Daytime Programs

His was an amazing life of discovery and challenge, reflected in the music created across the full breadth of compositional forms. In a six-session course, classical music and opera scholar Saul Lilienstein surveys the landmark works that define Beethoven’s career and legacy.

The CIA and FBI are often portrayed as strained institutional colleagues, but what is it really like to work in these highly secretive agencies tasked with protecting our country? In a fascinating series, veterans of the CIA and FBI discuss their professional roles and how these closely guarded organizations operate.

Over the 16th and 17th centuries, Spanish art flourished as it reflected the influences of Northern European and Italian artists and the complex forces of humanism and spirituality. Art historian Aneta Georgievska-Shine provides an overview of the era and the enduring achievements of the artists who shaped its visual culture. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)

One of the joys of a Smithsonian visit in any season is the gloriously varied greenery and flowers that brighten your paths indoors and out. Get a preview of what spring will look like on the National Mall with a visit to the source of all that natural beauty: the Smithsonian Gardens greenhouse facility in Suitland, Maryland.

One of the joys of a Smithsonian visit in any season is the gloriously varied greenery and flowers that brighten your paths indoors and out. Get a preview of what spring will look like on the National Mall with a visit to the source of all that natural beauty: the Smithsonian Gardens greenhouse facility in Suitland, Maryland.

Plantagenets and Tudors and Windsors, oh my! Tudor scholar Carol Ann Lloyd Stanger traces a path through the twists and turns of the royals and rebels who have ruled England for nearly a thousand years.

From its origins in the ancient civilization to the present, the complex culture of South Asia has given rise to some of the world’s most remarkable art. Art historian Robert DeCaroli highlights the artistic traditions and historical changes within the Indian subcontinent from the earliest archaeological evidence to the onset of colonialism. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)