Build Deeper Connections
Join Booth Professor Nicholas Epley in exploring the science of human connection and ways to build more meaningful relationships.
Explore big ideas, together.
Join a community of eminent scholars and intellectually curious peers.
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Woman walks down street on University of Chicago campus. Classroom discussion with four students and instructor. Graham School instructor leads virtual classroom discussion. Student writes down reflections in notebook. Student smiles during classroom discussion. Three Graham School students greet each other prior to an event. David Brooks and Anne Snyder converse with a Graham School student. Three Graham School students explore the UChicago Smart Museum. Three Graham School students and Anne Snyder converse. Dean Seth Green looks over UChicago campus while speaking with a student.
Featured Offerings
Our offerings are inspired by the belief that lifelong engagement with the liberal arts enriches lives and invigorates societies.
Engage in a Week of Civic Virtue
This August, spend a week on UChicago’s Hyde Park campus to explore big ideas and lively conversations with fellow Graham students.
Learning Never Stops
Renew your love of learning with a unique program aimed at personal growth.
Explore the “City of Dreaming Spires.”
Study with world-class faculty and enjoy unique cultural experiences at Oxford with fellow lifelong learners.
Grow as a Thinker and Leader
Elevate your critical thinking and leadership through advanced study in the liberal arts.
Choose Your Intellectual Adventure
Embrace lifelong discovery by taking curated courses that will intrigue, engage, and inspire you.
Immerse Yourself in the Great Books
Explore timeless works of literature, philosophy, history, and social thought.
Design a Future of Meaning and Impact
Join a community of accomplished leaders on a journey of self-discovery and meaningful action for society.
Take a Journey of Discovery
Join us on transformative visits to historical sites.
Why Lifelong Learners Love Graham
Browse Summer I Courses
Featured
Featured
The Art and Science of Social Connection
Nicholas Epley
Featured
The Great Gatsby
Jennifer A. Lind
Featured
The Spirit of 1776: Writings from the War of Independence
Jennifer A. Lind
American Auteurs
Michael Latham
American Masters
John Gibbons
New to Graham
Are You New to the Graham School?
In the Graham School’s one-of-a-kind community, you’ll join intellectually curious peers to explore big ideas with our extraordinary faculty and instructors. Whether studying the classics or looking at contemporary issues, our students are motivated by fundamental questions like: “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” “What difference do I want to make?” We create a welcoming space of intellectual discovery and discernment for learners in mid-life and beyond.
Choose from our wide variety of offerings to learn in the modality and at the pace that makes sense for you.
Upcoming Events at Graham
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Apr
09
A Conversation with Melissa Kirsch
Online
Join us for a virtual conversation with New York Times writer Melissa Kirsch.
Apr
13
The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness
Gleacher Center
What makes for a happy, fulfilling life? Dr. Robert Waldinger of Harvard Medical School has been searching for the answer longer than almost anyone — as director of the longest scientific study of happiness ever conducted.
Apr
16
2026 Graham Circle Annual Gathering
University Club of Chicago
This event is open to members of the Graham Circle.
Apr
17
2026 Basic Program Weekend: Moby-Dick
Hyde Park Campus
Join us from April 17-19 for a full weekend of panels and discussions led by Basic Program instructors discussing Herman Melville’s classic 1851 novel Moby-Dick.
Apr
21
Second Act Advantage: A Conversation with Jay Samit
Online
What if the second half of your life isn’t about winding down, but finally scaling up?
Apr
27
Relevance, Purpose, and Meaning After a Major Life Transition
Gleacher Center
What happens when the drive that built your career becomes the thing that prevents you from ever truly knowing yourself? Geoff Curtis spent nearly 30 years in healthcare communications before an acquisition erased his role — and forced him to confront what it really means to find purpose after a major life transition.
Apr
30
Sewell Chan on The Past, Present, and Future of Journalism
David Rubenstein Forum
From the collapse of local news to rising threats to press freedom, journalist Sewell Chan draws on two decades at America’s leading newsrooms to explore the past, present, and future of journalism and its essential role in democracy.
May
01
Historians Made Elsewhere Than at Rome: Polybius and Josephus on the Roman Empire
Online
This First Friday Lecture is supported by the Anastaplo Lecture Series Fund in memory of Basic Program Instructor George Anastaplo.
May
05
Wild Fictions: A Conversation with Amitav Ghosh
David Rubenstein Forum or via livestream
Join us for a wide-ranging discussion with novelist and essayist Amitav Ghosh on the present ‘catastrophic convergence’ of social, historical, and natural forces—and how new (and old) narratives might allow us to repair our relationships with our environment and one another.
May
07
Enduring Excellence: A Conversation with Steven R. Swartz
Gleacher Center or via livestream
Join us for our Enduring Excellence conversation with Steven R. Swartz, President and CEO of Hearst, one of the world’s largest and most diversified global information, services, and media companies.
Graham School Stories
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Reflecting on 250 Years of U.S. Foreign Policy
A conversation with John J. Mearsheimer and Jennifer A. Lind on the history and founding ideas that shape U.S. relations beyond its borders.
Building Skills for a Changing Workforce
Master of Liberal Arts Student, Felix Quayson, reflects on education, technology, and the future of work.
A Journey of Curiosity: Why Dianne Blanco Gives to Graham
This Giving Day, support opportunities for curious minds to learn, connect, and grow through the liberal arts.
GRAHAM SCHOOL COMMUNITY
We believe that the best learning happens in classrooms where people actively engage each other in the spirit of joint inquiry.
That’s why Graham School faculty focus on asking provocative questions and facilitating discussion rather than just imparting their expertise. Our courses invite learners to engage in meaningful dialogue across divergent perspectives.