OLLI at NC State offers over 200 programs each year, with a goal that at least 80% of our programs will be brand new and offered only once. Our emphasis is on program variety and creating a program menu that keeps members inspired and excited about learning year after year.
We organize our programs around seven thematic areas:
Arts and Architecture
Recent Arts and Architecture courses have included Fall 2025’s The Films of Albert Hitchcock and John Philip Sousa – The March King.
Business, Economics, Government and Politics
Recent Business, Economics, Government and Politics lectures have included Fall 2025’s Introduction to Foreign Exchange Rates and The Costs and Policy Responses of U.S. Natural Disasters.
Countries, Cultures, and History
Our members’ favorite programming area, recent Countries, Cultures and History courses have included Dia de los Muertos: Explore the Day of the Dead, Jimmy Carter’s Legacy as a Sunday School Teacher, and The World of Stonehenge and the Neolithic Revolution.
Lifestyle, General, Health and Wellness
Recent Lifestyle, General, Health and Wellness courses have included Fall 2025’s Sleep Better to Improve Your Health, Using Technology for Travel Planning and Be Proactive: Age Well and Prevent Falls
Literature and Writing
Recent Literature and Writing courses have included Fall 2025’s Grappling with The Great Gatsby, Shakespeare and Marlowe: Together Again, and Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol”: Read Aloud and Discuss.
Psychology, Philosophy and Religion
Recent Psychology, Philosophy and Religion courses have included Fall 2025’s The Future of the French-Jewish Community, The Enneagram- Is There More to Me? and Mathematics and Judaism.
Science and Technology
Recent Science and Technology lectures have included Fall 2025’s Plants with a Past: Living Fossils in our Gardens, Black Holes and The Evolution of Military Airpower.
Help Us Develop New OLLI Courses for Adults
Each year, we survey our members about their interests to inform the mix of programs in these topic areas. We also solicit course ideas from our broader membership during our Idea Weeks in the Fall and Spring semesters, and we accept ideas and suggestions throughout the year on our course surveys. We are committed to ensuring that our program offerings reflect the interests of our members.
We encourage you to share your ideas with us and to get involved in helping to develop our course menu by joining one of our Program Development Subcommittees.
