Learning about the world around us

Here at the WEA we offer a huge range of humanities and science courses, with something for everyone.  

Skip to courses

If you’re interested in the natural world, our geography and environment courses are the perfect choice. Our packed curriculum explores some of the biggest issues facing society, such as climate change and the fight against the destruction of some of Earth’s most precious resources. The option to learn in person or online means that our geography courses can whisk you away to a far-flung corner of the globe, all without you ever having to leave your own home. 

Studying a science

If you choose to take one of our psychology courses you’ll be immersed in the study of the human mind. With options to learn about memory and identity, you’ll get the chance to explore and debate some of the most famous psychological experiments.  

There’s also Sociology too, a subject that focuses on human behaviour, interaction, and relationships. If you’d like to explore some of the biggest questions in life, then our philosophy courses are for you. Small class sizes mean that you’ll get to discuss and debate in a supportive environment, all with an experienced tutor on hand.  

Attend a Humanities and Science course near you  

Whether you choose to learn from the comfort of your own home or opted for face-to-face learning at a local community venue, you’ll be taught by a talented tutor who is an expert in their subject. Our learning experience sets us apart from other providers, with learners regularly highlighting the difference that an encouraging environment makes. 

Please enter your postcode

In order for us to give you accurate results for your courses, please click on the Search options and enter your postcode and the mile radius for your search.

Refine search

How you'll learn

Your location

Please enter your postcode

In order for us to give you accurate results for your courses, please enter your postcode and the mile radius for your search.

Sort by start date

Choose to sort the course start date in ascending order (furthest away dates first) or descending (most recent dates first)

Results per page

Days

Other Filters

Part of day
Level of study
Availability
Search for the branch name/location, without adding branch e.g. Barnet

History: British Post War History - From VE Day to the Falklands

The Britain of 1945 is out of living memory of almost everyone, but is the world that our parents, grandparents and great grandparents lived through. Britain emerged from the second world war victorious, but bankrupt. The next decades saw tremendous social changes for all. How did it feel for the people living through it? We will be looking at sources from the time, to be able to put ourselves in their shoes and consider how it felt to live in austerity Britain. We will also be looking at the economic and social changes later in the period, the increased prosperity in the 50’s and 60’s, and the response to social changes at the time. Join the class to find out more.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 10/01/2024 -
Wed 20/03/2024
Times:
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Tutor:
Kate Antoniou
Course code:
Q00012103
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

Care 2: Visit Chatsworth House, Derbyshire

Come along and explore beautiful Chatsworth House, all from the comfort of your home! You will find out about this historic building and explore its rich history. This is a course for carers, former carers and the cared for, and is great chance to learn something new and be a part of an interesting discussion.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 11/01/2024 -
Thu 11/01/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Tutor:
Alison Warren
Course code:
Q00011069
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
6 places remaining
Status:
Available

History: Byzantium - was it the Bulwark of Christianity?

This Intermediate course is a progression from the Beginners course of the autumn term. However, new learners are also warmly welcomed as we delve into this fascinating period of history. How did the Roman Empire survive the great challenge it faced during the late 7th and early 8th centuries and yet arise ultimately stronger? This course will examine how the Roman Empire survived the greatest onslaught of the Ulmayyad caliphate to capture Constantinople. We will then examine how the Roman state continued to adapt and evolve despite a series of internal crises within the state from the 690s.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 11/01/2024 -
Thu 28/03/2024
Times:
11:45am - 1:45pm
Duration:
11 sessions
Tutor:
Gary Slator
Course code:
Q00012848
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £81.40

History: Local Diarists 18th – 20th Century

Funny, sad, angry, informative diaries are always a revealing and thought provoking window into the lives of our ancestors. This course peeps through that window. Join the class as we discover the intricate details of the past. What was it like to live in those times and how is life different for us today? This course is for anyone who has a passion for history and the lives people led back then.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 11/01/2024 -
Thu 21/03/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Emsworth Community Centre (Emsworth)
Church Path
Emsworth
PO10 7DP
Tutor:
Jennifer Goldsmith
Course code:
Q00010140
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £84.00

WEA Membership

For just £15 a year, you can:

  • Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
  • Access an archive of over 100 past lectures,
  • Get priority online and phone booking for autumn courses (England only),
  • Receive our Highway magazine and access back issues,
  • Attend our members’ annual conference.

Just add us to your basket to sign up today!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
WEA Membership

History: The Dawn of Western Civilisation

A study of the ancient Greek civilisation & its roots, and how it contributed to Western Civilisation as a whole.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 11/01/2024 -
Thu 21/03/2024
Times:
3:00pm - 4:30pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Tutor:
Gary Slator
Course code:
Q00012184
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £55.50

History: The Cold War

How did the world emerge from the second world war and within two years find itself in a ‘Cold War’ a new kind of conflict fought mostly through politics and propaganda rather than through military combat? The Soviet Union, the UK and the USA were allies during the second world war, and its leaders met at several summit meetings to discuss the arrangements for the post war world. How did this relationship break down in the years that followed? What were the major events which precipitate this change, and how were they viewed by politicians and the public? Join the class to find out how it started, investigate some of the major flashpoints and events and how it ended.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 11/01/2024 -
Thu 21/03/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
St John's United Reform Church Orpington
Lynwood Grove
Orpington
BR6 0BG
Tutor:
Kate Antoniou
Course code:
Q00012105
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £84.00

Archaeology: Highlights of Pre-History

This course is an introduction to British prehistory and, in particular will discuss the advances in knowledge of British prehistory across the last fifty years. An important case study will be the excavation of the late Bronze Age crannog at Must Farm, Cambridgeshire. Other topics will include the cultural evidence from Northern Europe, Neolithic houses in Britain, the Emergence of the Elites, the origins of Bronze Age field systems in Eastern fenland, and the importance of the Scilly Isles. Do join this fascinating course to make new discoveries about this little know period of British history.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 11/01/2024 -
Thu 21/03/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Tutor:
Simon Tomson
Course code:
Q00012282
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
1 place remaining
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to £74.00

History: Intermediate- The Later Plantagenet Dynasty

This online course is a progression from the autumn course "Edward III and The Plantagenet Dynasty". However, new learners are warmly welcomed. The emergence of the House of Lancaster could have led to a major decline of the English realm, yet it achieved its greatest success against the old enemy of France. This fascinating course will visit and analyse the course of those events. We will explore how the succession after Edward III struggled to maintain its legitimacy and how it affected English society at large, as well as the wider, longer term consequences for the ongoing struggle against France.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 11/01/2024 -
Thu 28/03/2024
Times:
7:15pm - 9:15pm
Duration:
11 sessions
Tutor:
Gary Slator
Course code:
Q00012849
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £81.40

Philosophy: Behind the Headlines

The course will briefly introduce the principal ideas of a selection of philosophers and apply these to the discussion of the news headlines and the controversies that lie behind them. We will share information on the news stories covered and listen to, and watch relevant media extracts. This course will encourage discussion and sharing of ideas about current affairs and will involve reflecting on how to make philosophy a part of this discussion. The tutor will facilitate this discussion and relate our conversations to ideas from Philosophy. Agreement with the philosophy presented is not required just a willingness to engage or listen to discussion in the group. If you are interested in exploring different responses to headline stories please join us.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 11/01/2024 -
Thu 21/03/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Blue Beetle Room (London)
Hendon Lane
Finchley
London
N3 1TR
Tutor:
Daniel Williams
Course code:
Q00012107
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £84.00

History: From Kings to Citizens - The History and Culture of the French Revolution 1789-1799

Explore one of the most tumultuous political decades in French history through the radical changes to society and culture. As the political changes swept away the ancient regime we will look at those who stepped in to that vacuum, such as Robespierre and Barras. We will look at the attempts to create a new world that drew thinkers from outside of France, like Mary Wollstonecraft. We will see how the Revolution was visualised and exported, adopted and adapted abroad.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 11/01/2024 -
Thu 21/03/2024
Times:
11:30am - 1:30pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Richmond Reference Library (Richmond)
The Old Town Hall - Richmond
Whittaker Avenue
Richmond
TW9 1TP
Tutor:
Amy Miller
Course code:
Q00012242
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
6 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £100.00