Study Grants1  for everyone
We fund 25% of your courses fees - code already applied at checkout - just select your course

Evolution: Theory & Controversy

Level: Personal Achievement

By successfully completing this course, you will:

  • Understand Evolution: Theory & Controversy for personal interest or as a foundation for further study
  • Be awarded the BSY Certificate of Competence

You can study this course from the comfort of your own home; in your own time and at your own pace; with helpful support and encouragement from our friendly tutors.

Course overview

How did we get here? How can we explain existence and the abundance of life? This course is designed to provide you with a good working knowledge of evolutionary theory, including the evolution of animals, humans, consciousness, emotion and logic, relationships, sexuality and love. It raises objections to the theory from Creationists and the idea of ‘intelligent design’, giving them a fair but critical look. Finally, despite the apparent conclusion that our place in the universe is insignificant and the result of impersonal, natural laws, the idea that some sort of spirituality might still be possible is examined.

Syllabus

  • Lesson One
    • The Evolution of Animals
      • The ‘Big Bang’
      • The Emergence of Life
      • The Mechanism of Evolution
  • Lesson Two
    • Central Concepts in Evolutionary Theory
      • Classification
      • Our Closest Relatives
      • Homology
      • Dating Controversies
      • Plate Tectonics
  • Lesson Three
    • The Evolution of the Primates
      • Adaptation and Specialisation
      • Common Ancestry
      • The Fossil Evidence for Human Evolution
      • The Rise of Modern Humans
  • Lesson Four
    • The Evolution of the Mind
      • The Mating Game
      • Bringing Up Baby
      • Nutrition
      • Cooperation
  • Lesson Five
    • Arguments against Evolutionary Theory
      • Creationism v Evolutionism
  • Lesson Six
    • In Search of Spirituality

Practical training

No practical training is required to complete this course.