Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies


The University of Chicago Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies is one of the seven professional schools of the University of Chicago. The Graham School extends the University of Chicago’s intellectual mission to a broad community of students who seek professional skills or personal development via part-time and flexible programs of study. The Graham School fosters the University’s rigorous approach to learning and scholarship in the form of graduate degrees, certificate programs, and open courses in the professional studies, humanities, arts, and sciences. The Graham School offers five Master's programs, over 18 certificate programs, and a variety of credit and non-credit courses for graduate students at large, returning scholars, and adult learners. In addition, the Graham School manages the University of Chicago Summer Session, a series of academic programs for high school students, visiting college students, and international students, and conducts lecture series and other programs throughout the year. The Graham School's administrative offices can be found on the University of Chicago's main campus in the Hyde Park neighborhood. Summer Session programs and some courses are also held on the main campus. The majority of Graham School courses are conducted at the University of Chicago Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago.

History

Founded alongside the University of Chicago in 1890, the University's continuing education division operated in similar fashion to the Chautauqua movement at Oxford and Cambridge, with instructors traveling by train to teach in surrounding communities. The continuing education branch was reformed in 1997 with a $10 million donation from William and Catherine Graham, upon which the name of the division was changed to the William B. and Catherine V. Graham School of General Studies. On July 1, 2011 the school updated its name to the University of Chicago Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies.

Graduate Studies

The Graham School offers four Master's degrees and for-credit graduate-level courses through the Graduate Student-at-Large program:
The Graham School also offers graduate coursework without enrolling in a degree program through its Graduate Student-at-Large and Returning Scholar programs. Graduate students-at-large take University of Chicago graduate courses for grades and build a transferable record of study for matriculation into a degree program at the University of Chicago or elsewhere. Returning scholars audit University of Chicago courses, but are not graded for their work and do not build a transferable record of study.

Certificate Programs

Graham School certificate programs span a wide variety of topics from integrated marketing courses to liberal arts and humanities and are offered on a part-time basis. Upon completion of requirements, a certificate stating mastery of the given area is earned by the student. Because most courses are open-enrollment, students may take certificate courses without enrolling in a certificate program. These certificate programs fall under two broad categories: Humanities, Arts, and Sciences and Professional Programs.
Humanities Arts and Sciences provides intensive study on a specific, grounded in the tenets of a liberal arts education. The Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults, modeled after the University of Chicago Common Core, exposes students to the Great Books of antiquity and the Socratic method of teaching and discussion.
The Graham School offers Humanities, Arts, and Sciences certificates in the following area:
Professional Programs are short, intensive seminars aimed at students in the workforce. They offer educational expansion opportunities in 11 areas relevant to the modern business world. Upon completion of the required number of courses, a certificate showing the student’s mastery of the particular skill set involved is awarded.
The Graham School offers Professional Development Certificates in the following areas:
The Graham School’s non-credit offerings cover a wide variety of topics and are aimed at the college graduate who wishes to either expand their knowledge of a certain area or learn a marketable job skill. Non-credit courses are offered in the following areas:
Courses in certificate programs may also be taken, without enrolling in the certificate program.

Urban Teacher Education Program

The Graham School operates the Urban Teacher Education Program for Chicago Public Schools teachers. UTEP is a five-year program; students first go through a two-year Master of Arts in Teaching and licensure program, then a three-year series of "post-graduation supports."

Summer Session

The Graham School is also responsible for the University of Chicago Summer Session. Summer Session is open to anyone who wishes to attend, though participants are divided by academic standing. Courses run from the middle of June, after the University of Chicago lets out, in four sessions that last anywhere from three to nine weeks. Students live in the University's Max Palevsky Residential Commons and are supervised by Residential Heads and student Resident Assistants.

Faculty

Faculty for the Graham School comes from a wide variety of sources, though the majority of instructors are pulled from the University of Chicago at large. The Graham School has a tradition of using working professionals to teach in its business-oriented courses and certificate programs, as well as acquiring published authors to lead courses in their particular writing genre.

Public Events

The Graham School offers multiple lecture series open to the public.