Lifelong Learning

Purchase College welcomes students of all ages to attend!

Adult Noncredit Programs

Whether your goal is to pursue a passion, hone or acquire skills for job progression, you will find courses and programs at Purchase College that will meet your needs. Purchase College offers:

Professional Certificates - Courses may be taken individually without commitment to a program.
Personal Enrichment Courses
Undergraduate Courses with Noncredit Seats
Courses and programs through online partners

Summer immersion in visual arts, performing arts, music, filmmaking, architecture, creative writing, journalism, STEM, and digital arts gives youth and precollege students the opportunity to explore their passions and discover themselves. Fall and spring courses are also available.

Rising or graduating seniors may also be able to register for undergraduate courses.

A student reading papers outside

Courses for College Credit

Earn college credit throughout the year either in-person or online. Purchase College offers undergraduate credit courses during the summer session (variety of in person, synchronous, asynchronous, and combined courses) and winter session (100% online asynchronous courses) to help you get ahead or catch up on credits. These terms offer an excellent opportunity to delve into a topic in depth, explore a potential major, or earn credits.

Visiting students are welcome to register in any of our standard semesters, as well as the summer and winter sessions. There is no formal application and acceptance process. Simply create your student account and register today!

Older Adult Auditing Program

New York State residents who are at least 60 years of age are welcome to enroll tuition-free ($50 special auditor’s fee; $25 Purchase College ID processing fee (one-time fee for new students. If you have a current ID card, this fee does not apply)) as a “special auditor” each semester, including summer session, in a maximum of two credit-bearing, on-campus courses in which space is available to special auditors.

Registration is a web-based request process for both in-person and online classes. Please reference the Older Adult Auditing Program Registration Information and Process for details.

CSEA Members

If you are a member of CSEA, you may be able to use a tuition voucher to pay for a credit or noncredit course.

Undergraduate credit courses offered by the School of Continuing Education are open to anyone qualified to do college-level work. Many undergraduate courses in the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences and some courses in the School of the Arts at Purchase College are also open to the public on a space-available basis during the fall and spring semesters. Proficiency in English is required, and students must meet any course prerequisites.

Adults with a high school diploma or its equivalent are welcome to register.

Older Adult Auditing Program: New York State residents who are at least 60 years of age are welcome to enroll tuition-free as a “special auditor” each semester, including summer session, in a maximum of two credit-bearing, on-campus courses in which space is available to special auditors. Refer to the academic calendar for the dates of in-person older adult registration. Go to Registration Procedures and Older Adult Registration Information and Process for additional information.

Visiting students from other colleges are responsible for obtaining approval from their college to transfer Purchase College credits back to their college before registering for credit courses. They are also personally responsible for the college’s tuition, fees, and other applicable charges and are bound by all college policies. For financial aid, please contact the financial aid office at your home institution.

High school students who wish to enroll in credit courses must have (a) completed their junior year and (b) received approval from Purchase College to register. High school students are strongly encouraged to only consider lower-level (1000–2999) credit courses and are responsible for meeting any prerequisites.

Please review the following:

Course Load and Overload (Academic Policies)
Registration Procedures (Office of the Registrar)
Tuition and Fees (Office of Student Financial Services)

Winter Session and Summer Session courses are equivalent to those offered during the academic year; therefore, students should expect to devote at least as much time to each winter session and summer session course as they do during any other semester.

Independent Studies and Tutorials
Only students who are enrolled in a degree program at Purchase College are eligible for independent studies or tutorials.

Academic Integrity
All students are bound by the Student Code of Conduct at Purchase College, which includes the college policy on academic integrity. Any form of academic dishonesty is considered extremely serious and may result in disciplinary action, including expulsion.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (Academic Policies)

School of Continuing Education