Israeli entrepreneur Shai Reshef has a vision of a world in which a college education is readily available to anyone in the world, regardless of their location, background or level of income. That vision takes its first steps towards fruition in April when the University of the People opens its (virtual) doors.

U of P is the world’s first tuition-free online university, which grew out of his work with other online universities and with the homework help site Cramster. Cramster’s peer-based method of learning helped inspire the structure of U of P, which doesn’t use professors to teach classes. Instead, free class materials, lectures and “open” textbooks culled from the Internet are used to spur weekly discussions between students and to generate homework assignments, quizzes and exams. A small, part-time faculty of active and retired professors, plus masters-level students and professionals within the respective fields, will evaluate the curriculums and oversee assignments and tests. The only portion of classes that will be held offline is the final exam; to deter cheating, it is administered in a physical location by a representative of the school. If you pass the exam, you pass the class.
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With hundreds — or even thousands — or online degree programs available, the decision of which school to choose can be a daunting one. With that in mind, here’s a handy checklist of things to look for on the school’s website and questions to ask the school counselors and admissions officers. Print it out and cross off each item as you complete it. Or use it to wallpaper your Barbie Dream House. We’re not picky. (more…)

Ever wonder what kind of classes you could take online? There are truly a wide variety of courses available to you from accredited online schools, ranging from “Principles of Accounting” & “Linear Algebra” to some more… interesting sounding ones. Here are 10 completely real examples:

1.) “Homeland Security and Interagency Response” - University of Phoenix
2.) “Crime Scene Investigation” - DeVry University
3.) “Introduction to Game and Simulation Development” - DeVry University
4.) “White Collar and Organized Crime Investigations” - Capella University
5.) “Event and Fashion Show Production” - Art Institute Online
6.) “Performance Enhancement in Sports” - Capella University
7.) “Fingerprints Classification & Latents” - Everest College
8.) “3D Modeling and Animation” - Westwood College
9.) “Fashion Trend Forecasting” - Westwood College
10.) “Policing Techniques: Interviewing & Interrogation” - ITT Tech