YouTube’s New Program Offers College Credits from Videos

image of a phone and video player for online college courses.

Imagine watching YouTube videos and earning real-life transferrable college credits. It sounds fantastic, right? And while you can watch almost anything on YouTube, only select content through Google’s new Study Hall program will earn you credits.

The Study Hall and College Foundations program is a joint effort by YouTube and Arizona State University, along with the educational video group Crash Course, which has a big YouTube presence.

According to a blog post, this is “a new approach that demystifies the college process while creating an affordable and accessible onramp to earning college credit.” Considering millions of people learn new things daily by binge-watching videos, YouTube wants to help empower people to understand more and provide a better path to formal education.

I joke that I can learn anything from “YouTube University,” but now it’s a real thing. Students can sign up right now to take advantage of four courses from YouTube’s College Foundations program starting on March 7, 2023. Those are Intro to Human Communication, Rhetoric and Composition, College Math, and US History.

The program doesn’t require a minimum GPA, and there’s no application process. Instead, you’ll only have to pay a $25 fee to start watching videos. However, it’s an additional $400 to turn each completed course into official (and transferable) college credit.

Furthermore, this isn’t just about college courses. There’s an entire Study Hall video series about navigating and preparing for college, with talking points, tips, suggestions, and more. Then, you can pay for the courses and get some education.

Additionally, you can take the course as often as you want until you get the grade you’re looking for, then turn it into credit. And while there are only four courses so far, by 2025, YouTube wants to offer upwards of 12, enough for an entire first year of college. The credits are good at any school or institution that accepts Arizona State University credits.

via Mashable