Personal Enrichment
Just for Fun Courses
Program Overview
Our “Just for Fun” courses are offered for your personal enjoyment and satisfaction, rather than for professional or academic purposes. They give you an opportunity to pursue one’s interests, hobbies, or passions, without the pressure of grades or the expectation of a career-related outcome.
Satisfy your curiosity.
Learn something new and fun.
Connect with others.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Taking courses just for fun is a great way to explore new interests, learn new skills, and expand your knowledge base. It’s also a great way to meet new people and connect with others who share similar interests. Additionally, these courses can provide a sense of personal fulfillment and satisfaction and can serve as a way to relieve stress and promote mental health.
Program Courses
Please click the course titles below for details.
Music for the Movies (Feb. 3-March 10, 2025)
Urban Hiking Tour of Knoxville (April 2-23, 2025)
Dance in Midcentury Hollywood Musicals (April 3-May 8, 2025)
NEW! The Animated Screen (Nov. 3-Dec. 1, 2025)
Exploring the Night Sky (Nov. 3-24, 2025)
NEW! An Exploration of Artificial Intelligence – ONLINE (Nov. 4-Dec. 2, 2025)
Student Testimonial
Through the Landscape & Garden Design Certificate, I was able to cultivate the skills and best techniques necessary to properly design and install my own landscape and hardscape concepts. Moreover, I acquired a much more expansive knowledge of local resources, including the instructor’s extensive proprietary plant selection list for our East Tennessee growing zones, which truly made my dream garden outstanding.
Mary Woody, Former Landscape and Design Certificate Student
Meet Your Instructors
Kathaleen Boche
Kathaleen Boche is an educator, writer, and historian. With training as a dancer, analyzing movement and choreography is part of her research and writing. Her writing focuses on dance and nationalism during the Cold War, from ballet to Hollywood musicals. She also has experience in public history, arts administration, and dance criticism.
John Cooper
John Cooper is a retired professor of electronic media and film studies at Eastern Michigan University, where he taught for 30 years. He wrote the instructor’s manual for “Broadcasting, Cable, the Internet and Beyond,” the preeminent text for introductory media students.
Cooper holds a bachelor’s degree in radio, film, and television from Miami (Ohio) University, a master’s degree in telecommunication arts from the University of Michigan, and a doctorate in mass communication from Bowling Green State University.
Paul Lewis
Paul Lewis is a senior teaching lab and tutor specialist for the UT Department of Physics. He is an astronomer extraordinaire, passionate about sharing his love of the night sky with others.
Register Today
Explore new interests, learn new skills, and expand your knowledge base.
