Courses in London & Online

The biggest choice of adult education short courses in London and online.

Looking for a course? City Lit has you covered. We have lots of courses, guided walks, expert talks, and events — more than any other college in London.

Whether you’re interested in a one-off talk or taster class, a short course over a few weeks, or a year-long programme. You'll find a course to suit your schedule and goals.

We offer online courses as well as hybrid, blended learning, and in-person courses in London.

 

A man painting ceramics in a class with two woman watching him.A man painting ceramics in a class with two woman watching him.

Browse all Courses by Category

Use our subject categories to find the right course for you. Narrow down your selection using the filters to find your course by level, location, start date, duration, and price.

Online Courses by Category

A male Italian tutor teaching Italian.A male Italian tutor teaching Italian.

Languages

Over 30 languages

A close up photograph of a woman's hands writing in a notebook.A close up photograph of a woman's hands writing in a notebook.

Writing

Become a published author

An elderly woman concentrating on painting in an art class.An elderly woman concentrating on painting in an art class.

Visual Arts

Explore Art & Design

A female tutor smiling and talking to a young black male student.A female tutor smiling and talking to a young black male student.

Skills for Life & Work

English & Maths

Learn from expert tutors

All our courses are taught by experts with professional industry experience. From published authors and academics to exhibited artists and performers.

A City Lit female lecturer pointing at a whiteboard as she is teaching a class.A City Lit female lecturer pointing at a whiteboard as she is teaching a class.

Business & Marketing

Upgrade your digital skills

Dr Martin O. Jorgensen, PhD teaching History at City LitDr Martin O. Jorgensen, PhD teaching History at City Lit

Humanities

Explore History, Culture, Science & More

Choose from thousands of courses

With our daytime, evening, and weekend courses, there's course that is convenient for you.

Centre for Deaf Education

BSL & Lipreading 

A young woman stretching in yoga classA young woman stretching in yoga class

Wellbeing & Massage

Gain skills in wellbeing

Three female students smiling and listening closely to their tutor.Three female students smiling and listening closely to their tutor.

Speech Therapy

Manage your stammer

Two female ballet dancers standing at the barre in a ballet class.Two female ballet dancers standing at the barre in a ballet class.

Performing Arts

Drama, Dance & Music

City Lit is a leading provider of adult education in London and all over the UK. It's the perfect place to learn something new, gain new skills, and build your confidence. From mastering new languages and honing creative skills to advancing your career with professional development courses. Whatever your passion or goal, our diverse curriculum has the perfect course to inspire your next step.

Taught by experts and practising professionals

All our courses are led by expert tutors including published authors, academics, practising artists, and experienced professionals; and they look forward to sharing their valuable knowledge and experience with you.


City Lit is a leading provider of adult education in London and all over the UK. It's the perfect place to learn something new, gain new skills, and build your confidence. From mastering new languages and honing creative skills to advancing your career with professional development courses. Whatever your passion or goal, our diverse curriculum has the perfect course to inspire your next step.

 

 

 

Filters(1)
Filters
Clear All Filters (1)

Items 1-15 of 16

Page
per page

16 courses available

  1. London at war - guided walks

    London has been shaped by war, conflict and unrest. It's buildings, monuments and even street names reflect our embattled past. These walks examine London's wartime legacy from medieval fortifications to the War on Terror. First lecture delivered via zoom followed by 8 guided walks; no class/break week 6/10/26.

    Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Tue 8 Sep 2026
    Eleanor Jackson
    Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £175.00
    Add to Compare
    Add to Compare View details
  2. City of words: London's literary landscape

    London has been muse, magnet and mecca to writers for 400 years, home to Shakespeare's successes, Dickens' dramas and Wilde's witticisms. After an introductory lecture (via zoom) we walk a different London neighbourhood each week exploring its literary connections.Break week/No class: 08/10/2026.

    Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Thu 10 Sep 2026
    Eleanor Jackson
    Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00
    Add to Compare
    Add to Compare View details
  3. Last Few Places
    The men who built London

    London was shaped by its architects, engineers, bricklayers, navies etc. Our lecture and walks examine London’s buildings and the men (and women) who worked throughout history to create this eclectic and wonderful city. First lecture will be delivered via zoom followed by 8 guided walks. Break week/no class 08/10/2026.

    Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Thu 10 Sep 2026
    Eleanor Jackson
    Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £175.00
    Add to Compare
    Add to Compare View details
  4. Evening
    City Lit a cappella
    This established ensemble sings original arrangements of jazz and popular songs. Develop your listening, timing, intonation, musical memory, and team work. New members with good music reading and aural skills are welcome. The group mixes in-person rehearsal and online sessions, working to record and perform our repertoire.

    Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Thu 17 Sep 2026 (and 1 other date)
    Della Rhodes
    Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00
    Add to Compare
    Add to Compare View all available dates
  5. Weekend
    4.6
    Italian beginners: module 1

    With its rich culture and history and its incredible landscapes and architecture, there are countless reasons to learn Italian. Whether you wish to learn Italian in order to make your visits to Italy more enjoyable, or because you'd like to speak with family and friends in their native language, this course will provide the groundwork for you to begin your journey towards fluency. Our emphasis is on speaking and listening skills so that you can start communicating quickly in Italian. Once you've completed this course you can continue with 'Italian beginners: module 2'.

    Did you know that we offer free support sessions for beginner students over the term? More information is available in the How will I be taught section below.

    Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Sat 19 Sep 2026 (and 14 other dates)
    Stefano D’Egidio
    Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £168.00
    Add to Compare
    Add to Compare View all available dates
  6. Ceramics mentoring programme

    A new and dynamic mentoring platform for Ceramic practitioners at all stages, designed to aid learners with technical advice, guidance, support and encouragement to help develop and push their practices forward.

    Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Fri 25 Sep 2026
    Carina Ciscato, Rachel Cox, Amy Hughes, Mella Shaw, Tana West
    Full fee £1,099.00 Senior fee £879.00 Concession £714.00
    Add to Compare
    Add to Compare View details
  7. Last Few Places, Evening
    4.4
    Level 3 Certificate in User Experience/User Interface (UX/UI) NCFE
    This Level 3 course is designed for learners wishing to gain knowledge and skills of traditional practices used in UX/UI design industry sectors. On completion of the certificate, you would have the opportunity to join UX/UI design companies as an entry level UX/UI designer with some website creation/design experience or progress onto higher education.



    The Free Courses for Jobs initiative is for Londoners aged 19 or over at the start of the course who are: on a low-income; or on certain benefits; or do not have a full level 3 qualification. For more information Click here





    The course fee is £2799.00. If you are unable to pay the course fee upfront, you can choose to apply for an Advanced Learning Loan from the Student Loans Company (SLC) to help cover the cost. The Advanced Learner loan available for this course is £941.00. The remaining fee of £1858.00 will need to be paid at enrolment. If you are unable to pay this fee upfront, you can talk to our Information, Advice and Guidance team who will advise you on other financial support available. You can contact the Advice and Guidance Team by phone on (0203 871 3111) or by email: advice@citylit.ac.uk. The Loan is repayable after the course ends. For more information, please call Business & Technology on 020 4582 8438. You can find more information about the Advanced Learner Loan here www.citylit.ac.uk/advanced-learner-loans

    Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Mon 28 Sep 2026 (and 1 other date)
    Mazy Burns, Alex Gregory
    Full fee £2,799.00 Senior fee £2,799.00 Concession £2,799.00
    Add to Compare
    Add to Compare View all available dates
  8. 1960s London

    Explore the dynamic history of London in the 1960s. From pop culture to politics, immigration to education we will look at the changing face of the capital through a decade of transformation. Tutor: professional guide Dr. Geoffrey Levett.

    Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Thu 1 Oct 2026
    Geoffrey Levett
    Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00
    Add to Compare
    Add to Compare View details
  9. Last Few Places
    Advanced painting: practice and discourse

    Develop your painting in greater depth on this advanced course, working with a team of artist-tutors and a committed network of peer-practitioners, across a set of projects focusing on a range of contemporary themes, processes and debates. The course is intended for experienced painters with a positive and enquiring attitude to the practices and discourses of painting in its various forms, and a commitment to peer-dialogue and critical discussion. Focused and intensive studio-based weekend projects (once per month), are interspersed with weekly online tutorials, feedback, discussion and seminars. The course also features an elective element within which students can pursue an additional 12 hours on another Visual Arts course of their choice within the department.* This enables each student to develop an area of personal specialism in support of their painting practice (for example, in drawing, photography, print, digital media, etc.)

    * Elective workshops and any external sessions will run on days other than those timetabled for Advanced painting, and will be subject to availability.

    Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Mon 12 Oct 2026
    Clare Barton-Harvey, Henry Gibbons Guy, Sam Hanner, Michael Harding, Stuart Jones, Mario Lautier Vella, Joe Richardson, Benjamin Senior, Ian Tucknott
    Full fee £2,749.00 Senior fee £2,199.00 Concession £1,924.00
    Add to Compare
    Add to Compare View details
  10. 5.0
    Lipreading teacher training course

    Part-time 19 days spread over 10 lecture blocks

    This course will be a mixed delivery mode. Students will attend City Lit, Covent Garden, London for some of the teaching blocks and access some of the blocks online.

    You will attend lecture and teaching practice blocks on the following dates.


    2026: 16 and 17 October, 13 and 14 November, 11 and 12 December,
    2027: 15 and 16 January, 12 and 13 February, 19 and 20 March,
    16 and 17 April, 7 May, 14 and 15 May, 11 and 12 June

    If combined with a teaching qualification, this will qualify you to teach Lipreading in the Further Education sector.

    You cannot enrol online for this course. Please contact us at lipreading@citylit.ac.uk to request an application form.

    Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Fri 16 Oct 2026
    Adam Gurney, Anita Thornton
    Full fee £2,729.00 Senior fee £2,729.00 Concession £2,729.00
    Add to Compare
    Add to Compare View details
  11. ESOL - communication skills for life and work -level 1 (Writing)

    This is the Level 1 ESOL Writing unit to help you build confidence and accuracy when writing in English for everyday, academic, and work-related purposes. At Level 1, you will learn to write clearly, using appropriate tone, vocabulary, and grammar. You will practise writing emails, forms, letters, notes, and short texts such as descriptions, stories, or opinions.

    This course runs during term 3. You need to do a short test before joining. Contact: universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk or call 0204 582 0423





    This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here

    Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Mon 16 Nov 2026 (and 1 other date)
    Full fee £639.00 Senior fee £639.00 Concession £449.00
    Add to Compare
    Add to Compare View all available dates
  12. Transports of delight: London's railway stations
    London's stations see over 1 billion journeys annually, but the buildings themselves are often ignored. Explore a different station and environs each week, discovering the architecture, history, stories and future of these lifelines of London. The course starts with an initial zoom lecture, followed by a series of walking tours.

    Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Tue 12 Jan 2027 (and 1 other date)
    Eleanor Jackson
    Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £175.00
    Add to Compare
    Add to Compare View all available dates
  13. ESOL - communication skills for life and work -level 1 (Speaking and Listening)

    This is the Level 1 ESOL Speaking & Listening unit to give you confidence in using English in a range of everyday, study, and work-related situations. At Level 1, you will build your ability to communicate clearly, fluently, and appropriately in both familiar and unfamiliar settings. You will take part in discussions, express your opinions, give presentations, and listen for specific information in spoken texts such as announcements, interviews, and conversations.

    You’ll develop the skills needed to communicate effectively and prepare for the ESOL Level 1 Speaking & Listening exam.

    This course runs during term 2. You need to do a short test before joining. Contact: universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk or call 0204 582 0423





    This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here

    Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Mon 15 Mar 2027 (and 1 other date)
    Full fee £639.00 Senior fee £639.00 Concession £449.00
    Add to Compare
    Add to Compare View all available dates
  14. Spectacular Vernacular - London’s Domestic Architecture 

    Home is where the heart is, but we tend to ignore their architectural worth.This course looks at London’s vast variety of domestic architecture, from old to new, from the grand to the humble

    Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Thu 29 Apr 2027
    Eleanor Jackson
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00
    Add to Compare
    Add to Compare View details
  15. 5.0
    Discovering Victorian London: empire, enterprise and education

    Victorian London shaped today's city. Discover the lasting legacy of the Victorian age, uncover its secrets, and meet some of the characters who created one of the world's greatest cities. Initial lecture via zoom followed by 7 guided walks. NB: Break week 26/5/26

    Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Tue 4 May 2027
    Eleanor Jackson
    Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00
    Add to Compare
    Add to Compare View details
Page
per page

Can't see a course you want?

Add this category to your waiting list to set up alerts and we will update you when new courses are released online.

Add me to waiting list