# Learn the core ideas of __effective altruism__
In this free, 8-week online course, you'll meet like-minded people and explore ways to have more impact with your careers and donations.


## Increase your impact
Learn new concepts, frameworks, and counter-intuitive ideas to help you have more impact in your career, donations and other projects.

## Meet like-minded people
Discuss a curated curriculum with other people who care deeply about improving the lives of others in the most effective ways they can.

## How it works

### The Introductory EA Program is a free online program open for anyone around the world to join.

intro-course

CEA logo

The Centre for Effective Altruism

Ideal for those new to effective altruism or for those who want to explore the ideas in a structured way alongside others.

Introductory EA Program

When you aim to do good, you face questions like: How should I compare different global problems, and how can I contribute to solving them?

The In-Depth EA Program helps you engage with complex questions like these to help you figure out how you can increase your impact. Each week, you'll complete a set of readings that focus primarily on helping you learn about global problems and strategies for solving them. You'll then have weekly 1.5-hour discussions with a cohort of 4-8 participants and one facilitator. This program is designed as a follow-up to our Introductory EA Program. [The full curriculum can be found here.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QsiRk7rwBNHxAdwVogu2zJaodsQM4B6GX1A3raJxEcw/edit?usp=sharing)

We think this course is a particularly good fit for people who:
- Already have a good understanding of [core ideas in effective altruism](https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/cN9Zu7dowefAfmNnH/the-effective-altruism-handbook).
- Are excited by the topics covered in the curriculum.

Requirements
- Can commit at least 3 hours a week to readings and exercises.
- Can attend at least 7 out of the 8 weekly discussion sessions.
- Are 18 years of age or older.

Like our Introductory Program, discussions are held virtually, allowing participants from anywhere in the world to join. The program is offered at no cost.

If you’re still unfamiliar with the aforementioned core ideas, we recommend that you start with the [Introductory EA Program](https://www.effectivealtruism.org/virtual-programs/introductory-program/). The [EA Handbook](https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/cN9Zu7dowefAfmNnH/the-effective-altruism-handbook) is also great if you want to learn at your own pace. 

Jellyfish Stock Photo

Ideal for graduates of the intro program or those with a similar level of experience, who are ready to take action and want to dive deeper into more complex EA ideas.

In-Depth EA Program

Humanity stands at a precipice. 

Our species could survive for millions of generations — enough time to end disease, poverty, and injustice; to reach new heights of flourishing. But this vast future is at risk. With the advent of nuclear weapons, humanity entered a new age, gaining the power to destroy ourselves, without the wisdom to ensure we won’t. Since then, these dangers have only multiplied, from climate change to engineered pandemics and unaligned artificial intelligence. If we do not act fast to reach a place of safety, it may soon be too late. 

The Precipice explores the science behind the risks we face. It puts them in the context of the greater story of humanity to show how ending them is among the most pressing moral issues of our time. And it points the way forward, to the actions and strategies we can take today to safeguard humanity’s future.

This reading group will read The Precipice over 8 weeks and will require about 3 hours of time per week: 1.5 hours for reading and 1.5 hours for discussion. Participants will be placed into cohorts of 4-8 people (including a facilitator), which will meet weekly for structured discussions about each chapter.

Note: Minors are not permitted to join this program at this stage.

There are rounds of programming starting every three months so that you can participate whenever is best for your schedule.

Precipice_Earth_Image

In this reading group, you will read and engage in structured discussions of Toby Ord’s The Precipice, a book about existential risks and safeguarding the future of humanity.

The Precipice Reading Group

Learn the foundational ideas of effective altruism in 5- to 10-minute interactive lessons.

By the end, you should be able to think more critically about solving the world's most important problems, and have made progress working out how you could make a large and lasting difference in the world.

## What you’ll learn
![non-trivial you'll learn](//images.ctfassets.net/ohf186sfn6di/7ontNg7uIrAuZQcJNT9Rpb/39e7132cffb7e02f9f6a234068aa052c/you-ll_learn__2_.png)

## For you if…
- You want to learn the foundations of effective altruism: a philosophy and community focused on doing as much good as you can.
- You haven’t already completed an introduction to effective altruism, such as the [Introductory EA Program](/virtual-programs/introductory-program).
- You want to learn in a self-paced, interactive environment with 5- to 10-minute lessons.

## About the course creator
![non-trivial peter](//images.ctfassets.net/ohf186sfn6di/3jPvXgMUFvWZDBnD2Yt4uh/92ad50f789edd06f3bd3e5a36c64b92b/Peter.jpg)

Before founding Non-trivial, Peter McIntyre co-founded a nonprofit that raises >$4 million per year for effective global health charities, ran operations at one of the most successful crypto startups, and created an educational website that has been read by over half a million people.

Peter spent most of the last 5 years at 80,000 Hours, where he advised hundreds of graduates from top universities on how to find a fulfilling, impactful career.

But he started out in medical school. After he discovered the ideas in this course, he realised he could have a much more scalable impact outside of seeing patients – but by that point, he'd spent 7 years studying to be a doctor. He created this course so you don't have to make the same mistakes he did.


Non-trivial feature

Non-trivial is a non-profit teaching research-backed, actionable ideas to help you change the world.   Our online lessons are free, 5- to 10-minutes long, and highly interactive.  Non-trivial is fiscally sponsored by the Centre for Effective Altruism.

non-trivial-logo

Non-trivial

Learn the foundations of effective altruism, in 5- to 10- minute interactive lessons. A free, online course to learn research-backed, actionable ideas to help you make a big difference in the world.

How to (actually) change the world

Learn how you can make a difference at a global scale using reliable evidence, careful evaluation, and your unique skillset.

## About this course
Millions of children die each year due to easily preventable diseases. Hundreds of millions of people earn less than $2 a day. Billions of animals spend most of their life in pain. Many of us want to help but don’t know how. Can one person make a difference that’s not just a drop in the bucket?

This interdisciplinary course will provide you with a collection of practical tools from economics, public health, behavioral science, ethics, exact sciences, and more to help you achieve a positive and significant impact. From the small decisions we make every day, through the initiatives we choose to support, to our most significant life choices, such as what career to pursue, relying on existing evidence and well established tools in decision making can help you drive a change you believe in.

In this course, the first of two parts of the Making a Difference program, you will learn some of the most foundational ideas and tools for achieving a positive impact. In parallel, each lesson will introduce you to a new cause area with plenty of concrete and actionable opportunities for making a difference.

This course focuses on the foundations of cost-effectiveness, measurement, and evaluation, key questions around who to extend our compassion and concern towards, and the opportunities with the strongest evidence for impact.

## What you’ll learn

1. Analytical tools for evaluating what works and what doesn’t.
2. Frameworks for prioritizing different options for making a difference.
3. Techniques for critical thinking, decision-making, and research.
4. Concrete opportunities in promising cause areas you can contribute to.
5. Ethical and philosophical considerations when trying to improve the world.
6. Insights from philosophy, medicine, economics, psychology, statistics and more.

## About the course instructors

#### Sella Nevo
__Center director at the RAND Corporation and Lecturer at Tel Aviv University__

![sellanevo](//images.ctfassets.net/ohf186sfn6di/5oz8uLAKCLTtVoqpuAooWQ/21d211285ae870672a1076c7f161c8de/Sella-Nevo-03-20190315-ANC.webp?w=300&h=300&fit=thumb)
Sella Nevo is the director of the RAND Corporation’s Meselson Center, dedicated to reducing risks from biological threats and emerging technologies. He is also a Venture Partner at the VC firm Firstime, which invests in climate startups, and is on the advisory board of ALLFED - the Alliance to Feed the Earth In Disasters.

He previously led the Karmel group at Google Research, which developed the Google Flood Forecasting Initiative, which provides flood forecasts and warnings globally, alongside several other humanitarian and environmental efforts. He also co-founded an impact-focused career advising nonprofit and taught Applied Ethics and Information Security at Tel Aviv University.

#### Dan Lahav
__Co-Founder & CEO at Pattern Labs and Lecturer at Tel Aviv University__

![dan](//images.ctfassets.net/ohf186sfn6di/4NHDh1GNDqPNzEYPs6P591/4d33084977bae4afb04ecea08b1c6839/dan.avif?w=300&h=300&fit=thumb)
Dan is the Co-Founder and CEO of Pattern Labs - an organization dedicated to securing advanced technology. He also co-founded Impact Focused Education, which aims to develop an effective educational path for engaging in large-scale high-impact work.

Beyond that, Dan co-created and taught academic courses on topics such as Applied Ethics, received TAU's "Outstanding Lecturer Award" (thrice), co-authored an AI paper that was featured on the cover of Nature, won IBM’s ‘Outstanding Technical Achievement Award’, and was crowned Best Speaker of The World at the World Universities Debating Championship where he holds the all-time personal ranking record for a non-native English speaker.


evidence based course

Discover thousands of offerings — from free courses to full degrees — delivered by world-class partners like Harvard, Google, Amazon and more.

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Learn how you can make a difference at a global scale using reliable evidence, careful evaluation, and your unique skillset.

Making a Difference Ⅰ: Evidence-based Impact

Free online courses to explore ways to have more impact with your careers and donations.



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###### Online



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###### No fees



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###### Flexible hours

Courses on effective altruism

In this 6 week program, you’ll learn about what it means to have a high-impact career, and try to figure out how you can use your career to help solve the world's most pressing problems, all the while being part of an engaging and inspiring group of fellow participants. More information on the notion page [here](https://www.notion.so/EA-VP-Career-Planning-Program-Pilot-Round-be41371e4c364aed946c77f0b8b4783a)!

Note: Minors are not permitted to join this program at this stage.

If you're seeking a rewarding and impactful career but feeling unsure about the next steps, our 6 week program is designed to help you make a plan!

Career Planning Program

This six-week program serves as an introduction to Effective Altruism. In this course, you’ll join a group of like-minded people to tackle important questions about how best to improve the world and consider what actions really make a difference. We’ll look at major global issues and explore some of the best ways to address them.

Guided by a facilitator, you'll gain access to curated materials and practical exercises to help you have a greater impact. You’ll also engage with fellow participants, learn from experienced moderators, and have personalised one-on-one sessions to help you explore potential next steps. 

The program aims to help participants:
- Improve the lives of others
- Increase your impact
- Learn new concepts, frameworks, and counterintuitive ideas to enhance your effectiveness in your career, donations, and other projects
- Connect with impact-driven individuals
- Meet like-minded people
- Discuss a curated curriculum with other people who care deeply about improving the lives of others in the most effective ways they can.

You’ll be grouped with 4-8 participants to have a weekly 1.5-hour discussion. There will be a two-week break between December 22 and January 5. Discussions will be held in German or English, as determined by each group. Written communication and reading materials will be in English. The discussions will take place online or, in some German cities, in person.

Before each discussion, you’ll spend approximately 2 hours completing a set of readings, podcasts, or videos (and occasionally a brief written exercise).
Participation in the program is free. 

Graduates who attend at least 5 sessions will receive a certificate.


Berlin

Effektiver Altruismus Deutschland is a non-profit organisation dedicated to building and promoting a nationwide network of people who think carefully about the world’s biggest problems and take effective action to solve them. 

EA Germany Logo

Effektiver Altruismus Deutschland

This program is similar to our standard introductory course, but is targeted towards individuals in Germany who are new to effective altruism. It is offered in either German or English by Effektiver Altruismus Deutschland.

EA Germany Intro Program 

Introduction to ML Safety is an 8-week course that aims to introduce students with a deep learning background to empirical AI Safety research. The program is designed and taught by [Dan Hendrycks](http://danhendrycks.com/), a UC Berkeley ML PhD and director of the [Center for AI Safety](http://safe.ai/), and provides an introduction to robustness, alignment, monitoring, systemic safety, and conceptual foundations for existential risk.

Each week, participants will be assigned readings, lecture videos, and required homework and coding tasks. The materials are publicly available at course.mlsafety.org.

The course will be virtual by default, though in-person sections may be offered at some universities.

The prerequisites for the course are:

- Familiarity with deep learning (e.g. a college course). Watch this [deep learning review](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/15yMNlkWAL5cuSHHZe1gy2sM8zcN8gHk9iBVzKKvS9zw/edit#slide=id.g126975c12ec_1_54) to check your level of knowledge.
- Linear algebra or introductory statistics (e.g., AP Statistics)
- Multivariate differential calculus

If you are not sure whether you meet these prerequisites, err on the side of applying. We will review applications on a case-by-case basis.

For more information about the program, visit: mlsafety.org/intro-to-ml-safety

Graph

A non-profit aiming to reduce catastrophic and existential risks from artificial intelligence through technical research and advocacy of machine learning safety in the broader research community

Center for AI Safety

A course that aims to introduce students with a deep learning background to empirical AI Safety research

Intro to ML Safety (Spring 2023)

This online course will walk you through some of the key ways to help animals in your career. It will give you insight into the animal advocacy community and the diverse and exciting career opportunities available in this space. 

You will be taking the course with a group of fellow aspiring animal advocates with whom you’ll be able to discuss your ideas — you’ll be able to connect through Slack and possibly participate in group calls organised by AAC. It’s a great chance to form good friendships or lasting professional connections. Past participants have told us that they’ve found it really motivating to complete the course alongside a cohort of like-minded people! We estimate that you’re about three times as likely to finish the course if you do so in this cohort with us than if you try to complete it on your own.

By the end of this course, you’ll have been introduced to plenty of highly promising career paths in animal welfare. The course will also support you in working out which jobs match your personal fit, and what the next steps are to reaching your animal welfare goals!

The online course will consist mostly of readings but also a few videos, and it is spread over nine weeks (or more, if you choose optional additions), with each online session taking an hour or two to complete. The sessions are:

- Why prioritise farmed animals?
- What does the farmed animal movement look like today?
- Which interventions should we focus on?
- How can you donate effectively?
- How can you have a career that helps animals effectively?
- How can you test your personal fit?
- Can you help animals?
- How much have you learned? (Test)
- What are your next steps? Planning your career

After the course, we will also provide some follow-up contact and support to help you implement your plans.


AAC Banner

We provide training and resources to help animal advocates maximise their impact for animals through their careers

Animal Advocacy Careers

This online course will walk you through the key points to helping animals through your career. You will learn about the animal advocacy community and the diverse and exciting career opportunities available.

Introduction to Animal Advocacy Online Course

This virtual reading group will bring together law students, practising lawyers, and legal researchers to discuss emerging ideas and long-standing legal doctrines that inform how the law creates opportunities for — and constrains — potential policy interventions and activities across cause areas that are of interest to many people who aim to make a significant positive difference in the world. Core themes will include:
* improving institutional decision-making,
* international coordination to address problems requiring collective action,
* the promise and limitations of legal personhood,
regulating artificial intelligence and advanced biotechnology,
* legal advocacy for animals,
* career opportunities for lawyers and policymakers, and
* next steps for people interested in engaging more deeply with these ideas.

This program might be a good fit if you:
* Already have a good understanding of [core ideas in effective altruism](https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/handbook).
* Are pursuing or considering a legal career and are interested in exploring ideas about how to use law to make a significant positive difference in the world.
* Can commit at least 2 hours per week to readings and exercises.
* Can attend at least 7 out of the 8 weekly discussion sessions.

Here are the topics we’ll cover each week:

**Week 1: International Coordination and Nuclear Policy -** It’s difficult to regulate technology in an increasingly globalised and competitive world. Passing the “right” law in one place may not matter if unrestricted development continues in other places. To avoid this outcome, and meet this century’s most pressing challenges, we’ll need to understand how governments and other organisations interact and reach consensus. During our first week, we’ll explore these kinds of coordination problems, using nuclear policy as a jumping off point for our discussion.

**Week 2: Improving Institutional Decision-Making -** To make a positive difference in the world, we have to make choices under uncertainty and other constraints. During our second week, we’ll explore questions like: How can institutions make such choices effectively? How can researchers, advocates, and policy professionals help some of the world’s leading decision-makers — whose actions affect millions of people — approach difficult problems more effectively?

**Week 3: New Holders of Legal Rights -** Extending our moral concern beyond traditional groups and categories has been a central theme in effective altruism, but it is an area in which the law has historically lagged far behind leading academic and philosophical consensus. During our third week, we’ll explore how the law might eventually come to recognize and respect the interests of groups such as people living in other countries, animals, future people, and artificially intelligent agents.

**Week 4: Regulating Artificial Intelligence -** Many researchers and policy professionals are concerned that advanced artificial intelligence could radically (and permanently) alter our world. Given that the coming decades might bring about systems capable of that kind of transformation, how can we establish effective rules and regulations around AI development and deployment? We’ll explore this question and others like it during our fourth week.

**Week 5: Regulating Advanced Biotechnology -** Like advanced AI, cutting-edge biotechnology appears to have the potential to cause serious harm, for example by enabling bad actors to create genetically engineered pathogens that cause a pandemic even more destructive than COVID-19. During our fifth week, we will explore the extent to which the law may be able to constrain potentially harmful uses of these technologies and discuss some of the tradeoffs involved.

**Week 6: Animal Law -** People in the effective altruism community have long valued the experiences of non-human animals, who vastly outnumber humans and suffer terribly in many contexts (from farms to wild environments). Various legal systems have sometimes taken animals’ interests into account, though rarely on a consistent or coherent basis. During our sixth week, we’ll explore the history and possible future trajectory of laws as they apply to animals.

**Week 7: Promising Career Opportunities for Lawyers -** During our second-to-last week together, we will take a step back to consider several potentially promising career opportunities for people with legal training who are aiming to make a significant positive difference in the world.  

**Week 8: Putting it into Practice -** During the final week’s discussion, we will reflect on the reading group and share our plans for putting the ideas we have discussed into practice.

Gravel Stock Photo

A survey of legal ideas and research topics related to key EA concepts and cause areas.

Legal Topics in Effective Altruism

In collaboration with DC-based policy professionals, the Stanford Existential Risks Initiative ([SERI](https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/stanford-existential-risks-initiative/content/stanford-existential-risks-initiative)) is organizing a second virtual speaker series on US policy careers.

Please note that:

-   Participants need not attend all sessions.

-   To respect the privacy of speakers and to allow them to speak freely, the talks will not be recorded.

-   To accommodate speakers' schedules, most sessions will take place between 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm US Eastern Time.

### Content and speakers

Speakers will include people who are currently working in or have worked at a wide range of organizations involved in policy-making; as directors, researchers, advisors, project managers, and other roles. We'll have a mix of early-, mid-, and senior-career speakers.

Sessions will highlight speakers' experiences in different kinds of US policy jobs. Most speakers have backgrounds in technology policy, especially biosecurity and AI policy, but the sessions are designed to be useful to people with a wide range of interests. 

Currently scheduled sessions are:

1.  Q&A session(s) with senior policy practitioners

2.  Working in the executive branch / White House

3.  Working in Congress

4.  Working in think tanks

5.  Graduate school for policy careers (master's, law school, PhD)

6.  Information session on policy fellowship and job opportunities

### Format

Sessions will last about an hour, following an interactive, moderated Q&A format, with half the time dedicated to audience questions to make sure we cover topics relevant to attendees. After each session, the organizers will follow up with attendees with related links and other relevant career resources.

### Additional information

-   There will be at least 5 sessions: about one per week, starting early July.

-   While we encourage attending the full series, signing up is not a hard commitment; no need to let organizers know if you are unable to attend a session.

-   Speakers are not necessarily affiliated with effective altruism or related organizations and ideas.


US Policy Image

ulty and The Stanford Existential Risks Initiative is a collaboration between Stanford facstudents dedicated to mitigating existential risks.

Stanford Existential Risk Initiative

This speaker series aims to help people learn about what various policy jobs in Washington, DC, are like (e.g., Congress, executive branch, think tanks), how they can get these jobs, and how to evaluate their fit as well as prepare for a US policy career. 

US Policy Careers Speaker Series

ההרשמה פתוחה עד ה-13 באוקטובר. הירשמו עכשיו!

למי הכי מועיל לעזור?

איך אפשר לשפר את העולם בצורה משמעותית?

מהן צריך לעשות כדי לוודא שאנחנו באמת מצליחים לשנות?

כל אלו הן שאלות שכנראה נתמודד איתן במחשבה על עשיית טוב. 

תכנית המבוא לאלטרואיזם אפקטיבי מיועדת לאנשים שרוצים ללמוד לעשות טוב, בצורה הטובה ביותר. זוהי תכנית מקוונת, ללא עלות, שבה נלמד על העקרונות הבסיסיים שעומדים מאחורי "אלטרואיזם אפקטיבי". 

באמצעות קבוצות דיון קטנות, מנחים מנוסים, ומפגשים פרטיים ומותאמים אישית, הקורס יעזור לך לטפח רעיונות חדשניים ולחקור מה יכולים להיות השלבים הבאים שלך בדרך לעשיית טוב ברמה הגלובלית. 

#### התכנית נועדה לעזור לך:
- להגדיל את ההשפעה החברתית שלך
- לשפר את חייהם של אחרים
- להיחשף לרעיונות חדשים
- להכיר אנשים נוספים שרוצים ליצור שינוי

#### פרטים נוספים:
- משך התכנית: 8 שבועות, החל מתחילת נובמבר ועד סוף בדצמבר.
- זמנים: הקבוצה תיפגש אחת לשבוע לסשן דיונים באורך שעה וחצי. לכל דיון תתבקש להתכנון ע"י קריאה, האזנה וצפייה בחומרי הסילבוס - ההכנה לא תעלה על שעתיים. 
- שפה: הקורס יועבר בעברית או אנגלית, חומרי הקריאה הם באנגלית.
- מיקום: השתתפות אונליין מהחלל המועדף עליך.
- עלויות: __ההשתתפות היא ללא עלות__.

::button[הרשמו עד ה-13 באוקטובר!]{href='https://cea.tfaforms.net/29' variant='contained' color='primary'}

ea Israel course

EA Israel

תוכנית זו מיועדת לישראלים המחפשים להכיר את הרעיונות שמאחורי אלטרואיזם אפקטיבי והכלים שהיא מציעה לעשייה חברתית משמעותית, ולמי שרוצה ולדון על ההשלכות האישיות והמעשיות של הרעיונות על בחירת קריירה בהקשר קבוצתי. התוכנית מבוססת על קריאה אישית ודיונים שבועיים בקבוצות קטנות, בעברית או באנגלית.


תכנית המבוא לאלטרואיזם אפקטיבי

In this reading group, we will meet weekly to read and discuss the book Biosecurity Dilemmas, a book that has insights into the important trade-offs for biosecurity professionals, policy makers, researchers, and more. We will also work on and complete short biosecurity related projects, either individually or in small groups, with the guidance and support of facilitators. This program is designed for anyone working in or interested in working in the area of biosecurity or pandemic prevention.

Note: Minors are not permitted to join this program at this stage.


bookclub

If you are interested in biosecurity or public policy, or want to test your fit in these areas, join us to read and discuss the book Biosecurity Dilemmas and work on a project with your peers!