Study Discussion Groups (SDGs) are the heart of what we offer our members

The PLATO Society convenes peer-led Study Discussion Groups (SDGs) each term, sustaining rigorous, text-based inquiry across the liberal arts & sciences. Designed and facilitated by members, SDGs emphasize close reading, analysis, and collegial debate in seminar format.

Member Created & Led,
Small Group, Courses

Each week a different member is responsible for leading the discussion. Our courses, no matter the subject, are discussion, not lecture-based, and depend on the active participation of all.

We Offer
Four Categories

  • Arts & Literature
  • Social Science
  • History
  • Science & Technology

Course Length
& Timing

We have 3 terms: Winter, Spring/Summer and Fall
‍
Offer 20+ SDGs per term.

Courses vary in length from 7-14 weeks.

Our Current SDGs - Winter 2026

Monday

10:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Everything's coming up Sondheim
details

Monday

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

How Computers "See” And Why You Should Care
details

Monday

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

The Remembering Mind: A Journey Through Memory and Identity
details

Monday

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

From the Little Woman to the Dynamic Dame: The 100-Year Evolution of the Portrayal of Women in Hollywood Films.
details

Tuesday

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Rome and Jerusalem: The Clash of Ancient Civilizations
details

Tuesday

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Foreign Crises: The Test of a President
details

Tuesday

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780
details

Tuesday

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

How Democracies Die
details

Tuesday

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

A Closer Look at the Getty Center and its Collection
details

Tuesday

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Cervantes' Don Quixote
details

Wednesday

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Metaphysics
details

Wednesday

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

The Cinematic Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s: The New Hollywood Era
details

Wednesday

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Films of Director Clint Eastwood
details

Wednesday

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Africa Noir
details

Thursday

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Six Short Prize-Winning International Novels
details

Thursday

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

A History of Modern Catholicism
details

Thursday

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

The Earth Transformed
details

Thursday

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare Through Sanctions
details

Thursday

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Worlds to Explore, Classic Tales from National Geographic
details

Thursday

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

A Determined Life - Freely Lived
details

Thursday

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Greek Tragedy
details
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