Hasidic tales—terse, often cryptic, sometimes personal—reveal the nature of Hasidism, the mystical religious movement that seized Eastern European Jewry about the middle of the eighteenth century and remains very much alive today. In this course, we read tales told by the founder of Hasidism: Israel ben Eliezer aka the Baal Shem Tov, and other Hasidic rabbis, including Dov Baer of Mezritch (“The Great Maggid”), a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov; Shneur Zalman of Ladi (“The Rav”); and Yaakov Yitzhak of Lublin (“The Seer”). The tales we read teach the absolute transcendence of God, combined with what Martin Buber calls His “conditioned immanence”—a divine spark lives in everything and every being but each spark is enclosed by an isolating shell. Only man can liberate it and rejoin it with its origin.

Romantasy is an incredibly popular sub-genre of romantic fiction, but what exactly is romantasy and who is publishing it? In this writing workshop, authors will learn the essential structure and beats of a romance novel, while also receiving guidance on creating an immersive and marketable fantasy universe. Whether your idea is romance-forward or fantasy-first, we'll write every week and workshop excerpts from idea to completed scenes so each student can practice the concepts we study. We'll also explore the publishing market, including how to find the right agent or publisher for your romantasy, how to query, and whether self-publishing is right for you.

Middle-grade novels are an anomaly. They are beloved by readers of all ages, yet primarily written by adults, who utilize the wisdom obtained through life experience to offer perspective, guidance, and adventure to kids discovering the world, the people around them, and themselves. This course will home in on the structural, tonal, rhythmic, and emotional building blocks necessary to procure the creation of an impactful and lasting bildungsroman. We will examine theme, tone, voice, world-building, and transformation—perhaps the most essential aspect of a book for this age group. With the use of lectures, the reading of novels, and practicing craft through writing exercises and writing workshops, you will define the plot, character arcs, and scenes that follow the opening two chapters conquered in Middle Grade Novel I. By the end of the course, you will have the first 50 pages of your novel completed, and the remainder of the narrative arc significantly mapped out.

The course equips the orthodontic trainees with the essential skills and knowledge required for effective treatment planning in orthodontics and interdisciplinary cases. Participants will delve into the development of problem list, treatment objectives, treatment modalities, orthodontic mechanics, comprehensive treatment plans, treatment sequence, treatment progress, and treatment outcome for a diverse range of malocclusions including the challenging cases and those need multidisciplinary cooperation. This is an ongoing 3-year course.

At the turn of the century, reaction against the industrial age and a need for honesty and simplicity in design led the proponents of the Arts and Crafts movement to embrace a style of simple comfort and grace, influenced by the colors and materials of the earth. In particular, the women architects and designers of this movement had an important influence upon the built environment and decorative objects of this era. In this course, we explore the lives and designs of Julia Morgan, Mary Coulter, Clara Driscoll, the women of Arequipa Potteries, and others within the context of the social and political issues they faced, as they left their unmistakable imprints upon early 20th century design. This course will be recorded. Students will have access to the video for 30 days.

Traditionally, museum buildings were intended as showcases for collections rather than as objects to be seen for their own sakes. However, during the last twenty years, there’s been a trend towards cities commissioning a famous architect—a “starchitect”—to design a museum building that is meant to be a destination. In this course, we explore “starchitects” including Frank Gehry, Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Meyer, and Daniel Liebeskind, and discuss the impact of their museum buildings on architecture and the museum experience. This course will be recorded. Students will have access to the video for 30 days.

This lecture course is an introduction to Eastern storytelling that opens readers’ minds to radically different ways of telling a satisfying story. Discussions in the West around diversity in the arts often focus on the identities of characters and creators. This course explores  expressions of diversity that go beyond just plopping different faces into stories that are 100 percent Western in spirit. It examines diverse structures, themes, and values from Eastern storytelling. Using examples ranging from the film “Parasite” to the book The Thousand and One Nights to Nintendo video games such as the Mario franchise, the course explores how storytelling staples in the West, such as the three-act structure and themes of empowerment and change, are far from universal. It introduces to students the East Asian four-act structure, as well as circular and nested structures, and explains how Eastern value systems such as collectivism can dictate form. The course is geared towards both story creators in any medium, including prose and screenwriting, as well as general readers and consumers of stories.

This course is part of a large lecture series and does not include workshopping of student writing. It is ideal for those who wish to gain knowledge in a particular subject area without the concerns of receiving credit. Grades are calculated based on quizzes and exams. These courses cannot be applied to certificate completion at UCLA Extension.

Joseph Campbell once described psychologist Carl Jung’s writings about dreams as examining x-rays of the spiritual state. This workshop introduces writers to techniques to replicate the ability of dreams to turn complex or unconscious ideas into powerful images. It uses meditation, a Choose-Your-Own-Narrative format, and writing prompts to identify Jungian archetypes in the writer’s dreams or nascent ideas. Then, the students will learn how to harness those archetypes to sink deeper into their own writing. This course is taught by Jerry Lee Davis, an author, screenwriter, and playwright with over 20 years’ experience teaching meditation, and Henry Lien, an author and writing instructor with 20 years’ experience as an art dealer representing artists working in Jungian themes.

Many screenwriters struggle to decipher the nuanced power of thematic storytelling. In this course you learn a series of techniques to elegantly interweave a theme inside carefully crafted, rhythmic story-structure. Your clearly expressed theme can act as a unifying principle, enlivening and linking all of the central, dramatic tension in your story. Executed well, these practices help ensure that the narratives you’re passionate to write land reliably, with powerfully visceral impact, all while providing an entertaining experience for your audience. Additionally, you analyze the structure — and resonant thematics — of produced short films, a feature, a limited TV series and multiple television episodes. By the end of the course, you develop and draft a screenplay for an original short, using the tools practiced over ten weeks.

A major and recurrent feature in world religions is the ecstatic or mystical experience and the effects of such experience on religious traditions. In this course, we explore mysticism as it appears in archaic, Eastern, and Western traditions. We begin with perhaps the earliest of religious experiences, the shamans; and continue with the ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mystical practices as described in secret texts. We continue with Hinduism, Buddhism, and Daoism, which present instructions and evidence of intense mystical experiences; and Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, all of which have significant and powerful mystical knowledge. Finally, we address modern ecstatic experiences aided by psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA (ecstasy). This course uses the Hybrid format which allows students to participate remotely and/or in the classroom. This course will be recorded. Students will have access to videos for the duration of the course.
 

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love is a 1981 collection of short stories by American writer Raymond Carver. Considered by many one of American literature's most ambitious short-story collections, it was this collection that turned Raymond Carver into a household name in the publishing industry. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1984, the story collection is a haunting, culturally telling meditation on love, loss, and companionship. In addition to ten of the stories in the collection, including “Why Don’t You Dance?” and “I Could See the Smallest Things,” we read the story that gives the collection its title, "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love,” a story characterized by the bare-bones prose style for which Carver became famous. Suggested book: Raymond Carver’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.

Female collectors and patrons have shaped art history for centuries—commissioning works of art, initiating trends, and patronizing artists. Many of these collections have formed the basis of important museums, while others have built their own museums. In this course, we look at some of the major historic figures who helped to build these collections and helped to introduce artists to the world. The significance of this patronage is seen in figures such at Isabella Stewart Gardner, Bertha Potter Palmer, and Lousine Havemeyer. Stars in the avant-garde art world include Gertrude Stein, The Cone Sisters, and Peggy Guggenheim. And the founders of significant museums include “the Ladies” of MoMA, Gertrude Whitney Vanderbilt and Dominique de Menil. This course will be recorded. Students will have access to videos for the duration of the course.

Learn how to negotiate contracts, leases, and salaries to ensure favorable terms and conditions for your business.

More details about the course will be available up to one week prior to the start date.

Learn how to foster a collaborative work environment and build effective teams with other healthcare providers offering diverse services.

More details about the course will be available up to one week prior to the start date.

Discover how to identify and seize growth opportunities using design thinking principles and implement successful business practices.

More details about the course will be available up to one week prior to the start date.

Understand how to create a compelling mission, vision, and goals to guide and grow your business.

More details about the course will be available up to one week prior to the start date.

This comprehensive didactic course provides participants with the theoretical foundations of Implant Dentistry, equipping them with essential background knowledge for clinical practice. The seminars, lectures, tutorials, and case presentations facilitate an in-depth exploration of topics related to both prosthodontic and surgical aspects of Implant Dentistry. The course provides the trainee with fundamental principles that will provide them with a systematic approach to treating the dental implant patient. The focus of this course is to teach the trainee every aspect of clinical dental management for the dental implant patient population and the program is designed to enhance participants' understanding. Serving as a solid foundation to prepare individuals to comprehend the complexities of implant surgery and prosthodontics within the context of dental implant patient care, providing practical insights and theoretical knowledge for proficiency and success in this highly specialized field.

The surgical training in Implant Dentistry Preceptorship program is designed to provide the international postgraduate dentist or recent graduates of a dental school with a curriculum that enhances their knowledge in surgical and prosthodontic aspects of Implant Dentistry. The trainee observes live surgical and prosthodontic procedures, while basic principles are verbally and observationally explained. The program also permits the Preceptor to develop surgical skills through model-based, hands-on laboratory sessions. The management of hard and soft tissues, placement of dental implants, and proper suturing techniques are taught on plastic models and animal jaws.

Trainees will be involved in observing and assisting patient care in the UCLA restorative dentistry clinic. In this didactic portion of the training, trainees will learn more about various dental disciplines including periodontics, prosthodontics, oral surgery, endodontics, implant and restorative dentistry. Topics will also include diagnosis, treatment planning, evidence-based practice and basic/translational research. This course intends to augment the trainee’s technical skill in general dentistry and understanding the interdisciplinary relationships in patient care.

Trainees will be involved in observing and assisting patient care in the UCLA restorative dentistry clinic. Trainees will be exposed to various dental disciplines including periodontics, prosthodontics, oral surgery, endodontics, implant and restorative dentistry in the clinic. Topics will also include diagnosis, treatment planning, evidence-based practice and basic/translational research. This course intends to augment the trainee’s technical skill in general dentistry and understanding the interdisciplinary relationships in patient care.