ACIM is a self-study book. The book's purpose is to provide its readers with a way to experience a sense of inner peace that is not dependent or affected by any external events in their lives. This mighty goal is achieved by releasing all guilt from the mind of students by practicing a very special type of forgiveness and letting go of attack thoughts, grievances and judgements.

ACIM consists of three sections: a "Text", "Workbook for Students", and "Manual for Teachers".

The Text consists of 31 chapters totalling 668 pages. The Workbook for Students contains 365 lessons, one for each day of the year. The Manual for Teachers is presented in a Question & Answer format. These give clear answers and explanations to the most common questions students ask.

'A Course In Miracles' is not a religion and is not affiliated with any religion. ACIM has no churches or institutions, no leaders and no dues to pay. Its millions of students come from all corners of the world and all different religions and faiths, including those of no religion or faith. We welcome all comers!

Students can choose the order in which they study each section. There are only two recommendations on how to practice the Course's lessons.
1. The lessons are intended to be practised in sequential order, one at a time.
2. Students can choose how many days they spend on any lesson, but they should not practice more than one lesson a day. Most students take more than a year to complete all the lessons.

Students are encouraged to practice the lessons, and the concepts explained in the text. They are reminded that they do not need to understand the material. They do not need to believe the concepts. They do not need to welcome the concepts. In fact, they might actively resist them at first. None of this will impede the efficacy of the teachings. As long as they practice the principles, the goal of inner peace, joy and harmony is guaranteed.