August 3, 2010 — Looking to do something productive and fulfilling in your evenings this fall?

Registration begins Wednesday for fall semester, non-credit, personal enrichment classes – without tests or grades – offered by the University of Virginia's School of Continuing & Professional Studies. It's just learning for the sake of learning.

Current or retired faculty, advanced graduate students and experts from the local community teach four- and eight-week evening courses on more than 30 subjects, including 17 new courses. Tuition ranges from $100 to $250.

Academic Division faculty and staff can pay for two of these courses per semester with their $2,000 annual education benefit.

Class subjects range from business and finance to religion, local history, arts and music; from writing, to gardens and landscaping, to foreign languages. There are even courses examining the big questions of life, including "A Course in Consciousness," "Life Beyond Earth," and "The Mystic Quest: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity."

The short courses priced at $100 include: "The Changing State of Virginia Politics," "Personal Finance," "A Study in Slow Food: The Apple," "Writing for Everyday Life" and "Roadside Virginia."

Most classes begin in mid-September, with some additional classes starting in October and early November. Most classes start at 6:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. New this semester, a few classes start earlier, at 5 p.m.

Online catalog and course listings are available here.

For additional questions or assistance registering, call 434-982-2779.