About
Brook Farm Institute for Critical Studies (BFI) is an independent non-degree-granting education institute that offers graduate-level seminars in the humanities, social sciences, and the arts.
In an era of resurgent authoritarianism, ecological collapse, mass atrocity, and techno-capitalist dystopia, it is more important than ever to develop our capacity for critical analysis and intellectual self-defense. BFI provides the space, structure, and community for serious engagement with ideas, inspiring forms of education and creativity beyond the constraints of the neoliberal university. Our faculty are scholars and educators who hold terminal degrees in their respective fields and maintain active research agendas.
In our name, we draw inspiration from the Brook Farm Institute for Agriculture and Education — better known as Brook Farm, the celebrated utopian community founded in 1841 in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. Like the original Brook Farmers—a motley crew of “pious professors and Infidels,” as one contemporary observer joked—we seek to build a para-academic community united in free intellectual pursuit.
Questions?
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. Many have stakes in the debates that animate the texts you will be reading and discussing: 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 space not to deliver a survey of what others have thought, but to think alongside the other participants. In this way, BFI courses promote a democratic ethos: 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 20-23 participants to preserve ideal conditions for small-scale discussion.
In-person seminars meet at locations around Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts. Online courses use Zoom. Modality, venue, dates, and times are listed on the seminar registration page.
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, you may come to the table with questions to discuss, passages to analyze, observations or theories to test against the room; or you may simply wish to listen and quietly reflect. Your instructor will help orient and guide the discussion, providing historical and critical context 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.
BFI is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, independent of any university. We are not accredited and we grant no degrees. Freed from the credentialing apparatus, we provide something universities rarely do these days: unhurried engagement with serious ideas, in the company of people who chose to be there.
Absolutely! Our online seminars are a good option if you need to step away to put a child to bed, for example. Others may wish to follow along with their camera switched off for whatever reason. Join us however works best for your life.
Tuition is $300 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 the majority of tuition costs. 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 and 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.
BFI courses are not recorded. Massachusetts state law (G.L. c. 272, § 99) does not allow recording without the consent of everyone present — and this is unworkable for a seminar.
Even if your instructor sought to obtain consent from everyone in the seminar, it tends to discourage open conversation when people know their words are being recorded. If you cannot attend a session, we recommend catching up with another member of class. They may be willing to share their notes or even to continue the discussion independently. The instructor may also be able to offer brief guidance on key themes from the session.
If you are interested in a one-on-one consultation with a member of our faculty, this can be arranged at an 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.
| Timing | Cash Refund | — or — | Course Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| One week or more before class | 100% | 100% | |
| Less than a week before class | 75% | 100% | |
| After the first class | 50% | 75% |
To request a cancellation or refund, write to us at: [email protected]