Research Training Courses (xx-198)

Freshmen (2nd semester) and sophomores in H&SS are eligible to take Research Training courses (xx-198) if they have a QPA of at least a 3.0. This is a wonderful way for first and second year students to make a connection with a faculty member and get involved in cutting edge research. The list of research opportunities changes every semester. As a student, you should identify the research course you would be interested in participating in and contact the faculty member to discuss the opportunity further.

The research training courses are utilized as units towards graduation but can not count for the GenEd program or for your major/minor. Often times these opportunities can develop into ones that can be counted towards your major/minor or that involved a summer work/paid experience.

Freshmen Seminar Courses

Freshman Seminars are designed to give new Humanities and Social Science students an intellectually exciting, first-year introduction to the research and teaching interests of the faculty. They are also intended to support first-year students through their transition from high school to college instruction. To these ends they are defined as intimate (15-20 students) learning communities, lead by a faculty instructor who is expert in the course topic and invested in helping students gain the skills and confidence they need in order to be successful students in Humanities and Social Sciences.

Examples of freshman seminar courses include the following course titles: From 10% to couples per county: The Statistics of the Gay & Lesbian Population; The Effect of War (HSP freshmen only); Sex, Money, and Property; Innovative African-American Poetry; "Slavery" and "Freedom" in African History?; Consciousness; Introduction to Russian Culture; How Children Learn Mathematics; What is Scientific Thinking and How Can it be Taught?; Human Rights and Global Politics.