Humanities and culture | CCE University of Sydney
Centre for Continuing Education

Humanities and culture courses

Humanities and culture courses. We don’t just teach, we inspire.

Exploring the depths of culture, philosophy and history has never been so accessible. Learn from experts in the field and create an everlasting bond with some of the world’s most impactful reading material. Our comprehensive humanities and culture courses offered at the University of Sydney provide students with unending knowledge that touches our roots while building towards the future.

Don’t be intimidated by our knowledgeable faculty – they know their stuff but they also understand that everyone starts somewhere, which is why we welcome inquiring minds without prejudice. Step up to unleash your inner scholar and get energised by mind-stimulating discourse amongst like-minded peers. Meet friends, form opinions and come out of it with a cultural experience you won’t soon forget!

Sign up now for your very own inspiring experience. We offer groundbreaking opportunities to unlock your intellectual potential, turning everyday people into more thoughtful citizens able to appreciate their pasts and consider their futures more deeply. So say farewell to mundane education and open your world through humanities and culture today!

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Meet your facilitators

Dr. John Merchant graduated from the University of Sydney with Honours in Zoology and Psychology. He also holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Western Sydney. His career has...

Hon Assoc Prof / PhD(Phil)
Dr Kerry Sanders gained her PhD in Philosophy at the University of Sydney. She has taught topics including the philosophy of mind; ethics; critical thinking; political philosophy; contemporary...

Creator & interviewer, Front Up (SBS TV) Channel Host, World Movies Channel Presenter, Movies This Week, Ovation & World Movies Channels Founder and editor A career journalist, Hungarian born...

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Writing the Real Course

Creative writing. Express yourself with the written word. This writing course offers you a rich immersion in creative nonfiction, practical tuition and instruction in composition and style, along with plenty of opportunities to write and be inspired. You’ll learn how to approach nonfiction with imagination, discipline and lyricism. The course explores the distinctions between fiction and nonfiction and the meanings of real and truthful. It encourages writers to understand... [More]
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Writing the Real Course

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<p>This writing course offers you a rich immersion in creative nonfiction, practical tuition and instruction in composition and style, along

...
2024-09-03 Tue 3 Sep 2024 - 2024-09-24 Tue 24 Sep 2024
4 sessions, 12 hours total
6pm - 9pm (UTC+10:00)
Face-to-face (CCE Building, Newtown)
Course added to cart. Checkout now.
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Writing the Real Course

<p>{block name:"Course Tagline - Creative Writing"}</p>

<p>This writing course offers you a rich immersion in creative nonfiction, practical tuition and instruction in composition and style, along

...
2024-11-14 Thu 14 Nov 2024 - 2024-12-05 Thu 5 Dec 2024
4 sessions, 12 hours total
6pm - 9pm (UTC+11:00)
Online via Zoom
Course added to cart. Checkout now.
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If there isn't a class to suit you, please join the waiting list.

Creative Writing Course

Creative writing. Express yourself with the written word. Designed to give you the practical skills to approach your creative writing projects with confidence, this creative writing course is built around particular topics integral to the writing process such as: voice, place evocation, characterisation, structure, sentence-craft and editing. Using exercises to get started, we will look at the basic elements of creative writing (fiction, nonfiction and poetry) and at ways to... [More]
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Creative Writing Course

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<p>Designed to give you the practical skills to approach your creative writing projects with confidence, this creative writing course is built

...
2024-10-08 Tue 8 Oct 2024 - 2024-10-29 Tue 29 Oct 2024
4 sessions, 12 hours total
6pm - 9pm (UTC+11:00)
Face-to-face (CCE Building, Newtown)
Course added to cart. Checkout now.
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Philosophy Course: Simone de Beauvoir

Philosophy. Study the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence. Existentialism is concerned with the drama of human existence: the quest for an ‘authentic’ life; existential ‘angst'; human freedom; and the absurdity of existence. This ten-week course will explore Simone de Beauvoir’s philosophical existentialism and her many novels. We will compare and contrast her form of existentialism to Jean-Paul Sartre's, her long-time friend, lover and nemesis. Philosophical... [More]
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Philosophy Course: Simone de Beauvoir

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<p>Existentialism is concerned with the drama of human existence: the quest for an ‘authentic’ life; existential ‘angst'; human freedom; and the

...
2024-10-14 Mon 14 Oct 2024 - 2024-12-16 Mon 16 Dec 2024
10 sessions, 20 hours total
10am - 12pm (UTC+11:00)
Online via Zoom
Course added to cart. Checkout now.
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If there isn't a class to suit you, please join the waiting list.

Jung and Dreams Course

Psychology. Explore the human mind. Dreams can be a rich source of information about our real selves, but many people wonder if they communicate anything of significance. In this psychology course, a practising Jungian analyst will introduce you to the symbolic language of dreams. By learning how to correlate dreams with events in waking life, you can use the creative potential of the dreamscape for greater self-awareness. Outcomes By the end of this course, you should be able to:... [More]
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Jung and Dreams Course

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<p>Dreams can be a rich source of information about our real selves, but many people wonder if they communicate anything of significance. In this

...
2024-10-15 Tue 15 Oct 2024 - 2024-11-19 Tue 19 Nov 2024
6 sessions, 12 hours total
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+11:00)
Face-to-face (CCE Building, Newtown)
Course added to cart. Checkout now.
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Great Philosophical Essays Course

Philosophy. Study the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence. The philosophical essay, in its modern form, originates from the late-sixteenth-century France with Michel de Montaigne, who “retired from political life, shut himself in his library, and tried something new”. In 1580, he published the first version of the Essays. In this course we will look at the ideas of some of the most significant philosophers and public thinkers through their essays. The essay form... [More]
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Great Philosophical Essays Course

<p>{block name:"Course Tagline - Philosophy"}</p>

<p>The philosophical essay, in its modern form, originates from the late-sixteenth-century France with Michel de Montaigne, who “retired from

...
2024-10-16 Wed 16 Oct 2024 - 2024-12-18 Wed 18 Dec 2024
10 sessions, 20 hours total
10am - 12pm (UTC+11:00)
Online via Zoom
Course added to cart. Checkout now.
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If there isn't a class to suit you, please join the waiting list.

Watercolour Course for Beginners

Visual arts. Open to everyone. Have you ever thought you might enjoy watercolour painting? It’s such a wonderfully soft and expressive medium, quite delicate; but dynamic. Then this relaxed weekend could be just for you. Your facilitator, a master of fine art, will guide you step-by-step through the basic techniques and skills. After spending just two days learning watercolour, you will have attained the confidence to paint pictures you will be proud to show your family and... [More]
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Watercolour Course for Beginners

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<p>Have you ever thought you might enjoy watercolour painting? It’s such a wonderfully soft and expressive medium, quite delicate; but dynamic. Then

...
2024-10-19 Sat 19 Oct 2024 - 2024-10-26 Sat 26 Oct 2024
2 sessions, 10 hours total
10am - 3pm (UTC+11:00)
Face-to-face (CCE Building, Newtown)
Course added to cart. Checkout now.
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History Course: The Lost Kingdoms of Ethiopia

History. See the future. It’s in the past. Ethiopia is one of the most fascinating countries in Africa - it has historic towns, some of which date back to the time of the Roman Empire or the Crusades, magnificent churches and the ruins of palaces. The Ethiopian monarchs claimed descent from Menelik I, whom it was believed was the son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Join us as we explore the history and culture of the Ethiopian monarchy which lasted until 1974. Left behind were... [More]
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History Course: The Lost Kingdoms of Ethiopia

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<p>Ethiopia is one of the most fascinating countries in Africa - it has historic towns, some of which date back to the time of the Roman Empire or the

...
2024-10-26 Sat 26 Oct 2024 2024-10-26
1 session, 6 hours total
10am - 4pm (UTC+11:00)
Face-to-face (CCE Building, Newtown)
Course added to cart. Checkout now.
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Drawing Course for Beginners

Visual arts. Open to everyone. This introductory drawing course covers the basics of drawing techniques through a practical study of form, shading, colour and perspective. You'll gain the skills needed to produce a lovely landscape, still life, figure drawing and more. Fun and relaxing, this drawing course for beginners is accessible to anyone wanting to explore their creative potential. Outcomes By the end of this course, you should be able to: recognise the nuances of subtle... [More]
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Drawing Course for Beginners

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<p>This introductory drawing course covers the basics of drawing techniques through a practical study of form, shading, colour and perspective.

...
2024-11-02 Sat 2 Nov 2024 - 2024-11-09 Sat 9 Nov 2024
2 sessions, 10 hours total
10am - 3pm (UTC+11:00)
Face-to-face (CCE Building, Newtown)
Course added to cart. Checkout now.
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History Course: The Villa of the Papyri and its Treasures

History. See the future. It’s in the past. Still largely buried under 20 metres of volcanic sludge from the AD79 eruption of Vesuvius, this sumptuous Roman villa may yet yield incredible artistic and literary treasures. When it was tunnelled into during the 18th century, 62 fine bronzes and 22 marble statues were discovered and removed. The contents of an ancient library with over 1,800 charred papyrus scrolls were also recovered. What might still be there and what if Vesuvius were... [More]
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History Course: The Villa of the Papyri and its Treasures

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<p>Still largely buried under 20 metres of volcanic sludge from the AD79 eruption of Vesuvius, this sumptuous Roman villa may yet yield incredible

...
2024-11-02 Sat 2 Nov 2024 2024-11-02
1 session, 6 hours total
10am - 4pm (UTC+11:00)
Face-to-face (CCE Building, Newtown)
Course added to cart. Checkout now.
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The Poetry Workshop

Creative writing. Express yourself with the written word. Description: What a Poem Is; What a Poem is For; and How You Make One A poem is a sculpture of voice. It’s what a poet’s heart says to her mind, and her voice finds a body for. Each good poem is shapely god; keeping its own secrets, it tells us our own. Poetry, in a sense, is what happens—to the writer and the reader—when we insist on more from language than we do in daily life and prose. A poem, says Marie Howe, is a small... [More]
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The Poetry Workshop

<p>{block name:"Course Tagline - Creative Writing"}</p>

<p><em>Description: What a Poem Is; What a Poem is For; and How You Make One</em></p>

<p>A poem is a sculpture of voice. It’s what a poet’s

...
2024-11-08 Fri 8 Nov 2024 2024-11-08
1 session, 8 hours total
9am - 5pm (UTC+11:00)
Face-to-face (CCE Building, Newtown)
Course added to cart. Checkout now.
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Subjects
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