Kepler College (formerly Kepler College of Astrological Arts and Sciences) is an online certificate program for the study of
astrology
Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Di ...
.
Based out of
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...
, U.S., it is named after the mathematician and astronomer
Johannes Kepler (1571–1630).
[
Kepler College was founded in 2000 as an unaccredited institution of higher learning.][ by the Higher Education Coordinating Board of Washington State.][
]
History
In March 2000, Kepler College received provisional authorization from Washington State's Higher Education Coordinating (HEC) Board to grant degrees while the school pursued regional or national accreditation, a requirement for maintaining degree-granting status.[
The HEC Board's decision was criticized by many academics due to Kepler's focus on astrology.][ An administrator at the University of Washington called the HEC Board's approval "ludicrous" and compared the study of astrology to "quack medicine".][ John Silber, chancellor of ]Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...
, wrote in a ''Boston Herald'' editorial that the school's promoters "honored Kepler not for his strength but for his weakness, as if a society advocating drunkenness named a school for Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century f ...
".[ Silber also said, "The fact is that astrology, whether judged by its theory or its practice, is bunkum. In a free society there is no reason to prevent those who wish to learn nonsense from finding teachers who want to make money peddling nonsense. But it is inexcusable for the government to certify teachers of nonsense as competent or to authorize—that is, endorse—the granting of degrees in nonsense."]Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the antimeridian. The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Politically, the te ...
to offer bachelor's and master's degrees in astrological studies and 31 students enrolled for the first term in July 2000.[ The majority of coursework was offered online, allowing students from across the U.S. to enroll with the requirement that they were present in-person for one week of the 11-week term.][
Kepler College did not obtain the required accreditation status by 2010 and as a result, the HEC Board revoked Kepler's right to grant degrees. After losing this authority, Kepler became an online certificate program.][
]
References
Further reading
*—Discusses Kepler College and the science/lack of science behind astrology
*—Discusses Kepler College and astrology from a skeptical perspective
External links
*
{{Authority control
Unaccredited institutions of higher learning in the United States
History of astrology
Astrological organizations
Educational institutions established in 1991
Astrology
1991 establishments in Washington (state)