Any place to take upper division physics classes online?

AI Thread Summary
Accredited upper division physics courses available online or via correspondence are challenging to find, particularly for students seeking credit. MIT offers online video lectures, but obtaining credit may require coordination with a home university for testing. Coursera is another potential resource, though credit transfer policies vary by institution. The Open University provides a range of undergraduate physics courses, including advanced topics like electromagnetism and quantum mechanics, but availability in the U.S. may be limited. The Open University is accredited and recognized, but transferability of credits depends on the policies of the receiving institution. Students are advised to consult their university's registrar for specific procedures regarding transfer credit approval.
Vanadu
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Looking for accredited upper division physics [undergraduate] classes online/correspondence. Anyone know of any? My searches are failing me. Also, before someone says that it's impossible, upper div physics classes rarely have labs and are mostly math, so it is possible to do via correspondence. I just can't find any for some reason; only lower division ones (that have "virtual labs" :rolleyes:).

Thanks.
 
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Welcome to PF!

Have you checked MIT online? They have a variety of online video lectures that you can take. Not sure if you can get unless you go to MIT and they give you a test on the course.

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/

Also there's coursera online courses?

To get credit you might have to work with your university to see if they have a way to test you from what you've learned and give you course credit. I think it would be limited though to no more than a few courses and only if the department responsible agrees to prepare a test.

Other PF advisors should pipe in here and give you a more definitive answer.
 
Check the open university
 
Vanadu said:
Looking for accredited upper division physics [undergraduate] classes online/correspondence. Anyone know of any? My searches are failing me. Also, before someone says that it's impossible, upper div physics classes rarely have labs and are mostly math, so it is possible to do via correspondence. I just can't find any for some reason; only lower division ones (that have "virtual labs" :rolleyes:).

Thanks.

micromass said:
Check the open university

The Open University offers UG courses in EM, QM (both at the level of Griffith's), astrophysics, relativity, math methods, fluid dynamics, variational calculus, literature-based dissertation and a bunch of UG and PG math courses. Check out http://www.open.ac.uk/courses/modules/

I did my BSc at the OU and highly recommend it if you want to study online.
 
I think I remember someone posting that the OU's physics courses are not available in the US, which (if true) may or may not be applicable to the original poster.
 
jtbell said:
I think I remember someone posting that the OU's physics courses are not available in the US, which (if true) may or may not be applicable to the original poster.

I researched this recently. Physics courses are available in the USA and so are PG math courses. UG math courses are not, including math methods and fluid dynamics that I mentioned above. https://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/countries/USA.shtm
 
Thanks for responses.

Is Open the only one? Are Open courses considered accredited and transferable?
 
Vanadu said:
Are Open courses considered accredited and transferable?

OU is accredited by the same UK government agency as any other British university. You can find some details on its recognition in the USA on OU's Wikipedia page. Whether the credit is transferrable depends on regulations governing the program you want it transferred to.
 
Independent said:
Whether the credit is transferrable depends on regulations governing the program you want it transferred to.

If you are currently a student at a US college or university, find out their procedure for requesting transfer credit. They may require that they pre-approve the course before you take it. Ask the registrar's office or look on their web site.
 

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