Hillsdale College Online Course Enrollment Surpasses 1 Million

HILLSDALE, Mich., April 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Hillsdale College's free, online courses in the Constitution, history, economics and other subjects have surpassed 1 million enrollments, the College announced today. Total enrollment represents more than 710,000 unique students who have participated in one or more of the College's 11 online courses since 2011.

"Hillsdale College's online courses are a natural outgrowth of our commitment to educating about the founding principles of the United States of America," said Dr. Larry P. Arnn, president of Hillsdale College. "If our country is to remain free, there must be broad understanding of and appreciation for the Constitution, the principles of the free market and the great writings that have shaped Western civilization. Our courses challenge participants of all ages to seek timeless lessons regarding human nature, virtue, self-government and liberty."

Hillsdale College launched its first online course, "Introduction to the Constitution," in September 2011. Students now have nearly a dozen courses to choose from, including:

• Introduction to the Constitution
• Constitution 101: The Meaning and History of the Constitution
• Constitution 201: The Progressive Rejection of the Founding & the Rise of Bureaucratic Despotism
• The Presidency and the Constitution
• History 101: Western Heritage, From the Book of Genesis to John Locke
• History 102: American Heritage, From Colonial Settlement to the Reagan Revolution
• Economics 101: The Principles of Free Market Economics
• Great Books 101: Ancient to Medieval
• Great Books 102: Renaissance to Modern
• The Federalist Papers
• A Proper Understanding of K-12 Education: Theory and Practice

More than 500,000 people have enrolled in the Constitution courses since they were first offered in 2011. Average course enrollment is more than 84,000, significantly higher than the average enrollment in other popular Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) offerings.

Most online courses last for 10 weeks and consist of weekly video lessons. Hillsdale College faculty and staff teach the lessons, each of which runs approximately 40 minutes. Students may begin an online course at any time, and work at their own pace. For new courses, new material is available each week, and is archived and available to view online at the student's convenience. Audio versions of the lectures are available for download.

For more information or to register for an online course, visit http://online.hillsdale.edu.                                      

Hillsdale College, founded in 1844, has built a national reputation through its classical core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies. It also conducts an outreach effort promoting civil and religious liberty, including a free monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a circulation of over 2.8 million.

SOURCE Hillsdale College