• About the OAC
• About the Undergraduate Program
• About Applying to the Undergraduate Program
• About the Graduate Program
• Technical Issues

About the OAC

Does the OAC offer scholarships or financial aid to students?

Yes, we offer generous support to most full-time students. The various kinds of financial assistance we offer are described here. On the OAC application form, applicants may indicate whether they wish to be considered for a tuition waiver or a phone scholarship.

Is there a campus I can attend?

Classes are conducted online and via teleconferencing. Some classes are conducted live (and by telephone) from ARI’s facilities in Irvine, California. Students who live nearby may attend in person.

Is the OAC accredited?

No. The feedback we have received from our students is that accreditation is not a driving factor in their decision to apply to the program.

A few students in the past have been successful on their own in getting their colleges to give them credit for taking a course with ARI.

What do the acronyms “OGC” and “UPAR” mean?

The Objectivist Graduate Center (OGC) was the precursor to the OAC. Understanding the Philosophy of Ayn Rand (UPAR) was the precursor to “Seminar on Ayn Rand’s Philosophy of Objectivism,” the second-year course in the undergraduate program.

About the Undergraduate Program

Do I have to finish in 4 years?

Although the program is designed to be completed in four years, students may take a reduced course load. In very limited cases students are granted “hiatus” status. Students granted hiatus status may continue at the stage where they left the program without reapplying the following academic year. If they wish to rejoin the program later than the following academic year, they may be asked to reapply.

Can I finish in less than 4 years?

In very rare cases we do offer ways to accelerate completion of the program. For instance, for some courses we offer an exemption exam. Depending on a student’s performance on this exam the student may test out of all or part of a course.

Can high school students and others who have not attended college apply to the program?

Yes, we welcome applications from high school students; a college degree is not a prerequisite for admission to the OAC’s undergraduate-level program. We are seeking students who have a serious interest in becoming professional intellectuals or in engaging in intellectual activism within their professions. Please note that students under eighteen years of age need parental consent in order to enroll.

What are my chances of getting in?

Admission into the OAC is fairly competitive. However, most qualified, full-time students are accepted. We cannot say exactly what the chances are because it depends in part on the number and caliber of the other students who apply.

What are the deadlines for applying?

Please view the Academic Calendar for information about these dates.

How many students are there in each class?

The typical student-instructor ratio in first-year undergraduate classes has been about 45:1, with teaching assistant support. All students receive individualized feedback on their work, with upper-year students participating in one-on-one tutorials with OAC instructors.

What is the tuition?

Most full-time college students receive tuition waivers. For the few who do not, the tuition fees can be found here.

Tuition fees are not considered tax-deductible contributions to ARI. Students who must pay tuition will receive a bill in the summer. After the first year, a student’s tuition waiver is contingent upon maintaining a satisfactory grade in all his courses.

What other costs are involved?

Most classes are conducted via teleconferencing, and a student is responsible for his own telephone charges unless he qualifies for a phone reimbursement. Most full-time students receive phone reimbursements. These reimbursements are calculated on a pro-rated basis based on the number of classes attended live and are intended to help defray all or most of the phone costs that a student incurs. The reimbursements work out to about $.04 per minute per the number of classes they attended. Students are also required to have regular access to e-mail and the web.

When will I hear whether I have been accepted?

Please view the Academic Calendar for information about these dates.

How do I interact with other students or the instructor outside of class?

Each class has an email list on which students can discuss their courses and share ideas. In addition, ARI hosts special events throughout the year exclusively for OAC students, including live events.

What is the schedule of classes?

The exact schedule of classes is determined in the summer. Classes take place on weekdays. Start times vary (between 3 and 5 p.m. Pacifiic/6 and 8 p.m. Eastern). Students who are unable to attend classes live may take classes via the internet, by listening to recordings of the lectures. Online classes are asynchronous and do not require students to log in to the class homepage at a specific time. Students are expected to log in several times each week.

Can I take just the courses that interest me, without going through the whole program?

Students who wish to take a course but not enroll in the program should consider auditing.

Can I sign up for classes as an auditor—i.e., a student who isn’t graded?

Yes, a selection of courses open to auditors is available online. There is a registration fee for auditing classes.

About Applying to the Undergraduate Program

What can I do to prepare for the entrance exam?

The exam presupposes that you have read and have a basic understanding of the ideas in The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, The Virtue of Selfishness, and Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal.

How does the exam work?

Once we receive an application form we will email you an entrance exam at the time you have chosen to take it. You may select the time you wish to take the exam from the options that are listed on the application form. You may not consult books or notes while taking the exam.

How much time will I have to write the exam? What if it arrives late?

The exam itself has a time limit of 90 minutes. Owing to congestion on the internet, it is possible that the e-mail from ARI containing your exam will be delayed. To allow for that possibility, we ask that you submit the exam within two hours from the time you receive it. I.e., you will have 90 minutes to write the exam, and 30 minutes leeway.

When will I know whether I have been accepted into the program? When do classes begin?

Please view the Academic Calendar for information about these dates.

When are tuition payments due?

Students who do not qualify for tuition waivers will be sent invoices after they enroll. The tuition payments will be due before classes begin in late October.

If I am not accepted into the program, what are some ways in which I can continue my study of Objectivism?

You may register to audit classes and reapply the following year. Also, see the reading list available on our site; all of the works listed are available through the Ayn Rand Bookstore. Attending an Objectivist conference or campus club activities are other good ways to continue studying Ayn Rand’s ideas.

About the Graduate Program

Who can apply?

Students who complete the undergraduate program of the OAC are eligible to apply for the graduate program.

Are there job opportunities at ARI for alumni?

ARI offers both financial support and career-development opportunities to its graduates. Indeed, most of our current faculty and staff were once (and in some cases still are) students at the OAC. ARI occasionally recruits for resident fellows to work in-house as full-time teachers and writers. For more information, visit our career prospects webpage and our employment page.

Technical Issues

I’m having technical difficulties with audio or video files. What can I do?

If your question isn’t answered here, please email us.

My connection to the Internet is not reliable enough to access streaming audio/video, can I download the video and/or seminar?

Currently the presentations are available only in streaming format.

Other

I have a question that is not answered here, whom should I write to?

Please submit your question using this form.