fragmentation reactions

• Olefination reactions
  • Wittig and related reactions
  • Julia olefination
  • Corey-Winter reaction

• Reduction and oxidation reactions
  • Birch reduction
  • Hydroboration
  • Oxidation of heteroatoms.

“Excellent subject to learn and nice teaching, very nice platform to learn…” –  K. Sanjith, Class Central learner.

Why You Should Trust Us

Class Central, a Tripadvisor for online education, has helped 60 million learners find their next course. We’ve been combing through online education for more than a decade to aggregate a catalog of 200,000 online courses and 200,000 reviews written by our users. And we’re online learners ourselves: combined, the Class Central team has completed over 400 online courses, including online degrees. I’ve personally completed over 200 online courses in a variety of topics.

How We Made Our Picks and Tested Them

Trying to find “the best” can be daunting, even for those of us who live and breathe online courses. Here’s how I approached this task.

First, I combed through Class Central’s Catalog and the internet to find a variety of free and paid open courses, some with certificates. You don’t need to enroll in a university to learn about organic chemistry.

When choosing courses, I considered the following factors:

• Renowned Institutions: I looked for recognized institutions in organic chemistry
• Instructor experience: I sought instructors with extensive experience in organic chemistry and engaging presentation styles

• Popularity: I checked numbers of enrollments and views to find popular courses

• Course content: I examined courses that covered a range of topics and presentation styles, including the basics and more advanced topics. I watched some course videos to sample courses I hadn’t already taken
• Learner reviews: I read learner reviews (when available) to get a sense of the quality of each course, leveraging the Class Central database with its thousands of course ratings and reviews written by our users as well as available course provider reviews.

Then, I defined the scope for these recommendations and chose a range of top organic chemistry courses.

Ultimately, I used a combination of data and my own judgment to make these picks. I’m confident these recommendations will be a reliable way to learn organic chemistry.