Main content
Academics  » School of Liberal Studies & Continuing Education  » Continuing Education » Personal Enrichment

Continuing Education

Personal Enrichment

We offer workshops in the arts and noncredit access to several courses. Pursue your personal interests in a noncompetitive learning environment.

Explore Your Inner Artist

Why not work with your voice, wood, your camcorder, or your camera? Or try one of our new courses in  Drawing or Painting or Podcasting.

Learning for a Lifetime

New this semester are short lectures in Music appreciation and History. Our personal enrichment program also offers students who are not enrolled in a degree program at Purchase College the opportunity to take undergraduate credit courses on a noncredit basis.

And you may also take individual courses in any of our noncredit professional certificate programs without making a commitment to the entire program. Personal enrichment courses are open to the general public.

Facebook Have a question? Message us on Facebook

Spring 2020

Registration begins Monday, December 2, 2019

SAVE when you pay in full by the Early Registration Discount deadline: Friday, February 7, 2020.

Courses in Wood

Woodturning Workshop

Creating functional and nonfunctional lathe-turned objects. Woodturning has a long and rich history, the lathe being the earliest documented woodworking machine. This workshop examines the evolution of turning and explores how the lathe and its tools are used today to produce art as well as functional objects. A variety of processes are introduced, including: wood selection and preparation, spindle turning, bowl and vessel turning, hollow turning, box making, off-center turning, and finishing. Students at all levels are free to explore their own interests. Open to beginners as well as advanced enthusiasts. Tuition includes $150 for materials.

CED 1040 / noncredit / $710
Discount: $685 (Purchase College matriculated students, employees, alumni, and Overture members of Broadview; and early registration discount)
Instructor: Alan Dorsey
February 22—May 9, no class on April 4 and 11 (10 sessions)
Saturday, 9:00 am—12:00 pm
Visual Arts Building, room 1029
Registration Form / Credit Card Authorization / Risk Waiver

Woodworking: A Hands-on Workshop

Using the professional woodworking shop at Purchase College, build a project to completion in this intensive, hands-on workshop. As a beginner or experienced student, you will work within your skill level using the essential principles of woodworking, including tool use, machine operation, material selection, design choices, joinery, and finishing. Tuition includes $75 for materials.

CED 1050 / noncredit / $600
Discount: $575 (Purchase College matriculated students, employees, alumni, and Overture members of Broadview; and early registration discount)
Instructor: Kate Hawes
February 23—May 10, no class on April 5 and 12 (10 sessions)
Sunday, 10:00 am—1:00 pm
Visual Arts Building, room 1029
Registration Form / Credit Card Authorization / Risk Waiver

Bronze Casting

Bronze Casting

Explore foundry techniques based on traditional methods of lost-wax bronze casting. Prepare sculptures in wax, clay, plaster or found objects . Make molds, in silicone rubber. Life casting session included. The course highlight will be casting sculptural pieces in bronze during an all-day Saturday casting (a festive event with music, potluck refreshments, and invited guests). All levels of experience are welcome, and individuals can advance at their own pace.

CED 1055 / noncredit / $895
Discount: $870 (Purchase College matriculated students, employees, alumni, and Overture members of Broadview; and early registration discount)
Instructor: Vanessa Solomon
January 23—May 7, no class on April 9 (15 sessions)
Thursday, 6:30—9:30 pm
Visual Arts Building, room 1050
Registration Form / Credit Card Authorization/ Risk Waiver

Photography

Digital Photography Workshop

Understand the creative use of digital photography, starting with image capture using a DSLR/mirrorless camera to enhancements in Adobe Photoshop. Practice new techniques in response to a series of lectures and assignments. Includes hands-on work, such as in class photo walks, and an introduction to the history of color photography. Bring your own a digital camera.

CED 1035 / noncredit / $395
Discount: $370 (Purchase College matriculated students, employees, alumni, and Overture members of Broadview; and early registration discount)
Instructor: Charlotte Woolf
February 27—May 7, no class on April 9 (10 sessions)
Thursday, 6:30—8:30 pm
Visual Arts Building, room TBA
Registration Form / Credit Card Authorization

Painting and Drawing

Portrait Drawing

Draw the portrait from life with emphasis on capturing the unique qualities of the individual through understanding line, shadow, patterns, and shapes. Emphasis will be placed on proportion, design, and the structure and planes of the head. Explore drawing techniques and materials.

CED 1091 / noncredit / $475
Discount: $450 (Purchase College matriculated students, employees, alumni, and Overture members of Broadview; and early registration discount)
Instructor: Andrew Lattimore
February 24—May 4, no class on April 6 (10 sessions)
Monday, 6:30—9:30 pm
Visual Arts Building, room 2016
Registration Form / Credit Card Authorization

Art Lectures

The Blues: How Three Chords Became Rock & Roll

Rock & Roll exists because of The Blues. Work songs sung by slaves became the acoustic blues of the Mississippi Delta, the electrified sounds of Chicago, Memphis rhythm and blues and ultimately Rock & Roll as we know it today. Through historic recordings, videos, commentary and personal recollection, the class explores how The Blues evolved to become Rock & Roll, along the way producing (arguably) America’s greatest export, social change and technological innovation worldwide.
CED 1077 / noncredit / $320
Discount: $295 (Purchase College matriculated students, employees, alumni, and Overture members of Broadview; and early registration discount)
Instructor: Andrew Muson
March 2—April 27, no class on April 6 (8 sessions)
Monday, 1:00—3:00 pm
Music Building, room 0089A
Registration Form / Credit Card Authorization

Acting and Media

Voice Over Intensive

Gain experience in voiceover, script breakdown, promotion, commercials, movie trailers, and animation. Understand how to work with directors and compete in undirected auditions. Work on tone, voice quality, volume, inflection phrasing, and versatility in multiple genres. Obtain valuable feedback in a critique and an open Q&A with one of the top New York voiceover agents in the industry.

CED 1015 / noncredit / $320
Discount: $295 (Purchase College matriculated students, employees, alumni, and Overture members of Broadview; and early registration discount)
Instructor: Rafael Ferrer
March 21—May 9, no class on April 4 and 11 (6 sessions)
Saturday, 10:00 am—12:00 pm
Fort Awesome, room 138
Registration Form / Credit Card Authorization

How to Start a Podcast

Develop and complete the first episode of your own podcast in this weekend workshop using the Purchase College TV studio! Discuss different styles of podcasting, understand best practices for developing and pitching a show, learn basic audio editing techniques with Adobe Audition, learn to use professional audio recorders, and discover tips about podcast audience building and distribution.

CED 1110 / noncredit / $395
Discount: $370 (Purchase College matriculated students, employees, alumni, and Overture members of Broadview; and early registration discount)
Instructor: Megan Rossman
February 29—March 1
Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 am—5:30 pm
Humanities Building, room 2042A/B
Registration Form / Credit Card Authorization

Videos about Bronze Casting