FREE Trial with Benzinga Pro happening right now!
Always wanted to learn PHP from scratch? Now’s the perfect time. There are hundreds of online courses to help you master the basics.
And if you already have experience with the programming language, intermediate and advanced courses are also available. These higher-level PHP courses will teach you all you need to know to soar your performance in the workplace, land a lucrative promotion or launch a profitable freelance business offering PHP development services.
Quick Look: Best PHP Courses
Take a sneak peek at Benzinga’s top picks:
- Ultimate PHP Basics for Absolute Beginners — [200+ PHP Code] by Udemy
- PHP Essential Training by LinkedIn Learning
- PHP for Beginners — Become a PHP Master — CMS Project by Udemy
- PHP Tips, Tricks and Techniques by LinkedIn Learning
- Building Web Applications in PHP by the University of Michigan
- Building Database Applications in PHP by the University of Michigan
- Advanced PHP by LinkedIn Learning
- Learn Advanced PHP Programming by Udemy
- PHP Projects: Finding Real-World Solutions with PHP by Udemy
What Makes a PHP Course Great?
When you’re ready to take a PHP web development course, you should check off a few boxes that tell you the course is just right. Studying PHP online can be difficult, and these factors make quite a difference. The best PHP courses meet the following criteria.
1. Engaging
Some of the introductory content can be a bit dull when you’re just getting started with PHP. Pay close attention so you won’t be lost later in the course. The right instructor can make the most mundane topics seem exciting and capture your attention. PHP courses should deal in possibilities so that you can see what you’ll be able to do in the future. If not, it can be difficult to slog through rudimentary material.
2. Includes Demonstrations
There are many facets to the PHP programming language, and a PHP tutorial should explain what it says. Without real-world examples, it’s difficult to apply what you’ve learned. It helps if the instructor includes demonstrations that they can explain in greater detail, turning a PHP course for beginners into an interactive experience.
3. Taught by an Experienced Web Developer
A novice instructor won’t cut it if you want to get the most from a PHP course online. Look for classes that are led by good PHP developers with years of experience using PHP. They should be able to communicate the fundamental elements of the PHP development in a way that’s easy to understand. The fastest way to learn PHP is learning from someone who’s suffered through the ups and downs of learning this coding language.
Our Top Picks
We’ve compiled a list of our top picks from Coursera, Udemy and LinkedIn Learning. Each PHP class is organized by skill level — beginners, intermediate students and advanced coders. You will also find a price point and description for each class to help you narrow down your options. From PHP examples for beginners to advanced PHP topics and more, you can start learning PHP programming right away.
PHP Coding for Beginners
If you’re unsure of how to start learning PHP, you can try these courses until you find the best fit. PHP for beginners is just the first step, but it can lead to more advanced courses in the future. These beginner courses will help you grasp the basics of the PHP programming language.
1. Ultimate PHP Basics for Absolute Beginners — [200+ PHP Code] by Udemy
- Who it's for: Beginners
- Price: $54.99
Just $54.99 gets you a seat to this highly-rated course from Udemy that will teach you the fundamentals of PHP. It’s ideal for students who want to learn PHP from the ground up and aspiring PHP developers. Web developers who are interested in learning PHP server-side scripting language can also benefit from this course.
When you enroll, you’ll have instant access to 202 lectures jam-packed into 17.5 hours of on-demand video and 18 articles. You will also be tasked with completing exercises, assignments and quizzes to demonstrate your understanding of the basics of PHP programming language.
This easy PHP tutorial is led by web developer Srinivas Vanamala. He’s a highly-rated Udemy instructor that frequently hosts full-stack web development Bootcamp programs.
Although this is a PHP introduction, it’s helpful to understand HTML before signing up. You should also have access to a Mac or Windows PC.
2. PHP Essential Training by LinkedIn Learning (Formerly Lynda.com)
- Who it's for: Beginners
- Price: Included in the monthly membership
Offered by LinkedIn Learning, this is another stellar beginner course to help you master the basics of the PHP programming language. It’s taught by Web Developer Kevin Skoglund and spans a little over 4 hours.
The class begins with an overview of basic PHP code for beginners, followed by a discussion on the 1st steps to embedding PHP code into an HTML page. It also includes the best PHP resources, including modules on data types, control structures, user-defined functions and debugging.
Enrollment is included with a $29.99 monthly LinkedIn membership or you can sign up for free when you register for a 1-month trial.
3. PHP for Beginners — Become a PHP Master — CMS Project by Udemy
- Who it's for: Beginners
- Price: $199.99
Whether you’re getting started with PHP programming or need a review, this course is for you. PHP for Beginners — Become a PHP Master — CMS Project is designed for beginners who have no programming experience. It also offers a refresher on core components of the programming language if you've been in the field for a bit and need to jog your memory.
The enrollment fee of $199.99 gets you full lifetime access to 38 hours of on-demand video, 3 articles and 23 downloadable resources. The course also includes a 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re unsatisfied for any reason.
It’s offered by Coding Faculty Solutions. Facilitator Edwin Diaz is a web developer and Premium Udemy Instructor who has served over 500,000 students to date.
Make sure you have basic HTML knowledge before you sign up.
Intermediate PHP Courses
Seeking higher-level PHP knowledge? Maybe you want to learn how to build web or data applications in PHP. These courses may be a good fit.
4. PHP Tips, Tricks, and Techniques by LinkedIn Learning (Formerly Lynda.com)
- Who it's for: Intermediate students
- Price: Included in the monthly membership
Learn proven tips, tricks and techniques to make you a better PHP programmer with this intermediate course from LinkedIn Learning. It only takes an hour to watch the tutorials and includes exercise files to supplement your learning.
Web Developer David Powers draws from over 25 years of experience in the field to share nuggets of wisdom in a variety of best practices related to PHP. The course includes lessons on array dereferencing, variable functions, PHP generators, conditional expressions and so much more.
There’s no cost to enroll if you have a $29.99 monthly LinkedIn membership. But if you want to test drive the course to see if it’s a good fit, sign up for a 1-month trial.
5. Building Web Applications in PHP by the University of Michigan
- Who it's for: Intermediate students
- Price: Free
Offered by the University of Michigan, this course is the first installment in the Web Applications for Everybody Specialization. It focuses on the basic structure of web applications. You will also learn how web servers and web browsers interact.
The class is facilitated by Charles Severance, clinical professor in the School of Information. It includes the following modules:
- Introduction to Dynamic Web Content
- HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
- Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
- Installing PHP and SQL
- Introduction to PHP
- PHP Arrays
- PHP Functions
- PHP and HTML Forms
Course material is delivered through video lectures and supplemental readings. The modules also include quizzes to test your comprehension of the material before moving on to the next lesson.
Enrollment is free. Expect to spend 18 hours watching video lectures, reading supplements and taking quizzes.
6. Building Database Applications in PHP by the University of Michigan
- Who it's for: Intermediate students
- Price: Free
Building Database Applications in PHP is the 3rd course in the Web Applications for Everybody Specialization from the University of Michigan. It focuses on object-oriented patterns in PHP and you’ll walk away knowing how to build a complete application with multiple screens from the ground up.
Also facilitated by Charles Russell Severance, the class is comprised of 5 modules:
- PHP Objects
- Connecting PHP and MYSQL
- PHP Cookies and Sessions
- PHP Redirect, Routing, and Authentication
- Building a CRUD Application
There’s no cost to enroll and you should complete the course in 19 hours.
Have a basic understanding of responsive web design with CSS, HTML and JavaScript before enrolling.
Advanced PHP Courses
Our top advanced course selections allow you to apply strategies taught in the lessons through real-life simulations.
7. Advanced PHP by LinkedIn Learning (Formerly Lynda.com)
- Who it's for: Advanced students
- Price: Included in the monthly membership
Are you looking to master the fundamentals of object-oriented programming? Consider this advanced course from LinkedIn Learning.
It covers PHP namespaces, interfaces, traits, iterators, generators, password hashing, type hints, closures and exceptions. You’ll also learn how to use PHP to create flexible software and implement advanced strategies to prevent your applications from crashing.
The course is led by Justin Yost, web developer and programmer. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Texas Tech University.
You can enroll for free if you have a $29.99 monthly LinkedIn membership. If not, sign up for a 1-month trial to get a seat in the class.
8. Learn Advanced PHP Programming by Udemy
- Who it's for: Advanced students
- Price: $11.99
This Udemy course accelerates your development skills so you can be more efficient in the workplace. You will also acquire the necessary knowledge for more lucrative career opportunities.
The $74.99 enrollment fee includes 52 lectures packed into 6 hours of on-demand video, 2 articles and 1 downloadable resource. There's also a 30-day money-back guarantee if the course doesn't work for you.
The class is offered by Simon Sez IT, a leading provider of hands-on software training for individuals and Fortune 500 companies.
Be sure you have experience with PHP and access to a text editor before you register.
9. PHP Projects: Finding Real-World Solutions with PHP by Udemy
- Who it's for: Advanced students
- Price: $94.99
PHP Projects: Finding Real-World Solutions with PHP is ideal if you want to hone your skills by completing relevant projects. The course offers a primer on PHP and covers related advanced topics, including automated testing and URL conversions. You will also learn how to create authentication platforms and social sharing platforms.
A $94.99 investment gets you lifetime access to 5 hours of on-demand video and 1 downloadable resource. You will also receive a certificate of completion when you reach the finish line.
The course is offered by Packt Publishing, a provider of developer training solutions for over 15 years. Facilitator Michael Lively is an active member of the PHP open source community and has worked in the software development industry for over 15 years.
Choose the Best PHP Course for You
Ready to learn how to do PHP coding? PHP courses come at all price points and skill levels. Consider one of our recommended options to grasp the fundamentals of PHP or acquire more in-depth knowledge to advance your career. You can also enroll in a course to help determine if a career in PHP programming is right for you.
How long will it take to learn PHP? It depends on your learning style, how much time you have to dedicate to the craft and the course you choose.
When narrowing down your list of options, it’s wise to consider courses delivered by reputable, knowledgeable instructors. The class should also be engaging and include demonstrations to facilitate your comprehension and retention of the material.
Frequently Asked Questions
What factors should you consider to select an excellent PHP course?
You need to look for engaging content, demonstrations and the web developer’s experience.
What are the best PHP courses?
Several great courses include PHP Essential Training, PHP for Beginners and Ultimate PHP Basics.
Should I learn PHP?
Yes! PHP is a coding language that adds to your current skill-set, ensures that you work independently and might even allow you to start a new career.
What should I learn before PHP?
Having a working knowledge of HTML is helpful for some of the courses on this list.
Southern New Hampshire University Online
SNHU Online Offers:
- Flexible schedules
- Affordable tuition
- Online tutoring
- Access to electronic research materials
- Specialized academic advising
- Supportive online community