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Next session: Spring 2 starts Mar 14!

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Courses

Six-week online courses based on cutting-edge research and co-taught by world-class museum scientists and experienced educators. Approved for graduate credit, the asynchronous courses can be taken anywhere at anytime, fitting into your busy schedule. Each course can be used for professional development, salary advancement, and recertification.

COURSE COST

$549 per course

GRAD CREDIT

3 graduate credits available at an additional cost.
Learn more about grad credit.

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computer generated image of a human brain

LIFE SCIENCE

The Brain: Structure, Function and Evolution

How does this remarkable three-pound organ interpret sensory input, control behavior, and shape who we are?

Next course starts Mar 14, 2022
a polar bear standing on floating ice, with smaller chunks of ice surrounding it

EARTH SCIENCE

Climate Change

How does the global climate system work, and what is the evidence that human activity is affecting it?

Next course starts Mar 14, 2022
several groups of fish underwater, among colorful flora

LIFE SCIENCE

The Diversity of Fishes

How do scientists document and study the most diverse vertebrate group on Earth?

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a mountain landscape with a sunset happening in the background

EARTH SCIENCE

Earth: Inside and Out

How do the Earth and its atmosphere continuously interact to shape the planet and make life possible?

Next course starts Mar 14, 2022
two adult elephants and one baby elephant wading in water

LIFE SCIENCE

Ecology: Ecosystem Dynamics and Conservation

How do scientists study ecosystems and grapple with real-world conservation questions?

Next course starts Mar 14, 2022
a colorful lizard sitting on top of some large stones

LIFE SCIENCE

Evolution

How does evolution work, how does it explain the history of life on Earth, and how is this fundamental concept itself changing in the face of new discoveries?

Next course starts Mar 14, 2022
computer generated image of human chromosomes, with DNA molecules inside

LIFE SCIENCE

Genetics, Genomics, Genethics

How is our growing knowledge of the genome—the DNA that makes up our unique genetic code—opening tantalizing new frontiers in biology? What ethical issues are emerging due to these discoveries?

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closeup of a hawk

LIFE SCIENCE

The Link Between Dinosaurs and Birds

How do we know that birds are dinosaurs?

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A closeup of glowing bioluminescent coral

LIFE SCIENCE

Marine Biology

How do scientists overcome challenges to study and make discoveries in one of the world’s most inhospitable environments? 

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the ocean meets tall coastal cliffs

EARTH SCIENCE

The Ocean System

How does the ocean system shape the planet, regulate climate, and support life?

Next course starts Mar 14, 2022
Foreground: the planets of the Solar System, scaled to size; Background: small versions distributed relative to their distance from the Sun

PHYSICAL SCIENCE

The Solar System

What questions are debated in astrophysics today? In this course, co-authored by Neil deGrasse Tyson, you will explore what we know about our place in space and where the frontiers lie.

Next course starts Mar 14, 2022
a simulated image with two spheres in the middle, and ripples extending out from them over a wireframe surface, depicting gravitational waves

PHYSICAL SCIENCE

Space, Time and Motion

How did the universe come into being, and why does it behave the way it does?  This course uses Einstein’s work to delve into the properties of motion, time, space, matter, and energy.

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a person's hands under a gentle stream of water falling from the end of a log

EARTH SCIENCE

Water

Who owns water? Explore the relationship between our most precious natural resource and ourselves.

Next course starts Mar 14, 2022