Humanities
From ‘Africa today’ to ‘Writing fiction’, the Humanities department offers an extraordinarily wide variety of part-time courses. Many of our tutors are nationally recognised in their own fields, with award-winning novelists, poets and writers for children; published historians on everything from the ancient world to modern London; and practising professionals in the media.As a learner you can also benefit from our partnerships with organisations such as the British Film Institute and close links with The British Museum, the London Transport Museum and many others.
» For Advanced English courses for speakers of other languages and Brush up your grammar courses please see the Humanities courses in the English, Maths and ESOL section.
» Click here to view a prospectus pdf for Humanities
- A taste of creative writing
- Advanced autobiographical writing
- Advanced critical workshop for creative writers
- Autobiographical writing
- Autobiographical writing continuation
- Autobiography into fiction
- Biography writing
- Comedy sketch writing
- Comedy writing for TV: the mechanics
- Creating fiction
- Creative non-fiction
- Creative non-fiction: a taster
- Crime writing: an introduction
- Developing your writing
- Exploring creativity: from words to stories
- Exploring fiction
- Furthering your creative writing
- How to structure a poem
- How to write fiction
- How to write novels
- How to write short fiction
- Introduction to novel plotting
- Joke writing
- Novel writing
- Novel writing workshop
- Paths through poetry
- Playwriting: a taster
- Playwriting: an introduction
- Playwriting: stage 1
- Playwriting: stage 1 (continuation)
- Playwriting: stage 2
- Poetry in the making
- Poetry in the making with John Stammers
- Reading for writers
- Screenwriting: an introduction
- Screenwriting: stage 1
- Screenwriting: stage 2
- Short story writing: daytime
- Short story writing: evening
- Television screenwriting
- Television screenwriting: an introduction
- The creative writing hot pot
- The power of the pen
- Ways into creative writing
- Ways into creative writing: an introduction
- Ways into poetry
- Write a short story in a weekend
- Write nonsense! From Alice in Wonderland to Spike Milligan
- Writers' club
- Writing a short film
- Writing children's books
- Writing children's books (continuation)
- Writing children's books workshop
- Writing comedy for TV or film
- Writing comedy scripts
- Writing comedy scripts stage 2
- Writing comic prose
- Writing fiction
- Writing for children
- Writing for children (continuation)
- Writing for children workshop
- Writing for children: a taster
- Writing for children: the picture book
- Writing for the city
- Writing low-budget feature films
- Writing satirical comedy
- Writing song lyrics: a taster
- Writing your family biography
- Alternative cinema
- An introduction to film
- Art house adventure: the New Waves (film studies)
- Breaking into the film industry
- Brighton Rock (1947 and 2011): scene by scene (film studies)
- Classic cinema
- Contemporary cinema: the best films of the year
- Contemporary European cinema
- Farewell film noir
- Film at the BFI
- German expressionist cinema
- Horror, science fiction and fantasy cinema
- Imagining the documentary: styles and forms
- International animation (film studies)
- Key films of the 20th century
- MGM musicals: a new kind of musical
- Monday movies: an afternoon at the cinema
- The films of Roman Polanski
- The gangster film
- The golden age of British cinema: great expectations (film studies)
- The Hollywood studio system: 1915-1965
- The Red Shoes and Black Swan: scene by scene comparison (film studies)
- World cinema part one: Near and Middle Eastern cinema
- World cinema part two: the Far East and South America
- 19th century history: crime and punishment
- 19th century history: modernism and the changing world
- 19th century history: picturing the modern city
- 19th century history: Romanticism and politics
- 19th century history: scientific innovations
- Africa today: policies and visions for the future
- Africa today: the historical roots of contemporary problems
- Africa today: the political and economic dispensation
- An introduction to classical Greece
- An introduction to family history
- Arab nationalism and the birth of new states
- Arab Nationalism post 1945
- Arab nationalism: the roots
- British foreign policy in the 21st Century
- Capital tracks: how the railways shaped London 1836-2020
- Chinese people and cultures
- Chopin and Polish nationalism
- Crusader castles
- Current affairs: part 1
- Current affairs: part 2
- Dickens the chronicler of Victorian London
- Egypt: an age of splendour
- Emotion in sound: 19th century music
- European history 1919-1939: from Versailles to Munich
- European history: from Munich to the Iron Curtain
- From Constantine the Great to Charles of Anjou: medieval Sicily
- Games in Ancient Greece
- Globalisation: the philosophy of world affairs
- Greek heroes
- Handel and Royalty
- Haydn: a composer in the Holy Roman Empire
- Hieroglyphs for beginners
- Hippocrates' cases
- How parliament works
- Human rights and refugees in a global context
- International human rights: biased and selectively applied
- International relations and world conflict: part 1
- International relations and world conflict: part 2
- Introduction to classical Rome: history, politics and society
- Introduction to classical studies: poetry and visual arts
- J. F. Kennedy and the politics of the space race
- London 1875-1914: Hearth and home
- London: 1660-1714
- London: 1714-1760
- London: 1760-1815
- London: city of protest
- Medieval pilgrimage
- Mediterranean history from Homer to Chariton
- More current affairs
- Mystical and legendary London
- New York: music for the 19th century
- Public buildings in an age of empire: London 1875-1914
- Russian literature: 19th century romanticism
- Samuel Coleridge Taylor: 'the African Mahler'
- St Petersburg: home of Russian music
- Studies in 19th century literature: her master's voice
- The 19th century country house in British culture
- The causes of the Spanish Civil war
- The Egyptian way of death
- The environment of Ancient Egypt
- The first century of crusading: defeat in victory
- The First Crusade: people and places
- The Greek world: life and thought in classical Greece
- The legacy of Ancient Greece
- The making of Egypt: origins of the old kingdom
- The master musician from Leipzig: Richard Wagner
- The medieval quest for cures
- The music of Madrid
- The myth of the American West
- The power of the Holy
- The story of Andalucia
- The story of New York
- The story of St Petersburg
- The woman who surpassed all others in beauty: Helen of Troy
- Thera, 'The End of Atlantis'
- Towards a multipolar world order
- Turning points in China`s history: Opium Wars and Maoist revolution
- Understanding the Israel-Palestine conflict
- US history from 1876 to the present day
- US history: from the 'discovery' to 1876
- US history: slavery and its aftermath
- Warrior pharaohs
- What's in the news
- Women in Anglo-Saxon England
- A taste of food journalism
- Broadcast journalism
- Calling the tune: breaking into music journalism
- Freelance business journalism: an introduction
- Freelance journalism stage 2
- Freelance writing for newspapers and magazines
- How to write a press release
- Interviewing for print journalism
- Introduction to freelance journalism
- Journalism for second language speakers (for speakers of other languages)
- Journalism for second language speakers: a continuation (for speakers of other languages)
- Journalism: a taster workshop
- Journalism: the basics
- Print journalism for beginners
- Travel journalism workshop
- Travel writing workshop
- Write and sell your feature
- Writing reviews
- An introduction to literature: drama
- An introduction to literature: poetry and prose
- An introduction to literature: poetry, prose and drama
- AS level English literature
- City Lit evening reading group
- City Lit reading group
- Classic drama
- Classic short love stories
- Contemporary poetry
- Dante's Vita Nuova and the Pre-Raphaelites
- Detective fiction by women writers 1935-2005
- Drama in society
- Exploring the modern European novel
- Film of the book
- Introduction to poetry
- Literary Landscapes
- Love and desire in Shakespeare
- Make it new! How poetry became modern
- Metaphysical Poets: something understood
- Milton: Paradise Lost 'Our inner freedom'
- Modern American literature
- Poetry of the spirit
- Scenes from a narrative: exploring Howard's End
- Shakespeare in performance
- Shakespeare: comedy and errors
- Taking an impression: Conrad, Ford and Forster
- The 19th century novel
- The freedom of the short story
- The inner light: an exploration of Easter spiritual texts
- The plays of Anton Chekov
- The poems and letters of Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell
- The poet's voice
- The poetry of T.S. Eliot: Little Gidding
- The poetry of T.S. Eliot: The Dry Salvages
- Three classic novels
- Three Shakespeare's and a Marlowe
- Visiting London theatre today
- Ways into literature: drama
- Ways into literature: poetry and prose
- Ways into literature: poetry, prose and drama
- Women writers of the Fin de Siecle
- Women's lives and literature in the early twentieth century
- World fictions
- Christopher Wren's London
- Dickens' London
- Discovering London's curiosities past and present
- In the footsteps of London's rebels
- Literary London
- London 2012 sites
- London's quartiers
- London's Thames bridges
- Off the beaten track in London
- Power and politics
- Stories of London
- The City of London: the square mile
- A taste of philosophy
- Chinese philosophy
- Existentialism: an introduction
- Introduction to ethics
- Machiavelli and the importance of Realpolitik
- Money as meaning
- Philosophical life coaching
- Philosophy and aesthetics: art and anti-art
- Philosophy and psychoanalysis
- Philosophy and the ancient Greeks: Aristotle
- Philosophy and the ancient Greeks: Plato
- Philosophy and the self
- Philosophy of human relationships
- Philosophy of language and mind
- Philosophy of music
- Philosophy, Economics, and beyond
- Philosophy: critical thinking
- Political philosophy
- Reading Plato
- Towards the transparent self
- Ways into philosophy: great thinkers
- Ways into philosophy: key themes
- Ways into philosophy: philosophy in the Twentieth Century
- Worldly philosophers
- Worldly philosophers: part 1
- A brief history of christianity: part 1
- A brief history of christianity: part 2
- Christian ethics
- Christianity in the modern world
- Introduction to Islam part 1: history
- Introduction to Islam part 2: intellectual life
- Introduction to Islam part 3: art and culture
- Introduction to Islam part 4: contemporary society
- Science and Christianity
- The Bible: an introduction
- Theravadu and Mahayana Buddhism
Browse full range of courses
- Visual arts
- Art foundation and portfolio preparation courses
- Art history
- Basketry
- Bookbinding, book arts and conservation
- Calligraphy
- Ceramics
- Design
- Digital arts and graphics
- Drawing
- Drawing and painting from life
- Fashion and textiles
- Jewellery
- Mosaics
- Offsite and studio development courses
- Painting
- Printmaking
- Sculpture
- View all in Visual arts
- Find out more about the Visual arts department
- Photography
- Beginners
- Business and copyright
- Computer based photography courses
- Documentary and photojournalism
- Exhibiting your photographs
- History, theory and talks about photography
- Lighting and studio techniques
- Photographing London
- Photography and contemporary art practice
- Portfolio and project creation
- Printing courses
- Taking photography further: general
- Taking photography further: specialist
- Traditional techniques
- View all in Photography
- Find out more about the Photography department
- Languages
- Drama, dance and speech
- Accredited courses
- Acting - advanced
- Acting - follow-on
- Acting - introductory
- Acting short courses
- Arts administration
- Comedy
- Communication courses for speakers of other languages
- Communication skills for business
- Dance and movement
- Directing
- Drama teaching
- Drama therapy
- Internet broadcasting
- Musical theatre
- Performance skills
- Professional skills for actors
- Professional theatre company
- Stage combat
- Technical theatre
- TV, radio and sound
- Voice, speech and communication
- View all in Drama, dance and speech
- Find out more about the Drama, dance and speech department
- Humanities
- Music
- Cello
- Clarinet
- Classical guitar
- Flute
- Instrument playing
- Instrumental ensembles
- Jazz and popular music
- Music access course
- Music appreciation
- Music foundation
- Music technology
- Musicianship
- Piano and keyboards
- Record your performance
- Recorder
- Singing
- String ensembles
- Ukelele
- Violin
- View all in Music
- Find out more about the Music department
- Health and movement studies
- Alexander technique
- Anatomy and physiology
- Complementary health studies
- Continuing professional development for therapists
- Energy and healing
- Fitness workouts
- Health and fitness teacher training
- Massage and bodywork: introductory level
- Massage and bodywork: professional practitioner level
- Meditation and stress management
- Movement classes
- Nutrition and food safety
- Professional development for movement instructors
- Self-defence
- Yoga
- View all in Health and movement studies
- Find out more about the Health and movement studies department
- Computing
- Apple Mac
- Basic computing
- Bookkeeping
- Courses leading to a qualification
- Design and illustration
- Desktop publishing
- Digital Inclusion
- Explore your interests using a computer
- Keyboard skills
- Microsoft Office 2007 applications
- Programming
- Technical computing
- Web page design
- Windows and file management
- View all in Computing
- Find out more about the Computing department
- Psychology, counselling & personal development
- English, maths & ESOL
- Deaf education
- Careers in care work
- Access to higher education
- Progress - courses for people with learning difficulties
- Speech therapy
- Teacher & management training
Featured course
Alternative cinema
Why City Lit?
If you are looking for a great choice of inspiring courses; a bright, modern environment to learn in located in central London; the opportunity to have fun and meet like-minded people, we look forward to seeing you at City Lit!