Trace the Roots of Free Speech
Join Eric Schurenberg in exploring the origins of the First Amendment, what it actually guarantees, and how it is applied today.
Explore big ideas, together.
Join a community of eminent scholars and intellectually curious peers.
Find Your ProgramVideo Description
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.
Homer in Hyde Park: The Odyssey
Take a journey of intellectual and life enrichment by immersing yourself in this timeless text.
Travel Through European Anatomy
Explore how comparative biology and scientific discovery reshaped our understanding of human life.
Become a Broadway Insider
Experience Broadway with one of the world’s foremost theater critics.
Shape Chicago’s Future
Gain the tools and networks to better understand, engage, and shape the region’s economic and community development.
Learning Never Stops
Renew your love of learning with a unique program aimed at personal growth.
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 Autumn Courses
Which course is right for you?
Take our five question quiz to be matched with courses that align with your interests.
A First Experience with Finnegan’s Wake Part 5
Kendall Sharp
Advanced Novel Writing
Dipika Mukherjee
Alumni Sequence: The Middle Ages Year 1 Autumn
Lin Atnip, Michael Jones & 2 more
Alumni Sequence: The Modern Tradition Year 2 Autumn
Lin Atnip, Moira O’Shea & Michael Weinman
America’s Constitutions I: 1600-1800
Fred Beuttler
Ancient Greek Part 1
Kendall Sharp
Basic Program Year 1 Autumn
Zoë Eisenman, Amy Thomas Elder & 6 more
Basic Program Year 2 Autumn
Clare Pearson, Simon Friedland & 3 more
Which course is right for you?
Take our five question quiz to be matched with courses that align with your interests.
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
View All Events
Aug
18
Returning Scholar Information Session
Online
Join us to learn more about the Returning Scholar program.
Aug
18
Martin Luther King Jr.’s Life and Legacy: A Conversation with Jonathan Eig
David Rubenstein Forum
What can the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. tell us about the role of civic virtue in modern American history?
Aug
24
2026 Graham School Annual Report
Online
Reflections on the year behind us, a preview of the academic year ahead, and an invitation to help shape Graham’s future.
Aug
24
2026 Graham School Annual Report
Gleacher Center
Reflections on the year behind us, a preview of the academic year ahead, and an invitation to help shape Graham’s future.
Aug
25
Meet the Director: Graduate Student-at-Large Bridge Programs
Online
Gain valuable insights about how you can leverage the GSAL program to explore fields of academic study and preview graduate and undergraduate level for-credit courses at UChicago.
Aug
25
Veterans Shaping America’s Future: 250 Years of Courage
Online
Join us for a conversation with Rye Barcott, New York Times bestselling author, Marine Corps veteran, and co-founder and CEO of With Honor, as he discusses his new book, Courage Can Save Us: Ten Extraordinary Americans and the Fight for Our Future.
Sep
02
How Do Theaters Survive and Thrive in a Changing Entertainment Landscape?
Gleacher Center
Four artistic directors from Chicago’s most celebrated stages explore the enduring power of live performance and how great theaters are reinventing themselves for a changing arts and entertainment landscape.
Sep
02
The End of Reading and The Future of Learning in America: A Conversation with Rose Horowitch
Online
Join us for a conversation with Rose Horowitch, staff writer at The Atlantic, as she discusses her research on a changing education environment in the U.S.
Sep
03
Sep
10
Human Raised: A Conversation with Dana Suskind
Online
What does it mean to raise children, and remain fully human ourselves, in the age of artificial intelligence?
Graham School Stories
View Articles
Graham lifelong learner’s scholarship cited by U.S. Supreme Court
For David Collins, a Supreme Court citation marked an unexpected moment in an intellectual life shaped by history and law.
Chicago Leaders Build a Community-Driven Vision for Roseland
A Chicago Leadership Circle capstone brought together leaders to develop a community-driven plan for resilience and economic stability.
From Classroom to Curtain: How Douglas Post Helps Writers Bring Their Stories to Life
Award-winning playwright and Graham School instructor Douglas Post helps students build the skills, confidence, and creative community to transform their ideas into stories that reach audiences beyond the classroom.
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.