Each fall and spring semester, Adult Student Services holds a registration event for eligible Missourians to register for a single class free of tuition. We’re pleased to share that for the Spring 2025 semester, MSU 62 registration will be held virtually on Thursday, January 9, 2025.
Of the many courses available to MSU 62 participants, two programs are asking you to consider their courses.
Religious Studies – REL 330, Judaism
The Languages, Cultures, and Religions Department is offering a course on Judaism (REL 330). What is Judaism? Is it a religion defined by beliefs and practices? Is it a culture based on values and traditions? Are Jews a national entity with a common history? Or are they an ethnic group?
This course introduces students to key aspects of Judaism, from ancient times to the early modern period and beyond. Judaism has appeared in many different forms throughout history and around the world. It has evolved by adapting both to past traditions and to changing present conditions, often influenced by local non-Jewish cultures. This course will explore Judaism through three main areas: history, religious practice, and texts. Students will learn about Jewish ideas on important topics like creation, law, chosenness, prophecy, exile, and redemption, as well as the ongoing debates on these subjects.
The texts read will represent different ways Judaism has expressed its creativity, including religious law (halakhah), Biblical interpretation, philosophy, mysticism, and prayer and ritual. Studying Jewish rituals and practices will help students better understand Jewish history, theology, and texts, as rituals themselves combine these elements in Jewish life.
With a PhD in Jewish Thought, associate professor, Dr. Vadim Putzu leads this course in Judaism. He mentions, “This is a course that might be of interest not just to people curious about different religions and cultures, but also to students who may want to learn more about alternative perspectives on the Bible and its interpretation as well as to those who want to dive into a lesser known aspect of local history.” In this course, students will have the opportunity to tour downtown Springfield to discover its early Jewish residents and businesses, visit the local Jewish cemetery , and attend services at Temple Israel in Rogersville.
For the spring 2025 semester (1/13/25-5/8/25), the course will take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 11:15am-12:05pm in Strong Hall, room 450.
Students with questions may reach out to Dr. Putzu via email: VPutzu@MissouriState.edu.
Gerontology and Art and Design – GER 397, Intergenerational Artistic Expression
This course, first offered in Spring 2023, is an interdisciplinary offering between the Geronotology program and the Art and Design Department. Students can expect an inviting environment that welcomes the sharing of personal stories and connection through the assignments. The class allows for connection among traditional aged college students, nontraditional students, and senior community members through the creation of art. Watercolor and acrylics are ussed, although no prior artistic experience is needed. If you’re an artist, this class will help one look at the intuitive process through curiousity and wonder.
With varied experience levels and artisitc mediums, peers will have the opportunity to learn from one another while engaging in both individual and collaborative projects. Students who have completed the course found it to be encouraging and an overall very positive experience.
This class is taught on Fridays (January 13-May 8, 2025) by Diane Denton in Brick City 3, room 117. Read more on the course from the Art + Design blog, debuted December 16, 2022.
Prior teaching experience from her program developed with Senior Age, “Young at Art–Diversity and Inclusion,” and a teaching certification from Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art has prepared Denton to lead this course. “We will create pieces based on what you love, what brings one joy and also look at the challenges that life can bring and how we can create from that space. The class is limited to 15 students. Both MSU62 and undergraduate students find the class empowering, a safe place to create and an opportunity to get to know their classmates. It is thought-provoking. We look at real life stories and create from those prompts,” Denton shares.
If you have any questions relating to the course, reach out to Ms. Diane Denton via email: dld72e@missouristate.edu.
Can I Take Other Classes?
While MSU 62 participants are not limited to these two options, we hope that you consider these two wonderful offerings among the many courses available at Missouri State University. To explore additional offerings, visit the Class Schedule Search.
You may filter by a variety of fields, although it is not necessary to enter any filtering criteria. We recommend the following fields:
- Subject: if known
- Campus: Springfield, MO
- Modality: Traditional for seated courses, Internet-Other for online
- Check the “Open Sections Only” box before clicking submit.
Read our blog for more helpful preparation information.
Registration for MSU 62 begins Thursday, January 9th at 9:00am on the MSU 62 website. The last day to submit registration forms is 2:00pm on Friday, January 17th.
