Dive into the Great Books

Most new students begin in the Autumn Quarter. A limited number may start in the Winter Quarter, depending on section availability. Students who start in the Winter Quarter may take the course they missed in the autumn during the Summer Quarter.

Students progress through the Basic Program in order alongside the other members of their cohort. They take three courses per year, each of which builds on the courses that precede it. Students register for one quarter at a time.

Online classes have a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 18 students. In-person classes have a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 20 students.

The Basic Program is open to anyone who is interested in engaging with Great Books. There is no application. New students can register for the Year One Autumn or Winter course for the upcoming year. We strongly encourage new students seeking additional preparation to begin with the optional introductory course How to Read Classic Texts. This course develops close-reading skills and prepares students to engage meaningfully in classroom discussions.

While our courses are driven by live discussions, we do record the online sessions. If you miss a class, you can watch the recording to catch up. In Person classes are not recorded.

If you need to drop a course, please email us at graham@learningplatform.support to process your request. When reaching out, please include your full name, the course name and the section. If you made a donation during your course purchase, please confirm if you would like the donation refunded as well.

Courses dropped before the first day of class are eligible for a full refund. Courses dropped after the first class are subject to a 10% cancellation fee. No refund will be issued for courses dropped after the first week of classes.

If you miss one quarter, you can still continue on with your cohort in the following quarter and make up the one you missed at a later date. You can also “pause” the program and return to pick up where you left off at some point in the future.

While we strongly encourage students to stay with their cohorts, you can transfer to a different section if necessary.

Our Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults will immerse you in timeless texts that have shaped the world, including works by Plato, Aristotle, Dante, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and many, many others. Review the curriculum for more details.

Yes. These non-credit courses are built for adults who have life experience and want to learn. Our instructors encourage all students to participate, regardless of their educational background, creating an inclusive and collegial learning environment.

We offer both online and in-person sections for the Basic Program, so you can select the format that works best for you. For our online classes, you’ll sign into a Zoom meeting for each session prepared to engage in lively, respectful discussions about the assigned reading. Just as in a physical classroom, you will see and hear all members of your class as you take turns discussing issues and posing questions.

Most courses do require specific editions of the texts to ensure that all students are reading the same translation or can find the same passages using page numbers. Books can be purchased online from the University of Chicago Bookstore at the Gleacher Center or at any other bookstore using the ISBN numbers provided on the syllabus.

Your course will be available on the Graham Learning Platform three weeks before the start date. You’ll log in using the same credentials you used during registration. If you need help accessing your course, check out our helpful video tutorial.

Please email us at basicprogram@uchicago.edu, and our team will be happy to assist you.