Leisure and Special Interest
Try a new hobby or just learn something new with our wide range of special interest courses!
How to Register
Register for a course by selecting "Add to Cart" on the desired course and select the "Cart" at the bottom of the page when you are ready to process your registration.
NOTE: The “Seats Left” information is updated every hour and when you checkout.
Courses
- Contemporary Guitar Skills I
- GMAT Preparation
- GRE Preparation Series
- Happy for No Reason
- Mastering Your Digital SLR Camera
- Options in Adoption and Assisted Family Formation
- Photographing Nature with Your Digital Camera
- Raising Your Diversity, Equity and Inclusion IQ
- SAT/ACT Preparation Series
- Secrets of Better Photography
Contemporary Guitar Skills I
This course is designed for beginners and those who have been playing guitar for one year or less. You will be guided through the basics of guitar, including how to tune the guitar, play chords and solo. Also covered are major, minor and pentatonic scales, basic soloing skills, theory, technique and ensemble skills. Many musical examples will be illustrated from popular songs, including songs that are of special interest to students. You must provide your own acoustic or electric guitar (a small amplifier should be used with electric guitars). Additional materials will be discussed at the first class; anticipated cost is $20.
Gary Cellucci, Instructor
Course will meet in Williams Hall, Room 113
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mondays, 9/14 - 12/7 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm |
ZREC-030 500 | 12 seats left | $139 | Opens 8/27 |
GMAT Preparation
Applying to graduate business and management schools usually means taking the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test). GMAT Preparation Course is a must. Taking this course will provide you with test-taking techniques and methods for improving your score and saving time on all GMAT question types. You'll review the more familiar questions and learn how to approach question types that may be new to you, like critical reasoning and data sufficiency. In the verbal lessons, you will discover how to do your best on reading comprehension questions, sentence correction questions, critical reasoning questions, and the analytical writing assessment. In the quantitative lessons, you will be provided with comprehensive math review and techniques for tackling both problem solving and data sufficiency questions. You will practice on actual GMAT tests from previous years, which is the best way to prepare for any standardized test. This course is taught online through our partnership with Ed2go. To log into your online classroom, please visit www.ed2go.com/hvcc and select My Classroom. Please note, it may take 24 – 48 hours before your registered course appears is My Classroom.
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online, 8/12 - 10/2 | ZILC-022 702 | 20 seats left | $99 |
GRE Preparation Series
If you're planning to apply to graduate school, you'll likely have to take the GRE. This series is here to help! GRE Preparation – Part 1 (Verbal) Part 1 takes you through all the question types on the verbal reasoning and analytical writing sections, including reading comprehension, text completion, sentence equivalence questions, and both essay tasks. You'll also gain pointers on time management, anxiety relief, scoring, and general standardized test-taking. Be prepared to excel on exam day to achieve your best potential score! GRE Preparation – Part 2 (Quantitative) Part 2 features a math review and techniques for tackling the quantitative comparison, data interpretation, and standard math questions that make up the quantitative reasoning sections, as well as how to tackle the GRE's unique new question formats. You'll find pointers on time management, anxiety relief, scoring, and general standardized test-taking, too. Be prepared to excel on exam day and to achieve your best potential score! This course is taught online through our partnership with Ed2go. To log into your online classroom, please visit www.ed2go.com/hvcc and select My Classroom. Please note, it may take 24 – 48 hours before your registered course appears is My Classroom.
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online, 8/12 - 10/2 | ZILC-023 703 | 20 seats left | $199 |
Happy for No Reason
This four-week workshop will provide each participant with seven steps to having greater happiness and fulfillment in their lives. Are you feeling uncertain as to what you want to do next in your life?
Are you feeling alone and stressed? Do you procrastinate, have good intentions, but never complete your goal? If your answer was YES to any of those questions, this workshop is for YOU.
Learn the key concepts of Happiness Set-point, Happiness Continuum, Contraction and Expansion and Inner Home for Happiness.
This course is taught remotely via Zoom. You will need your Hudson Valley username and password to access the course.
Diane Albano, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesdays, 10/7 - 10/28 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm |
ZSPI-230 500 | 12 seats left | $40 |
Mastering Your Digital SLR Camera
Take control of your digital SLR camera. In this course, you will break through the technology barrier and learn how to use your DSLR to take beautiful photos.
You will start out by learning about the many features and controls of your DSLR and look at the lenses you need for the kind of photography you enjoy. Next, you will learn about metering, exposure compensation, managing aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. You will find out how to use these features to get the right exposure for every shot. Then turn your attention to flash photography, managing camera controls, photo files, and even working in manual mode. With these skills, you will be able to take your photography to the next level.
By the end of this course, you will be a DSLR master and will be able to take the photos you’ve always dreamed of.
This course is taught online through our partnership with Ed2go. To log into your online classroom, please visit www.ed2go.com/hvcc and select My Classroom. Please note, it may take 24 – 48 hours before your registered course appears is My Classroom.
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online, 9/16 - 11/6 | ZILC-064 500 | 12 seats left | $115 | |
| Online, 10/14 - 12/4 | ZILC-064 501 | 12 seats left | $115 | |
| Online, 11/11 - 1/1 | ZILC-064 502 | 12 seats left | $115 |
Options in Adoption and Assisted Family Formation
This class provides an overview of the adoption process, including what types of adoptions are available, i.e. foster care, private agency, private placement, step/second parent, international, and others. You’ll learn the differences between these various forms of adoptions, as well as the process associated with each, including costs, timelines, advantages/disadvantages, common pitfalls, and more. We’ll also discuss other, non-adoption family formation options, such as assisted reproduction technology or “ART,” which includes IVF, surrogacy, and other options, and cover some hot topics in the adoption and ART world.
Joseph Williams, Instructor
Course will be held in Day Care Center, Room B05
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, 10/21 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm |
ZSPI-221 500 | 12 seats left | $12 | Opens 8/27 |
Photographing Nature with Your Digital Camera
Nature photography can be a fun, relaxing, and exciting hobby! In this course, you'll learn about the many aspects of outdoor photography as well as how to master your digital camera's controls and features. With the knowledge you gain in this course, you'll be taking exceptional nature photos in no time. You'll explore composition and lighting issues and find out how to take beautiful photos of landscapes, flowers, trees, and water. Along the way, you'll delve into your camera's shutter speed and aperture controls so that you'll be able to capture the photos you really want. You will discover how to use your computer to process your photos and digitally correct the most common problems. You'll see how your photos can become works of art rather than just snapshots of nature. By the end of this course, you'll have become the nature photographer you always wanted to be! This course is taught online through our partnership with Ed2go. To log into your online classroom, please visit www.ed2go.com/hvcc and select My Classroom. Please note, it may take 24 – 48 hours before your registered course appears is My Classroom.
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online, 8/12 - 10/2 | ZILC-162 702 | 20 seats left | $99 |
Raising Your Diversity, Equity and Inclusion IQ
This five-week introductory workshop is to heighten participants’ awareness and understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion. Through literature and documentaries, we will explore historical and contemporary examples of inequity that will shed light on the experiences of marginalized people. The class will be facilitated through discussion based on personal experiences and insight gained from the assignments.
We will explore disparities in criminal justice, housing, education, health care, and economic inequities.
At the end of each session, participants will have knowledge about the dominant narrative that is pervasive and the confidence about how that narrative can be interrupted.
This course is taught remotely via Zoom. You will need your Hudson Valley username and password to access the course.
Ainsley Thomas, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesdays, 9/30 - 10/28 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm |
ZSPI-231 500 | 20 seats left | $49 |
SAT/ACT Preparation Series
Making the decision to attend college is probably one of the most important decisions you'll ever make, and your performance on college entrance exams is instrumental in determining your college choice. Universities and colleges throughout the U.S. require applicants to take the SAT or ACT as part of their evaluation package. This series will prepare you to excel in all sections of both the SAT and ACT and give you the means to achieve your best potential score! You’ll learn the information you need to do well on the verbal questions of the ACT and the new SAT as well as how to maximize your time on reading comprehension passages and the passages in the science test. You will be provided you with a grammar and usage review specifically geared to the rules that you'll be tested on. They you’ll learn how to do well on the math questions including a complete review of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and basic statistics. This course is taught online through our partnership with Ed2go. To log into your online classroom, please visit www.ed2go.com/hvcc and select My Classroom. Please note, it may take 24 – 48 hours before your registered course appears in My Classroom.
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online, 8/12 - 10/2 | ZILC-024 702 | 20 seats left | $199 |
Secrets of Better Photography
Secrets of Better Photography will teach you how to take outstanding photos. Whether you use a DSLR, a point-and-shoot camera, or your phone for your photography, you will learn how to get the best results from your camera. This hands-on course will teach you how to choose the right photographic equipment to compose images with style. You can take your camera out of auto mode after learning about lighting, motion, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings. You will also explore common photography topics, including portraiture, children's photography, pet photography, and digital editing. Each lesson includes exercises and assignments, so you can apply what you learned to your own camera. By the time you finish, you will see a difference in both your photographer's eye and your photos. This course is taught online through our partnership with Ed2go. To log into your online classroom, please visit www.ed2go.com/hvcc and select My Classroom. Please note, it may take 24 – 48 hours before your registered course appears in My Classroom.
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online, 8/12 - 10/2 | ZILC-160 702 | 20 seats left | $115 | |
| Online, 9/16 - 11/6 | ZILC-160 500 | 12 seats left | $115 | |
| Online, 10/14 - 12/4 | ZILC-160 501 | 12 seats left | $115 | |
| Online, 11/11 - 1/1 | ZILC-160 502 | 12 seats left | $115 |
Get in Touch
Community and Professional Education
Fax: (518) 629-8103
Regular Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Summer Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
(excluding college holidays and vacations)