UCLA xOpen Free Courses | UCLA Extension

Complimentary Courses & Seminars

In an ongoing effort to eliminate barriers to education and strengthen our global community’s connection to UCLA, we are proud to offer UCLAxOpen.

UCLAxOpen is your gateway to free personal enrichment and professional development through UCLA Extension.

Our complimentary online courses and seminars are thoughtfully designed to offer you timely and relevant lifelong learning opportunities.

*The courses offered below are numbered 700-799. These non-credit courses do not confer academic credit or continuing education units, and will not appear on student transcripts. Learn more about course numbers.

Accounting

Accounting Meet the Firms Event
February 4
Meet with several top accounting firms during our free in-person event to learn more about the industry, their firms, and career opportunities.

Business & Management

	Ballers: The Business of Athletes and Artists January 21 Learn how athletes and artists turn talent into brands, wealth, and cultural impact in sports and entertainment.
	Let's Make a Deal! February 12 Covers six key UCC Articles with focus on Article 2 contracts, exploring terms, negotiable instruments, secured transactions, warranties, documents of title, and financing in business contexts.
	Artificial Intelligence in Real Estate February 26 Join us for an engaging free webinar which will give you an introduction to our upcoming course “Artificial Intelligence in Real Estate".

Computer Science

Driving Value through Agile Principles and Mindset
January 22
For students looking to better understand the basics of Agile Methodology, this class will tough on the history of the craft, the differences between predictive( Waterfall) and Agile deliver methods and basic implementation in the workplace.

Beyond the Buffer: The Digital Media Revolution
February 5
Explore the evolving tech behind streaming media, from OTT and adaptive bitrate to delivery, analytics, and scalability, in this session designed for engineers, content creators, and curious minds alike.

Design & Art

	Disruptive Design: Creative Pathways in AI February 9 Join Roosevelt Brown, renowned product and footwear designer, for the first installment of this two-part series exploring how creatives can lead and thrive in a rapidly changing design landscape.
	Designing Your Next Chapter: Making the Leap into UX Design February 10 This session offers real-world advice and inspiration for anyone considering a career transition into the field of User Experience.
	Introduction to Visual AI: Exploring Generative AI Tools and Adobe Photoshop Integration March 6 This course offers a stimulating immersion into the intersection of technology and creativity

Early Childhood Education

	Hands on Sciences in Early Childhood Education January 29 Learn how to teach practical science lessons to early childhood education students. This course will give an overview on how to introduce students to different science fields and motivate them to learn science.
	Emotional Hygiene February 11 Learn how to create a daily practice of emotional hygiene for children.

Education

Preparing for College with Pathway
January 20
Pathway has been offered the college experience to students with disabilities since 2006. Come join us to learn how to prepare your neurodivergent student for postsecondary education! We will cover how to start preparing your high school student for college, what funding sources available for programs like ours, and the core skills needed to succeed at the college level.

Supporting Young Children’s Healing and Growth in a Time of Collective Trauma
May 18
This webinar addresses a critical challenge facing early childhood educators at this time; understanding the unique nature of collective trauma and how to support the healing and growth of young children in their care.

Engineering

	A Defect a Day Keeps the Customer Away January 29 This session explores customer-focused defect analysis using Lean and Six Sigma, distinguishing defect types and causes through real-world examples from manufacturing and service sectors to improve quality outcomes.
	Four Domains of Leadership January 20, February 24 Leadership is explored through four key domains, starting with personal ethics as the foundation.

Entertainment Studies

From Script to Screen to Stream, and Everything in Between: AI and the New Cinema Frontier
February 19
In this high-impact masterclass Anna Elizabeth James, celebrated writer-director-producer of the global Netflix hits Deadly Illusions and Held Hostage in My House, guides participants through the complete journey of taking an independent feature film from concept to worldwide streaming success.Ideal for writers, directors, producers, and multidisciplinary artists, this masterclass provides both inspiration and a practical roadmap in an industry defined by streaming disruption, technological change, and unprecedented opportunity for independent voices.

Finance

Personal Financial Planning Information Session: A Free Event
April 20
Attend this free live webinar to learn more about how UCLA Extension's CFP Board-approved Personal Financial Planning programs fit your needs and can help you reach your career goals.

OLLI Courses

Paul Williams: Architect to the Stars
March 16
Osher (50+). In this course, we explore the iconic structures of architect Paul Williams.

Writers' Program

	Writing Trauma January 24 Learn to write about traumatic experiences in this introductory lecture for writers of all experience levels.
	Character Arcs, the Lifeblood of Your Story February 2 Learn how your characters’ journeys form the backbone of your story.
	Creative Café: Food & Writing February 5 & 6 Discover inspiring ways to write about food in this brief workshop designed to activate your senses and tantalize your readers.
	Writing About Our Families February 7 Explore how to write about your family, from those you know well to ancestors you've never met.
	Writing the Love Poem February 12 Learn to write powerful poems inspired by romantic love.
	Writing Our Ancestors Into Fiction February 28 Draw connections between our present-day lives and interests with those of our ancestors as you work to draw them into your writing with care and craft.
	Simple Steps to Improve Your Writing February 28 Learn to master the writing process to develop stronger written communication in any context of your life.
	Introduction to Picture Books March 4 Learn how to start writing picture books in this basic workshop for absolute beginners.
	What Makes an Award-Winning Feature Film Screenplay March 8 Identify what makes acclaimed feature films so powerful and compelling in this lecture on award-winning films.
	Résumé Writing Basics March 14 Transform your resume into a powerful tool that will get you noticed in a competitive job market.
	Writing Poetry for Children April 1 Learn how to write poetry for very young readers in this workshop for absolute beginners.
	Braiding Uncertainty and Possibility: A Poetic Exploration April 2 Learn to approach the blank page with creativity and intentionality in your poetry.
	Meaningful Steps Into Poetry April 9 Take a guided approach to writing poetry by reading and discovering what makes poetry tick in this workshop perfect for beginners.
	Feng Shui Poetry April 11 Learn to build poems that capture emotions in the physical world using the principles of Feng Shui.
	Inclusive Screenwriting April 18 Learn why and how to write responsibly about characters with rich, complex identities in this course designed to maximize representation of voices and stories in film and television.