Anatomy delves into the structural intricacies of living organisms. Whether you’re immersed in the medical field, or are an artist cultivating your craft, a solid understanding of human anatomy is invaluable. At Class Central, we’ve curated over 400 anatomy courses, compiling ratings and reviews to present the crème de la crème from institutions like Harvard and the University of Michigan.
Our Best Courses Guide (BCG) offers access to general anatomy courses and specialized subfields. Interested in related fields? Explore our guides on Physiology, Neuroscience, and Genetics for more knowledge nuggets.
Why Trust Us?
Class Central, akin to Tripadvisor for online courses, has guided 80 million learners towards their next academic venture. With over a decade in online education curation, we’ve amassed a repository of 250,000 courses and an equal number of user reviews. As avid online learners, the Class Central team has collectively completed over 400 courses, ensuring we’re well-versed in the content we recommend.
Personally, I’ve completed more than 200 online courses across a multitude of subjects, adding credibility to our top picks.
Top Course Picks
Course Statistics
- All courses listed are free or offer a free audit option.
- 5 courses provide certificates.
- Collectively, these courses have over 540K enrollments and 34 million views.
- 52K learners follow the Anatomy subject on Class Central.
With over 28 million views, CrashCourse’s Anatomy & Physiology by Hank Green tops our list. The course explores chemistry, cell biology, and tissue functionality within human organ systems, and it delves into Greek and Latin roots to break down anatomical terminologies.
“The educational videos were so good as they helped me understand the anatomy and physiology of the human body…” – Myrielle Anne Francisco.
| Provider | YouTube |
| Instructor | Hank Green |
| Time Commitment | 8 hours |
| Rating | 4.9 |
| Views | 28M |
| Cost | Free |
| Quizzes/Assessment Items | No |
| Certificate | No |
Professor Dave Explains also offers a popular Anatomy & Physiology course. Dave Farina guides you through various tissues, bones, joints, muscles, and key systems like endocrine, nervous, and circulatory.
“I’ve learned a lot by attending this course. The lecturer is very good…” – Folorunso Olamilekan Mathew.
| Provider | YouTube |
| Instructor | Dave Farina |
| Time Commitment | 4-5 hours |
| Rating | 4.8 |
| Views | 433K |
| Cost | Free |
| Quizzes/Assessment Items | No |
| Certificate | No |
Leiden University’s Anatomy of the Abdomen and Pelvis uses detailed images and animations to cover abdominal organs, blood supply, nerves, membranes, and various conditions affecting these structures.
“This is a very comprehensive course on anatomy of the abdomen. The biggest strength of this course is the models…” – Shady Ahmed Elsalhawy.
| Provider | Coursera |
| Institution | Leiden University |
| Instructors | Marco de Ruiter, Paul Gobée, Daniel Jansma, Beerend Hierck |
| Time Commitment | 43 hours |
| Enrollment | 64K |
| Rating | 4.8 |
| Cost | Free Audit |
| Quizzes/Assessment Items | Free |
| Certificate | Paid |
The University of Leeds’ course, Anatomy: Know Your Abdomen, answers anatomical questions and includes a glossary of terms, images, and diagrams. An in-depth course, Exploring Anatomy: the Human Abdomen, is also available for those seeking more detailed learning.
“This class is a real treat for any curious learner…” – Sonal P Patel.
| Provider | FutureLearn |
| University | University of Leeds |
| Instructor | James Pickering |
| Time Commitment | 4 hours |
| Rating | 4.7 |
| Enrollments | 147K |
| Cost | Free audit |
| Quizzes/Assessment Items | Free practice quizzes |
| Certificate | Paid |
University of Michigan’s Anatomy: Human Neuroanatomy explores the central and peripheral nervous systems through diagrams, animations, and real tissue images. It’s part of the university’s Anatomy Specialization.
“This course was so informative and I absolutely loved it…” – Violet McNece.
| Provider | Coursera |
| Institution | University of Michigan |
| Instructor | Kelli Sullivan |
| Time Commitment | 17 hours |
| Enrollment | 49K |
| Rating | 4.9 |
| Cost | Free Audit |
| Quizzes/Assessment Items | Behind Paywall |
| Certificate | Paid |
Harvard’s Human Anatomy: Musculoskeletal Cases covers anatomical basics and explores clinical cases of musculoskeletal injuries. It includes detailed images from microscopy, X-rays, CT scans, and dissection.
“The course was great. It was interesting, engaging, educational, and visual (which is something I really liked)…” – Anonymous.
| Provider | edX |
| Institution | Harvard University |
| Instructor | Trudy Van Houten |
| Time Commitment | 21-42 hours |
| Enrollment | 285K |
| Rating | 4.8 |
| Cost | Free audit |
| Quizzes/Assessment Items | Free |
| Certificate | Paid |
For artists, Anatomy of the Human Body for Artists by Stan Prokopenko, offers an artistic perspective on anatomy. Learn names of bones and muscles, types of joints, and draw various body parts. This course popular among artists, including those in animation, enhances visualization skills critical for drawing detailed and proportionate body structures.
“Thanks, Stan, for developing this in-depth anatomy course designed especially for artists.” – @jjbhcm.
| Course | Anatomy of the Human Body for Artists |
| Provider | YouTube |
| Institution | Proko |
| Instructor | Stan Prokopenko |
| Time Commitment | 23 hours |
| Views | 6.1M |
| Likes | 42K |
| Cost | Free |
| Quizzes/Assessment Items | No |
| Certificate | No |
How We Made Our Picks and Tested Them
Finding the best courses can be daunting, even for seasoned online course enthusiasts. Here’s how I approached the task:
First, I combed through Class Central’s extensive catalog to identify courses that cover a diverse range of anatomy topics. I considered numerous indicators like course syllabi, user reviews, popularity, and ratings. Moreover, I sampled videos from courses I hadn’t personally completed.
Then, I defined the scope for this guide, selecting top courses across various anatomy sub-fields. Combining data and personal judgment, these picks aim to offer a reliable pathway for learning about anatomy.
