Classes that are flexible, affordable, and designed to fit your life.
At Newlane University, students are in control of their learning and schedule. Our classes are 100% self-paced and competency-based. That means we have no mandatory schedules or immovable deadlines – students move forward when they’ve mastered the material.
Our class structure is designed based on the ideas of the flipped classroom & Competency-Based Education, where the student’s mastery of the material drives the process, rather than rewarding “time in seat”.
Newlane University’s degrees are made up of Courses. Those Courses are made up of Lessons, and each Lesson is made up of Objectives.
Below is a real example from our Critical Reading and Writing Course, showing 2 of the lessons and just some of the underlying Learning Objectives.
Four Step Process
Step 1 – Self-Assessed Learning
Newlane is competency-based and incredibly flexible.
We lay out all the learning objectives, but how you master them is completely up to you. If you already know something, you can simply check it off and move on – no need to waste time “learning” something you already know.
For objectives you need to master, Newlane provides curated, free resources you can use including articles, videos, academic papers, & lectures. But nothing is required. If you’d rather use your own resources, that works too. We’ve seen students learn with AI tutors, talk through concepts with friends or family, watch YouTube videos, or dive into lectures.
The bottom line: in the information age, knowledge is everywhere, and we’re agnostic to how you learn it. What matters is that you master the objectives.
You’re also in charge of your pace. You can start, stop, or pause anytime, for any reason, with no penalty. There are no deadlines or rigid schedules you must adhere to – you just need to complete at least one course per year to stay in good standing.
Step 2 – Computer Scored Test
The test at Newlane isn’t like the high-stakes exams you may remember from traditional college. It’s formative – and is meant to help you self-assess your mastery, not to trick or punish you. You can take it as often as you like, and each time it highlights the specific objectives and lessons you should review.
This step is about building confidence. Newlane is continually developing new ways to help you check your mastery, but the computer-scored test is our baseline tool. Once you pass it, you know you’re ready to move on to your project.
Step 3 – Course Project
The course project is where you show what you’ve learned by applying it. This is the heart of demonstrating mastery. At Newlane, we believe in “mastery or not yet.” That means you cannot fail, but you’ll have several opportunities to submit your work. Most projects are accepted on the first submission, but if your work needs more development, you’ll receive clear notes from a professor and can resubmit the same project again.
We also allow the transparent use of AI tools at this step (see our AI statement). Students simply acknowledge how they used AI in their project. However, plagiarism or submitting a mostly AI-generated paper won’t help you, because in the next step you’ll need to defend your project as your own. The goal here isn’t just to produce work, but to master the knowledge behind it.
See project examples in our Project Support Center
Step 4 – Course Hearing
The course hearing is the final and most important step in our learning process. In this stage, you’ll meet with a professor one-on-one in a video call. This professor will ask you about your project and have a friendly, low-stress conversation about the course material. The goal is simple: to see if you can clearly explain and defend what you’ve learned.
Just like with the project, we follow the principle of “mastery or not yet.” If the professor feels you haven’t quite mastered the material, you’ll receive feedback and have another chance to come back and demonstrate your knowledge. There’s no penalty – it’s about giving you the time and space to get to true mastery.
Once the professor is confident you’ve mastered the course objectives, you pass the class, earn the credits, and move one step closer to your degree.
Is Newlane Right for You?
Newlane is designed for students who need flexibility and control in their education. While it often works best for people who already have some college experience, success here doesn’t depend on where you’ve been – it depends on how you approach learning.
Students who thrive at Newlane tend to share these traits:
- Persistent effort – they work on objectives persistently until they’ve mastered the material.
- Self-driven – Our students are ready to finish what they started and don’t need constant reminders to stay on track.
- Comfortable learning independently – our students are willing to explore resources, try new approaches, and take ownership of their learning.
If this sounds like you, Newlane may be a great fit. If you are ready, you can start today!