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Lifelong Learning
Sarah Lawrence Extension opens our college’s renowned spirit of inquiry to the broader community. Whether you’re exploring a new passion, returning to a long-held interest, or looking for thoughtful conversation, our non-credit offerings blend the hallmarks of a liberal arts education — small lectures, dialogue-based learning, and practicing faculty artists and scholars — with flexible formats that fit your life.
Tuesday Mornings
September 1, 2026
In Person at Center for the Urban River at Beczak
Faculty: Christina Tobitsch
Category: Workshop
Did you know the Hudson River is home to over 300 species of fish and invertebrates?
Learn about Hudson River ecology through a hands-on fishing experience and examination of historical data, and how to become active in CURB’s youth education programs.
September 8 – October 16 (6 weeks)
On campus
Faculty: Eric Leveau, PhD
Category: Regular Extension Course
Paris: from 1848 (2nd revolution that leads to the Second Republic before Napoleon III seizes power in 1851) to 1874 (Franco-Prussian war, fall of Napoleon III, beginning of the Third Republic, the episode of the Commune in Paris).
Wednesday Afternoons
September 9 – October 14, 2026 (6 weeks)
On campus
Faculty: Lyde Sizer, PhD
Category: Regular Extension Course
In roughly 15-year increments, these six lectures will illustrate the possible worlds of our mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers, beginning in the 1880s and stretching into the 1980s.
Tuesday Mornings
September 15, 2026
In Person at Center for the Urban River at Beczak
Faculty: Katie Lamboy Roman
Category: Workshop
Did you know that Westchester's aging wastewater infrastructure affects the health of our local waterways every year?
Learn about the current health of local rivers, including the Hudson River, community science water quality monitoring efforts, and how to get involved as a volunteer.
Monday Evenings
October 26 – December 7, 2026. No class week of Thanksgiving. (6 weeks)
Online
Faculty: Marty Goldray, DMA
Category: Regular Extension Course
The impact of The Beatles has been immeasurable. In their seven years as a recording band, they explored and enlarged every aspect of songwriting technique, producing one musical milestone after the next.
Wednesday Evenings
October 28 to December 9, 2026 (6 weeks)
On campus
Faculty: Jim Cullen, PhD
Category: Regular Extension Course
This course will focus on some of the most important movies of recent decades that have explored germinal moments in American history. Participants will need watch the films in advance. Access to movies is not provided. Please refer to Amazon Prime or a streaming service.
Thursday Afternoons
October 29 – December 10, 2026. No class week of Thanksgiving. (6 weeks)
On campus
Faculty: Deanna Barenboim, PhD
Category: Regular Extension Course
We will analyze psychological processes related to attachment and parenting; cognition and perception; social and emotional development; language acquisition; and moral development. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, our course will draw from developmental psychology, human development, cultural psychology, and psychological anthropology to address core issues in a range of geographic and sociocultural contexts.
On Demand Online
Online
Faculty: Joseph Forte, PhD
Category: On Demand
We begin with the origins of the struggle from the Famines of the “Little” Ice Age and the Devastating Wars of Religion between Protestant and Catholic factions in the 16th century to the Dutch rebellion against Spain and finally the Thirty Years War, culminating in the Peace of 1648 that assured the right of small states to exist and religious peace to be established without outside interference. These momentous events dominated the arts of the times from pictorial glorifications or condemnations of massacres to depictions of solemn social rituals and finally Bacchic revels to celebrate the “Peace to end all Wars.” Each lecture will start with a comparison of two images to set the stage for our discussions and help make this the dialogue the subject invites.
No prior experience required — just curiosity!
Anyone age 18 or older is welcome. Our programs are designed for adults of all ages and backgrounds; no prior college experience or connection to Sarah Lawrence is required. All you need is curiosity and an interest in learning.
No. Extension courses are open-enrollment and non-credit, meaning you don’t need to go through a formal admission process. Simply register online for the class or lecture you’d like to attend.
No. These are non-credit offerings for personal enrichment. No transcript or grade is issued.
Most courses run for six weeks, meeting for two hours once per week. Single-session lectures and workshops may also be offered. The exact length is listed in each course description.
Courses are offered on our Bronxville, New York, campus, online via Zoom, at the College's Center for the Urban River in Yonkers, or may be pre-recorded and available on demand. Each course listing specifies its format. Our campus is easily accessible by train or car, and parking information is provided upon registration.
Extension offerings span the arts, humanities, writing, social sciences, nature and ecology, and personal growth. You’ll find courses in memoir writing, art and design, contemporary issues, psychology, and more — topics that reflect the interdisciplinary spirit of Sarah Lawrence College. Topics vary by term.
Most courses are led by current and former Sarah Lawrence faculty. Some courses are taught by guest artists, graduate students, and subject-matter experts. Instructors are often practicing professionals passionate about sharing their work in an engaging, discussion-based format.
Most classes that have a lecture + discussion format have a maximum enrollment of 45 to foster dialogue, collaboration, and individual attention — hallmarks of the Sarah Lawrence approach. Studio and Conversation Class courses typically have a maximum of approximately 15 students, though this may vary slightly.
Tuition varies by course length and format. Most short courses are $480 for six weeks and lectures are $50, though this can vary. Check the course details for the exact tuition cost. Discounts are available for certain community groups.
We offer discounts for alumni, au pairs, and members of our Signature Learning Community. Email us at ExtensionCourses@sarahlawrence.edu for details!
Students who withdraw from a course 14 days or more prior to the start of the first or only class will receive a coupon code that they can use towards a future course or a credit card refund, minus a $50 administrative fee. Cancellation requests must be received in writing at ExtensionCourses@sarahlawrence.edu.
Students who cancel a course, lecture, workshop or event less than 14 days but more than 72 hours prior to the first or only class will receive a 50% refund, minus a $50 administrative fee. Cancellation requests must be received in writing at ExtensionCourses@sarahlawrence.edu.
No refunds are available for cancellations made 72 hours or less before the start of the first or only class.
Because they are available immediately upon purchase, no refunds are available for On Demand Courses after purchase.
Some classes include light readings or materials, which are shared digitally before the first session. Others may provide optional resources during the course.
Yes! Sarah Lawrence Extension welcomes new ideas from community members and teaching artists. Submit a proposal by emailing ExtensionCourses@sarahlawrence.edu with your concept. Please note that we are unable to fulfill every suggestion.
Join our mailing list for monthly updates on new courses, lectures, and events, plus early registration opportunities.