Graduate school can be one of the most intellectually rewarding experiences of a person’s life. But it demands a substantial commitment of time and money, and it often ties serious intellectual life to professional ambition in ways that can distort both.

Brook Farm Institute was founded on the conviction that rigorous, sustained engagement with ideas can occur beyond the neoliberal university — and that everyone who seeks it should be able to find it.

No credentials required, no degree to pursue, no grades. Just the texts, the arguments, and provocative conversation with others who share your curiosity.

Our faculty are scholars and educators who hold terminal degrees in their fields. Some also teach at universities; others work independently. All are deeply engaged in their own research and writing, whether that takes the form of traditional academic scholarship, creative work, translation, criticism, or writing for the general public. Many have stakes in the debates that animate the texts you will be reading: they have published on these questions, argued about them with colleagues, and in some cases staked out positions that remain contested. They come to the seminar room not to deliver a survey of what others have thought, but to think alongside participants. In this way, the seminar seeks to be a democratic space: scholarly expertise is welcome, but so are the many different kinds of knowledge, experience, and perspective that each participant brings to the table.

BFI seminars meet once a week for four three-hour sessions. Enrollment is capped at 20 participants to ensure ideal conditions for small-scale discussion.

Seminars are held either in-person (in Cambridge, Massachusetts) or online via video conference. All seminars are scheduled to accommodate working adults: Monday through Thursday evenings or Sunday afternoons.

Your instructor will distribute a reading list before the first session, including any books to acquire as well as links to download additional PDFs. Each seminar has a core list of required readings as well as supplementary material for those with the time and interest to explore further.

Think of it as a high-intensity conversation. After completing the reading independently, participants may come to the table with questions to discuss, passages to analyze, observations or theories to test against the room; others may simply wish to listen and quietly reflect. Your instructor will help orient and guide the discussion, providing historical and critical context, and occasionally reframing a question as needed. Participants come from all walks of life, with different educational backgrounds, professional experiences, and personal histories they bring to bear on the material.

No. BFI is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, and we have no affiliation with any university. What we offer instead is something universities rarely do these days: the freedom to read and explore ideas with people who want to be there.

BFI seminars are small by design. Enrollment is capped at 20 participants per class to preserve ideal conditions for group discussion.

Our seminars meet in the Boston/Cambridge area or online via video conference. Modality, venue, dates, and times are listed on the seminar registration page.

Our online seminars are well-suited to the rhythms of caregiving. Some participants may need to step away to put a child to bed, for example, and return to the discussion afterward. Others may need to follow along with the camera off for whatever reason.

We want BFI to be accessible to people with full lives, and we’re happy to talk through options if you’re unsure it a particular seminar will work for your schedule.

Tuition is $335 per seminar. We also reserve two seats for sliding scale participants. Contact us if you would like to inquire about this option.

In the prefigurative tradition of 19th century anarchism, we seek to demonstrate a positive alternative model to the shameless exploitation of contingent faculty commonly practiced at traditional universities. At BFI, your instructor receives seventy cents of every dollar you spend — a full 70% of tuition . The rest helps to keep BFI running: space, administration, special events, web hosting, promotion, and all the infrastructure behind the scenes.

BFI is a registered nonprofit so every penny goes back into building our offerings and bringing more faculty on board.

Registration typically opens two months before class begins. You can enroll directly through our website and pay securely via Stripe. If you run into any trouble or have questions before enrolling, please write to us.

Yes. If you are interested in arranging a one-on-one consultation with a member of our faculty, this can be done at an hourly or half-hourly rate. Contact us to inquire about this possibility.

Participants who cancel more than one week before the first session are eligible for a full refund. Cancellations made within a week of the first session are eligible for a 75% refund or full credit toward a future BFI seminar. Cancellations made after the first session are eligible for a 50% refund or 75% credit toward a future BFI seminar. No refunds or credits will be issued after the second session has taken place.

To request a cancellation or refund, write to us at: admin@brookfarminstitute.com