LEWISTON — The Senior College program at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College will offer 18 courses for the fall semester, Sept. 17 through Nov. 9.

Now in its 14th year, the upcoming semester includes both new and continuation courses, ranging from Maine artists, the poetry of Robert Frost, French and Spanish languages, Maine units in the Civil War, National Parks travel, American musical theater, operas of Rossini, jewelry making, to others as described below.

Open to all persons age 50 and older and their spouses, the courses will be presented by peers, with no entrance requirements, grades or tests. An annual Senior College membership fee of $25, valid from Sept. 1 through Aug. 30, is required and provides access to the computer lab and library and to Senior College courses at other USM campuses.

The course fees, which include the cost of most books and materials, are $25 each for the first two courses and then $10 for each additional course. All classes are held during the day at L-A College, 51 Westminster St., except as noted below.

The fall 2012 semester course offerings are as follows:

Painting with Acrylics: 9:30 a.m. to noon for six Mondays, Sept. 17 to Oct. 29. No class on Oct. 8. Instructor Anita Poulin. Students will prepare a canvas, learn to mix paint colors and paint the canvas from a photograph provided by the instructor. Materials will be provided.

Survey of the U.S. Constitution: 1 to 3 p.m. for six Mondays, Sept. 17 to Oct. 29. No class on Oct. 8. Instructor Crystal Ward. This course will cover the making of our nation’s Constitution, its Articles and Amendments and their meanings.

Good Popes, Bad Popes: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for eight Tuesdays, Sept. 18 to Nov. 13. No class on Oct. 2. Instructor Alan Elze. Repeated by popular demand, this course offers a brief look at the evolution of the Papacy from Peter to Benedict.

Jewelry Making: Make and Take: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for four Tuesdays, Sept. 18 to Oct. 9. Instructor Lorraine Giasson. A beginner’s level course, this will cover designing necklaces, bracelets and earrings with beads, chains and findings.

Robert Frost, Part II: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for six Tuesdays, Sept. 18 to Oct. 23. Instructor June Spear. This is a continuation of the first course on the complex life of the Pulitzer Prize-winning New England poet.

Musical Theater: A Reflection of American Society: 1 to 3 p.m. for six Tuesdays, Sept. 18 to Oct. 23. Instructor Paul G. Caron. Repeated by popular demand, the course focuses on how American musical theater reflects our society and covers the major components of a musical play for the Broadway Stage.

Maine in the Civil War: Gettysburg: 1 to 3 p.m. for eight Tuesdays, Sept. 18 to Nov. 6, at Schooner Estates in Auburn. Instructor Andrew Hall. This course will provide a detailed look at all Maine units involved at Gettysburg within the context of the overall battle.

Judaism, Christianity and Islam: Why Can’t We All Just Get Along: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for eight Wednesdays, Sept. 19 to Nov. 14. No class on Sept. 26. Instructor Rabbi Hillel Katzir. This course studies how misunderstandings among the great religions threaten world peace.

Starstruck: Pictures of the Past, Visions of the Future: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for six Wednesdays, Sept. 19 to Oct. 31, at Bates College Museum of Art. No class Oct. 17. Instructor Anthony Shostak. This course examines astrophotography and uses the Bates’ Starstruck Exhibition as a point of departure for discussions of science fiction authors’ views of a future in space.

Catching Our Memories: 1 to 3 p.m. for eight Wednesdays, Sept. 19 to Nov. 7. Instructors Rosanne Ducey and Pauline L. Fortin. Learn how to turn life’s memories into memoir writing as part of a congenial group.

Rossini, His Life and Work: 1 to 3 p.m. for eight Wednesdays, Sept. 19 to Nov. 7. Instructor John Serrage. The latest in the instructor’s series of opera courses will include a video on the life of Rossini and excerpts from seven of his operas, both light and serious.

Maine and the Artists Who Have Painted It: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for six Thursdays, Sept. 20 to Oct. 25. Instructor Kirsten Larsson-Turley. This course will study some of the most iconic paintings done in Maine over the last 200 years, using a variety of methods including at least one field trip.

Take My Hand: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for six Thursdays, Sept. 20 to Oct. 25. Instructor Barbara V. Randall. This course will introduce well-known friends and lovers in literature. Each class will include a video to amplify the discussion.

Plants and Civilization: 1 to 3 p.m. for eight Thursdays, Sept. 20 to Nov. 8. Instructor Edward G. Corbett. This course explores the role of plants in the development of our planet’s civilizations through major explorations and population movements.

U.S. National Parks: 1 to 3 p.m. for four Thursdays, Oct. 4 to Oct. 25. Instructor Joanne Lebel repeats her popular course as she provides history and facts about her travels to 50 of the U.S. National Parks.

Dante’s “Inferno: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for eight Fridays, Sept. 21 to Nov. 9. Instructor Lincoln Ladd. A travel to, and an analysis of, an unforgettable experience to the underworld as written more than seven centuries ago.

Advanced Conversational French: 1 to 3 p.m. for eight Fridays, Sept. 21 to Nov. 9. Instructor Ann P. Anctil. This course is for persons who already speak French but wish to improve their conversational skills.

Espanol: Practicando y Platicando: 1 to 3 p.m. for eight Fridays, Sept. 21 to Nov. 9. Instructor Barbara Oliver. This continuing Spanish class will add new vocabulary and grammar using its accumulated texts.

Course registration is by mail only with registration closing Friday, Sept. 7. Registration forms are available at the Senior College office, 51 Westminster St., and can be downloaded from the website.. Payments must be made by personal check or money order payable to USM Senior College. Some courses have limited enrollment and early registration is encouraged.

For more information, call 753-6610 or visit usm.maine.edu/seniorcollege.