MARRIAGE 101:
Building Loving and Lasting Partnerships

• What are the secrets of successful long-term relationships?

• What exactly does good communication mean?  

• What happens when friendship turns into romance? How do you preserve the friendship?

• How do you “fight fair”?

• How can people be more up front about their sexual needs?

• Why are some people afraid to commit?

• How do you know when someone's right for you?

• How do you keep a relationship alive over the years?

• Given such high divorce rates, is marriage still worthwhile?

Want to learn about these and other related topics?

Full Course Description

Marriage 101 is an innovative course that consists of lectures, video clips, discussion, and fun exercises aimed at helping undergraduates develop the skills necessary to build loving and lasting partnerships and marriages.

Students are expected to co-register for Marriage 101 with another Northwestern University student.  This student need not be a current romantic partner or even a good friend, but only someone interested in attending this class.  The co-registrants should be of the sex appropriate to each other’s sexual/romantic preference.  

Topics include: Getting to Know Yourself, Intimacy and Love, Sexual Intimacy, Managing Conflict and Fighting Fair, Dating and Selecting the Right Partner, and Common Problems of Marriage.

You’ve taken other survey courses and learned the basics of economics and history, but what do you know about preventing divorce and fostering lasting happiness in marriage?  This course will put you on track, describe the fundamentals, and give you a head start on building a solid and satisfying relationship.

Time and Location

Wednesdays from 2:00 to 4:30 PM for 11 weeks at Annenberg Hall, Evanston, IL. The next course offering will be in Winter Quarter, January through March, 2004.

Conducted by faculty of The Family Institute at Northwestern University

Arthur Nielsen, MD (course coordinator): Faculty, The Family Institute, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry Northwestern University Medical School, and psychiatrist specializing in psychoanalysis and marital therapy.

Cheryl Rampage, PhD: Vice President for Academic Affairs, The Family Institute, Clinical Assistant Professor, Northwestern University, and clinical psychologist specializing in marital and family therapy.

William Pinsof, PhD, LMFT: President, The Family Institute, Clinical Professor, Northwestern University, and clinical psychologist specializing in marital and family therapy.  

Alexandra Hambright Solomon, PhD: Clinical Staff, The Family Institute.  

Lynne Knobloch-Fedders, PhD: Clinical Staff, The Family Institute.

Josh Hetherington, MSMFT: Clinical Staff, The Family Institute.

Shayna Goldstein, MSMFT: Clinical Fellow, The Family Institute. 

For more information e-mail

Art Nielsen, MD, at a-nielsen@northwestern.edu

Enrollment

Enrollment is for Northwestern University undergraduates only, and is limited to 50 students, so sign up now. 

Education Programs main page