Outlier.org Launches Two New World-Class Courses: Microeconomics and Philosophy

NEW YORK, Jan. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Outlier.org, an online education platform working to increase access to quality college education and reduce student debt, today announced the expansion of its course catalogue with the launch of two new courses, Introduction to Microeconomics and Introduction to Philosophy. The courses are taught by celebrated instructors from institutions including Barnard, Columbia, Harvard, Yale, the University of Pittsburgh, and beyond.

The new courses, which are now open for enrollment, bring Outlier.org's catalogue to six courses, offering students the opportunity to earn a total of 18 transferable college credits through a partnership with the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown. Working with renowned instructors and universities, the winner of the TIME Best Inventions 2020 award provides students an affordable and flexible option for introductory college-level courses. At 80% less than the price of traditional college courses, Outlier.org's engaging and beautifully produced online courses provide an invaluable alternative for millions who seek to earn an education without taking on thousands of dollars in student debt.

"Outlier.org courses are carefully designed to support student success while upholding top-tier academic standards," said Ann E. Cudd, Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh. "Having worked with Outlier.org as a university partner, it is exciting to share my knowledge as an instructor for the Philosophy course."

Outlier.org's rigorous college courses have proven remarkably successful. Their students have achieved a C-grade or better at a rate that surpassed the national average for in-person classes, an unprecedented milestone in online education. With backgrounds in gaming, education, VR, and entertainment, the Outlier.org team brings an innovative multidisciplinary approach to the higher education space.

"We are committed to expanding access to a high-quality education for all and reducing student debt - a goal we share with Outlier.org," said Dr. Jem Spectar, President of the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown. "This innovative partnership with Outlier.org enables more students to experience world-class teaching and learning."

The company did not skip a beat in creating new courses during the COVID-19 pandemic to make a wider variety of courses accessible online to anyone in the world with an internet connection. When the pandemic rendered traditional film production impossible, the mission-oriented team came up with fully safe production methods to match the quality of previous productions for the new courses. Outlier.org's production crews assembled the sets, sanitized the area before leaving, and remotely guided instructors in filming lessons through video calls. The cinematic results speak for themselves.

"This is a great moment because now students can take a whole semester online with Outlier.org and have some optionality in their course selection," said Aaron Rasmussen, Founder and CEO of Outlier.org. "Our talented instructors and university partners share our devotion to student success, and we look forward to expanding our course catalog for students around the world."

In the past year, Outlier.org has made strides towards its mission of increasing access to quality education and reducing student debt, adding Introduction to Astronomy and Introduction to Statistics courses in summer 2020 and partnering with the University of Pittsburgh to donate $3.8 million in college credits to frontline workers.

About Outlier.org
Created by the Co-Founder of MasterClass, Outlier.org offers the most beautiful, effective online courses in the world, available to anyone for a price of $400. Learning from leading professors from universities like Yale, MIT, Columbia, and Cornell, students earn transferable college credits for a fraction of the cost of standard tuition.

About Introduction to Microeconomics
Introduction to Microeconomics explores the intersection of money and humanity and how small individual choices shape today's complex economic systems. From game theory to labor unions, and from monopoly to poverty, five world-class instructors use fascinating real-world examples and high-stakes decision-making games to bring Microeconomics to life. Outlier.org's hand-picked team of charismatic economics instructors comes from Barnard, Columbia, and University of Bristol, offering a variety of backgrounds and points of view for a modern approach to a traditional topic.

About Introduction to Philosophy
Introduction to Philosophy gives students 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 students to live "the examined life." Outlier's Philosophy faculty is a hand-picked dream team of seven instructors, including luminaries from institutions like the University of Pittsburgh, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale.

Contact:
Meir Sabbagh
[email protected]

SOURCE Outlier.org

Related Links

http://Outlier.org