This course introduces students to the multidisciplinary study of careers and life courses. It reviews research traditions on life histories and life-course dynamics, identifies their basic premises and key concepts, and examines how studies of careers and life courses inform our understanding of social life. Particular attention is given to how life-course processes shape and are shaped by gender equality, decent work and economic growth, and efforts toward reduced inequalities across generations and social groups. We will explore the implications of a life-course approach for understanding aging, family change, and work careers, as well as social stratification and mobility, with emphasis on transitions, cumulative advantage and disadvantage, and the policy and organizational contexts that support these aims.