The 15 best back-to-school classes for adults in NYC

Learning how to use Microsoft Excel can be a practical skill to develop regardless of your current career. Whether you are looking to make complex data-related tasks easier or you are just trying to become more organized with vital information, Excel training can help you work more efficiently. In this Excel bootcamp, even if you are a complete Excel novice, you’ll get the training you need to start creating custom spreadsheets and functions, with a focus on how Excel can be used to streamline common business tasks.

If you regularly work with large amounts of data, it is likely that you understand your way around Excel. You might, however, want to learn how to get even more out of your databases by learning Standard Querying Language (SQL), the programming language most commonly used to build, organize and (unsurprisingly) query large data sets. In this course, you’ll learn how to write advanced, conditional queries and how to query multiple aspects of a dataset at once. You’ll also learn advanced techniques like Subqueries, String Functions, and IF‑Else logic with CASE. By the end of this course, you’ll be comfortable with database management and you’ll be on your way to learning even more complex aspects of data analytics.

You’ll be putting together masterful cheese plates and charcuterie boards once you complete this class. The fromage experts at Murray’s Cheese will guide you through several pairings of red, white and dessert wines with cheeses from around the world. Your next dinner party is about to be lit.

Auto mode is for suckers. You won’t be able to make the most out of your digital camera until you start tweaking the ISO and shutter speed. Learn the tricks of the trade from the professional instructors at the Art of Intuitive Photography. This three-hour introductory class will cover the basics of exposure, white balance, depth of field and more so you can start shooting incredible photos. Just bring your camera and get ready to work!

In today’s digital economy, knowing how to collect and analyze data is essential for the long-term health of any business or project. One of the best ways to learn how to work with data is to learn Python, the accessible programming language most often associated with data management and visualization. In this bootcamp, you’ll learn how to use Python to collect data, analyze it within databases and create visualizations that make your findings easier to understand and more persuasive. You’ll learn how to write conditional statements and queries, automate aspects of data collection and analysis and even start working with machine learning algorithms that can help you process and interpret data far faster than a human could ever do.

One of the newest additions to the Adobe family of creative software applications, Figma is a tool designed with collaborative user interface design in mind. This browser-based tool lets teams of designers work together on wire-frame designs of user interfaces for webpages, mobile applications and software programs. Since UI design is so important in attracting and retaining users, Figma is a very useful professional skill to develop. You can even create working prototypes of your interfaces with limited functionality to get real users testing them. Enrolling this course will help you learn a useful tool for professional design and it will give you hands-on experience creating interfaces that you can use as part of a job application.

If you have a creative eye, you may want to consider learning Premiere Pro, the video editing application in Adobe’s Creative Cloud. Video editing is an essential part of virtually all aspects of the film and television industry as well as online content creation and advertising. Video is better at communicating information to mass audiences and viewers retain video information longer and more accurately than if it were conveyed by text. Premiere Pro is used to compile clips and raw footage and cut them together into a completed video project. In this class, you’ll learn how to use the Premiere Pro interface, how to combine clips and add cuts, how to balance and correct audio issues and common editing techniques used in most professional editing projects. By the end of the course, you’ll be prepared to start working on content creation and editing videos (your own or someone else’s) at a professional level.

If you are looking for a more immersive, professional back-to-school program, consider returning to art school in this Graphic Design Certificate program. In this program, you’ll get a career-focused education in digital media production, emphasizing 2D graphic design projects. You’ll learn how to use the Adobe Creative Cloud’s suite of tools: Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign to create stunning logos, infographics, advertisements and promotional materials. As a career-focused course, students will focus on practical, hands-on exercises and they’ll be able to create real-world inspired projects that they can add to their job materials. All participants will also receive one-on-one career mentorship training and an official certificate acknowledging the successful completion of their training.

Get your hands dirty in a wheel-throwing pottery class at this renowned pottery studio. Over five three-hour sessions, you’ll learn to shape, glaze and surface your ceramic creations. You’ll get hands-on experience working with a pottery wheel and you’ll be get personalized instructions and feedback from expert potters. Not only are materials included in the cost of registration, but the studio will also glaze and fire your creation and make it available for pick-up in a few weeks after the program ends.

If computer science intrigues you more than graphic design, consider the career-focused Full Stack Development Certificate program instead. In this professional training program, you’ll learn all the techniques you need to build fully functioning webpages, software programs and mobile applications. You’ll get hands-on experience using HTML/CSS and JavaScript to program the front end of an application (the parts that a user interacts with) and SQL, Python and JavaScript libraries to build the back end (the parts that are hidden from the user). You’ll get a complete programming education in only a few months and all of the lessons are designed with career preparation in mind. Not only will you get one-on-one mentorship advice and private tutoring options, you’ll also be working on real world projects that you can add to your portfolio to impress prospective employers.

There’s nothing like a bouquet of fresh blooms to make your home feel fresh and light. Learn to create your own arrangements in an introductory class at FlowerSchool New York. The florist leading the studio session will demonstrate how to create a hand-tied bouquet, compact centerpiece or other design with fresh flowers from the New York City Flower Market. The arrangement changes with each session, so sign up for several if you’d like to practice them all. Best of all, you get to take your masterpiece home! $150

Ready to take your career to the next level, but don’t want to go back to school full time? Sign up for a class at General Assembly, the school dedicated to business, technical and marketing education. You can learn the basics of web design and start working with HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Or, you can enroll in a data science class and learn how to use Python to make informed decisions using massive amounts of user and customer data. They also offer courses in subjects like social media marketing and software engineering, so no matter what kind of skills you are looking to develop, you can find the instruction you need at General Assembly.

It’s time to finally start working on that novel idea you’ve been kicking around for years. Get started in an immersive writing class at Gotham Writers' Workshop. You’ll spend six weeks honing your craft through writing exercises, student feedback and both fiction and nonfiction assignments. Sharpen your pencil—you’re going to need it. 

Think you’re funny? Want to practice your public performance skills? Interested in learning to think on your feet? Well, an improv class is a great way to practice all of these skills at once while meeting new people and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. In this level 1 improv class, you’ll play simple games and learn tried and true principles (going beyond the traditional “yes…and” format) that will help make you a bold and fearless performer. Once you are comfortable in this format, you can enroll in more advanced classes to become an even more successful collaborator.