About the Institute

The Institute for the Study of Western Civilization in Cupertino CA is a non-profit organization for higher education founded in 2002. William H. Fredlund, Ph.D., the Institute’s founder and director, leads our distinguished faculty. Our courses in western cultural history are offered at the Institute building at 10060 Bubb Road in Cupertino and online via high-quality video streaming.

The Institute’s Homeschool Program

Courses for Teens, Homeschoolers and High Schoolers

Explore the human experience by studying the humanities.

The humanities examine what it means to be human and provide perspective about the beliefs and cultures of people in the past and present. The humanities encompass fields focused on human society, such as social sciences, geo-political history, art history, visual culture, literature, philosophy, and languages, among others.

By studying the social-historical context of artistic works and philosophical ideas, we can come to understand how we in the twenty-first century came to be who we are; why we think the way we do; and what assumptions about the world and human nature are traceable back to earlier periods in the five-thousand year story of Western civilization.

DEPTH OVER BREADTH

Year-long courses meet for 30 sessions, for 2 to 2.5 hours per session. Classes are streamed live at 7:00 PM Pacific Time.

FLEXIBILITY

Each class is recorded and videos are available the next day and until the end of the quarter, allowing students to view the presentations whenever it fits their schedule, and to review sections of special interest.

PERSONALIZED

High school students are invited to participate in a 30-60 minute weekly discussion group designed specifically for teens and led by an experienced educator.

CAPTIVATING

Presentations are richly illustrated with images of maps, artworks, photos of places and people, and often include video clips. Engaging speakers enliven the talks with anecdotes and are adept at showing the relevance of the past to our present lives in the 21st century.

 

OFFERINGS FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2022-2023

(available in-person and via high-quality video stream with interactive Q&A)

 

Classes

HISORY OF ROME

View the syllabus for 2022-2023.

THE HISTORY OF RUSSIA

View the syllabus for 2022-2023.

HISTORY OF ART

View the syllabus for 2022-2023.

HISTORY OF FRANCE

View the syllabus for 2022-2023.

 

LECTURES

Recorded lectures presented by various professors on a variety of topics are also available.

 

REGISTRATION

DO NOT REGISTER FOR THESE COURSES AND LECTURES ONLINE ~ TO ENROLL AS A HOMESCHOOLER, PLEASE CALL THE INSTITUTE TO COMPLETE REGISTRATION. IEM STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO CALL THE OFFICE TO ENSURE PROPER ENROLLMENT AND TO BE GUIDED THROUGH THE PURCHASE ORDER PROCESS (408-864-4060, Mon–Fri, 10-4).

Direct enquiries to: homeschool(at)westernciv(dot)com

The Institute is an approved vendor for
Ocean Grove, Sky Mountain, and South Sutter Charter Schools.