UCLA's Entertainment Studies program offers a plethora of not-for-credit and for-credit classes that might not add to your GPA, but the career value is immeasurable.

Classes are taught by professionals in their respective fields, from music-video directors to producers to CAA agents spilling secrets on schmoozing. Students may well encounter industry legends: The man who did sound effects on Spinal Tap teaches the sound-design workshop. Do-it-yourself entertainers might benefit from the podcasting seminars and those that essentially cover making your own video for YouTube; a class on such a subject only seems counterintuitive until you remember that some lucky wunderkinds are signing film deals based on the strength of their uploaded videos. Those looking to enter showbiz on the business side can take classes such as "A Lawyer's Perspective on the Entertainment Industry" and (yawn) "Production Accounting." But the "Sneak Preview" series hosts award-winning directors (Mira Nair) and actors (Djimon Hounsou) for film screenings and discussions of yet-to-be-released projects, which could be the coolest class we never took in college. —Katherine Spiers