Guide to iTunes U

Updated Oct. 30, 2009

At last count there were 150 colleges and universities featured on iTunes U, the section of Apple’s iTunes music store devoted to higher education. There’s great free downloadable content here — lots of lectures and entire courses, but sorting through all this material can be daunting. Unfortunately, most of the colleges offer little more than online brochures, with virtual campus tours and the like.

(Newcomers can get up to speed by reading Getting started.)

So here is a guide to the good stuff.

Courses

The very best course collections are from Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley, Yale University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In addition you can check out:

Other colleges and universities offer smaller iTunes U course collections. The following schools have a posted six or fewer courses.

Lectures

These schools have extensive collections of public lectures.

General Browsing

Some of you have asked how I find the good stuff on iTunes U. After all, a lot of colleges offer mainly PR fluff, like virtual campus tours and welcoming speeches by the dean of students.

So, here are my secrets. Every few days I do some of the following.

1. Survey the main iTunes U page. Apple changes the “featured” content on a regular basis, and I click on whatever catches my fancy. I also keep on eye on the “top downloads” list for interesting candidates.

2. Check out the major course collections (Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) to see if there’s anything new.

3. Look at the Universities and Colleges page. Apple flags any newcomers, so it’s easy to click on the link, and see if the school is offering anything interesting.

4. Check out the categories list on the main iTunes U page. When I choose a category, say history, iTunes takes me to a subject page that includes a “new and notable” list. Sometimes this leads to a great find. It’s also good to scan the “top downloads” list for more interesting candidates.

5. For current affairs, look at Fora.TV and UChannel.  For general browsing, check out UCTV and WGBH.

6.  If I’ve encountered an interesting lecture or interview in my recent listening, I use the iTunes search box to look for more lectures by the same person.

So there you have it. Happy hunting, and let me know if you find something great.

3 Responses

  1. Are there any search mechanisms for finding courses on ItunesU?

    • Good question. I haven’t found an automated search. I just browse around the new universities each time Apple adds some. I also click on the subject areas like history or humanities, and look in the section “new and notable.”

      But if you find an automated search, please let me know.

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