My Free Education Guide

College is viewed by many people these days as a diploma factory. You show up go to certain classes in a certain order, and eventually receive a diploma. There’s not a lot of love for learning for learning’s sake anymore. But that hasn’t stopped many colleges and online colleges from offering plenty of quirky unique classes that go over non standard educational topics. A lot of the odd courses we found sound like lots of fun, but with tuition costs skyrocketing is it really worth it to spend thousands of dollars on fun diversions? Read on and decide.

15. Arguing with Judge Judy: Popular ‘Logic’ on TV Judge Shows

University of California, Berkeley Not quite what one would expect, the professor of this course emphasizes repeatedly in the course listing that this class is “NOT a course about law or “legal reasoning.” It is instead an exploration of logical fallacies that are often presented by defendants and plaintiffs on court television shows like Judge Judy and The People’s Court. Seems right up the alley of most college students, as they are squarely in the demographic of afternoon television programming (which also targets the elderly and unemployed). >>> Course listing (scroll down a bit)

14. Underwater Basket Weaving

University of California, San Diego The course that is used interchangeably with “waste of time college class”, but surprisingly it actually exists, both at UC San Diego and at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. According to Wikipedia anyway. Underwater basket weaving involves making wicker baskets by dipping reeds or stalks of plants into water, and letting them soak. Full body immersion is optional I suppose.

13. Learning From YouTube

Pitzer College This college course literally involves watching YouTube videos to study the impact on culture that the video sharing site has had. Students also upload their own videos to the class YouTube channel. The teacher started the course after being “underwhelmed by the quality of the video content on the site”. You can actually see some of the classes if you’re so inclined, here’s 10 minutes from their November 16, 2007 meeting. >>> Pitzer Class YouTube Channel

12. Philosophy and Star Trek

Georgetown University Philosophy classes often use pop culture to start discussion, there are even plenty of books out there with similar themes as this college class (here’s Seinfeld and Philosophy for instance), but still, when it comes down to it, this course and the philosophical under trappings are just being used as an excuse to talk a little Star Trek. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. >>> Course Listing

11. The Art of Walking

Centre College This might sound like the epitome of college fluff, but it’s actually a class dealing with Immanuel Kant’s “Critique of Judgment”. The course offers a mixture of lectures and walks around the Danville, Kentucky area including strolls through “nature preserves, battlefields, cemeteries, the nearby Shaker Village, campuses and farms”. Students are also given freelance walking assignments in addition to more traditional college work like reading and term papers.

10. Daytime Serials: Family and Social Roles

University of Wisconsin While I’m sure most guys would rather gouge out their own eyes than take a course on soap operas, this is probably right up many young women’s alley. This is part of UW’s Women’s Studies program, which I think is kind of unfortunate given the view some people have of that major already. Talk about giving them more ammunition. The course isn’t really about soap operas per se, it’s actually about the role they play in family and work lives of the people who watch them.

9. Joy of Garbage

Santa Clara University The Joy of Garbage is a Santa Clara University course that actually deals with real science through the lens of garbage. Students study decomposition, what makes soil rot, the chemicals that give garbage an unpleasant odor, and they also learn about sustainability when it comes to the things we throw away. Classes don’t just study household garbage either, there’s also a section on nuclear waste. And topping things off there are even field trips, with students visiting local sanitation plants and landfills.

8. The Science of Superheroes

University of California at Irvine Students at UC Irvine can learn about physics by using familiar superhero icons such as Spider-Man, Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman. The professor teaches the physics of flying and fluid dynamics using Superman as his example, and the students also learn about super strong spider silk as used by Spider-Man. The professor explains it saying “It gives me a chance to talk about real science but in a context that is very familiar to the students”.

7. Zombies in Popular Media

Columbia College, Chicago Here’s one I’d have to consider signing up for, the history of zombies in popular media. Lest you think it’s just about zombie movies, it should be emphasized that the course also covers the history of voodoo in Hait, and video games like Resident Evil as well as zombies in cinema. >>> Course Listing

6. The Science of Harry Potter

Frostburg State University Not only does Frostburg State offer a course on the science of Harry Potter – it’s an honors course. The class discusses topics such as whether or not Fluffy the three headed dog could be explained by genetic engineering or if antigravity research could actually produce a flying broomstick. The course is modeled after (and uses as a textbook) the book “The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works,” by Roger Highfield. The class is geared towards non-science majors and, probably not surprisingly, there is no lab work.

5. Cyberporn and Society

State University of New York at Buffalo Students taking this course watch porn. At school. There are actually quite a few porn courses in the US, as outlined in this Time article, including a class at Northwestern that deals with obscenity where the professor screens the Italian movie Saló, a film that has a great argument for being the sickest movie ever made. Seeing it in a college course would be extremely bizarre.

4. Simpsons and Philosophy

University of California-Berkeley This one is probably predictable as you’ve got a twenty year old show with plenty of rich fairly intellectual material and a main character with the name of “Homer”. UC-Berkeley claims this isn’t at all a dumbed down class, but a fairly rigorous philosophical course. The text of the class is the book “The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D’oh of Homer,” edited by William Irwin and features weighty questions such as “Can Nietzsche’s rejection of traditional morality justify Bart’s bad behavior?”.

3. Far Side Entomology

Oregon State The comic strip “The Far Side” featured a rich universe filled with interesting animals and bugs. Far Side Entomology professor Michael Burgett uses the comic strip as a teaching tool to explore interactions between humans and insects. About the course, Burgett says “The anthropomorphism in the cartoons makes an immediate connection between insects and people … Students take those connections farther, connecting to ideas and relationships they wouldn’t have imagined in a straight systematics course.”

2. Myth and Science Fiction: Star Wars, The Matrix, and Lord of the Rings

Centre College Tiny Centre College makes their second appearance on our list, this time with a class focusing on contemporary epics. Students not only study Stars Wars, The Matrix, and The Lord Of The Rings, they also discuss television shows like Star Trek, Stargate, Dr. Who, The X-Files, and Babylon 5. The course weds these modern day tales to classical myths, showing that many of the narrative devices and patterns employed then are still used in today’s epics.

1. The Strategy of StarCraft

University of California, Berkley I’m sure that in South Korea one could major in StarCraft, but it’s a bit strange seeing a college course about the game here in the US. The class uses StarCraft to teach the art of war, discussing strategy and tactics in the famous game. This is actually a student led program in Berkeley’s alternative education program, but we give it major props for creativity. The class has even received a fair amount of publicity with GamePro documenting the first day of class. >>> Official Class Website

Cardiff is one of the most successful and popular universities in the UK. The standard of applications is high and competition for places is strong with the vast majority of our students at their first choice university. In order to ensure that we continue to recruit the very best students we are introducing more than 130 prestigious new scholarships in 2009.

How much are the scholarships worth?
Each Cardiff University Scholarship is worth £3,000. They are cash payments and are not means tested.

When are the scholarships available?
The Scholarships are available to undergraduate students beginning their studies in September 2009.

In what subject areas are the scholarships available?
The scholarships are available in the following subject areas:

Sciences/Engineering:

Biological and Bio-molecular Sciences
Chemistry
Computer Science
Earth and Ocean Sciences
Engineering
Mathematics
Physics
Humanities:
Archaeology
German
Italian
Music
Welsh

Who will be eligible for the scholarships?
The scholarships will be awarded to the UK/EU students coming to Cardiff University in September 2009. In order to obtain a scholarship you need to obtain the points scores which are given below and have accepted the offer of a place to study from Cardiff on a firm basis by 31st July 2009.

Subject UCAS (Tariff Points Required or equivalent)
Chemistry 340
Computer Science 340
Earth and Ocean Sciences 340

Engineering
- Integrated Engineering 340
- Electronic & Communication Engineering 340
- Electrical & Electronic Engineering 340
- Computer Systems Engineering 340
- Medical Engineering 340

German 360
Italian 360
Music 360
Physics 340
Welsh 340

Archaeology, Biological and Bio-molecular Sciences and Mathematics:
In addition the following scholarships are available (the numbers in brackets denote the number of scholarships available in each subject area):

Archaeology (6)
Biological Sciences (8)
Bio-molecular Sciences (6)
Mathematics (14)

These scholarships are awarded to students coming to Cardiff with the highest academic attainment in each subject area. This judgement is made by admissions tutors at enrolment on the basis of your examination results which may include A-level/Welsh Baccalaureate results as well as AS-levels and GCSE results.

How do I apply for a scholarship?

You don’t need to apply for any of these scholarships. As long as you have accepted the offer you have received from Cardiff University on a firm basis by 31st July 2009 then you will automatically be considered for an award.

When will I know if I have been successful?

Those who are successful will be notified in writing as soon as possible in September 2009.

If I am successful when will I receive my scholarship?

Successful students will receive £1,500 in their first year, with the remaining £1,500 paid in equal instalments in each of the remaining years of their course.

Below are the top 10 online degree programs at USA so any student can join that online degree programs and feels to be study in USA.

University of Phoenix – Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, & Doctoral Degrees. University of Phoenix allows ambitious individuals to improve their career without putting it on hold. As on of the biggest names in online education, students can be sure they are graduating with a practical education and respected degree. University of Phoenix is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association.

Grand Canyon University – Bachelor’s & Master’s Degrees. Students at Grand Canyon University will gain a rigorous, practical education in a Christian setting. GCU helps students gain essential thinking and communication skills to become a leader in their field. Grand Canyon University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission ( member of North Central Assocation of Colleges and Schools).

Liberty University – Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. Liberty University is the world’s largest evangelical university committed to developing great leaders and thinkers. Students who want to obtain a general education on their own schedule and pace will find a great variety of programs and degrees offered at Liberty. Liberty University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Associate, Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral degrees.

Capella University – Bachelor’s, Master’s, & Doctoral Degrees. Capella University delivers innovative and practical education for students who want to obtain their degree on their own terms. With students all over the world, Capella is dedicated to helping today’s students become tomorrow’s leaders. Capella University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), 30 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602-2504, (312) 263-0456.

Westwood College – Associate’s & Bachelor’s Degrees. Westwood College is a career-oriented college for students who want to obtain the skills and training necessary to succeed in today’s fast-changing job market. Westwood is an ideal choice for students who want to quickly and efficiently change their career path. Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT).

American InterContinental University Online – Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. AIU helps students all over the world gain the skills essential for success in today’s fastest growing careers. AIU delivers practical, hands-on education so that students will be prepared for the job market as soon as they graduate. Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Virginia College – Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. Virginia College Online offers both campus and online programs in a wide variety of subject areas. Students who want to continue their education in an affordable and efficient manner will benefit from the large support network at Virginia College. Virginia College Online is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools.

Ashford University – Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. Ashford University makes it affordable and convenient for students to meet their education and career goals. Ashford has a supportive networking of counselors and instructors, so students can be sure they are getting the personal assistance they need to take their career to the next level. Accreditation: North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Everest University – Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. Everest University provides a practical career-oriented education as well as career placement assistance so students can be sure they will succeed. With programs designed to meet today’s most in-demand job skills, Everest University has a long tradition of developing successful students and industry leaders. At Everest, training you for a career doesn’t stop at graduation. Each campus has a Career Placement Office staffed with dedicated Career Placement Representatives who can assist you with everything from interviewing skills to improving your resume.

Yale University , one of America’s leading universities, is making some of its most popular undergraduate courses freely available around the world through the internet with Mumbai University among the participants.

The project, called “Open Yale Courses,” allows anyone with internet access get the Yale College courses for free online, the New Haven, Connecticut based University announced Tuesday. There is no “enrollment” in the courses and Yale does not offer credit for those who use the course materials.

Open Yale Courses provides free and open access to seven introductory courses taught by distinguished teachers and scholars at Yale University. The aim of the project is to expand access to educational materials for all who wish to learn.

Individual faculty members at universities around the world will use Open Yale Courses in their classrooms. Yale also has developed partnerships to enable these resources to be widely utilized in academic settings around the world.

In India, Yale is working with the Indo-US Inter-University Collaborative Initiative in Higher Education and Research’s Amrita satellite network to broadcast courses to universities throughout India.

Other participating universities include those in Argentina, Bahrain, China, Ethiopia, Japan and Mexico.

Open Yale Courses presents unique access to the full content of a selection of college-level courses and makes them available in various formats, including downloadable and streaming video, audio only and searchable transcripts of each lecture. Syllabi, reading assignments, problem sets and other materials accompany the courses.

The seven courses in the sciences, arts and humanities-which were recorded live as they were presented in the classroom to Yale students-will be augmented with approximately 30 additional Yale courses over the next several years.

The production of the courses for the Internet was made possible by a grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Yale said.

“Information technology allows the knowledge and passion of leading Yale faculty to reach everyone who wishes to explore these subjects,” said Yale President Richard C. Levin.

“We hope students, teachers and anyone with an interest in these topics, no matter where they live or what they do, will take full advantage of these free and easily accessed courses.”

Diana E. E. Kleiner, Dunham Professor of the History of Art and Classics and the director of the project, noted that the full content of all the courses is now readily available online and may be accessed at the users’ convenience.

“We wanted everyone to be able to see and hear each lecture as if they were sitting in the classroom. It’s exciting to make these thought-provoking courses available so broadly for free,” Kleiner said.

“While education is best built upon direct interactions between teachers and students, Yale believes that leading universities have much to contribute to making educational resources accessible to a wider audience. We hope this ongoing project will benefit countless people around the world.”

Kleiner said the courses reflect the broad liberal arts education provided by Yale College, which encourages critical thinking, intellectual exploration and creativity. She said Yale plans for future Open Yale Courses to include music and the arts.

Open Yale Courses also will offer secondary school students who are considering applying to study in the United States the opportunity to see how subjects are taught in an American university.

The URL for Open Yale Courses is: http://open.yale.edu/courses/

To encourage the widest possible use of the courses, the license that covers most of the lectures and other course material on Open Yale Courses is Creative Commons’ Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 license, the University said.

This license permits the free use or repurposing of the Open Yale Courses material by others. Under this license, users may download and redistribute the Open Yale Courses material, as well as remix and build upon the content to produce new lectures or other educational tools. Commercial use of the Open Yale Courses material is prohibited.

Yale University ranked 4th in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking