The Course Catalog
Each quarter, we offer lifelong learners access to more than 40 courses at the University of Chicago.
Autumn quarter course registration is now open. For questions, please contact grahamregistrar@uchicago.edu or call 773.702.7249.
20th Century: The Crisis of Tonality: Music at an Impasse 20th Century: The Crisis of Tonality: Music at an Impasse
We will look at some of the momentous innovations in classical music in the twentieth century, specifically in respect to tonality and problems of “form”: in the seminar, as viewed by three major...
Alumni Sequence: Asian Classical Traditions Autumn Year 1 Alumni Sequence: Asian Classical Traditions Autumn Year 1
Autumn Seminar:
This course introduces Basic Program alumni to three ancient Indian classics: the Rigveda, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita. The Rigveda introduces readers to a world rich with...
Alumni Sequence: The Romans II Alumni Sequence: The Romans II
Corrupt politicians, scandalous celebrities, aggressive foreign policy, upheavals in cultural ideas about sexuality and marriage, income inequality, immigration problems, concerns about the...
American Politics and Policy: 1944-2024 American Politics and Policy: 1944-2024
In 2024, the American people will be electing its leaders for the next political cycle. This discussion course is designed to focus on American politics and policy in the post-World War II era, to...
Bach: Life and Works Bach: Life and Works
One of the towering figures in Western culture, J.S. Bach is the foundation of Classical music, whose influence has permeated the work of virtually all his successors. Whether sacred or secular, vocal...
Basic Program Year Four: Autumn Basic Program Year Four: Autumn
The Year 4 Seminar texts cover a wide range time periods and genres, including philosophy, biography, satire, and romance, which connect through the themes of love, character, and humor as they...
Basic Program Year One: Autumn Basic Program Year One: Autumn
Since 1946, the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults has engaged lifelong learners in reading, discussing, and building community around the foundational texts of literature, philosophy, and...
Photograph © Andrew Dunn.
Basic Program Year Three: Autumn Basic Program Year Three: Autumn
In the Seminar, we read two classics texts seeking the ungrounded ground of reason. In the Tutorial we will engage in a close reading of a classic novel. The novel for 2024 is War and Peace, by Leo...
Basic Program Year Two: Autumn Basic Program Year Two: Autumn
The Year 2 seminar is devoted to three great plays: Sophocles' Oedipus the King, Euripides' The Bacchae, and Shakespeare's Anthony & Cleopatra. A close reading of Aristotle's Poetics will enhance our...
Calvino's Worlds Calvino's Worlds
Shortly before his death, Italo Calvino (1923-1985) wrote: “The grand challenge for literature is to be capable of weaving together the various branches of knowledge, their various ‘codes’ into a...