Course Schedule
Exploration Courses are offered asynchronously. This means you will not have set required times to attend "live" class sessions. However you should not mistake this flexibility with a self-paced course. Each course will include discussions, lectures, readings, and assignments that will need to be completed by specific deadlines.
Each course has between 30-40 hours worth of content that may be offered over two, three, four, or six weeks depending upon the course and semester (see individual course dates listed below). Be sure you consider carefully how this course fits into your schedule and other commitments. You should plan to log in to your course regularly to participate in activities, engage with the material, and complete assignments.
Instructors and staff will host optional synchronous office hours for you to check-in and ask questions about course content.
Exploration Courses are an excellent opportunity for you to:
- Strengthen key college readiness skills such as time management, critical thinking, communication, and independent learning.
- Build confidence engaging with college-level ideas, instructors, peers, and professional perspectives.
- Explore opportunities for academic, personal, and intellectual growth.
- Gain new knowledge and insights across a variety of subjects and fields.
Please note these course listings are subject to change and cancellation without notice.
Any required text will be noted in the course descriptions below. If a text is not listed, then expect instructors to share course materials via Canvas. You will need to have a computer and Wi-Fi, and access to a camera and microphone. We do not recommend the use of a cell phone only to participate in these courses.
Spring 2027
Individuals interested in enrolling in spring courses should submit a registration form, copy of their transcript, and signed parent liability waiver and release to our office by January 11, 2027.
Space is limited in these courses, so we encourage you not to wait until the deadline to submit registration materials.
Registration for Spring 2027 semester opens November 2, 2026.
February 1-26, 2027
Course fee: $0
New for Spring 2027! Pathways to Learning and Possibility: An Introduction to College, Career, and Life Exploration is a four-week, online asynchronous course for high school students who want to explore their future with intention and curiosity. Grounded in the spirit of the liberal arts, the course invites you to reflect on your interests, strengths, values, and goals while considering college pathways, academic interests, and future career directions. Through interactive activities and guided reflection, you will build a stronger sense of self, learn more about your options, and develop practical strategies for planning your next steps after high school.
Prerequisite: none
February 1-March 12, 2027
Course Fee: $685
Objects. Photos. Scripts. These are some of the ingredients that we will include, as we write a collection of personal narratives. As you focus your projects around that single object, a collection of photos, and a script in the first half of the course, you’ll receive comments from other students on your writing. During the second half of the course, you’ll expand one of these pieces with an eye to the Common App essay prompts. As you experiment with these genres of personal narrative writing, you’ll develop your ability to tell your stories and to share them with others. The course will culminate with your ePortfolio—a collection of your personal narrative writing and reflections on them. If you’ve ever wondered how to put a moving moment in your life into words, join us this this spring!
Prerequisite: none
Summer 2027
Individuals interested in enrolling in summer courses should submit a registration form, copy of their transcript, and signed parent liability waiver and release to our office by April 22, 2027.
Space is limited in these courses, so we encourage you not to wait until the deadline to submit registration materials.
Applications for Summer 2027 semester opens February 8, 2027 .
June 14-25, 2027
Course fee: $685
Objects. Photos. Scripts. These are some of the ingredients that we will include, as we write a collection of personal narratives in this two-week online course. As you focus your projects around that single object, a collection of photos, and a script in the first week, you’ll receive comments from other students on your writing. During the second week, you’ll expand one of these pieces with an eye to the Common App essay prompts. As you experiment with these genres of personal narrative writing, you’ll develop your ability to tell your stories and to share them with others. The course will culminate with your ePortfolio—a collection of your personal narrative writing and reflections on them. If you’ve ever wondered how to put a moving moment in your life into words, join us this this summer! A copy of the 2026 syllabus is available here.
Prerequisite: none
June 14-July 9, 2027
Course fee: $685
In this course, you will be introduced to the fields (biology, geography, sociology, economics, natural resource management, chemistry, and geology) used in understanding both the workings of the natural world and human interactions with our environment. Topics explored will include: human population growth, energy resources, land and food resources, water resources, air pollution, global climate change, and human health and toxicology, as well as a review of ecology and species diversity. Sustainability is a unifying theme throughout the course, as is an understanding of the linkages between ecosystems. This understanding will give you a greater appreciation for and better stewardship of the world in which you live. A copy of the 2026 syllabus is available here.
Prerequisite: completed one year of high school biology by the start of the course.
June 14-July 9, 2027
Course fee: $685
Although we often associate education with school-based activity, human beings learn in multiple environments beyond the formal classroom. Video games, while often dismissed as frivolous entertainment, provide one such example of a significant experiential learning context: individual players develop skills in the pursuit of goals, collaborate with each other to advance their theorizing about the game's mechanics, and display deep engagement and persistence in the face of frustration despite a lack of extrinsic rewards. Among the questions encountered in this course will be: What kind of understanding is built through game play? How might games teach us about ourselves as learners? In what ways might the skills involved in learning to play a game transfer to learning in other contexts? What pedagogical lessons might teachers take from game designers? Throughout the course, readings and activities will promote rigorous, critical analysis of both games and theories of learning. A copy of the 2026 syllabus is available here.
Prerequisite: none
Required text and materials: 1) What Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning & Literacy, 2nd Ed. by James Paul Gee and 2) a gaming system and game of your choice
June 14-July 9, 2027
Course fee: $685
What does the popularity and ubiquity of superheroes in film and television say about contemporary US culture? According to philosopher Umberto Eco, superheroes represent the quintessential American myth. From their rugged individualism, protestant work ethic, moral exceptionalism, and grandeurs of greatness, superheroes personify American liberalism. In this course, we will complicate Eco’s claim by examining how the superhero as a character, genre, and industry has both reflected and critiqued discourses on national identity, citizenship, and globalization, especially in relation to race, gender, and sexuality. Centering graphic novels, movies, and TV shows, this course will explore how political tensions and cultural values have played out in the bodies, stories, and responses to American superheroes, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the X-Men, and the Avengers. A copy of the 2026 syllabus is available here.
Prerequisite: none.
June 14-July 9, 2027
Course fee: $685
Have you ever wondered how a normal cell becomes cancer? Where does a virus go inside the body to cause symptomatic infection? Why is insulin a life-saving treatment for millions of people around the world? The answers to these questions (and more) are rooted in the biology of human health and disease. This course will provide a foundational framework to better understand the pathophysiology of human disease, incorporating elements of molecular biology, genetics, microbiology, immunology, and pathology. This multi-disciplinary approach is specifically designed for students interested in the biological sciences or those interested in pursuing a future in the health sciences. A copy of the 2026 syllabus is available here.
Prerequisite: completed one year of high school biology by the start of the course.
June 14-July 9, 2027
Course fee: $685
This course provides an exploration of the nervous system, encompassing its structure, function, development, and related disorders. We will learn about the complexities of the brain and nervous system, examining how they control bodily functions, behavior, and mental processes. This topic is inherently interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of biology, psychology, medicine, chemistry, linguistics, sociology, and chemistry, among others. This class provides a foundation for understanding the biological basis of our thoughts, feelings, and actions and how these can be affected by various factors, including disease and injury. A copy of the 2026 syllabus is available here.
Prerequisite: none.
Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend students have a computer and Wi-Fi, and access to a camera and microphone. We do not recommend the use of a cell phone only to participate in these courses.
WashU uses Canvas for our learning management system. Via Canvas, instructors will also utilize Zoom and other applications for instruction.
Asynchronous means that students will have daily/weekly assignments to demonstrate engagement in material rather than viewing live lectures each day. Students are expected to log into the course daily beginning on the first day of class and check their email/Canvas inbox for regular communication from the instructor.
These courses should not be confused with “on demand” or “self-paced” courses. Students are expected to be engaged participants and complete all assignments by the designated deadlines.
If you find that you'd like to drop your noncredit Exploration Course you have until February 3, 2027 for spring courses or June 16, 2027 for summer courses to do so and receive a full refund. You can drop a course by submitting the Course Change Request Form.
If you decide to drop the course after the drop deadline, no refund will be issued and the drop will be noted as a "W" for withdrawal in program records.