• What is the Brooklyn Institute?

    The Brooklyn Institute for Social Research (BISR) is an interdisciplinary teaching and research institute that offers critical, community-based education in the humanities and social sciences. Working in partnership with local businesses and cultural organizations, we integrate rigorous but accessible scholarly study with the everyday lives of working adults and re-imagine scholarship for the 21st century.

  • How much does it cost? Where does that money go?

    New York and New Jersey courses cost $315 while Philadelphia courses cost $255. The majority of those tuition fees (70%) go directly to the instructor teaching the course because we value and believe in compensating intellectual labor. The rest goes to keep BISR running.

  • Do you offer scholarships?

    Three scholarship spaces are reserved in each course because we realize that not everyone can afford to pay the full fee for our courses. Students who cannot pay the full fee should email us at info@thebrooklyninstitute.com to learn about our scholarship options. We will not ask questions about your financial situation but we do ask that you use the system in good faith and consider the needs of other students and faculty members.

  • How do the courses work?

    BISR courses are typically four weeks long. There are no prerequisites, no exams, no papers, and none of the stress of college or grad school. All we ask is that you come ready to talk with us about books and ideas. Our courses are designed with the needs of working adults in mind. Our faculty members assign a reasonable amount of reading and classes meet once a week for three hours. Each class session is followed by an informal cocktail hour, where the conversation keeps on flowing.

    A BISR class is an intellectual community. Each course is a lively, discussion-based experience, led by gifted scholar-pedagogues who have a terminal degree in their field and extensive teaching experience.

  • What else do you do?

    Aside from our courses, we run public events and programs in line with our mission to make critical education part of everyday life.

    Office Hours offers students an opportunity to pursue an individualized study project guided by one of our expert faculty members. Praxis is a unique, flexible program designed for non-profits, labor and political organizers, and other public interest organizations. OnSite offers advanced seminars to spark innovation, build community, and encourage creativity in commercial organizations. The Community Initiative is a program that offers free educational opportunities to some of New York’s most vulnerable citizens. BISR Network looks to engage communities in the Midwest whose social fabric has been stretched by economic instability, demographic change, and racial tensions. 

    Finally, don’t forget to check out our podcast series The Podcast for Social Research and our Tzeitung (blog) where we regularly post faculty news and writings.

    If you have any questions, please get in touch with us at info@thebrooklyninstitute.com.