Beck University is a web-based education program

Virtual school

A virtual school or cyberschool describes an institution that teaches courses entirely or primarily through online methods. Though there are tens of thousands of commercial and non-accredited courses available online, the term "virtual school" is generally reserved for accredited schools that teach...

 launched in July 2010 by American radio and television host Glenn Beck

Glenn Beck

Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...

's Mercury Radio Arts

Mercury Radio Arts

Mercury Radio Arts is media personality Glenn Beck’s fully integrated production company and media platform. Mercury produces all Glenn Beck related properties including The Glenn Beck Program, America’s third highest-rated radio show, books authored by Beck and other authors Mercury Radio Arts is...

. Beck University offers online classes in subjects such as religion

Religion

Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...

, American history

History of the United States

The history of the United States traditionally starts with the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776, although its territory was inhabited by Native Americans since prehistoric times and then by European colonists who followed the voyages of Christopher Columbus starting in 1492. The...

, and economics

Economics

Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...

. The classes are offered to anyone who subscribes to Beck's "GBTV" for a fee.

Despite the use of the term "university

University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

" in the title, Beck University's courses are not for credit.

Courses

The charter selection of courses offered by Beck University, , included Faith 101, 102, and 103; Hope 101, 102, and 103; and Charity 101, 102 and 103. The classes consist of weekly lectures every Wednesday night.

Faith 101 dealt with American history and is taught by David Barton, whom Beck has praised as "the Library of Congress

Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...

 in shoes". Barton is an evangelical

Evangelicalism

Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...

 Christian minister and author who is known for his argument that the founding fathers renounced the separation of church and state.

Hope 101 dealt with economics and was taught by David L. Buckner, who operates an executive training institute and is an adjunct professor of psychology and education at Columbia University Teachers College, as well as an adjunct professor of business at the Stern School of Business at New York University

New York University Stern School of Business

The Leonard N. Stern School of Business is New York University's business school. It was established in 1900 as the NYU School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance. In 1988 it was named after Leonard N. Stern, an alumnus and benefactor of the school...

.

Charity 101 was taught by the chair of Louisiana State University

Louisiana State University

Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...

 political science department James R. Stoner, Jr.. The course made the connection between the Constitution, the Federalist Papers

Federalist Papers

The Federalist Papers are a series of 85 articles or essays promoting the ratification of the United States Constitution. Seventy-seven of the essays were published serially in The Independent Journal and The New York Packet between October 1787 and August 1788...

, and the U.S. as a charitable nation.

Coat of arms

Beck University's coat of arms (based on Princeton University

Princeton University

Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....

's coat of arms) features a quill, an American bison

American Bison

The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...

, and an image of George Washington

George Washington

George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

, as well as the motto "", which is Latin for "Revolution against tyrants, submission to God".