UCLA Extension courses

With nearly one hundred Academy Award nominations collectively, the Newman family has been a fundamental force in shaping the sound of American cinema over the last century. Their work traces the evolution of movie music, from grand orchestral scores and the…

An introduction to local language models, showing participants how to install, configure, and run lightweight LLMs directly on their own computers — providing privacy, control, and offline capability. We’ll explore the open-source ecosystem and demonstrate…

Fandom is one of the most powerful cultural and economic forces shaping modern entertainment, sports, gaming, and brands. This course examines fandom as a structured system and how fan communities form, grow, organize, commercialize, fracture, and endure,…

Art and science are not separate disciplines, but two sides of the same fundamental human impulse to observe, understand, and create. In this course, we explore the indivisible connections between the aesthetic and the methodical, examining the convergence…

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, organizations must adapt quickly to complexity, uncertainty, and changing customer needs. Driving Value through Agile Principles and Mindset introduces students to the foundational concepts of Agile methodology…

This advanced course pushes your basic SketchUp skills to the next level. You develop a model that includes interior and exterior spaces. This course is designed to provide the necessary skills to thoroughly develop a model for presentation and construction…

Alumni, current students and program instructors are on hand at this free information session to answer any questions you may have regarding the program. If you are interested in becoming a landscape designer or a landscape architect, sign up today! Program…

Interested in turning your passion for plants into a profession? The Horticulture & Gardening program offers courses to get you on your way, whether you're seeking a new career path or the knowledge to better care for your own landscape. This free information…

Recent policy developments indicate that there will be a minimum 10% tariff on all goods for at least the next three and a half years, and international relations have led to tariff rates surging as high as 145% (J.P. Morgan, 2025).* What implications does…

Gustav Klimt embodied the aesthetic preoccupations of turn-of-the-century Vienna's dazzling intellectual world. Although widely regarded as the greatest talent of the Viennese avant-garde, Klimt remained a lightning rod for controversy, with his work…

Hollywood may be more famous for its divorces than its weddings, but few subjects have sparked as entertaining, insightful and funny movies as Hollywood’s take on marriage. In this course, we analyze how even the most entertaining films can deliver…

A monthly community write in that is designed to support writers who crave creative momentum, connection, and a nurturing community. Rooted in the values of UCLA Extension Writers’ Program, this monthly meetup offers space to write, share, explore, and engage…

Ikebana expresses the beauty and elegance of nature through a transformation of plant materials into a work of art. In Japan, ikebana--or flower arranging--has been perfected and elevated to an art form. Its beauty dazzles shoppers in giant displays in the…

How do you create a narrative series, sell it, get it produced, and retain your vision throughout the creative process - without going insane and mortgaging your soul? In this course you uncover methods to preserve your sanity, (almost) but additionally you…

A hands-on workshop where participants learn how to design, build, and deploy their own Custom GPTs and create simple AI automations using platforms such as ChatGPT and Perplexity. We’ll focus on practical, real-world use cases that help educators and…

OLLI at UCLA members who enroll into this course receive access to a selection of past program recordings in their Canvas student portal. Enjoy more than 50 recordings of 1-day lectures, virtual tours, guest speaker interviews, previous Beyond the Headlines…

Overview of drug development from molecule to product, manufacture to regulatory and product launch. Basic scientific principles in drug development are covered with an emphasis on quality management principles, focusing on GxPs, including GLP, GMP, GDP, GCP…

Today's medical manufacturing environment requires state-of-the-art manufacturing processes to deliver the highest quality components for the lowest cost. This course focuses on manufacturing materials, processes and equipment that are routinely used in the…

This course provides a foundation for medical device industry professionals seeking to solidify their understanding of quality systems requirements and process development best practices. This enables students to successfully engage within medical device…

This course surveys world history from the sixth century into the mid-eighteenth century: the "middle" period between classical antiquity and modern times. The focus will be on cultural-technological exchange, interaction and interdependence. The first part…

This course surveys major civilizations of Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas from 3,500 BC to 600 AD. Focusing on the rise of agricultural civilizations based on cities, instruction examines the geographical, environmental and economic factors that led…

UCLA Extension's History of California course delves into the economic, social, intellectual, and political evolution of the state from its earliest beginnings to the modern era. This comprehensive Emerging / Needs Review program offers students a deep…

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to fundamental principles and concepts behind the use and application of geographic information systems (GIS). Students learn how to think spatially, become familiar with information technology, produce…

Exploration of ways in which human activity impacts the natural environment and how modification of the environment can eventually have significant consequences for human activity. This course uses case studies to examine real environmental problems that…

This is the second in a sequence of three courses (XL 1, XL 2, XL 3) covering first year college-level French. Instruction emphasizes past and future verb tenses, commands, object pronouns, idiomatic expressions and the expansion of cultural vocabulary using…

This course begins a sequence of three courses (XL 1, XL 2, XL 3) covering first year college-level French using a communicative, thematically based approach. This approach develops speaking, listening, reading and writing skills, as well as an understanding…

The internship program allows certificate students to receive elective credit for work performed with companies in the film, television, and entertainment media communities. Students must work a minimum of 120 hours in order to receive the 4 units of credit…

In this detailed exploration of low-budget filmmaking, learn techniques and theories examining all phases of the process, from development to production to post-production. The focus is on translating a minimum budget into maximum quality on screen. Topics…

From concept to completion, learn to produce commercials for TV as well as for all integrated marketing platforms (video games, cinema, Internet, TV and cell phones). You break down storyboards; write specifications; create bids; estimate special FX,…

This workshop is designed for producers, development executives and writers seeking to understand all the elements that go into an original series proposal for television. You study the creative development process from start to finish--from first idea to…

In the Internet age, uploading your work to YouTube or Vimeo is imperative, and successful producers/directors/actors can now demonstrate a growing online audience. This course shows you how to create a public face and promotional platform for your creative…

Emphasizing how new technologies continue to impact post-production, this course provides an overview of the post-production pipeline from dailies through delivery. Class topics include a step-by-step overview of each stage of the process and building the…

This survey course presents an overview of the real-world aspects of producing as practiced in the various sectors of filmed entertainment, from script development through pre-production and production. Topics include the producer's interface with the writer,…

This course focuses on the social aspect of sustainability, which at its core is about human well-being. The emphasis is on behaviors and characteristics of the individual as well as the larger group and community influences that help shape and transform the…

This introductory survey lays the foundation for the study of global sustainability. With universal principles as a broad framework, this course provides a basic understanding of environmental systems and the interrelationship and effect of humans upon the…

This course is designed for marketing professionals, business leaders, entrepreneurs, consultants, and technically curious practitioners who want to move beyond basic AI tools and implement AI-powered marketing systems end-to-end. Participants gain both…

For over 75 years, the Lean and Six Sigma methodologies have been helping organizations meet and exceed customer requirements while becoming more efficient and profitable. Lean and Six Sigma help organizations develop and deliver near-perfect products and…

This course explores the growing role of AI technologies in real estate markets, covering topics such as property valuation, predictive analytics, use of machine learning to optimize investment strategies, location selection, and migration patterns so…

This course studies construction materials, equipment, methods and regulatory influences. Topics include construction for site and civil work; seismic resistance; technology of basic building materials; interior and exterior finishes and plumbing, electrical…

This course covers the basic principles and responsibilities in construction management, including interface requirements between real estate, leasing, legal, feasibility, finance, lending, marketing, accounting and public agencies; defining and controlling…

This course provides a general introduction to the study of plant structures and functions, emphasizing these aspects as they relate to the natural survival and cultivation of plants. Topics include types and functions of leaves, stems, flowers and fruits;…

Work one-on-one with a current Visual Arts instructor who guides development of a meaningful project geared toward a portfolio piece, competition, freelance assignment, or other advanced goal. Students choose their own mentors from instructors currently…

Survey of various methodologies in comparative study of religious ideologies and action systems, including understanding particular religions through descriptive and structural approaches, and identification of social and psychological factors that may…

Students learn introductory drafting, lettering and perspective drawing techniques as they relate to the field of Landscape Architecture and professional standards. All work product is developed from Tongva Park, a real site located in Santa Monica. At the…

This construction drawing course imparts a working knowledge of procedures and techniques. Students learn the process of assembling a complete and comprehensive set of construction drawings in which title and base sheets, dimensioned layout sheets, and…

This conversation course is for more advanced Spanish speakers who want to continue improving their oral Spanish skills. Using authentic sources from Latin America, students improve their spoken Spanish through interpretation, imagination, and critical…

A continuation of Spanish I, Part II is an immersion-style course. After a first session in English, instruction is conducted in Spanish. The course offers an easy, no stress way to build on what you learned in the first course and is great for those with…

A director must have the ability to interpret and translate the written ideas of the screenplay into cinematic form. This overview lecture course gives the aspiring director a comprehensive practical understanding of the film director's craft--the language,…

This course is designed to develop the writer's individual theatrical style through the writing of scenes and a 1-act play (or work toward a full-length play). You explore the dimensions of writing for the stage through key areas of craft, including language,…

UCLA Extension's Paralegal Training Program (PTP) is approved by the American Bar Association and seeks to prepare students to function as ethical, effective and efficient professional paralegals in law firms, businesses, government and nonprofit…