Academic Programming
Our faculty, made up of current and retired educators and subject matter experts, deliver a variety of university-quality, non-credit courses and lectures for curious adults. Membership is required to register for fall/spring semesters; the winter/summer sessions are open to all.
Summer Series: May 27–August 12
The series — open to Osher members and non-members — features six in-person lectures and six lectures livestreamed from Osher at Dartmouth College. Registration is $125 per person for all 12 lectures. We hope you’ll join us!
107 Days at Sea: The Journey that Changed Everything
Wednesday, May 27, 10 a.m.
Freud and Gandhi
Wednesday, June 3 at 10 a.m.
The Blue Zones: Living Longer, Better
Wednesday, June 10 at 10 a.m.
Odysseus and the Ladies: A Hero is Defined
Wednesday, June 17 at 10 a.m.
Five Generations, Zero Rulebook
Wednesday, June 24 at 10 a.m.
The 21st Century Supreme Court and Threats to Democracy
Wednesday, July 1 at 10 a.m.
How is AI Transforming America? delivered by Osher at Dartmouth
Starts Wednesday, July 8 at 9 a.m.
Previous Osher Zoom Lectures
A superexplosion opens a new window on the universe
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away two objects collided and generated a set of waves that revolutionized the study of the cosmos.
Together: Baltimore faith leaders breaking barriers and building bridges
Learn about initiatives being taken by two congregations and the positive outcomes that have come from relationship building.
The return of Brood X: The mysterious Magicicada
Periodical Cicadas, Magicicada spp, remain a mystery to biologists. The public becomes aware of their existence only when vast numbers emerge from the ground synchronously, every 13 or 17 years. While their presence is hard to ignore when they are out and about, what they are doing the rest of their lives and why they are doing it is only partially understood.
What is it about the number four?
No one wants to be number four. You can’t win an election or even a Scrabble game by placing fourth. We begin at the dawn of civilization and then look at the polytheistic gods of Egypt, Babylon and Greece. Next, we’ll look at the fours in Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Then there were the four kings in France, England and Germany. Who tells Chaucer’s fourth tale? What's Shakespeare’s fourth play? You'll never see the number four the same way again.
Casablanca and the films it influenced
Casablanca (1942) is one of the most popular, critically acclaimed and simply beloved American films and sits at the top of critics' polls as one of the top films in world cinema history. Learn about the film's making, casting and its influences on modern cinema.