Intro to Psychology

  • Earn 3 transferable credits
  • 100% online and Zoom-free
  • Includes everything you need

Available through dual enrollment at partner high schools

College Credits

Earn 3 credits to save time + money on your degree

Engaging Experience

Top-rated instructors, interactive textbooks + cinematic lectures

In Your High School

The support + structure to thrive in your first college experience

  • Course
    Overview
  • Brilliant
    Instructors
  • How It
    Works
  • Dedicated
    Support

Course
overview

Embark on a journey into the most complex system in the known universe: the human mind.

Covering topics from Consciousness to Happiness to Serial Killers, this course offers real-world case studies and the latest tools to understand what makes us… us.

Experience 12 world-class instructors available on-demand in cinematic video. A gorgeous interactive textbook based on evidence-based active learning principles will help you go deeper, and competency-based retakable quizzes will etch these lessons into your long-term memory.



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Brilliant
instructors

We’ve hand-selected a dream-team of 12 renowned instructors from schools like Yale, NYU, and Columbia to take you deep inside the human psyche.



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How it
works

Enjoy cinematic video lessons and enhance your learning with gorgeous interactive textbooks based on evidence-based active learning principles.

When it is time for exams, open windows are designed to fit around your schedule.



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Dedicated
support

Hit a snag on the site? Have a burning question? We’ve got you covered.

Our dedicated Student Success team is available to assist you—and push you—to help you pass with flying colors.



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“...a way to get college credit when life circumstances make it difficult for students.”

TechCrunch

Innovation by Design Winner
2020

“...accessible college classes at a fraction of the cost.”

Gizmodo

Transferable credits from a top 50 school

You'll earn college credits from the University of Pittsburgh upon course completion.

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Meet your instructors

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Spencer Kelly, PH. D.

COLGATE UNIVERSITY
 –  Research & Methods
He investigates how the body influences language, learning and development. His influential research has been supported through multiple research grants and fellowships and has been covered by Scientific American, the New York Times and the BBC.
He has published dozens of scientific articles and co-authored the book, Why Gesture?: How the Hands Function in Speaking, Thinking and Communicating.

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Monica Thieu, Ph. D.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
 –  Neurobiology & the Brain
Though early in her career, she has already been recognized as a skilled researcher and teacher; she was awarded the Zimbardo Teaching Prize (Stanford University), earned an Honorable Mention in the 2019 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship competition, and was awarded the Firestone Medal for Excellence in Undergraduate Research (Stanford University).

In addition to her academic achievements, Thieu is a Jeopardy! champion. She won first place in the 2012 Jeopardy! College Championship and second place (with Ken Jennings & Matt Jackson) in the Jeopardy! All-Star Games.

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David Pizarro, Ph.D.

CORNELL UNIVERSITY
 –  Emotion, Motivation, & Humor
As a researcher, he focuses on moral judgment and the effects of emotion on judgment. Professor Pizarro’s exceptional teaching style has been recognized with the Nannerl Keohane Distinguished Visiting Professorship (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University) and the Award for Teaching Excellence (Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto). He shares his research and expertise through academic works, such as book chapters and articles, and more widely through articles in the New York Times, the Guardian, and other outlets.

A skillful and charming communicator, Pizarro has shared his knowledge at over 80 invited talks in a wide variety of forums, including TEDx, Google, and numerous prestigious universities.

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Marjorie Rhodes, Ph.D.

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
 –  Language & Developmental Psychology
Rhodes’ influential research has been supported by many prestigious funding organizations, including the National Science Foundation, the James S. McDonnell Foundation, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Rhodes’ outstanding research has earned her many awards, including the Steve Reznick Early Career Award (Cognitive Development Society), the Boyd McCandless Young Scientist Award (American Psychological Association), and the Rising Star designation (Association for Psychological Science).

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Jay Van Bavel, Ph.D.

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
 –  Social Psychology
As the Director of the Social Perception and Evaluation Lab, Van Bavel uses a social neuroscience perspective to understand how group identities, moral values, and political beliefs shape the mind and brain.

Van Bavel's early success as a researcher has been recognized through many awards, including the Award for Transformative Early Career Contributions (Association for Psychological Science). His work has appeared in the New York Times, Scientific American, the Wall Street Journal, and other major publications. His influential work on social and racial biases has been cited by the US Supreme Court.

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Dan Lerner, M.A.P.P.

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
 –  Health, Happiness & Stress
Lerner delivers critically acclaimed talks to a wide variety of audiences, including Fortune 500 companies, startups, executives, athletes, musicians, and prestigious academic institutions. His book U Thrive: How to Succeed in College (and Life) (co-authored with Dr. Alan Schlechter) is assigned on campuses across the country.

Lerner is also on the teaching staff at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his M.A.P.P. degree studying under Martin Seligman, the father of positive psychology.

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Lawrence Ian Reed, Ph.D.

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
Head of Sales and Sales Operations
Reed’s work has been covered widely by news organizations such as TIME, TODAY Health, Discovery News, and the Daily Mail. In addition to being a researcher and professor, he is a trained clinical psychologist. He completed his clinical internship at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School.

In his clinical practice, he specializes in treating adolescents and adults with mood and emotional disorders. He uses treatment methods drawn primarily from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy.

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Alana Conner, Ph.D.

RESEARCHER AT TWITTER
 –  Cultural Psychology
Conner has worked with major companies, such as The World Bank and The Stanford Clinical Excellence Research Center. She served as the founding executive director of Stanford SPARQ: Social Psychological Answers to Real-World Questions, as vice president of content at The Tech Museum, and as senior editor of the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Her name is pronounced “ah-LAY-nah,” but she says that she doesn’t mind if you call her “ah-LAH-nah” “if that more thoroughly tickles your fancy.

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Nnamdi Pole, Ph.D.

SMITH COLLEGE SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL WORK
 –  Personality
Dr. Nnamdi Pole is an associate professor in the Smith College School for Social Work. As a researcher, he investigates post-traumatic stress disorder, ethnic minority mental health, and psychotherapy research.

Pole is a dedicated professor and researcher; he is the chair of the Smith College Institutional Review Board (IRB) and a fellow of the American Psychological Society. He has also served as a board member of the American Psychological Association Trauma Division (56) and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

He has shared his expertise as the former associate editor of Psychological Bulletin and as a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of Anxiety Disorders and Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy.

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Abigail Stark, Ph.D. Candidate

SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY
 –  Learning & Memory
She currently is a Clinical Fellow at Harvard Medical School/ Massachusetts General Hospital for her internship. Previously, she has conducted research and gained clinical experience at the Massachusetts General Hospital OCD Clinic, MGH Bipolar Clinic, McLean OCD Institute for Children and Adolescents, the McLean Anxiety Mastery Program, and the McLean 3East Dialectical Behavior Therapy Clinic. Her clinical work focuses on the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Children and Adolescents.

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Sasha Reid, Ph.D.

UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY
 –  Serial Killer Profiling

Her research focuses on the inner worlds and motivations of serial killers. Through statistical and phenomenological methods, Sasha hopes to create a more complete understanding of serial homicide.

Her groundbreaking work has been covered by a number of news organizations, including a profile of Reid and her work in Popular Science.

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Paul Bloom, Ph.D.

YALE UNIVERSITY
 –  Guest Lecturer - Moral Philosophy
Professor Bloom’s sharp and engaging teaching style has been recognized through numerous awards and appointments, such as the Lex Hixon Prize for teaching excellence in the social sciences, the Templeton Lectureship, and the DeVane Lectureship.

Using an interdisciplinary approach, Bloom’s distinguished research focuses on how children and adults understand the physical and social world, with an emphasis on morality, religion, fiction, and art. He has written for major publications, such as Nature, Science, the New York Times, the Guardian, and the Atlantic. He has shared his findings in two popular TED talks, The Origins of Pleasure and Can Prejudice Ever Be a Good Thing?

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Compare courses

  TRADITIONAL COURSE
Outlier Intro to Psychology
Credits Usually 3-4 credits from your school Earn 3 transferable credits from the University of Pittsburgh
Format In-person or Zoom Interactive and 100% online (Zoom-free)
Instructors 1 per class Multiple per class
Lectures Specific time and place On-demand, anywhere
Exams Specific hour Flexible window
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Watch Trailer

What you’ll learn

This course covers all the basic principles and latest Psych topics you’ll need for college credit, like Research & Methods, Neurobiology, Emotions, Learning + Memory, Abnormal Psych, and more (see the syllabus for a complete list), plus:

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How to strengthen personal relationships using social psychology

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How recreational and prescription drugs affect brain functioning

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The psychological profiles of serial killers (and other criminals)

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Why Carl Jung was great at guessing, but terrible at science

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Evidence-based techniques for improving memory and study habits

Other key concepts covered

See the syllabus for a complete list

  • RESEARCH + METHODS
  • ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
  • CULTURE
  • THE BRAIN
  • NEUROBIOLOGY
  • SENSATION + PERCEPTION
  • LEARNING + MEMORY
  • CONSCIOUSNESS
  • MORAL PSYCHOLOGY
  • HUMOR
  • PERSONALITY
  • DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
  • HAPPINESS + WELL-BEING
  • LANGUAGE
  • SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
  • THINKING + INTELLIGENCE
  • EMOTION + MOTIVATION
  • CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGY
  • ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
  • TREATMENTS

Hear from our alumni

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Taija L.
INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY

“I’ve taken so many intro to psych courses in my college career and this one’s by far my favorite AND it’s online.”

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Catherine P.
INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY

“I found the class very detailed for an intro class (my husband took Intro to Psych in college and said he didn’t learn nearly as much as I did). I really enjoyed the course and I look forward to taking yet another Outlier course.”

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Daniel J.
INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY

“I did not know an online course could be so intense and captivating as though it were a physical class. Kudos to the entire team!!!”

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