Physics Lyceum: Online
The SoTS Physics Lyceum, taught online. For students in homeschools, public schools, and private schools. Live sessions in morning, daytime, or evening (Eastern).
Live online · Morning, day, or evening (Eastern) · Up to 8 per cohort · Grades 7–12
The Online Lyceum
The SoTS Physics Lyceum is one curriculum, delivered two ways: in-person in Princeton, NJ, and online. This page is the entry point for the online format. The Deep Physics methodology and the evaluation policy run unchanged across both.
Online enrollment is for students in homeschools, public schools, and private schools. Sessions run live in morning, daytime, or evening (Eastern) time slots, with cohorts of up to 8, modular semester-by-semester enrollment, and a cumulative Pass/Fail transcript. The flexible schedule, modular pacing, and transcript format work for homeschool families building a full physics sequence, students whose school doesn't offer the topic in depth, and anyone whose schedule makes online a better fit than commuting to Princeton. Both grade bands run year-round, including summer formats. Middle school topics in fall, spring, and summer; high school grades 9–12 covered by six classical core courses (mechanics, waves, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, geometric optics) plus four Modern Physics electives (Special Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, Nuclear and Particle Physics, Astronomy and Cosmology).
For full curriculum details, see the middle school program or high school program pages.
Why physics, and why this depth? See The Hidden Ivy League for the case that a physics education is one of the clearest credentials of rare intellectual ability, with funded paths into elite graduate programs.
Middle School (Grades 7–8)
The middle school program of the Lyceum, taught online. Four topics, each taught from first principles:
Review prerequisites on the middle school program page.
Available year-round in two formats:
- Paired semester courses (fall and spring). Two topics paired over 16 weeks, twice weekly (1.5h theory + 1.5h seminar). 48 hours total. Two pairings are offered: Mechanics & Thermodynamics; Electricity, Magnetism & Optics.
- Single-topic summer camps. One topic over two weeks, Monday–Friday, 2.5 hours per day. 25 hours total. Four camps offered each summer (Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electricity & Magnetism, Optics).
Cohorts of up to 8. See the middle school program page for the full curriculum and teaching approach.
High School (Grades 9–12)
The high school program of the Lyceum, taught online. Six classical core courses plus four Modern Physics electives. Largely independent: take a single course or build a full sequence, in the order that fits your student's preparation.
Classical core:
Modern Physics electives:
Review prerequisites and the prerequisite map on the high school program page.
Available year-round across three semesters:
- Fall and spring. One course over 16 weeks, twice weekly (1.5h theory + 1.5h seminar). 48 hours total.
- Summer. One course over roughly 8 weeks, twice weekly in 3-hour combined sessions. 48 hours total.
Cohorts of up to 8. See the high school program page for full course descriptions and the prerequisite map between courses.
Online Physics Summer Programs for Homeschoolers
Both grade bands run online summer programs for homeschool families: middle school single-topic 2-week camps, and high school semester-long courses in compressed 8-week summer format. Any classical core course or Modern Physics elective can be taken in summer format. See the Middle School and High School sections above for course options, schedule, and pricing.
Online Format and Times
Live video sessions, not recorded. Real cohort, real discussion, real time. Cameras on. No video library, no chatbot, no self-paced module.
Sessions run on weekdays during morning, daytime, or evening hours on Eastern time. Specific meeting times are set when the cohort forms, around the schedules of the enrolled students.
Time commitment. Plan on roughly 4–6 hours of independent work each week alongside the 3 hours of class, working through problem sets, reviewing derivations, and preparing for seminar. Summer courses compress the same material into 8 weeks: 6 hours of class plus 8–12 hours of independent work weekly. Physics taught at this depth requires sustained problem-solving outside class; the homework is where the understanding actually consolidates.
Certificates and Transcripts
Tuition includes one optional Pass/Fail evaluation per course or camp. Students who take the evaluation and pass earn a certificate. Those who earn certificates across more than one course also receive a cumulative transcript, useful for homeschool record-keeping.
Same policy as the rest of the Lyceum. See Physics Certificates and Transcripts for the full credential structure, requirements, and grading philosophy.
Enrollment
Enrollment is open year-round across three semesters: fall, spring, and summer. Standard refund policy applies; see the middle school or high school program page for full enrollment policy.
Lyceum courses are taught by Dr. Sergey Samsonau and other expert physicists. See who leads the Lyceum.