How to learn C programming?

Whether you’re learning C programming for software development, systems programming, or academic purposes, having a clear goal can guide your learning. Consistent practice with coding and debugging is critical. Join communities like Stack Overflow or Reddit's r/C_Programming to ask questions and share knowledge. Work on real projects such as creating small programs. Introduction to C and C++ Specialization by Duke University on is a great starting resource.

What are the best C programming courses on Coursera?

Top options include C Programming for Beginners from Duke University and C Programming for Everybody from the University of Michigan . These courses cover everything from basic syntax to advanced topics like pointers, memory management, and data structures .

Can I learn C programming for free on Coursera?

Yes. Many C programming courses offer a free audit option, allowing learners to access video lessons and reading materials at no cost. To complete assignments or earn a certificate, you’ll need to upgrade or apply for financial aid.

What will I learn in a C programming course?

You’ll learn how to write C code, understand control structures (like loops and conditionals), use functions, work with arrays and strings, and manage memory with pointers. Some courses also cover debugging and testing C programs.

Do I need coding experience to start learning C programming?

Not at all. Many courses are designed for beginners and introduce C concepts step by step. However, some familiarity with basic programming logic can be helpful, especially if you want to move on to more advanced topics or other programming languages.

"Can Coursera’s C programming courses help me in my career? "

Yes. C programming is fundamental in areas like embedded systems , game development , and operating systems. Coursera courses can help you build job-ready skills, strengthen your programming foundation, and prepare for roles that require low-level programming expertise.

Top C Programming Courses - Learn C Programming Online

Find the Best C Programming Course for Your Goals

Status: Free
Coursera Project Network
Basic Game Development with Levels using Scratch
Skills you'll gain: Event-Driven Programming, Debugging, Game Design, Animation and Game Design, Program Development, Algorithms, Computer Programming, Application Development, Programming Principles
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
135 reviews
Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours
Status: Free Trial
LearnQuest
Blockchain Solution Architecture
Skills you'll gain: Blockchain, Risk Management, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), Risk Analysis, Business Risk Management, Governance Risk Management and Compliance, Legal Risk, Interoperability, Network Architecture, Systems Architecture, Governance, Solution Architecture, Application Security, Project Documentation, Software Architecture, Technical Documentation, Cryptography, Infrastructure Architecture, Data Storage, FinTech
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
15 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Fudan University
基于Unity引擎的游戏开发基础
Skills you'll gain: Unity Engine, User Interface (UI), Mobile Development, Video Game Development, C# (Programming Language), Animations, Application Deployment, Scripting, Computer Graphics, Cross Platform Development, Virtual Environment, Object Oriented Programming (OOP)
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
100 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Coursera Project Network
Introduction to R: Basic R syntax
Skills you'll gain: R Programming, Statistical Programming, Development Environment, Programming Principles, Data Import/Export
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
46 reviews
Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours
Coursera Project Network
Basic Statistics in Python (Correlations and T-tests)
Skills you'll gain: Exploratory Data Analysis, Box Plots, Correlation Analysis, Data Visualization, Scatter Plots, Data Cleansing, Data Manipulation, Pandas (Python Package), Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Descriptive Statistics, Statistical Analysis, Data Analysis, Probability & Statistics, Python Programming
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
34 reviews
Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours
Status: New
Status: Free Trial
DeepLearning.AI
Data I/O and Preprocessing with Python and SQL
Skills you'll gain: Web Scraping, Extract, Transform, Load, Data Validation, Data Processing, Data Ethics, Data Cleansing, SQL, Data Transformation, JSON, Pandas (Python Package), Generative AI, Relational Databases, Data Integrity, Unstructured Data, Application Programming Interface (API)
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
University of London
Working with Objects in C++
Skills you'll gain: C++ (Programming Language), Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Debugging, Test Data, Data Validation, Algorithms, Unit Testing, Statistical Programming, Data Structures
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
30 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
Infosec
JavaScript Security Part 1
Skills you'll gain: Secure Coding, Application Security, Web Applications, Javascript, Web Development, Node.JS, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
35 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: New
Coursera Instructor Network
Introduction to Selenium
Skills you'll gain: Selenium (Software), Test Automation, Debugging, Scripting, Automation, Web Scraping, Software Testing, Test Case, Browser Compatibility, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
13 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Business intelligence and data warehousing
Skills you'll gain: Data Warehousing, Extract, Transform, Load, Business Intelligence, Data Mining, Big Data, Predictive Analytics, Analytics, Data Modeling, MySQL, Business Analytics, Apache Hadoop, Star Schema, Unstructured Data, Database Design, SQL, Data Transformation
3.9
Rating, 3.9 out of 5 stars
100 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Universidad Austral
Desarrollo del lado servidor: NodeJS, Express y MongoDB
Skills you'll gain: Server Side, Node.JS, Back-End Web Development, Restful API, Web Development, MongoDB, Application Deployment, OAuth, Web Servers, Web Applications, Authentications, Application Security, Object-Relational Mapping, NoSQL, Authorization (Computing)
4.1
Rating, 4.1 out of 5 stars
109 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Coursera Project Network
Mastering Data Analysis with Pandas: Learning Path Part 2
Skills you'll gain: Pandas (Python Package), Data Analysis, Data Manipulation, Data Wrangling, Python Programming
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
28 reviews
Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours