PROVO, Utah — Free Independent Study courses in family history, marriage and family, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants are now available on the Internet from BYU.
"We have been blessed with growth and with support from our students around the world. This is our opportunity to show our appreciation," said Justin Johansen, assistant director of the Department of Independent Study at BYU.
Nine noncredit personal enrichment courses are available, and more are being developed, said Brother Johansen. Three of the courses are in family history, an area of great interest among the university's independent study clientele. BYU is recognized as a world leader in this area, said Brother Johansen, because of the reputation of the Church and its extensive expertise and resources.
Family history is important to people of many cultures, he said. "We have students from all over the world interested in searching for their roots. These courses have been very popular," he said.
All families can benefit from free Internet courses, said Karri Hartman, instructional designer. A course titled "Building a Functional Family: Essential Elements" and another one titled "Dating: Romance and Reason" deal with principles for building successful families.
Several courses on the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants focus on a portion of the book to allow for more in-depth study.
All BYU Independent Study courses have been developed by BYU faculty members and other experts in their fields.
In addition to the free courses, BYU offers more than 115 personal enrichment courses for $20 tuition, which covers just the production and administration costs, said Sister Hartman. The courses cover a wide range of subjects, including astronomy, gardening, reading and writing skills, and gospel study. A few courses are available in Spanish.
Further information on free and reduced-cost independent study courses is available by visiting the Independent Study Web site at http://ce.byu.edu/courses/hs/993384043006/public/title.htm, by calling (801) 378-2868 or by writing Brigham Young University, Department of Independent Study, Provo UT 84602.
