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College Credits
Earn 3 transferable college credits
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On Your Schedule
Flexible pace. Designed to inspire
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$400 Per Course
Pay 80% less than traditional college
Course
overview
From the co-founder of MasterClass, 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-backed active learning principles will help you go deeper, and competency-based retakable quizzes will etch these lessons into your long-term memory.
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.
How it
works
First, choose between a 14-week term or 7-week intensive.
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.
Earn 3 transferable college credits provided by University of Pittsburgh, a Top 60 school.
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
You'll earn college credits from the University of Pittsburgh upon course completion.
Compare courses
Traditional course | Intro to psychology |
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Cost per course$2,400 on average |
Cost per course$400 |
CreditsUsually 3-4 credits from your school |
CreditsEarn 3 transferable credits from the University of Pittsburgh |
RiskPay full price after the drop deadline |
RiskFull refund if you do the work but don't pass |
FormatIn-person, Zoom, or pre-recorded lectures |
FormatImmersive, interactive digital experience |
Instructors1 per class |
InstructorsMultiple per class |
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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Spencer Kelly, Ph.D.
Colgate University
Research & Methods
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Monica Thieu, Ph.D. Student
Columbia University
Neurobiology & the Brain
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David Pizarro, Ph.D.
Cornell University
Health, Happiness, & Stress
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Marjorie Rhodes, Ph.D.
New York University
Language & Developmental Psychology
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Jay Van Bavel, Ph.D.
New York University
Social Psychology
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Dan Lerner, M.A.P.P.
University of Pennsylvania
Health, Happiness, & Stress
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Lawrence Ian Reed, Ph.D.
New York University
Abnormal Psychology & Treatments
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Alana Conner, Ph.D.
Researcher at Twitter
Cultural Psychology
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Nnamdi Pole, Ph.D.
Smith College School for Social Work
Personality
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Abigail Stark, Ph.D. Candidate
Suffolk University
Learning & Memory
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Sasha Reid, Ph.D.
University of Calgary
Serial Killer Profiling
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Paul Bloom, Ph.D.
Yale University
Guest Lecturer - Moral Psychology
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:
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RESEARCH + METHODS
ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
CULTURE
THE BRAIN
NEUROBIOLOGYSENSATION + PERCEPTION
LEARNING + MEMORY -
CONSCIOUSNESS
MORAL PSYCHOLOGY
HUMOR
PERSONALITY
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
HAPPINESS + WELL-BEINGLANGUAGE
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SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
THINKING + INTELLIGENCE
EMOTION + MOTIVATION
CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGY
ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
TREATMENTS
Frequently 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 14-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 any parts of this course scheduled or timezone sensitive?
Tutoring sessions will be scheduled to maximize compatibility with students’ schedules and availability. Exams are each open to take for a set window of time (usually several days); however, 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 to my school?
We are excited to be partnering with the University of Pittsburgh for our courses. Upon successful completion, you will receive 3 college semester credits from the University of Pittsburgh, transferrable to other colleges and universities subject to review and approval by the receiving institution.
When you transfer your credits, it will come as an official transcript from the University of Pittsburgh for Fundamentals of Calculus I (MATH 6210) and Introduction to Psychology (PSY 6010).
Not sure how to approve your credits or where to start? We’ve created a Transfer Credit Tool Kit for each step you would need to complete when approving and transferring your credits (checklist included).
Once you've completed the course, you may request a transcript from the University of Pittsburgh and they will send an official E-Transcript to your school of choice.
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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?
Outlier is currently offering 1,000 scholarships for frontline workers who are staying on the job during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recipients get a free Outlier course of their choice, redeemable until November 19, 2022 (two years from the scholarship’s launch).
This scholarship is available for the first 1,000 eligible applicants who complete a simple questionnaire and short video submission.
Learn more here.
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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 would be fatiguing and unpleasant. We also think it’s pretty neat that we decided to do this before Apple shifted everything to dark mode.
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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 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.