The beloved Columbia University course — now open to everyone. What does it mean to live a life well lived? And can science inform how you live your own best life?
Class with Scott: Wednesdays, 4:30 PM PT / 7:30 PM ET
Optional group coaching: one session each week, 11:00 AM PT / 2:00 PM ET
July 8 – August 26, 2026 · Live on Zoom · All sessions recorded
Registration is closed for this cohort. Subscribe to the newsletter to be notified when the next cohort opens.
Subscribe to the Newsletter“That’s a course I’d like to take!”
— Oprah
"We should be open to this adventure in heightened awareness of living. We should stake our whole existence on our willingness to explore and experience."— Martin Buber
Why this course
Eight weeks toward becoming a whole person
Grounded in the core principles of humanistic psychology and the latest science of well-being and self-actualization, this course covers the essential human needs — security, growth, mindfulness, self-esteem, connection, love, creativity, purpose, gratitude, and awe. Every week pairs the science with an experiential Growth Challenge, so you don't just learn the research — you live it.
The curriculum
The 8 weeks
The Whole Person: What Self-Actualization Actually Is
No absolute formulas — a life of constant discovery. Maslow rescued from the pyramid: the sailboat. What it actually means to become a whole person.
Break Free from Your Past
Attachment patterns and how they echo in adult life. Emotions as data, not directives — and how to create upward spirals instead of rumination loops.
Real Confidence
Healthy self-esteem vs. narcissism. Quieting the inner critic. Why perfectionism is fear wearing a medal — and procrastination is emotion regulation, not laziness.
The Mindful Mind
Mindfulness without the hype, plus mindful CBT: catching and challenging the distorted thoughts your mind serves you. Tuning the mind, not deleting it.
Healthy Authenticity
Overcoming people-pleasing. Boundaries without contempt. Healthy selfishness, the false self, and what it actually takes to be yourself under pressure.
Connection, Love & the Light Within
The biology of high-quality connections. The Light Triad vs. the Dark Triad — and where you fall. Self-compassion, character strengths, and love as a way of being.
Passion, Creativity & Purpose
Harmonious vs. obsessive passion. The case for late bloomers — intelligence as a trajectory, not a verdict. Self-concordant goals and purpose as direction, not destination.
Transcendence: Gratitude, Flow & Awe
Gratefulness as a stance. Reclaiming flow from the productivity industry. Peak experiences — and your own. Closing the eight weeks with where you've arrived, and where you go next.
What you'll get
Everything you need to grow
8 Live Sessions with Scott
Ninety minutes each, taught live on Zoom — science, stories, and real conversation. Not a webinar; a class.
Lifetime Access to Recordings
Every session recorded. Miss a week, travel, time zones — you'll never fall behind.
Weekly Growth Challenges
The experiential heart of the course: one practice each week to live with, drawn from Scott's books and research.
A Real Eight-Week Arc
This isn't a passive video course. You'll start where you are, do the work each week, and feel the difference by where you land.
A Weekly Live Q&A with Scott
This is the part you can't get from a book or a recording: every single week, a live Q&A with Dr. Kaufman himself. Bring your questions, your pushback, and your real life. The discussion is half the course.
Optional Group Coaching
One small-group coaching session each week (11:00 AM PT / 2:00 PM ET), led by our Head TA — a space to share your Growth Challenges, reflect together, and be guided through the work. Optional, but it's where the accountability and connection that make ideas stick really happen.
A Community of Transcenders
Learn alongside curious, growth-minded people from around the world — the part past students say they kept.
About your professor, in others' words
"Scott Barry Kaufman is a psychological scientist par excellence! I especially appreciate his superpowers of curiosity, connection, and communication!"— Angela Duckworth, Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, bestselling author of Grit
"Leading empirical creativity researcher of his generation."— Martin Seligman, founder of the field of positive psychology
"Scott is that rare communicator who is guided by inclusion, sincere investigation, and compassion… He is a great guide."— Sharon Salzberg, New York Times bestselling author and meditation teacher
From past students of Scott's courses
What students say
"This course was exceptional."
"The professor is engaging, humble, funny, and extremely knowledgeable. His lectures kept your interest and the discussions were enlightening… I recommend this class to anyone who is interested in self-growth and understanding their fellow humans."
"A masterful instructor"
"SBK is a masterful instructor and expert and yet at the same time he is gentle, genuine, humble, and funny(!). He has all the 'right stuff' to help a person feel important, valued, and self-efficient enough to have the courage to transcend into the person they truly would like to become."
"Exceeded expectations"
"A fascinating intimate deep dive into the work of Maslow, Seligman et al. and the evolution of Positive Psychology… the opportunity for growth potential that exists for all humans. I truly enjoyed the course. Highly recommend!"
"A great vibe"
"It's thought- and growth-stimulating, pleasant, and just has a great vibe. I'd participate in a follow-up deeper course or any other course Scott organizes."
Meet Your Professor
Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D.
Cognitive scientist and humanistic psychologist. Among the top 1% most-cited scientists in the world, with 80+ scientific publications on intelligence, creativity, and human potential. Author of Transcend, Rise Above, and ten other books. Creator and host of The Psychology Podcast (2014–2025, 30M+ downloads). Professor at Columbia University, where this course — "The Science of Living Well" — became one of his most beloved classes. Founder of the Center for Human Potential. Scott believes potential is not fixed: it is dynamic, and available to all kinds of minds.
Your Head TA
You won't be doing this alone
Alongside your weekly class and live Q&A with Scott, you'll be supported by the Head TA who has helped this course come alive for years.
Brooke Diviak Baykal
Head Teaching Assistant
Brooke's journey with The Science of Living Well began in 2019 as a TA for the course at Columbia and grew when she became Head TA in 2025. With nearly a decade in psychology and education, she holds a master's in Clinical Psychology from Teachers College and is completing a second master's in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness at NYU Steinhardt, where she's training as a DBT clinician. Her approach: meet people where they are and build sustainable practices that favor growth over perfection.
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Subscribe to the NewsletterThis cohort ran July 8 – August 26, 2026 · Live on Zoom · All sessions recorded