Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Carnegie Mellon


Now interviewing for Registrar Position (Click for details)



Upcoming Events:

Check back soon. Meanwhile, view photos & videos from past events!

New video posted:

“The Courage to Create,” with Marilyn Taft Thomas

Welcome to Osher at Carnegie Mellon!

Gretchen Langford (founder and 1st president) with Pat Swedlow (9th president)  Joe Scorpion (4th president) and Helen-Faye Rosenblum (5th president and study leader)  Rita Zecher (current president). Photo by Andrea London.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (formerly the Academy for Lifelong Learning) is a gathering of people eager to extend education in their senior years by attending classes in a pleasant atmosphere on the campus of a great university. Any adult in the Pittsburgh area is able to join the Osher Institute at Carnegie Mellon. There are no age restrictions.

The Osher Institute is a non-credit program supported and chartered by Carnegie Mellon University in 1992. Classes are held during daylight hours. Members participate in courses developed and selected by a Curriculum Committee with suggestions from the membership.

New! Osher Summer 2012 Course Catalog is here! "First Session" runs from April 30-June 18. "Second Session" runs from June 25-August 10. Members register by March 6 to avoid late fees. View the courses page for more details.

Cookbook: A Taste of OsherNow available! A Taste of Osher cookbook
Osher published its own cookbook! A Taste of Osher is now available for purchase. The book contains many wonderful recipes from our cooking instructors and cookbook committee. Proceeds from the sale of the cookbook will be used by Osher to continue its non-profit mission of providing a variety of interesting and challenging learning opportunities for adult area residents. View a sample recipe for “Al Kosmal's Potato Latkes.” You can now order the cookbook by mail for the low cost of $12/book. Please send us an email at if you would like to pursue this option.

To join Osher at Carnegie Mellon, you must first add your name to our wait list. Please review our How to Join page for procedures on how to join, and see our new Fast Track Pilot Program on that page.

Courses cover many subject areas, including philosophy, astronomy, science, great novels, short stories, poetry-writing workshop, watercolor painting, art history, architecture, drama ("Behind the Scenes at Carnegie Mellon"), politics, current events, foreign policy, American and world history, geography, sampling a concert series, theater in Pittsburgh, dance, chorus, cooking, health, and Tai Chi.

Great Novels course: among the study leaders, Tom Lazaroff (on the left, red flannel shirt) and Gretchen Langford (far right)   Eric Springer (study leader)






Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Carnegie Mellon
Hunt Library | 4909 Frew Street | Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
Phone (412) 268-7489  |  Fax (412) 268-5833  |  

Copyright © 2000 - Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. CMU panorama by Mike Albrecht retrieved from Wikipedia; modified and used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.