Liberating the Liberal Arts
The Magnus Fellowship
The Magnus Fellowship is the college to end colleges. Open to anybody who is committed to pursuing lifelong education, this first-of-its-kind virtual lyceum exists to unite scholars and students from all walks of life — regardless of age, background, or location under the light of great texts in the happy pursuit of wisdom.
The Magnus Fellowship relentlessly promotes the few remaining colleges providing traditional education and serves as a tuition-free alternative for those who need an online resource that is equally rigorous and rooted.
Magnus Fellows compose an exclusive society of friends who recognize their responsibility not only to be educated, but to be educators — uniquely equipped to inform the culture for good.
By drawing together renowned teachers (Senior Fellows) and students (Fellows) in one bleeding-edge virtual campus, the Magnus Fellowship is designed to fundamentally disrupt the broken college system that has for too long pedaled premises that we believe to be patently false; namely:
- Credits and accreditation are worth the ever-increasing sums charged to students.
- Earning an accredited diploma through the procurement of massive student debt is an asset, not a liability.
- An education is a means to achieve power and is not an end in itself.
As the typical college doubles down on these errors and others, a growing number of prospective students are simply opting out in search of something more solvent and human. We believe there is a better way and so have championed a sort of education that is at once:
- Proudly unaccredited,
- Actually free,
- An end in itself.
The Magnus Fellowship is the alternative to broken higher education. And you can become a Fellow today.
Benefits of the Magnus Fellowship Include:
- Certificate of Fellowship, mailed to you upon enrollment
- Professional and Social Networking with hundreds of Fellows in our first of its kind virtual campus
- Unlimited Free Access to online, live, and interactive AMI Courses
- Exclusive Access to regional AMI Events and Symposia
- 15% off all Magnus Pilgrimages
- 15% off all Magnus Press Books and Merchandise
- Student Loan Debt Assistance for Prospective Religious
- And More
Upon Whom is Fellowship Conferred?
- Anybody currently studying at the Albertus Magnus Institute (simply apply below).
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Upon completion of the Fellowship curriculum, a Fellow receives a Lifetime Fellowship.
Upon Whom is Lifetime Fellowship Conferred?
- Any AMI Fellow who has completed studies within the Magnus Fellowship
- Any current student or graduate of the following Magnus Endorsed Institutions:
- Belmont Abbey Honors College
- Campion College, San Francisco (2002-2007)
- Hillsdale College
- Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts, New Hampshire
- St. John’s College, Annapolis or Santa Fe
- St. Mary’s College of California (Integral and Philosophy Students only)
- Thomas Aquinas College, California or New England
- Thomas More College of the Liberal Arts, New Hampshire
- University of Chicago (Fundamentals: Issues and Texts Program only)
- University of Dallas
- University of Kansas (Pearson Integrated Humanities Program, 1970-1979 only)
- University of Notre Dame (Program of Liberal Studies only)
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Wyoming Catholic College
Why are only these institutions Magnus Endorsed?
These institutions offer (or have offered) an authentic, classical education rooted in the great books, trivium, and quadrivium, each according to a particular flavor or emphasis. We are happy to promote and endorse their faculties and curricula.
Think we missed one? Email us here (info@magnusinstitute.org).
What if I enrolled in one of those institutions but dropped out prior to graduation?
Only upon current students or graduates of the above Institutions is Lifetime Fellowship conferred. Fellowship is revoked if a student terminates his or her studies prior to completion.
How much does it cost?
Enrollment in the Magnus Fellowship is completely free and always will be.
Can I sponsor a course?
Glad you asked! Yes. We welcome course sponsorships to cover our expenses and enable a full schedule of offerings. Courses can be underwritten anonymously or with the aim of discretely promoting a mission, business, or institution to our Fellows and Podcast audience. The cost of one full eight-week course sponsorship is $7,000. While these operating costs pale in comparison to those of a brick and mortar college, they are substantial for us, and donations given to offset them are valued tremendously. Ultimately every Fellow is invited to supply the material needs of the Institute according to his or her ability and good will.
Once enrolled in the Fellowship, can I register for any course I like?
Yes. Both Fellows and Lifetime Fellows are free to enjoy any course offering. Upon public announcement of every course, the first eight available spaces in that course are reserved for Fellows giving at the Gladiator level and above. Subsequently, an early registration window will open for those giving at the Amicus and Legatus levels – leaving no less than eight spaces available per course during the general registration window to Fellows who are unable to contribute to the Institute monetarily. While we outline an ideal track for the accomplishment of the curriculum as a whole, a Fellow may take any course at any time without any prerequisite. Fellows may be enrolled in multiple courses at once as courses will seldom be scheduled concurrently.
What kind of a course experience can I expect?
Every course is capped at a maximum of 24 students to preserve collegiality and personal engagement. Courses are live and interactive. Led by a Senior Fellow of the Albertus Magnus Institute, each class will meet weekly for two hours and consist of equal parts lecture and discussion, usually around an assigned text. You may have writing or journaling assignments that will be personally assessed by the Senior Fellow with grades being issued on a pass / fail basis. Apart from class attendance, a Fellow of the Albertus Magnus Institute in study should expect no more than two to five hours of weekly reading and writing per course. Most courses will be scheduled on weekday evenings.
Can you tell me about AMI's virtual campus?
Inside of this very website (see the “sign in” tab above) is a proprietary virtual campus where Fellows, Lifetime Fellows, and Senior Fellows interact, share ideas, connect, and get to know one another. Course participation, progress tracking, and writing assignment submission all takes place within our virtual campus. There are even discussion groups for classes and topics. We realize there is just no substitute for a real, brick and mortar campus or a face to face seminar, but we’ve done our best to provide the next best thing. The campus is designed to be easy for anybody to use. Before your first course with AMI, we’ll even give you a tour, and we are regularly working to make it even better.
What are my obligations as a Fellow in the Albertus Magnus Institute?
There is a tradition within liberal education (varying from place to place) that once accepted into such a body of learning, a student signs a rule, receives an exhortation, and is given an instrument. You will get the instrument in the mail, and many exhortations await you in your courses. These gifts are offered to you at the onset, with no strings attached, not at the culmination of your learning (as a carrot on a stick). Time is short; we are giving the goods now. As such, you are initiated into a tradition that has come before you and will go after you. This tradition and your place therein is an ineffable gift — freely given.
As for the signing of a rule, we only invite you to ask yourself if you are really ready to wade into the deep and uncharted waters of wonder. You will be given much, but what happens next is up to you.
In applying to the Magnus Fellowship, you agree to the following:
- Recognizing your irreplaceability and the fact that most courses fill with a waiting list, you will not register for any courses in which you are not able to be present for at least most of the eight class sessions.
- Recognizing your inexhaustible dignity and this occasion to plumb the depths, you will apply yourself to your studies with fervor and solemnity, read the texts, and engage with Senior Fellows and Fellows alike both in and out of class. You will be open to accepting the call within this education to hand it on to others and inform the culture for good.
- Recognizing your responsibility to be a co-educator as well as co-educated, you will freely support the material needs of the Albertus Magnus Institute as much as justice requests and your ability permits. Whether this is through a monetary donation in the place of a Fellow who cannot afford the like, or a commitment to promote the work of AMI in among your friends and family — we have taken a reckless gamble in offering these gifts to you for free, but have gambled precisely on your generosity. For Aristotle, a friend does for a friend what his friend cannot do. We will provide the education, the infrastructure, the faculty, the Fellowship. You will provide the means.
How much should I give?
We are a lean operation. Our cost to operate the Fellowship is only about $30 per Fellow per month. If you can’t give that, we understand and invite you to join anyway. If you can give more to sponsor those who are giving less, please do. We absolutely rely on monthly recurring donations to exist. We do not expect or solicit any donations from our priestly and religious Fellows.
If you are willing to recognize and affirm these three principles, we welcome you to apply now.
How to Apply:
Simply submit this form, and we’ll get on it. Applications are processed within two weeks, and certificates of Fellowship are mailed quarterly. Upon acceptance into the Magnus Fellowship, you’ll receive a call from us, a certificate in the mail, and instant access to all of the courses and benefits. The Magnus Fellowship is and always will be tuition-free.
You’re going to want to go ahead and frame that certificate. This is the beginning of something big.
Magnus Fellowship Application
Please Note: In some cases, we will verify your status with your institution’s registrar.