Constitution 101: The Meaning and History of the Constitution

This course examines the design and purpose of the Constitution, the challenges it faced during the Civil War, how it has been undermined for over a century by progressivism and post-1960s liberalism, and how limited government under the Constitution might be revived. 

Now with Spanish subtitles.

The Genesis Story: Reading Biblical Narratives

Genesis is a book of fundamental importance for the Jewish and Christian faiths and has exerted a profound influence on Western Civilization. In addition to being a great religious text, it is also a literary masterpiece. This course explores some of the work’s major narrative themes, including the complex relationship between God and man, the consequences of a rupture in that relationship, and the path towards reconciliation.

The Great American Story: A Land of Hope

This course explores the history of America as a land of hope founded on high principles. In presenting the great triumphs and achievements of our nation’s past, as well as the shortcomings and failures, it offers a broad and unbiased study of the kind essential to the cultivation of intelligent patriotism.

Ancient Christianity

Christianity emerged into a world shaped by the Roman Empire, the Jewish faith, and Greek philosophy. This course explains how the revolutionary message of the Gospel spread throughout this ancient world and how early Christians practiced their faith, endured persecution, and addressed theological questions and controversies.

American Citizenship and Its Decline

For most of American history, the people, understood as citizens, have ruled through elected representatives under the terms of the Constitution. Today, the constitutional rule of citizens is threatened by a new form of government, unaccountable to the people, in which power is held by a ruling class that seeks to transform our society. This course, based on Victor Davis Hanson’s book The Dying Citizen, examines the origins and history of citizenship in the West and the grave challenges to American citizenship today.

C.S. Lewis on Christianity

C.S. Lewis is the best modern writer at explaining the truth and goodness of the Christian faith. Through his imaginative and invigorating style, Lewis answers the eternal questions of theology in a manner that attracts those outside Christianity and strengthens those within the faith. This course examines Lewis’s writings about morality, conversion, prayer, the Bible, suffering, and the afterlife.

Testimonials

Frequently Asked Questions

Hillsdale College, an independent institution of higher learning located in Hillsdale, Michigan, was founded in 1844 by men and women “grateful to God for the inestimable blessings” resulting from “civil and religious liberty” and “believing that the diffusion of learning is essential to the perpetuity of these blessings.” 

Hillsdale has more than 1,600 undergraduate and graduate students. Its educational outreach efforts include Imprimis, Hillsdale’s digest of liberty, with a circulation of more than 6.3 million, and more than 30 free online courses, which millions of people have taken. 

To maintain its independence and its ability to remain true to its educational mission, Hillsdale refuses to accept ONE PENNY of state or federal funding—not even indirectly in the form of federal or state student grants and loans. Hillsdale’s independence also means that the College’s work depends entirely on the support of citizens like you who understand the importance of education to liberty.

Hillsdale College produces free online courses as part of its mission—written in 1844—to provide “sound learning” of the kind needed to preserve “the inestimable blessings of civil and religious liberty.”

For over a decade, Hillsdale College has offered high-quality free online courses to anyone who wishes to learn. To date, more than three million people have enrolled in one or more of Hillsdale’s free online courses. That’s because these courses help provide instruction missing in far too many schools today.

While these courses are free to you, that’s not the case for the College. Hillsdale invests significant resources to film, edit, and promote these courses to millions of people. That’s why the support of friends like you is critical to the success of the courses. 

When you sign up for a free online course from Hillsdale College, you’ll receive:

  • Superb teaching from Hillsdale College faculty at any time;
  • Fascinating visuals to help you engage with the material at your pace; 
  • Easy to save lecture notes using a simple built-in notes tool;
  • A password-protected account for tracking your course progress, resuming lectures where you left off, and viewing your learning history;Digital completion certificates saved to your account for download and immediate printing.

Begin learning with more than three million people who have taken a free online course from Hillsdale College by signing up for a free account today. 

Select your free course and enter your email address to start learning today.