

Intro to Philosophy
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COLLEGE CREDITS
Earn 3 transferable college credits
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ON YOUR SCHEDULE
Interactive with flexible time & pace
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$400 PER COURSE
Pay 80% less than traditional college
Course
Overview
Are you living a good life? Who are your real friends? Are you a bad person? When do we eat? When investigating life’s mysteries, the answers you find are only as good as the questions you ask.
Outlier’s groundbreaking Intro to Philosophy course gives you the tools to ask—and answer—life’s most important questions.
From personal identity and political philosophy to free will and applied ethics, this course will prepare you to live “the examined life.”
Brilliant
Instructors
Outlier’s Philosophy faculty is a hand-picked dream team of 7 instructors, including luminaries from institutions like University of Pittsburgh, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale.
How It
Works
Enroll in a cohort that fits your schedule, starting every two weeks.
Enjoy cinematic video lessons (our CEO co-founded MasterClass).
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.
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.
And, if you do all the work but do not pass, we will offer a full refund*.
Overview
Instructors
Works
Support

Transferable credits from a top 60 school
Most schools accept credits transferred from University of Pittsburgh
Compare courses
Traditional course | Intro to Philosophy |
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Cost Per Course$2,400 on average |
Cost Per Course$400 |
CreditsUsually 3-4 credits from your school |
Credits3 transferrable credits from the University of Pittsburgh |
RiskPay Full Price |
RiskFull refund if you do the work and don't pass |
FormatIn-person or pre-recorded lectures |
FormatImmersive, interactive digital experience |
Instructors1 per course |
Instructors7 inspiring instructors |
LecturesSpecific time and place |
LecturesOn-demand anywhere |
ExamsSpecific hour |
ExamsFlexible window |
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Full refund if you do the work and don't pass
If you’ve put in the time and effort to do all the work for a course but do not receive a passing grade, that’s on us and you will receive a full refund. You may also exit the course before the drop deadline to receive a full refund (12 days from start for 14-week courses, and 3 days from start for 7-week intensive courses).
Meet your instructors
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John Kaag, Ph.D.
UMass Lowell
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Elís Miller Larsen
Harvard University
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Ann Cudd, Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh
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Anita Allen, Ph.D., JD
University of Pennsylvania
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Paul Bloom, Ph.D.
Yale University
Guest Lecturer
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Marya Schechtman, Ph.D.
University of Illinois Chicago
What you’ll learn
This course covers all the basic philosophy principles and topics you’ll need for college credit (and then some).
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How to resist echo chambers and other forms of ignorance
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How to endure an existential crisis
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How to stress test your moral beliefs with extreme thought experiments
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Why Socrates willingly drank that fatal cup of hemlock
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How to do a close reading of the world’s best philosophical literature
Freqently asked questions
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How much does an Outlier course cost?
$400 per course, for now. Our goal is to reduce the cost of college and reduce student debt, but there are many factors to consider as we plan for 2021 and beyond. TLDR: If you want the introductory price of $400, enroll ASAP!
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Is the course completely online?
Yes, you can be anywhere in the universe with wifi, a laptop or desktop computer (tablets, Chromebook and cell phones do not meet our requirements) and you'll be able to complete the course.
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What is your refund policy?
If you've put in the time and effort to do all the work for the course but do not receive a passing grade, that's on us and you will receive a full refund! You may also exit the course before the drop deadline to receive a full refund (12 days from start for 15-week courses, and 3 days from start for 7-week intensive courses). For more information on refunds please refer to our Refund Policy.
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Are there any parts of this course scheduled or time zone sensitive?
Tutoring sessions will be scheduled to maximize compatibility with students’ schedules and availability. Exams are each open to take within a weeklong window, but all other course materials are available to you from the time the course opens through the end of the final exam window.
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Tell me more about these college credits. Where do they come from and how do I transfer them from to my school?
We are excited to be partnering with some of the country’s best schools for our course credits. Upon successful completion, you will receive 3 college credits, transferrable to other colleges and universities subject to review and approval by the receiving institution. When you transfer your credits, it will arrive as an official transcript document from an Outlier partner school.
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How does Outlier’s home exam proctoring work?
In order to avoid putting students solely at the mercy of cold, unfeeling robots, Outlier uses a hybrid approach to proctor exams, with both AI proctoring software and human review to ensure the academic integrity of our students while also avoiding false negatives. Our AI software only flags *possible* breaches of academic integrity. Then, the Outlier team reviews by hand each and every possible problem flagged by the software to make a determination. To learn more, read our Academic Integrity Policy. If you have further questions, the team at hello@outlier.org is always standing by to help.
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Do you accept international students?
Yes, we welcome international students from most countries, subject to certain limited restrictions under U.S. trade law.
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Do you offer financial aid?
Currently, we don’t offer or accept traditional financial aid, but we do offer scholarship programs. Learn more.
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What if I need accommodations?
If you have a request for reasonable disability accommodations, contact support@outlier.org. Please include specifics regarding the accommodation you are seeking. Additionally, if you have a disability accommodations letter from a school you are currently attending, you may send that to us as well.
Outlier is committed to ensuring that learners with accessibility needs have equal opportunity to succeed in our courses.
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Why is everything so dark?
Early on in the process of designing Outlier, we found that many students use their laptops late at night, and don’t feel like staring into a lightbulb. Too much white in the background of videos and active learning pages would be fatiguing and unpleasant. We also think it looks pretty slick.
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What’s the catch? How are you able to offer high quality for-credit college courses for a fraction of the cost of most universities?
Unlike delicious, calorie-free ice cream and most things that sound too good to be true, this is for real — $400 for 3 college credits that you can transfer to your school of choice. Our team has been working tirelessly to build a product that will make world-class education more equitable and more accessible, and change the way people define excellent education.
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Can I “Audit” this course? (And what, exactly, does that mean?)
When you Audit an Outlier course, it simply means you’re taking the course without the expectation of earning credits or impacting your college transcript. You will not receive a grade, a transcript, nor credits, and will not be participating in exams.
Audit Path is ideal for:
-High school students who are looking to add sparkle to their college applications, or learn more about a subject, but wish to avoid the burden of impacting their permanent records.
-Lifelong learners who want to take a serious course but aren’t interested in receiving grades or college credits.
Audit Path includes:
-Lifetime access. Your course will never expire.
-Access to all course materials (except midterms and final exams).
-Access to our Student Success team to ensure you’re still reaching your learning goals.
Audit Path makes you exempt from the following:
-Quizzes (though Auditing students can still participate)
-Midterm finals/grade
-Final exams/grade
If Auditing sounds right for you, after registering for your course, simply email us at success@outlier.org and let us know you’d like to go the Audit path. Note: You must contact us with this request before the drop deadline for your course.