Undergraduate Courses with Noncredit Seats

Discover the excitement of undergraduate learning - without the pressure of earning credit.

When space allows, the School of Continuing Education offers noncredit seats in select classes. Priority goes to degree-seeking students, but available noncredit seats let you join courses at a reduced tuition rate.

Fall 2026 Courses

The selection of Fall 2026 courses with noncredit seats available will be posted soon. To view all courses use the course search and select the Fall 2026 term from the drop down. Please be mindful if there are prerequisites and/or restrictions listed for the course.

Art History

Noncredit
The work of Courbet, Manet, and the circle of the Impressionists sets the stage for the revolutionary modern movements of the 20th century (e.g., Cubism, Expressionism, Dada, Surrealism). The course concludes with those artists who came to prominence in America at the time of World War II.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Mon Thu @ 10:30 AM-12:10 PM
Instructor: Lindberg, Kristen
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Noncredit
Despite a growing interest in the work of the Russian avant-garde, there is still relatively little known about the artists of the late Russian Empire and the early Soviet Union. This course addresses the broad scope and multidisciplinary practice of Russian modernism, from the shocking primitivism of The Rite of Spring to the cold pragmatism of constructivism.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Tue @ 08:30 AM-12:10 PM
Instructor: Warren, Sarah
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Chinese

Noncredit
For students who have had little or no previous exposure to the language. Introduces the basics of pronunciation and of the structural and writing systems of standard modern Chinese (Mandarin Chinese).

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Tue Fri @ 10:30 AM-12:10 PM
Instructor: He, Xiang
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Communications

Noncredit
Students develop expertise in public speaking by preparing and presenting different types of speeches for a variety of purposes. The focus is on the main elements of planning and delivering a speech: the message, the speaker, the audience, and the occasion. All speeches are critiqued in class. As an integral part of the course, students learn PowerPoint.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Tue @ 08:30 AM-12:10 PM
Instructor: Czerwinski, Kevin
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Dance

Noncredit
The fall semester of a year-long technique course that provides intermediate-level training for students in Level I modern technique. Students improve and reinforce technical proficiency, artistic growth, and performance skills. They also build and retain a movement range and vocabulary that demonstrates an increase in strength, agility, flexibility, and endurance through classical and contemporary modern dance techniques. Placement audition required; placement by faculty.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Mon @ 02:30 PM-04:00 PM
Tue @ 12:45 PM-02:15 PM
Fri @ 10:30 AM-12:00 PM
Instructor: Tooman-Dieme, Stephanie - Clark, Larry
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $277

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Mon Fri @ 12:45 PM-02:15 PM
Tue @ 10:30 AM-12:00 PM
Instructor: Tooman-Dieme, Stephanie - Clark, Larry
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $277

Noncredit
Learn the diverse dance & drum culture of West Africa, through dancing, drumming, singing, presentations and video clips. Cultural learning will focus on the meaning and purpose of the dances; call and response singing; the role of the drum; and social expressions of communal life.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Mon Thu @ 04:30 PM-06:10 PM
Instructor: Thiam, Lamine
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $260

Noncredit
Students delve into courting, accessing, and developing creativity, imagination, and innovation through whole-body fluidity. Several creative processes are explored, such as choreography, voice, and movement into text and movement; poetry in motion; writing; acting; and becoming aware of presence and how to embody it in a wide range of performance and life circumstances.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times:
Instructor:
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $180

Noncredit
Students learn the principles of the Alexander Technique, a psycho-physical method for re-educating the body. By identifying habitual ways of moving and making a different choice, students can improve the use of their bodies. The focus is on discussion and exploration of major body joints, movement explorations based on everyday actions, and movement explorations from the floor to standing and moving in space.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times:
Instructor:
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $180

Noncredit
An introduction to the methodology of Joseph Pilates via his originally designed Pilates equipment, which is spring-based resistance. The focus is on the Reformer; the Cadillac/Wall Units, the Wunda Chair, Electric Chair, and Ladder Barrel, plus additional equipment such as the Small Barrel and Spine Corrector are secondary. Students participate in servicing the Pilates equipment.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Mon @ 09:00 AM-10:10 AM
Instructor: Clark, Larry
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq: DPM1555
Cost: $180

Economics

Noncredit
Designed for students interested in the economics surrounding startups and entrepreneurship, business financing, and managing a company. This course breaks down the process of launching a business into practical steps, and students are asked to develop a business plan. In doing so, students learn many aspects of financing, managing, and developing tools of entrepreneurial decision-making.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Tue Fri @ 04:30 PM-06:10 PM
Instructor: Fein, Phyllis
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

French

Noncredit
For students who are already familiar with the fundamentals of spoken and written French. Through a variety of written and oral assignments and exercises, students acquire a wider range of vocabulary, review basic structures, and become more comfortable interacting in spoken French. Students are encouraged to take risks and enjoy the adventure of language acquisition in an open and relaxed atmosphere.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Mon Thu @ 10:30 AM-12:10 PM
Instructor: Amado, Carlos
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

History

Noncredit
Examines how early Jewish interactions with various cultures affected the development of Judaism. Interactions with Mesopotamian, Greek, Roman, Christian, and Muslim cultures are explored. Topics include conflicts with external powers, exile, and diaspora.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Mon Thu @ 02:30 PM-04:10 PM
Instructor: Hallote, Rachel
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Noncredit
How was the Holocaust possible in the 20th century? This course responds to the question by examining specific issues: German anti-Semitism; Hitler’s rise to power; the genocide process; responses to Nazism and the news of the Holocaust in Jewish and international communities; resistance and collaboration; and theological and moral questions.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Mon Thu @ 08:30 AM-10:10 AM
Instructor: Bailey, John
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Noncredit
Examines some of the political, social, and economic transformations in the United States between 1877 and 1945. Topics include immigration, the expanding international role of the U.S., reform movements, urbanization, and technological change. Analysis of a range of primary sources, from paintings to film, is emphasized.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Tue Fri @ 12:30 PM-02:10 PM
Instructor: Levine, Ezekiel
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Noncredit
Examines transformations of Chinese society and culture since the early 19th century. Themes include the impact of the West; the rise of Chinese nationalism; modernization, reforms, and revolution; and rapid economic growth in the 1990s.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Tue @ 08:30 AM-11:50 AM
Instructor: Zhang, Chen
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Noncredit
This course examines the history of jazz in conjunction U.S. history, with a focus on American racial politics. We will read, listen, watch, and discuss examples of jazz performance, exploring how historical context shaped the music and how jazz can help us to better understand the history, culture, and politics of race in the twentieth and twenty-first century United States.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Mon @ 06:30 PM-09:50 PM
Instructor: Levine, Ezekiel
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Italian

Noncredit
For students who have had little or no previous exposure to the language. Presents the essential structures of spoken and written Italian by involving the student in situations that concretely represent the concepts of the language.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Mon Thu @ 02:30 PM-04:10 PM
Instructor: Farina, Patrizia
Type of Instruction: Online - Synchronous
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Journalism

Noncredit
Examines the relationship between the media and social constructions of race, gender, and class, both in the U.S. and within a global context. Topics include biases and assumptions in print and visual media; representations of masculinity and femininity; and the media’s role in creating and reinforcing ideas, symbols, and ideologies within cultures. Text analysis includes newspapers, magazine articles, cartoons, television, movies, and advertising.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Wed @ 08:00 AM-11:40 AM
Instructor: Breen, Virginia
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $

Noncredit
Examines the historical, philosophical, and legal bases for freedom of speech and of the press in the U.S. and the practical application of these principles to print, broadcast, and online media today. Topics include the First Amendment, libel, privacy, government regulation, news gathering, and journalism ethics. Not recommended for freshmen or sophomores.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Mon Thu @ 12:30 PM-02:10 PM
Instructor: Daly, Ross
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Noncredit
Students look at the evolution of long-form journalism of postwar America, roughly defined as 1946–1980. Works include Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, John Hersey’s Hiroshima, and the magazine writing of Lillian Ross, Alex Haley, Joan Didion, and Gay Talese. The class also explores more recent authors, such as Isabel Wilkerson and Rachel Aviv, and the influences of the digital age.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Wed @ 03:00 PM-06:40 PM
Instructor: Salomon, Andrew
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Literature

Noncredit
Traces the evolution of Romanticism in the aftermath of the radical promise of the first generation of Romantic poets, through the prose writers who self-consciously documented their literary and cultural heritage, to the full flowering of such writers as Byron, Percy Shelley, Mary Shelley, Keats, and Emily Brontë.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Tue Fri @ 02:30 PM-04:10 PM
Instructor: Narayan, Gaura
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Physical Education

Noncredit
Develops aquatic skills and basic knowledge of safety and accident prevention in the aquatic environment. Skills include preventive lifeguarding, emergency action planning, aquatic facility management, and preparation of records and reports. Qualified students receive Red Cross Lifeguard Training Certification.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Mon Thu @ 10:30 AM-12:10 PM
Instructor: Anker, Judy
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $365

Noncredit
This course will offer students an opportunity to learn and enjoy salsa dance. Salsa dance originated in Cuba with Spanish, Caribbean and African influences. It is an energetic social dance and one of the most popular and beautiful of the Latin partner dances. It is easy to learn and is danced worldwide. Through two weekly sessions, students will learn to salsa dance with a partner.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Tue Fri @ 12:30 PM-02:10 PM
Instructor: Kincannon, Suzannah
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $320

Noncredit
Students learn the fundamentals of belly dancing (e.g., hip circles, undulations, shimmies) and progress to layering of movements. Familiarity with Arabic rhythms, cultural knowledge as it pertains to this dance form, finger cymbals, veil work, and choreography are covered. The natural movements of belly dancing, which improve flexibility, endurance, and coordination, are appropriate for all fitness levels.

Term Dates: Monday, October 12 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Tue Fri @ 12:30 PM-02:10 PM
Instructor: Bora, Bina
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $180

Philosophy

Noncredit
A critical introduction to major Asian philosophical systems, including Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Particular attention is given to core themes in traditional texts and later commentaries pertaining to metaphysical questions about the nature of reality, epistemological questions about the sources of knowledge, ethical questions about virtuous conduct and the good life, and aesthetic questions about art and beauty.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Mon Thu @ 04:30 PM-06:10 PM
Instructor: Tian, Chuyu
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Noncredit
Examines how philosophical ideas about beauty, ancient and modern, continue to inspire fresh debates about artistic, moral, and political life. Key questions include: Is there a single universal standard of beauty, or are all such standards “relative”? Must good art always be beautiful? Why do disagreements about standards of beauty so often become fiercely political? Examples are drawn from the arts and from students’ personal experiences.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Tue Fri @ 12:30 PM-02:10 PM
Instructor: Haskins, Casey
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Noncredit
An examination of the deep relationships—metaphysical, ethical, and spiritual—between human beings and all other nonhuman species and ecosystems in the natural world. Key questions include: What does it mean, metaphysically, to say that humans are (or are not) “part of nature”? Do humans have duties towards nonhuman species? Do any nonhuman species have rights? When do ecological philosophies become politically controversial? Readings from selected contemporary and traditional philosophers and environmental thinkers.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Mon Thu @ 10:30 AM-12:10 PM
Instructor: Haskins, Casey
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Political Science

Noncredit
An examination of the media’s impact on political life in the U.S. and its role in shaping public opinion. Both electronic and print media are surveyed and analyzed in terms of their impact on power, legal rights, and ethical obligations. Attention is also given to the media’s influence on political parties and how it shapes political attitudes and influences elections.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Tue Fri @ 02:30 PM-04:10 PM
Instructor: Galloway, Sam
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Psychology

Noncredit
Empirical and theoretical approaches to the basic physiological, cognitive, and social mechanisms underlying behavior. Topics include learning and conditioning; sensation and perception; memory, thinking, and language; psychological development; social processes; and personality and psychopathology.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Tue Fri @ 02:30 PM-04:10 PM
Instructor: Clark, Richard
Type of Instruction: Traditional
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Spanish

Noncredit
For students already familiar with the fundamentals of spoken and written Spanish. Through various reading assignments, students are given a context for discussion to increase vocabulary and speaking ease. Weekly compositions serve as an aid for grammar review.

Term Dates: Monday, August 24 - Friday, December 11
Meeting Times: Mon Thu @ 06:30 PM-08:10 PM
Instructor: Menendez-Conde, Ernesto
Type of Instruction: Online - Synchronous
Prereq:
Cost: $625

Please email conted@purchase.edu if:

You found a course of interest that is not in the schedule above. We may be able to get permission to add a noncredit seat.
You would like see the syllabus before registering.
The course of your choice is closed, so you can be placed on a waitlist.

Register Now to Secure your seat!

In addition to the tuition, there is a $25 nonrefundable registration fee paid once per semester. Refund Policy

$120 for the noncredit option in a .5-credit course*
$180 for the noncredit option in a 1-credit course*
$260 for the noncredit option in a 1.5-credit course*
$320 for the noncredit option in a 2-credit course*
$520 for the noncredit option in a 3-credit course*
$625 for the noncredit option in a 4-credit course*

Your registration for course(s) means you assume responsibilities for paying all tuition and fees associated with your registration. Unless you withdraw by the deadline noted in the refund policy you are responsible for charges even if you did not attend a single class.

*plus applicable fees. In addition to the tuition and any listed studio/lab fees, there is a $25 nonrefundable noncredit registration fee paid once per semester. Please note: Specialized course tuition rates may vary from the above.

Students who register for a noncredit seat do not receive college credit, grades, or a transcript. Assessment is given on a pass/fail basis.
This option is open to students 16 years of age or older.
Noncredit spaces are limited, early registration is advised. Early registration discounts do not apply to these courses.
Office Hours are available at the discretion of the faculty and by appointment only.
Students may not switch between the credit and noncredit sections of these courses after the add/drop period.

Adult Noncredit Programs