Great Books College Courses, Open Enrollment - UChicago | Graham School
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Archived: 2026-04-23 17:16
Great Books College Courses, Open Enrollment - UChicago | Graham School
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Topic
Great Books
The Great Books are fundamental to education at the University of Chicago Graham School, because they empower readers to pursue robust intellectual inquiry.
Reading the Great Books helps to develop a well-informed perspective on the world around us and find the inspiration to make a difference in it.
At the UChicago Graham School, our faculty and instructors lead students to engage in open, wide-ranging dialogue on complex topics, bringing the ideas in classic texts to life.
The Great Books form the core of the curriculum in the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults and a crucial part of the Master of Liberal Arts program. You can also study classic works as a
Leadership and Society Initiative
Fellow, or if you are not in a full program, as an open enrollment course. Students learn about what works meant in their own historical context and what they can teach us today.
Spotlight Programs
4 Year Certificate
Immerse Yourself in the Great Books
Explore timeless works of literature, philosophy, history, and social thought.
The Basic Program
Master’s Degree
Grow as a Thinker and Leader
Elevate your critical thinking and leadership through advanced study in the liberal arts.
Master of Liberal Arts
All Great Books Courses
Featured
Online
Summer I
James Joyce’s Dubliners and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Kendall Sharp
Featured
In-Person • Online
Summer I
The Great Gatsby
Jennifer A. Lind
In-Person
Summer I
Aristotle’s Organon
Online
Summer I
August Wilson: Theater’s Poet of Black America
Paul Cato
Online
Summer I
Augustine’s Confessions
Robert Porwoll
In-Person • Online
Autumn
Basic Program Year 1 Autumn
Online
Summer I
Basic Program Year 1 Makeup Course
+2
Jacqueline Victor, Moira O’Shea & 2 more
Online
Summer I
Black Epics: Africa, America, and the Caribbean
Paul Cato
What Are the Great Books?
The Great Books are texts considered among the very best and most influential works ever written. These books have become vital to liberal arts education. They are challenging to read but they invite you to explore complex ideas and profound themes that are timeless.
Engaging with these texts can expand your understanding of the world and strengthen your critical thinking skills. The Great Books may come from very different times and places but they remain highly relevant to our lives because they address enduring questions about the most important things in human life.
Great Books Instructors
Paul Cato
Basic Program Instructor
Noah Chafets
Cyril O. Houle Chair of the Basic Program
Joshua Daniel
Basic Program Instructor
Zoë Eisenman
Director of Academics & Basic Program Instructor
Amy Thomas Elder
Claudia Traudt Distinguished Instructor in the Basic Program
Charles Elder
Basic Program Instructor
Stephen Hall
Basic Program Instructor
Elliott Krick
Basic Program Instructor
Jennifer A. Lind
Open Enrollment Instructor
Moira O’Shea
Basic Program Instructor
Clare Pearson
Basic Program Instructor
Robert Porwoll
Open Enrollment Instructor
Cynthia Rutz
Basic Program Instructor
Kendall Sharp
Sheffield Family Distinguished Instructor in the Basic Program; Lecturer, Master of Liberal Arts Program
Jacqueline Victor
Basic Program Instructor
A great book tries to capture something very big and fundamental about the world, and it succeeds to an uncommon degree.
Noah Chafets, AM’10, PhD’21
Cyril O. Houle Chair of the Basic Program
What is a ‘great book’? A book that has been impactful, that is well written, and that is in many ways timeless. We read Plato because we are human beings dealing with the fundamental ideas of humanity like happiness, virtue, and justice, and even though society has changed, these fundamental topics have not.
Zoë Eisenman, AM’89
Director of Academics and Basic Program instructor
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about the Graham School’s Great Books offerings.
What are some examples of some Great Books that we will read in these courses?
Students read an expansive and diverse body of literature. The
Master of Liberal Arts
and the Basic Program allow for deep immersion in the works of Homer, Plato, Dante, Shakespeare and more.
How can I prepare for classroom discussions of Great Books?
Our open enrollment courses are intended for students at a variety of different levels. You will be encouraged to apply your unique perspective as you read these texts and engage with your peers. We offer an optional course to prepare students to engage with challenging works:
How to Read Classic Texts
. While this is presented as an introductory course for the Basic Program, students in other programs or open enrollment courses are also welcome to participate and grow their skills.
UChicago has a reputation for academic rigor. Will I be able to meaningfully participate in the classroom discussions?
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 learning environment with a collegial atmosphere.
Are these offerings online or in person?
The Graham School offers both online and in-person class experiences. The description for each course specifies whether it will be offered online through Canvas or in person at the Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago.
What’s it like to take a course in a Socratic seminar format?
Students come to each session prepared to engage in lively, respectful discussions about the assigned reading. With a small group of peers and your instructor, you’ll examine fundamental questions through the lenses of multiple disciplines and lived experiences.
Do I have to complete an application?
No application is required for Basic Program courses or open enrollment courses. There is a required application for the Master of Liberal Arts.
Great Books News
Nov 24, 2025
Articles
Classic Texts, Contemporary World: A New Initiative Bridges Past and Present
Bridging centuries of insight to understand our changing world.
View Now
Nov 14, 2025
Event Recap
Class Preview: Moby-Dick
A journey into Melville’s American epic and its enduring power.
View Now
Nov 10, 2025
Articles
Coming Together: Basic Program Faculty Reflect on Purpose and Pedagogy
Instructors in the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults gathered this past August for their first retreat in seven years.
View Now
Questions about the Graham School? Get in touch.
Contact Us
This is the search overlay. Use the Escape key to close it.
Your Shopping Cart
Enroll Now
We use
cookies
to enhance your experience on our site.
Skip to main content
Topic
Great Books
The Great Books are fundamental to education at the University of Chicago Graham School, because they empower readers to pursue robust intellectual inquiry.
Reading the Great Books helps to develop a well-informed perspective on the world around us and find the inspiration to make a difference in it.
At the UChicago Graham School, our faculty and instructors lead students to engage in open, wide-ranging dialogue on complex topics, bringing the ideas in classic texts to life.
The Great Books form the core of the curriculum in the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults and a crucial part of the Master of Liberal Arts program. You can also study classic works as a
Leadership and Society Initiative
Fellow, or if you are not in a full program, as an open enrollment course. Students learn about what works meant in their own historical context and what they can teach us today.
Spotlight Programs
4 Year Certificate
Immerse Yourself in the Great Books
Explore timeless works of literature, philosophy, history, and social thought.
The Basic Program
Master’s Degree
Grow as a Thinker and Leader
Elevate your critical thinking and leadership through advanced study in the liberal arts.
Master of Liberal Arts
All Great Books Courses
Featured
Online
Summer I
James Joyce’s Dubliners and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Kendall Sharp
Featured
In-Person • Online
Summer I
The Great Gatsby
Jennifer A. Lind
In-Person
Summer I
Aristotle’s Organon
Online
Summer I
August Wilson: Theater’s Poet of Black America
Paul Cato
Online
Summer I
Augustine’s Confessions
Robert Porwoll
In-Person • Online
Autumn
Basic Program Year 1 Autumn
Online
Summer I
Basic Program Year 1 Makeup Course
+2
Jacqueline Victor, Moira O’Shea & 2 more
Online
Summer I
Black Epics: Africa, America, and the Caribbean
Paul Cato
What Are the Great Books?
The Great Books are texts considered among the very best and most influential works ever written. These books have become vital to liberal arts education. They are challenging to read but they invite you to explore complex ideas and profound themes that are timeless.
Engaging with these texts can expand your understanding of the world and strengthen your critical thinking skills. The Great Books may come from very different times and places but they remain highly relevant to our lives because they address enduring questions about the most important things in human life.
Great Books Instructors
Paul Cato
Basic Program Instructor
Noah Chafets
Cyril O. Houle Chair of the Basic Program
Joshua Daniel
Basic Program Instructor
Zoë Eisenman
Director of Academics & Basic Program Instructor
Amy Thomas Elder
Claudia Traudt Distinguished Instructor in the Basic Program
Charles Elder
Basic Program Instructor
Stephen Hall
Basic Program Instructor
Elliott Krick
Basic Program Instructor
Jennifer A. Lind
Open Enrollment Instructor
Moira O’Shea
Basic Program Instructor
Clare Pearson
Basic Program Instructor
Robert Porwoll
Open Enrollment Instructor
Cynthia Rutz
Basic Program Instructor
Kendall Sharp
Sheffield Family Distinguished Instructor in the Basic Program; Lecturer, Master of Liberal Arts Program
Jacqueline Victor
Basic Program Instructor
A great book tries to capture something very big and fundamental about the world, and it succeeds to an uncommon degree.
Noah Chafets, AM’10, PhD’21
Cyril O. Houle Chair of the Basic Program
What is a ‘great book’? A book that has been impactful, that is well written, and that is in many ways timeless. We read Plato because we are human beings dealing with the fundamental ideas of humanity like happiness, virtue, and justice, and even though society has changed, these fundamental topics have not.
Zoë Eisenman, AM’89
Director of Academics and Basic Program instructor
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about the Graham School’s Great Books offerings.
What are some examples of some Great Books that we will read in these courses?
Students read an expansive and diverse body of literature. The
Master of Liberal Arts
and the Basic Program allow for deep immersion in the works of Homer, Plato, Dante, Shakespeare and more.
How can I prepare for classroom discussions of Great Books?
Our open enrollment courses are intended for students at a variety of different levels. You will be encouraged to apply your unique perspective as you read these texts and engage with your peers. We offer an optional course to prepare students to engage with challenging works:
How to Read Classic Texts
. While this is presented as an introductory course for the Basic Program, students in other programs or open enrollment courses are also welcome to participate and grow their skills.
UChicago has a reputation for academic rigor. Will I be able to meaningfully participate in the classroom discussions?
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 learning environment with a collegial atmosphere.
Are these offerings online or in person?
The Graham School offers both online and in-person class experiences. The description for each course specifies whether it will be offered online through Canvas or in person at the Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago.
What’s it like to take a course in a Socratic seminar format?
Students come to each session prepared to engage in lively, respectful discussions about the assigned reading. With a small group of peers and your instructor, you’ll examine fundamental questions through the lenses of multiple disciplines and lived experiences.
Do I have to complete an application?
No application is required for Basic Program courses or open enrollment courses. There is a required application for the Master of Liberal Arts.
Great Books News
Nov 24, 2025
Articles
Classic Texts, Contemporary World: A New Initiative Bridges Past and Present
Bridging centuries of insight to understand our changing world.
View Now
Nov 14, 2025
Event Recap
Class Preview: Moby-Dick
A journey into Melville’s American epic and its enduring power.
View Now
Nov 10, 2025
Articles
Coming Together: Basic Program Faculty Reflect on Purpose and Pedagogy
Instructors in the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults gathered this past August for their first retreat in seven years.
View Now
Questions about the Graham School? Get in touch.
Contact Us
This is the search overlay. Use the Escape key to close it.
Your Shopping Cart
Enroll Now