8 Ivy League Courses you can take for free

Source: PC Mag Aug 2022 Edition

More Human Than Human @ Brown University

Fantastic Places, Unhuman Humans (edX)

This Brown Class asks us to consider what makes us human by examining what’s not: robots, androids, and aliens. Students will create an avatar along the way of this unusual literary journey. The class takes about three weeks and is archived, so you can start it at any time.

All Dalai’d up @ Columbia University

Indian and Tibetan River of Buddhism (edX)

This class is from Prof Robert Thurman. He was the first American Buddhist monk and was ordained by the Dalai Lama. This class covers the history and philosophy of Buddhism throughout India, South and Southeast Asia, Tibet, and Central Asia. A 12-week class.

Sharknado for Intellectuals @ Cornell University

Sharks! (edX)

Sharks are the subject of so many of our fictions and the victims of many of our misinterpretations. This class adds a delightful exclamation point to its title and blends lectures from three professors to cover their biology, place in ecology, human-shark interactions, and more. The class takes about four weeks and is self-paced.

Shaped by Shapes @ Dartmouth University

The Engineering of Structures Around Us (edX)

For a different perspective on the constructed world, consider this engineering-focused class. Though it lists high-school algebra and geometry as prerequisites, you really don’t need them, because you’re taking this class just for yourself. Instead, you can enjoy the discussion of what goes into structures from engineering and creative points of view. There are also opportunities to design, sketch, and build projects on your own. The class takes about five weeks.

Poetry in Motion @ Harvard University

Poetry in America: Modernism (edX)

Even if you don’t think you’re a poetry person, this class could convince you otherwise. It’s a dynamic look at modern American poetry. You’ll witness lively discussion, sit in on interviews with poets, and even take field trips to places such as Robert Frost’s cabin. This class takes about eight weeks to complete.

Lights, Books, Action @ University of Pennsylvania

Hollywood: History, Industry, Art (edX)

There’s so much more to Hollywood than what you see onscreen. This class goes through the history of Hollywood, teaches you how to analyze films, talks about the effect the internet has had on the industry, and more. The class takes about four weeks.

Anywhere but here @ Princeton University

Imagining Other Earths (Coursera)

Here and now on this planet, a lot of people feel alone. Imagining Other Earths asks: What if we’re not? Prof David Spergel leads students on an astrobiological tour of the cosmos and lets them imagine their own. The class is about 26 hours, and self paced.

Listen Up @ Yale University

Introduction to Classical Music (Coursera)

Whatever your level of interest in classical music, you’ll learn and be inspired by Prof Craig Wright’s lectures. They get to the fundamentals of music and why we enjoy it.

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