Is Peterson Academy Accredited?
Peterson Academy is an online education platform offering low-cost, university-style courses in areas such as psychology, philosophy, history, and finance. It is not accredited but offers prospective students courses that may help them towards their academic and professional goals.
The increasing popularity of online learning has led to new learning opportunities for students through traditional universities and community colleges, as well as less conventional institutions, including fully online learning centers.
One of the newest nontraditional learning providers is the Peterson Academy, which opened its digital doors in 2024. This fully online education platform offers students multiple liberal arts courses at a fraction of the tuition rates charged by online universities. Learn more about Peterson Academy, including its accreditation status, available courses, and costs.
What is Peterson Academy?
The father-and-daughter duo of Dr. Jordan Peterson, a Canadian psychologist, and Mikhaila Fuller started the Academy to serve as an alternative to traditional education. Peterson Academy offers a current catalogue of over 70 courses with a pledge to add four new ones each month.
The school doesn’t have a standard admissions or application process, which aligns with the vision of bringing education to all. The current selection of classes focuses on humanities and other liberal arts subjects with a skills-based learning approach. These courses are designed to stand alone and teach skills such as critical thinking, communication, negotiation, and more.
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Is Peterson Academy Accredited?
The Peterson Academy is not currently accredited, but the platform is in the process of pursuing accreditation. Although the academy’s chief goal is to make learning accessible, these courses are not meant to build towards a full degree; instead, they are meant to provide access to individual skills and supplement other learning.
Students can take optional assessments and exams to share credentials on their personal profile, but the school does not offer degrees or certificates in its current form.
List of Peterson Academy Courses
The Peterson Academy currently offers over 70 courses with over eight hours of material each, with new courses being added monthly. These courses are taught mainly by doctoral degree holders in their respective subjects. Students can choose from a wide variety of liberal arts subjects, including mathematics, social sciences, and religion.
Some of the available subjects and courses include:
Maps of Meaning: Students will learn about the connections between ancient myths and religions and modern psychology and neuroscience
Astronomy 101: This course traces astronomy from early skywatching to modern discoveries, covering observational tools, celestial bodies, and ideas about extraterrestrial life.
Skepticism 101: Students in this course will learn how to apply skeptical thinking to real-world situations, including conspiracy theories, religion, and modern society.
Introduction to Music Theory: Coursework includes some music history in addition to more technical musical skills, including music notation, structure, and some musical exercises.
Political Ideologies: Coursework is divided into individual lectures focused on each ideology, allowing students to take deep dives into each topic as well as how they interact with each other.
The Art of Storytelling: The material in this course combines a history of storytelling from early spoken myths and histories to modern media, including plays, novels, and movies.
The Fundamentals of Physiology: Students complete seven different lectures focused on different body systems, including the gastrointestinal, skeletal muscle, cardiopulmonary, and nervous systems.
Introduction to Abnormal Psychology: These courses cover different aspects of mental health, including diagnosis, care, and more.
Modern Philosophy: This course looks at the modern period of philosophy (ranging from the 1600s to the 1800s) and includes prominent philosophers from this time period, including John Locke, Karl Marx, Voltaire, and more.
With over 70 courses and more rolling out each month, this selection is only meant to highlight some available options, not provide a complete look at the Peterson Academy catalogue.
Peterson Academy FAQs
The Peterson Academy is barely a year old, which leads to many common questions about the institution. Some of the most common questions include cost, the legitimacy of the courses, and whether these courses are worth taking.
How Much Does Peterson Academy Cost?
The Peterson Academy costs $599 for a calendar year, with no course limit. Students also have the option to pay $1,199 for two years of enrollment or $3,999 for lifetime enrollment. Enrollment comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee trial period that allows students to participate in courses and cancel their membership without risk.
Is Peterson Academy a Real University?
Peterson Academy isn’t a real university in the sense of awarding degrees or credits that can transfer to other institutions. However, each course was created and is taught by an expert in the respective field. All of the information is equivalent to what is taught at universities, but course completion won’t result in a certificate, transferable credit, or degree.
Is Peterson Academy Worth It?
Peterson Academy is an affordable self-paced learning option for students who are pursuing information on a single topic. These courses could be utilized by someone trying to learn a new skill or refresh an old skill without paying university prices or going through an application process. If you’re trying to work towards a degree or earn a certificate that can lead to career advancement, these courses won’t benefit you in the same way.
Does Peterson Academy Offer Certificates?
Peterson Academy may provide certificates of completion for finishing courses or learning tracks, but these are typically not the same as college-issued, credit-bearing certificate programs. To confirm what you’ll receive, check the specific course page for wording like “certificate of completion” and whether any accreditation, CEUs, or credit recommendations apply.
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