How to Cite an Online Course in MLA

An MLA citation for an online course is built from a template of typical elements. Each element gives readers enough information to find the original source. 

  • Author: The creator of the course, typically the instructor.
  • Title of Course: The actual title of the course, in quotation marks.
  • Publisher: The organization or establishment that offers the course.
  • Publication Date: The date (and perhaps the full date) on which the course was published or released.
  • Location: The URL of the course.

Example of a Basic Citation

A basic citation may be seen in the following example:

Citation
Galloway, Alexander. “Introduction to Media Studies.” New York University, 2021, courses.nyu.edu.
Structure
Author First Name, Surname. “Title of Course.” Publisher, Year, URL.

Seek Out Individual Authors – Try to find out if an online course has an instructor with a given name. In case there is no instructor, then the organization or platform must be utilized as the author.

Utilize the Full Course Title – The title must be quoted exactly as it appears on the online platform, including subtitle.

Select the Best Date – Choose the most accurate date by using the year that the course was initially published or was last updated. If the full date is known, use it.

Give a Stable URL – Use the direct course link, not shortened links or login-specific URLs.

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Tomas Elliott (Ph.D.)

Tomas Elliott is an assistant Professor of English at Northeastern University London. His research specialisms include the history of theatre and film, European modernism, world literature, film adaptation, transmedia studies and citation practices. He read English and French Literature at Trinity College, Oxford, before completing a PhD in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory at the University of Pennsylvania.

Learn how to cite in MLA