Online courses from Columbia University Columbia University is one of the world's most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. Teachers College, Columbia University’s affiliate graduate school of education, offers programs in education, health, leadership, and psychology that are perennially ranked among the nation’s best. Visit the TeachersCollegeX course schedule for what's available now. For more than 250 years, Columbia has been a leader in higher education in the nation and around the world. At the core of our wide range of academic inquiry is the commitment to attract and engage the best minds in pursuit of greater human understanding, pioneering new discoveries and service to society.