Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to become a Founding Partner?

Founding Partners will come from all areas of society and from all regions of the world. They may include, but are not limited to government bodies, philanthropists and investors, education organizations, existing institutions, and individual founders and entrepreneurs.

Do Founding Partners need to have acquired the necessary capital before applying to become a Founder?

We ask that you have a clear financial position and funding roadmap. Founding Partners will be expected to have access, or the ability to gain access, to the appropriate resources needed, financial and otherwise, to stand up a new, best-in-class institution.

When does the next round of applications to become a Founding Partner begin?

We are prioritizing applications submitted before the first-round November 4, 2026 deadline. We will continue to accept applications on a rolling basis, and the next round of evaluations will begin January 1, 2027.

What is the Minerva academic model?

Minerva’s academic model is a proven, integrated approach to curriculum design, pedagogy, assessment, and technology. It focuses on knowledge transfer across disciplines, and integrated academic and experiential learning. Its pedagogy centers on Fully Active Learning and best practices that engage learners and orient administrators and staff to a culture of skill-focused education. Minerva’s learning platform, Forum®, connects educational experiences across modalities by ensuring that curriculum development, pedagogical practices, and authentic assessment are executed with consistency and fidelity.

What is the Framework for Educational Excellence?

Educational institutions are complex systems, with both cultural and structural elements that need to be designed holistically. Minerva has developed a framework that describes seven dimensions of educational excellence. It is used as a guidepost both in the development of new universities and in the transformation of existing institutions.

What other team members do Founding Partners need to recruit? How will each new university be staffed?

Founding Partners need only themselves to begin but will later be required to hire and manage a core set of founding team members. Each institution will be responsible for hiring and staffing the appropriate roles for their university leveraging guidelines provided by Minerva.

What will be standardized across the system, and where will individual institutions have autonomy?

Forum and other technology systems, key processes, and the core academic model will all be standardized across institutions, including durable skills learning outcomes. Every new Minerva University will have interwoven curriculum designs, employ Fully Active Learning practices, measure learning largely through breadth of application, and adhere to the Minerva brand standards. Outside of that, each university will have a great deal of flexibility in defining its institutional vision and objectives, programs of study, and geographic footprint. The learning journeys, program architectures, and courses will be designed by Minerva with input from Founding Partners.

When will new institutions in the Minerva University System launch?

Our first Founding Partners will develop new institutions that will launch in the forthcoming academic year, with the earliest expected to be in the Fall of 2028 with student recruitment starting a year earlier.

What programs can I create?

There is no set definition for the type of program that can be created. Institutions can be undergraduate, graduate, professional, or continuing education programs, and they may award degrees, certificates, or other credentials, or offer non-credit learning, in person, online, or both. Subjects of study are similarly broad and flexible though cross disciplinarity is a hallmark of Minerva programs and all Minerva programs are grounded in Systems Thinking.

What is the distinction between Minerva University and the Minerva University System?

The first Minerva University was built as a full-scale exemplar and prototype for the model that Minerva Project has continued to refine and build upon with its partners. The new Minerva University System extends this work to create new institutions around the world that commit to high-fidelity implementation and adherence to common standards for the entire network. Building out more institutions in the Minerva University System gives us additional beacons to signal to the world the changes that must be made while enabling us to continue to use and improve our cognitive-science-based approach to innovation.

I have an idea for a university, but I am not currently affiliated with an educational entity. Can I apply?

Yes. We welcome applications from outside of education, so long as applicants have a clear idea of how they will obtain resources and are committed to the highest standard of quality.

Who will own the member institution in the Minerva University System?

Every institution in the Minerva University System will be independently operated and will be owned or governed (in the case of non-profit members) by the individual Founding Members. Founding Members will also have the opportunity to own a portion of the Minerva University System Office.

Who should I contact if I have more questions?

Please send further questions to info@minervasystem.com.