Carnegie Mellon University

Become an Osher at CMU Member!

Updated January 10, 2024

To join, please follow the application process by clicking one of the options in the red box below.  One you have completed the application process you be admitted as a new member.  We now offer our courses both on Zoom and in person. If you live out of the immediate Pittsburgh area, there are plenty of opportunities to take part in our courses on Zoom.

*Please Note: All applications can take up to 48 hours to process before you receive your next steps.*

Pathways to Membership - See Above

The quality and diversity of the courses we offer has made our program highly sought after. Unable to accept as many applicants as we’d like, we have created three paths to membership: applying for general membership, having an affiliation to CMU, and becoming a Study Leader.

Membership dues are $100 per year. Members are able to register for courses during the Spring, Summer, and Fall terms for a $60 registration fee per term (plus applicable material fees).

Osher at CMU Membership lasts one full calendar year (January-December), with dues needing to be renewed by December 31 for the next year. For a full explination of dues and registration fees, please check out our Dues, Fees, & Refunds page.

*Please Note: All applications can take up to 48 hours to process before you receive your next steps.*

The most conventional path to membership is to fill in the general application linked below. Once you fill in the application, a staff member will process the form and add you to our system. Please note: this process can take up to 48 hours. 

APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP 

Once your membership application is processed, a member of the staff will contact you about filling in the Release Form and processing your membership dues. 

Osher at CMU membership allows to utilize an online database for registration, and you will be provided a username and instructions on how to create a password. 

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at CMU is pleased to announce that the organization is now accepting immediate membership from the CMU community. Previously, all applicants would have to wait from 2 to 3 years on the organization’s prospect list before being invited to join. Affiliates are restricted to: 

  • Active Employees (current and up to 1 year after retirement) are defined as current faculty or staff who are "medical benefits eligible" and their spouse or legal domestic partner.
  • Former Employees are defined as former faculty or staff and their spouse or legal domestic partner who would be "medical benefits eligible" or former faculty or staff that has at least 10 years of cumulative service with CMU.
  • CMU Alum must have graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with an undergraduate or graduate degree. Parents/spouse of CMU Alum are also invited to membership.

Please allow 2 months to process an affiliate application. Note that membership dues are $100 per calendar year.

CMU Affiliate Application

Teach for us! Propose a course and upon acceptance and completion of a 5 or 6-week course, you and your significant other will be invited to become members. Our members gain insight and knowledge in your skilled area and you become a member of our program.

Teach for us

Members can refer a friend to Osher at CMU and allow them to join them for a class with a one-time guest pass. If the guest decides to join Osher at CMU, they will be able to do so at a reduced membership rate of $85.00. This offer is good for the 2024 membership year. 

As an incentive, for every new member that a current Osher member brings in, the introducing member’s name will be entered into a lottery for a $100.00 gift card.  The drawing will be held at the end of every month.  All the names not pulled will remain in the pull for the next month.  In addition, the current Osher member who brings in the most “New Friends” that become members in 2024 and then renew for 2025 membership will receive a gift card for $250.00.

Click on the link below to request a guest pass:

Click here to Bring A Friend!

Member Benefits and Discounts

Benefits of Membership

  • Courses presented at Carnegie Mellon University, Chatham University - Eden Hall Campus, online through Zoom, and at a variety of other Pittsburgh-based locations
  • Brand new Osher designated space on the CMU campus equipped with a members' lounge and three state-of-the-art classrooms
  • Have an account with the Augusoft online registration system
  • Attend Osher lectures and special events, and join special interest groups (SIGs)
  • Receive three digital full-color catalogs per year and newsletters
  • Use CMU dining facilities and shuttle service
  • Attend CMU campus lectures and forums
  • Attend CMU concerts, recitals, and productions held in campus theaters
  • Use CMU campus libraries

Discounts for Osher at CMU members

There are discounts available for Osher at CMU members for the Pittsburgh Public Theatre and the CMU Philharmonic. More information is available within your Osher at CMU member profile on the registration website.