Welcome - One Day University

Since 2006 One Day University has been bringing together award-winning professors from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, and other top-tier schools to create stimulating, thought-provoking, live, classroom experiences.

Each event features four professors lecturing on topics including history, literature, political science, art, music, philosophy, and more—plus lunch. Now you can keep up to date with the latest thinking on topics that interest you—and there's no homework, no SATs, and no stress.

So whether you want to expand your horizons, stretch your mind, or just enjoy an energizing day of intelligent discourse, One Day University is the place to be.

Meet David Helfand, the chair of Columbia's Astronomy Department. Professor Helfand has been lecturing for One Day University since our very first event in September of 2006. His energetic style and sense of drama have made him a crowd favorite. This fall he'll be delivering his surprising lecture on Global Warming, and beginning in 2009 he'll be taking students on a dazzling graphic tour of the outer reaches of space with a new course, A Grand Tour of the Galaxy.

Learn more about all of our Professors.

"Amazing, this is my first time coming to one of these events and I will definitely want to keep coming back. Your professors are amazing. Their delivery is absolutely captivating and the content of their presentations is among the best I have ever seen. I'm just loving the fact that I am now so much more up to date on the latest thinking in the Middle East and other very current topics. Plus the people I am meeting here are all very interesting."
-Barbie

See what other students have said about the ODU experience.

July 19, 2008
New York, NY
Music The Remarkable Genius of Mozart Law Criminal Justice in America—A 250 Year History Art History Lies, Propaganda, and Truth in Photography Psychology Understanding America's Depression Epidemic

July 19, 2008
Wellesley, MA
Psychology Overcoming Our Genes—Can We Change the Way We Behave? History The Untold History of the U.S. Constitution Science Can A Machine Be Human? And Is That a Good Thing? Literature The Art of Humor—What Makes Us Laugh and Why

September 13, 2008
Morristown, NJ
Political Science Public Opinion Polls—Why You Shouldn’t Believe the News Psychology Overcoming Our Genes—Can We Change the Way We Behave? Philosophy Five Ancient Secrets to Modern Happiness and the Good Life History The Untold History of the U.S. Constitution

September 14, 2008
Los Angeles, CA
American Studies The Political and Moral Genius of Abraham Lincoln Psychology Positive Psychology and the Science of Happiness History Where Do We Come From? From Creation Myths to the Big Bang Foreign Affairs How McCain and Obama Would Handle Iraq, Iran, and Terrorism

September 14, 2008
Purchase, New York
Political Science Public Opinion Polls—Why You Shouldn’t Believe the News Art History Art History: Lies, Propaganda, and Truth in Photography Foreign Affairs The Politics of Terror and Counter Terror Psychology Unraveling the Science behind ESP

September 20, 2008
New York, NY
Political Science The 2008 Election—Why It’s the Most Important in Decades Music How to Appreciate Great Classical Music History The Untold History of Resistance in Nazi Germany Psychology You Call That Art? Understanding Why We Like What We Like

September 20, 2008
Rockville, MD
History FDR and the Path to World War II Economics The Economics of Immigration Psychology The Psychology of Resilience Art History The Genius of Rembrandt

September 20, 2008
San Francisco, CA
Foreign Affairs Iraq, Iran, and the Future of the Middle East Psychology Positive Psychology and the Science of Happiness History The Founding Fathers and the Untold Story of the Revolution American Studies Melville, Moby Dick, and the American Experience

September 21, 2008
Brookville, NY
Religion What is Islam? American Studies The Century of Immigration & Transformation of America Law War Crimes, Mass Atrocities, & Why the Guilty Go Unpunished Literature The Art of Humor—What Makes Us Laugh and Why

September 27, 2008
Villanova, PA
Religion What is Islam? History FDR and the Path to World War II Economics The Economics of Immigration Science Global Warming—What We Know and What We Don’t

September 27, 2008
West Hartford, CT
Political Science Public Opinion Polls—Why You Shouldn’t Believe the News Psychology The Psychology of Resilience History The Civil War and the Untold Story of Emancipation Art History The Genius of Rembrandt

September 28, 2008
Wellesley, MA
Psychology You Call That Art? Understanding Why We Like What We Like Law War Crimes, Mass Atrocities, & Why the Guilty Go Unpunished American Studies The Political and Moral Genius of Abraham Lincoln Literature Film and Literature in the Aftermath of September 11, 2001

October 11, 2008
Fairfield, CT
Economics America’s Ultra-Wealthy and the Expanding Rich-Poor Gap Psychology The Psychology of Resilience Science Global Warming—What We Know and What We Don’t Art History Lies, Propaganda, and Truth in Photography

October 18, 2008
Purchase, New York
History A Century Before 9/11 -- America's First Age of Terror Psychology The Psychology of Love, Attraction, and Relationships Political Science Is America's Criminal Justice System Distorting Democracy? Architecture Electricity and the Birth of the Great American City

October 25, 2008
New York, NY
Economics America’s Ultra-Wealthy and the Expanding Rich-Poor Gap History War In The Name of God Political Science Is America's Criminal Justice System Distorting Democracy? Psychology The Freedom of Choice Paradox—Why Less is More

October 26, 2008
Brookville, NY
Economics America’s Ultra-Wealthy and the Expanding Rich-Poor Gap Political Science Is America's Criminal Justice System Distorting Democracy? Psychology You Call That Art? Understanding Why We Like What We Like History Crisis of Democracy and the Rise of Hitler

November 1, 2008
Los Angeles, CA
History Hitler—The Man and the Mystery Astronomy A Grand Tour of the Universe Linguistics Inventing English: Where Our Words Come From Music Beethoven’s Ninth—the Story of a Masterpiece

November 1, 2008
Wellesley, MA
Political Science Could Obama & McCain Be Great Presidents? History The Civil War and the Untold Story of Emancipation American Studies Race, Politics, & Capitalism—The Story of Baseball & America Bioethics Genetics, Cloning, DNA and the Law

November 2, 2008
San Francisco, CA
History Hitler—The Man and the Mystery Astronomy A Grand Tour of the Universe Linguistics Inventing English: Where Our Words Come From Music Beethoven’s Ninth—the Story of a Masterpiece

November 2, 2008
Villanova, PA
Political Science The 2008 Election—The Most Important in Decades History The Cold War and How Secret U.S. Propaganda Saved Europe Philosophy Thinking Like An Ancient Philosopher Can Change Your Life Psychology The Psychology of Resilience

November 8, 2008
West Hartford, CT
Political Science The Politics of Morality in America Psychology Astonishing Secrets of the Mind--Why We Behave the Way We Do Law War Crimes, Mass Atrocities, & Why the Guilty Go Unpunished Music The 20th Century's Greatest Work & the Riot it Sparked

November 22, 2008
Purchase, New York
Law War Crimes, Mass Atrocities, & Why the Guilty Go Unpunished Political Science The Politics Behind America's Health Care Crisis Philosophy Five Ancient Secrets to Modern Happiness and the Good Life History Where Do We Come From? From Creation Myths to the Big Bang

November 22, 2008
Rockville, MD
Psychology You Call That Art? Understanding Why We Like What We Like History The Political Genius of Winston Churchill Political Science Iran, Iraq, & The New President's First Security Crisis Biology Genetics, Cloning, DNA and the Law

November 23, 2008
Fairfield, CT
Law War Crimes, Mass Atrocities, & Why the Guilty Go Unpunished Philosophy Five Ancient Secrets to Modern Happiness and the Good Life Music The Impressionist Revolution in Art...and Music Political Science The Politics Behind America's Health Care Crisis

December 6, 2008
Morristown, NJ
Music The 20th Century's Greatest Work & the Riot it Sparked Bioethics Genetics, Cloning, DNA and the Law History The Holocaust in Court—Bringing an Alleged Nazi to Justice Art History The Impressionists in Paris

December 6, 2008
New York, NY
Art History The Impressionists in Paris History A Century Before 9/11 -- America's First Age of Terror Political Science The Politics of Morality in America Music The 20th Century's Greatest Work & the Riot it Sparked

December 7, 2008
Brookville, NY
Music Music: The 20th Century's Greatest Musical Work and the Riot History A Century Before 9/11—America's First Age of Terror Science Global Warming—What We Know and What We Don’t Political Science The Politics of Morality in America

December 7, 2008
Wellesley, MA
Science God Vs. Darwin: America's Continuing Problem With Evolution History Revolutionary Characters—What Made The Founders Different Political Science The Impact of Media on Public Opinion & U.S Foreign Policy Psychology The Science of Love, Attraction, and Relationships

December 13, 2008
Villanova, PA
Political Science The Politics Behind America's Health Care Crisis Psychology You Call That Art? Understanding Why We Like What We Like Music Beethoven’s Ninth—the Story of a Masterpiece History Crisis of Democracy and the Rise of Hitler