With technology dominating a huge number of different industries, many jobs now require programming skills than ever before.

Programming is thus considered as one of the most valuable skills to learn nowadays.

Now you must be starting to think that you could also learn or expand on those programming skills to pursue a programming career.

But where do you start?

From low-level programming languages, such as assembly language and machine language to high-level programming languages, like C, C#, and Swift, there are a variety of programming languages that one can learn.

Nevertheless, there are many advantages of learning the C programming language first as it helps the learner to understand the underlying architecture of the operating system.

Whether you are new to coding or you are an experienced programmer who is ready to specialize in C programming, there are a lot of online courses to level up your skills without spending a fortune.

What is a programming language?

A programming language is a computer language that is used by programmers to develop sets of instructions for computers to perform a specific operation.

What is C Programming?

Developed in 1972 by Dennis Ritchie, C is one of the oldest programming languages.

It is a general-purpose and structured programming language that is widely used in various applications.

C is used in various tasks, such as developing system applications, desktop applications, operating system as well as IoT applications.

Advantages of learning C Programming

1. Base for many other programming languages

Due to its flexibility, it is one of the most basic languages and is considered as the building block for many other programming languages, such as Java and C++.

With the knowledge of the C programming language, you can easily learn other programming languages that use the concept of C.

2. Robust & efficient language

It is a powerful programming language with 32 keywords, many data types, and a set of powerful built-in functions.

It has a set of pre-defined functions and offers a vast platform to perform all kinds of operations.

3. Structured programming language

It is a structured programming language that is divided into small logical functional modules or structures with the help of a function procedure.

Thus, it is simple and easy to understand and implement.

4. Middle-level language

C is often considered as a middle-level programming language.

It means that it can be used for low-level programming and it also supports functions and system software applications of high-level programming languages.

Top 7 courses to learn C programming

Here is our list of some free and paid C programming courses to help you become an expert C programmer in 2020.

1. C Programming For Beginners - Master the C Language on Udemy

If you have never programmed a computer before, then this is one of the best courses to get started with.

This course will help you understand memory space and CPU architecture so that you can create efficient programs.

By the end of this course, you will be able to write high-quality code and create your first C application.

Course details:

Duration: 24 Hours
Skill level: Beginner
What will you learn:

• Pointer basics
• Addresses and indirection
• Lists and data structures
• Common pointer problems

2. C Programming For Beginners on Udemy

In this course, you will learn everything from the very fundamentals of programming right through to the complexities of pointers and addresses.

The course also teaches the scoping rules of C as well as the connection between arrays and memory addresses.

This course gives a good understanding of the C language and also of the underlying architecture of the computer.

Course details:

Duration: 8 Hours
Skill level: Beginner
What you will learn:

• C Programming basics
• Variables, constants, and types
• Operators, tests, and user input
• Function, arguments, and switch
• Arrays, loops, and break
• File-handling
• Binary files and memory allocation

3. Professional Certificate in C Programming with Linux on edX

This program is intended for those who want to get a professional certification in programming with C on the Linux platform.

It consists of 7 short courses that teach how to write, read, and debug computer programs in the C programming language while also becoming acquainted with the Linux operating system.

Course details:

Skill level: Intermediate
What you will learn:

• Language foundations
• Modular programming and memory management
• Advanced data types
• The command line interface
• Using Linux tools and libraries

4. C Programming: The best approach to learn C Language on Udemy

This course teaches the C language in an informal and practical way.

By the end of this course, you will gain knowledge about the basics of C programming language, get familiarized with pointers thoroughly and make your own programs, allocate and deallocate memory spaces accordingly, and deploy and run your own real-time applications.

Course details:

Duration: 5 hours
Skill level: Beginner
What you will learn:

• Variables, data types, and operators in C
• File handling and command line arguments
• Arrays and character array in C
• Pointers and linked lists
• String handling functions
• Stacks and queues data structure in C language

5. C for Everyone: Programming Fundamentals on Coursera

This course will teach the basics of C programming, the flow of control and simple functions, and much more.

The course also lets learners assess their learning through a practice exercise.

Course details:

Duration: 22 hours
Skill level: Beginner
What you will learn:

• Lexical elements and data types
• Flow of control and simple functions
• Advanced functions, recursion
• Arrays and pointers

6. C Programming Language Fundamentals on Pluralsight

This course gives a great foundation for those who plan on learning C as a foundation for C++ or want to prepare themselves for embedded programming.

It is designed to provide the learners with everything they need to become productive C programmers.

Course details:

Duration: 1.5 Hours
Skill level: Beginner
What you will learn:

• Variables
• Operators
• Expressions and statements
• Pointers and arrays
• Functions and structures

7. C Programming for Beginners - Master the C Fundamentals on Udemy on Udemy

This course teaches the basic as well as advanced concepts of C programming.

Every section of this course provides an introduction to the general concept, implementing the concept in C programming language, and hands-on exercises challenges.

By the end of the course, you will be able to analyze and solve various programming problems on your own.

Course details:

Duration: 12 Hours
Skill level: Beginner
What you will learn:

• Introduction to general programming fundamentals
• Variable & data types
• Functions
• Arrays
• Pointers
• Strings
• Recursions

Conclusion

A famous quote by Stephen Hawking goes,

Whether you want to uncover the secrets of the universe, or you just want to pursue a career in the 21st century, basic computer programming is an essential skill to learn.

With the current generation becoming more data-driven, the significance of learning how to code is also increasing.

While learning C programming, may not seem easy to learn at first, but it is possible with these courses.

These C Programming courses will enhance your coding skills and set you well on your journey to a successful career in 2020 and beyond.