Freshman Seminar Program Beginning in Winter 2003, UCSD began offering one-unit Freshman Seminars.  The seminars are taught by faculty in their fields of expertise and explore topics of intellectual importance while participating in critical discussion with a small group of peers and faculty.  Enrollment priority is given to freshmen and most Freshman Seminars have an enrollment limit of 20 students, therefore early registration is encouraged. Students may complete up to four Freshman Seminars with the stipulation that none of the Seminars are repeated. If students are interested in taking more than one Freshman Seminar being offered by the same department, check with the Student Affairs office of that department for guidelines on how many Freshman Seminars may be taken within that department.

Quarterly Seminar Course Listings

What do you get out of a Freshman Seminar?

Small, informal classes (20-student limit) that are made up of other freshmen and a few sophomores; An opportunity to explore ideas with faculty members on many subjects of mutual interest; An opportunity to earn 1 unit of credit on a P/NP basis. You may enroll in several different seminars during your academic career; Freshman Seminars meet for 8 to 10 hours during the quarter (most seminars meet once a week).

What is expected of you in a Freshman Seminar?

Attendance is an important factor in your learning due to the reduced workload of a 1-unit course; Sharing ideas is an important academic skill that can only be acquired through practice; Freshman Seminars may require readings, projects, short papers, or quizzes. Students have told us that 1-2 hours of work per week can be expected outside of the seminar.

First-year Freshmen with advanced-standing please (click here) for important registration instructions.

Read the Freshman Seminar Program press release [doc] [pdf]

Check out what students have said about the Freshman Seminar Program: Student Comments