Course Structure
The overall structure of the course emulates that of a college-level seminar. Each course consists of 8 weekly sessions. Students meet with an experienced instructor to discuss the week’s assigned material, which students come having read and considered. The instructor leads with a brief lecture, and then moderates the discussion.
Every two weeks, students hone their writing with a reading response. At the end of the term, they write a final paper in which they demonstrate the close reading skills they've developed. There is an option to add a weekly tutorial, which we elaborate on below.
The texts assigned are long and complex, just as they’ll be in college. Our instructors teach students to manage this workload, to get the most out of their readings as efficiently as possible.
The best way to learn this material is by taking all three subjects, in chronological order. Hence, for all subjects, we advise students to take the Classical term before the Modern. The order of the subjects is unimportant. Taking all three provides the broadest interdisciplinary background for any college-level humanities pursuit.
Plato
Aristotle
Kant
Du Bois
Marx
Augustine
Woolf
Shakespeare
Herodotus
Ovid
Hume
Virgil
Descartes
Sappho
Plato Aristotle Kant Du Bois Marx Augustine Woolf Shakespeare Herodotus Ovid Hume Virgil Descartes Sappho
Applications for October and January Terms Open
Apply here for open sessions or register to receive updates on future offerings.
The Tutorial
In addition to seminar, students can opt in to weekly one-on-one meetings with their instructor. These sessions, based on the Oxford tutorial, allow the student to delve deeper into the text, receive personalized feedback, and further hone their critical thinking skills.
How it works.
Students submit a short writing assignment which serves as the guiding text for that session. The tutor and student then discuss the assignment, with the tutor probing the student’s thinking, and the student defending their argument. The conversation will be free-flowing and organic, an opportunity for the student to gain practice as an intellectual interlocutor.
Based on this conversation, the tutor establishes a plan to consolidate the student’s strengths and bolster their weaknesses. The key goal is for the student to become an active participant in their own education.
We do not offer the tutorial as a standalone course. Instead, the tutorial is designed to complement the seminar, where students learn to engage with their peers and develop their thinking collaboratively. The tutorial offers an extended personal assessment of their writing, reading, and thinking.
Every course is offered twice per semester. Applications close one week before the start of the course, and decisions are delivered on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply as early as possible.
Information about scheduling can be found in the application, available here.
How to Apply
1. Select Courses.
Check out our Syllabi page, and discover which courses interest you most.
If you have questions, schedule a free consultation to discuss which options are right for you.
2. Apply.
Once you know which classes you’d like, start filling out our application. Be prepared to choose time slots and answer several short questions.
3. Start Learning.
If you receive an offer for your desired course, you’ll receive an email with next steps. Check your email regularly to stay updated on the status of your application.
