* that you read the textbook, and take the quizzes and final exam in the course;
* that you can skip the online problem sets and projects, except for project 3 (which will deal with Object Oriented programming);
* that you engage in some independent project. One possibility is for you to read "Code" by Lessig and work to design/implement a system informed by that perspective. A good example might be a Scheme implementation of an information/document management system -- perhaps modeled on DSpace -- with (a) encryption/DRM in a strong "IP owner" centric fashion, or (b) with a user-centric/fair-use vision. (N.B. this was 2003.)
(The independent project ended up being a failure.)
You're totally right about the great content in 6.001. SICP was amazingly meaty.