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One Year BA

via Independent

Description

Can you fit four years of classes into twelve months for zero dollars? An equivalent of what a student would get from being enrolled in a four-year liberal arts degree program in just twelve months using only MOOCs and other forms of free learning.


Massive Open Online Courses (or MOOCs) were in the news daily in 2013, and in order to put those emerging free educational tools to a true test, Jonathan dedicated that year to seeing if it was possible to learn the equivalent of what a student would get from being enrolled in a four-year liberal arts degree program in just twelve months using only MOOCs and other forms of free learning. His project was covered by major news organizations and a book he wrote on the experience was published by MIT Press.

A portfolio of Jonathan’s completed work appears below and arguments against and for whether his One Year BA was equivalent to a four year residential one appears in the Degree of Freedom blog along with other analysis of issues related to Massive Open Online Courses, critical thinking education and online learning.  .

Syllabus

Freshman Year

Course: Think Again – How to Reason and Argue
Institution: University of North Carolina and Duke University
Provider: Coursera
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major)
 
Course: The Modern and the Post Modern
Institution: Wesleyan  University
Provider: Coursera
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major)
 
Course: Property and Liability
Institution: Wesleyan University
Provider: Coursera
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1
 
Course: Statistics
Institution: San Jose State University
Provider: Udacity
Category: Science and Mathematics
Credits: 1
 
Course: World War II History
Institution: Harvard University
Provider: EdX
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1
 
Course: Life in the Universe
Institution: Ohio State University
Provider: iTunes
Category: Science and Mathematics
Credits: 1
 
Course: The Modern Intellectual Tradition: From Descartes to Derrida
Institution: College of the Holy Cross
Provider: Great Courses
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major)
 
Course: How to Build a Startup
Institution: Business Class
Provider: Udacity
Category: Special
Credits: .5
 
Course: The World of George Orwell
Institution: Indiana State University
Provider: Modern Scholar
Category: Humanities
Credits: .5
 

Sophomore Year

Course: Justice
Institution: Harvard University
Provider: edX
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major)

Course: The Ancient Greek Hero
Institution: Harvard University
Provider: edX
Category: Humanities
Credits: 1

Course: Understanding Einstein: The Special Theory of Relativity
Institution: Stanford University
Provider: Coursera
Category: Science and Mathematics
Credits: 1

Course: Death
Institution: Yale University
Provider: Open Yale/iTunes U
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major)

Course: Art History Survey 1300 to Contemporary
Institution: Independent
Provider: Udemy
Category: Humanities
Credits: 1

Course: Life and Work of Mark Twain
Institution: University of Virginia
Provider: Great Courses
Category: Humanities
Credits: 1

Course: Understanding Cheating in Online Courses
Institution: Concordia University
Provider: Canvas Network
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1

Course: Mysteries of Modern Physics: Time
Institution: California Institute of Technology
Provider: Great Courses
Category: Science and Mathematics
Credits: 1

 

Junior Year

Course: English Common Law
Institution: University of London
Provider: Coursera
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1

Course: Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy
Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Provider: Coursera
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major – Intermediate/Advanced)

Course: Shakespeare After All – The Late Plays
Institution: Harvard University
Provider: edX
Category: Humanities
Credits: 1

Course: Introduction to Psychology
Institution: San Jose State University
Provider: Udacity
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1

Course: Ancient Greek Religion
Institution: Independent/Colgate
Provider: Udemy
Category: Humanities
Credits: .5

Course: Existentialism
Institution: Independent
Provider: Saylor.org
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major – Intermediate/Advanced)

Course: Introduction to Ancient Greek History
Institution: Yale University
Provider: Open Yale/iTunes
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1

Course: Augustine: Philosopher and Saint 
Institution: Yale University
Provider: Great Courses
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: .5 (Major)

Course: Immanuel Kant
Institution: MIT/Oxford
Provider: MIT Open Courseware/iTunes U
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major – Intermediate/Advanced)

 

Senior Year

Course: Søren Kierkegaard – Subjectivity, Irony and the Crisis of Modernity
Institution: University of Copenhagen
Provider: Coursera
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major – Intermediate/Advanced)

Course: The Fall and Rise of Jerusalem
Institution: Tel Aviv University
Provider: Coursera
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1

Course: Science & Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science
Institution: Harvard
Provider: edX
Category: Science and Mathematics
Credits: 1

Course: China
Institution: Harvard
Provider: edX
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1

Course: Technology Entrepreneurship – Part 1
Institution: Stanford
Provider: Novoed
Category: Special
Credits: 1

Course: Pragmatism
Institution: Various
Provider: Independent Study
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major – Intermediate/Advanced)

Course: Why Evil Exists
Institution: University of Virginia
Provider: Great Courses
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major)

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One Year BA

via Independent
Start Learning Find study partner
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  • Type
    Roadmaps
  • Provider
    Independent
  • Pricing
    Free
  • Certificate
    Paid Certificate

Can you fit four years of classes into twelve months for zero dollars? An equivalent of what a student would get from being enrolled in a four-year liberal arts degree program in just twelve months using only MOOCs and other forms of free learning.


Massive Open Online Courses (or MOOCs) were in the news daily in 2013, and in order to put those emerging free educational tools to a true test, Jonathan dedicated that year to seeing if it was possible to learn the equivalent of what a student would get from being enrolled in a four-year liberal arts degree program in just twelve months using only MOOCs and other forms of free learning. His project was covered by major news organizations and a book he wrote on the experience was published by MIT Press.

A portfolio of Jonathan’s completed work appears below and arguments against and for whether his One Year BA was equivalent to a four year residential one appears in the Degree of Freedom blog along with other analysis of issues related to Massive Open Online Courses, critical thinking education and online learning.  .

Freshman Year

Course: Think Again – How to Reason and Argue
Institution: University of North Carolina and Duke University
Provider: Coursera
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major)
 
Course: The Modern and the Post Modern
Institution: Wesleyan  University
Provider: Coursera
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major)
 
Course: Property and Liability
Institution: Wesleyan University
Provider: Coursera
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1
 
Course: Statistics
Institution: San Jose State University
Provider: Udacity
Category: Science and Mathematics
Credits: 1
 
Course: World War II History
Institution: Harvard University
Provider: EdX
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1
 
Course: Life in the Universe
Institution: Ohio State University
Provider: iTunes
Category: Science and Mathematics
Credits: 1
 
Course: The Modern Intellectual Tradition: From Descartes to Derrida
Institution: College of the Holy Cross
Provider: Great Courses
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major)
 
Course: How to Build a Startup
Institution: Business Class
Provider: Udacity
Category: Special
Credits: .5
 
Course: The World of George Orwell
Institution: Indiana State University
Provider: Modern Scholar
Category: Humanities
Credits: .5
 

Sophomore Year

Course: Justice
Institution: Harvard University
Provider: edX
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major)

Course: The Ancient Greek Hero
Institution: Harvard University
Provider: edX
Category: Humanities
Credits: 1

Course: Understanding Einstein: The Special Theory of Relativity
Institution: Stanford University
Provider: Coursera
Category: Science and Mathematics
Credits: 1

Course: Death
Institution: Yale University
Provider: Open Yale/iTunes U
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major)

Course: Art History Survey 1300 to Contemporary
Institution: Independent
Provider: Udemy
Category: Humanities
Credits: 1

Course: Life and Work of Mark Twain
Institution: University of Virginia
Provider: Great Courses
Category: Humanities
Credits: 1

Course: Understanding Cheating in Online Courses
Institution: Concordia University
Provider: Canvas Network
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1

Course: Mysteries of Modern Physics: Time
Institution: California Institute of Technology
Provider: Great Courses
Category: Science and Mathematics
Credits: 1

 

Junior Year

Course: English Common Law
Institution: University of London
Provider: Coursera
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1

Course: Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy
Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Provider: Coursera
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major – Intermediate/Advanced)

Course: Shakespeare After All – The Late Plays
Institution: Harvard University
Provider: edX
Category: Humanities
Credits: 1

Course: Introduction to Psychology
Institution: San Jose State University
Provider: Udacity
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1

Course: Ancient Greek Religion
Institution: Independent/Colgate
Provider: Udemy
Category: Humanities
Credits: .5

Course: Existentialism
Institution: Independent
Provider: Saylor.org
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major – Intermediate/Advanced)

Course: Introduction to Ancient Greek History
Institution: Yale University
Provider: Open Yale/iTunes
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1

Course: Augustine: Philosopher and Saint 
Institution: Yale University
Provider: Great Courses
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: .5 (Major)

Course: Immanuel Kant
Institution: MIT/Oxford
Provider: MIT Open Courseware/iTunes U
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major – Intermediate/Advanced)

 

Senior Year

Course: Søren Kierkegaard – Subjectivity, Irony and the Crisis of Modernity
Institution: University of Copenhagen
Provider: Coursera
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major – Intermediate/Advanced)

Course: The Fall and Rise of Jerusalem
Institution: Tel Aviv University
Provider: Coursera
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1

Course: Science & Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science
Institution: Harvard
Provider: edX
Category: Science and Mathematics
Credits: 1

Course: China
Institution: Harvard
Provider: edX
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1

Course: Technology Entrepreneurship – Part 1
Institution: Stanford
Provider: Novoed
Category: Special
Credits: 1

Course: Pragmatism
Institution: Various
Provider: Independent Study
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major – Intermediate/Advanced)

Course: Why Evil Exists
Institution: University of Virginia
Provider: Great Courses
Category: Social Sciences
Credits: 1 (Major)

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