First-Year Seminars

How to Search Online for First-Year Seminars

If you would like to search for a first-year seminar online, follow the steps below. The online class schedule will always contain the most up-to-date information on first-year seminars. Please note that the times and locations of the first-year seminars are subject to change.

  1. Go to ScheduleBuilder.umn.edu.
  2. This link will generate a list of all first year seminars being offered for Fall 2026.
    • It is helpful to select Show Open Classes Only before clicking Search if you only want to view courses that still have available seats.
    • If you are interested in putting your name on a waitlist for a course, do not select Show Open Classes Only.
    • In order to narrow down your results, you can also use the Additional Search Criteria section to find seminars that fit into certain time slots or are taught by specific instructors, etc.
  3. After you have generated a list of seminars that fit your desired parameters, you can click on the section or class number to view more details about the class, including a brief description.


To register for a seminar, click Select on the right hand side of the course information and follow the instructions to add it to your Enrollment Shopping Cart. 

First Year Seminars 2026-27

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Subject/Number WI Term offered Course Name Interest Area Description Schedule Builder Link
AEM 1305 Fall 2026 Rocketry: Design, Build, and Fly Science and Technology This hands-on course will take students beyond (Estes-type) "model rocketry" into the realm of "high-power rocketry," building rockets with H-size (or larger) motors, some capable of reaching altitudes of several thousand feet! Visit AEM 1305
AMES 1961 Spring 2027 What does the fox say? Representations of the vulpine in East Asia Humanities and Social Science Exploring the historical, religious, and literary evolution of fox folklore, this course examines the deep-seated cultural influence of the supernatural fox in China, Korea, and Japan. Students will trace these narratives from ancient shape-shifting myths to modern global media, analyzing how contemporary anime, K-dramas, and video games reflect distinct cultural traditions. Visit AMES 1961
AMES 1917 W Fall 2026 Playing with Genders: How Arts Inform Our Everyday Genders, a Case Study in Japanese Arts Culture and People This course will give students an opportunity to explore gender performance in Japanese art in the classroom and also at the University libraries and Minneapolis Institute of Art. Our class will host several guest speakers on gender performance beyond Japan, including Asian American theater, Chinese theater, and British theater. Visit AMES 1917
AMST 1913 Fall 2026 The Rise of the Bots Science and Technology This course explores the role of technology in extolling a future of “abundance and prosperity.” We examine the ideological underpinnings of this imagined future in order to consider the real costs and interrogate how notions of progress and innovation have been historically racialized, gendered, and spatialized to limit who gets included and excluded in this radical new imaginary. Visit AMST 1913
ANAT 1905 Fall 2026 The Talking Dead – Using the human body as forensic evidence Biological and Environmental Sciences In this seminar, students will develop a comprehensive understanding of how different disciplines within forensic science contribute to forensic investigations and making determinations regarding time of death, manner of death and cause of death. Students will engage in critical analysis of real-world cases and participate in simulated crime scene investigations to apply theoretical knowledge. Visit ANAT 1905
APEC 1905 Fall 2026 The Ordinary Business of Life: Issues in Business, Government, and Macroeconomics Business This course introduces key concepts in business and economics, tracing their historical development before analyzing modern macroeconomic issues like globalization and income inequality. The latter half of the year focuses on microeconomics, exploring leadership and business ethics through readings and films while also helping students navigate their transition to the university. Visit APEC 1905
ARTH 1919 Fall 2026 Contemporary Art in Twin Cities Museums Arts, Design, and Music Leveraging the Twin Cities' world-class art scene, this course uses local museums like the Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Institute of Art as mobile classrooms to explore diverse contemporary works. Through up-close viewing, curator chats, and public transit field trips, students will learn how to confidently analyze, discuss, and write about art. Visit ARTH 1919
ARTH 1918 Fall 2026 Witches, Ghosts, and Evil Clowns: Figures of Fear in Art, Folklore, and Popular Culture Literature and Film Exploring figures of fear from ancient folklore to modern social media, this course examines why humanity is simultaneously terrified of and fascinated by monsters, spirits, and killers. Using perspectives from art history, anthropology, and cultural studies, students will analyze how these terrifying characters reflect cultural prejudices, inspire real-world violence, and fuel our desire to scare ourselves for fun. Visit ARTH 1918
BIOL 1928 Fall 2026 Inventing Nature: The Art and Science of Natural History Humanities and Social Science This seminar investigates how natural history is actually "made" through hands-on specimen collection and behind-the-scenes visits to real-world archives. We will explore the field’s complicated colonial past and explore alternative ways of knowing, all while seeing how these collections provide the critical evidence we need to tackle current world problems, such as the climate crisis. Visit BIOL 1928
BIOL 1904 Fall 2026 London Innovation + Discovery Biological and Environmental Sciences This seminar examines how historical and cultural ecosystems in the United Kingdom foster innovation through a discipline-crossing lens and an immersive study abroad experience in London and Cambridge. By engaging with British institutions and reflecting on their own intercultural competence, students will analyze how creativity and collaboration drive global solutions beyond the U.S. context. Visit BIOL 1904
BIOL 1912 Fall 2026 Photographing the University Community Arts, Design, and Music This seminar will provide students and faculty an opportunity to explore the art of photojournalism and/or documentary photography.
BIOL 1921 Fall 2026 How Artists look at Biology Arts, Design, and Music This seminar will explore the many and diverse interactions between art and biology and includes hands-on creation of artistic biological objects.
CHEM 1903 Spring 2027 Chemistry in the Kitchen Science and Technology This seminar will look at the chemistry behind cooking and baking. In this course, we’ll cover topics such as coffee roasting, gluten formation, leavening, caramelization, preservatives, flavor compounds & how we get them from natural sources, how our taste buds work, reproducibility in cooking/chemistry, and the science of ice cream.
CHEM 1918 Fall 2026 The Power of Courage in Pursuing a STEM Career Science and Technology This freshman seminar will focus on three key areas that are critical to developing courage and thriving in STEM: (1) core values, (2) mentorship, and (3) opportunities and resources. By the end of the seminar, students will be well-equipped with the interpersonal skills and courage that make it possible to embrace the fear of failure, identify mentors and opportunities, and tackle complex, real-world problems with confidence and purpose in their undergraduate studies and beyond.
CI 1906 Fall 2026 Exploring Diversity, Democracy, and Social Issues in STEM Education Culture and People This seminar will explore ways diversity, democracy, and social issues intersect and live in STEM education. We will engage in project-based activities that increase our knowledge and skill in exploring social values and STEM education and create opportunities to showcase our products while we synthesize STEM skills with a systematic inquiry of our world. Visit CI 1906
CI 1904 Fall 2026 Global Studies in Action: From Classroom to an International Conference Culture and People This course is intended for first year undergraduate students who have an interest in in learning how a global perspective will enhance their life and career skills. This course will explore multiple approaches for globalization and students will implement these approaches to design and host a conference commemorating International Students Day. Visit CI 1904
CI 1903 W Fall 2026, Spring 2027 Prince, Lyrics, and This Thing Called Life Culture and People This seminar explores the lyrics and life of the musician Prince Rogers Nelson (and others) to better understand our journey in becoming, and how local and global sociopolitical contexts shape our identities. Visit CI 1903
CI 1908 W Fall 2026 Children and Other Talking Animals Literature and Film This course looks at animal tales as reflecting the never-entirely-suppressed memory of our kinship with animals and offering a hope for the future. You’ll work individually and in groups on written and oral assignments that will demonstrate your growing understanding of the role of animal tales in the past and the present—both in the context of child’s cognitive-affective development and in the context of humanity’s accelerating assault on the biosphere. Visit CI 1908
CNRC 1911 Fall 2026 Silencing the Gods: The Divine and Human in the Hebrew Bible Culture and People In this seminar, students will explore the fascinating literature and religion of the ancient Near East through reading ancient texts, analyze the narratives around the creation of the world, and visit museums to view 2,000 year old tablets. Visit CNRC 1911
CNRC 1913 Fall 2026 Homer's Odyssey and Modern Politics Literature and Film This seminar examines the problematic nature of power and justice by comparing Odysseus's violent actions in the Odyssey to modern political figures and narratives. Through a close reading of Homer, the Netflix series House of Cards, and the life of Lyndon Johnson, students will question why society often views "heroic" but horrifying behavior as right and just. Visit CNRC 1913
COMM 1919 Fall 2026 Communication & Migration Culture and People This course will introduce students to various ways in which communication can facilitate or hinder migration. It will examine how stories by migrants and about migrants interlock to shape the historical and current frameworks that make immigration an enduring social and political issue. Visit COMM 1919
ENGL 1928 Fall 2026 Imagining Environmental Futures Humanities and Social Science This seminar will explore popular nonfiction writing about three interconnected issues -- food, climate, and decolonization -- exploring how contemporary writers have not only warned us of environmental dangers but also tried to point us toward healthier, safer, and more environmentally just futures. Visit ENGL 1928
ENGL 1929 Fall 2026 Poetry and Nature Humanities and Social Science Everybody knows that poets love nature, but what does “love” mean, and for that matter, what does “nature” mean? This first-year seminar invites students to explore the deep and evolving relationship between poetry and the natural world. Visit ENGL 1929
ENGL 1922 W Fall 2026 Shakespeare in London and Stratford Literature and Film As an incoming UMTC first-year student, explore Shakespeare’s world in London and Stratford-upon-Avon through lenses of the early modern period and English literary culture of today. Visit ENGL 1922
ENGL 1932 Fall 2026 Global Hip Hop Humanities and Social Science In Global Hip Hop, we will engage in close readings of hip-hop lyrical and filmic texts from different countries and continents, studying them comparatively in terms of their rhetorical strategies, narrative structures, and reinvention of oral literary traditions Visit ENGL 1932
ENGL 1933 Fall 2026 Law, Race and Narrative Literature and Film This first-year seminar on law and literature will explore the connections among social policy, law, and race in writing and art from the nineteenth century to the present. Our goal will be to examine the enduring fascination that law and justice have held for cultural producers at the same time that we investigate the narrative dimensions of law. Visit ENGL 1933
ENGW 1917 Fall 2026 American Doctor: 20th and 21st Century Medical Narratives in the U.S. Literature and Film This course explores representations of doctors and the medical field in 20th and 21st-century American literature, film, and television. Students will analyze how scientific information and bodily experiences shape various narrative genres while developing their own critical and creative responses to the structures of medicine. Visit ENGW 1917
ENT 1909 Fall 2026 Bees: Ecology, Health, and Conservation of Diverse Pollinators Biological and Environmental Sciences The loss of insect pollinators, including native and honeybees, presents a grand challenge that will have cascading effects throughout ecological systems and human food crop systems. This course is designed to reflect on the shared sense of responsibility for building a community that will address this issue. Visit ENT 1909
ENT 1903 Fall 2026 Toxins, venoms, and drugs from bugs Biological and Environmental Sciences Insects and other invertebrates represent a rich and relatively unexplored source of bioactive agents that can be developed using modern molecular technologies for potential therapeutic applications. This course will explore the biological effects and molecular biology of arthropod toxins and venoms with a focus on recent and emerging applications to human therapies. Visit ENT 1903
ESCI 1911 Fall 2026 Designing solutions to environmental problems Biological and Environmental Sciences In this freshman seminar, we will dive into a globally significant environmental problem with strong ties to Minnesota, and learn how to address it, from scouring the scientific literature to engaging directly with the people affected. The semester will culminate in a published class-created website documenting the research and action plan, alongside a presentation of the proposed solution to a panel of experts. Visit ESCI 1911
ESCI 1908 Spring 2027 Sea Change: Geological Perspective Biological and Environmental Sciences This seminar course is intended for first-year students who are interested in understanding how and why the planet has changed in the geologic past and learning how scientists gather evidence of environmental change from marine sediments. We will examine how to use fossils and other evidence for reconstructing sea level, ancient ocean currents, and abrupt paleoclimatic events and their impacts on marine life, and we will discuss major ideas about the driving forces of these past changes. Visit ESCI 1908
ESCI 1913 Fall 2026 Environmental Research on the Twin Cities Campus Biological and Environmental Sciences This research-intensive seminar uses our campus as a natural laboratory for students to explore how environmental forces are shaped by our daily lives and industrial legacies of the area. By analyzing the intersection of urban infrastructure and natural systems, students move through the full scientific cycle to present original findings that contribute to the university’s long-term sustainability and stewardship. Visit ESCI 1913
ESCI 1913 Fall 2026 Environmental Research on the Twin Cities Campus Biological and Environmental Sciences This research-intensive seminar uses our campus as a natural laboratory for students to explore how environmental forces are shaped by our daily lives and industrial legacies of the area. By analyzing the intersection of urban infrastructure and natural systems, students move through the full scientific cycle to present original findings that contribute to the university’s long-term sustainability and stewardship. Visit ESCI 1913
GCC 1906 Fall 2026 Rare Diseases: What it Takes to Be a Medical Orphan Biological and Environmental Sciences This highly interactive course includes weekly seminars and related readings on topics related to the understanding of rare diseases and the economics, regulatory, and public policy aspects of development of drugs (orphan products) to treat these conditions in the US and across the globe. Students will learn from and network with researchers, healthcare professionals, and business leaders and gain sufficient background to appreciate the scope of this multidisciplinary field. Visit GCC 1906
GEOG 1918 Spring 2027 Maps, Media, and Society Humanities and Social Science This seminar goes behind the scenes of spatial data generation and discover how the media uses high-tech mapping to narrate stories of crime, natural disasters, and environmental warfare. Spatial data is central to the media we consume, and the decisions we make. By the end of this term, you won’t just be looking at maps but you’ll be developing a critical eye for map integrity and decoding the hidden layers of data that define our reality. Visit GEOG 1918
GSD 1911 Spring 2027 The Origin of English Words Humanities and Social Science The purpose of the seminar is to introduce beginning students to the history of English words. History, in this case, includes two moments: words’ origins (technically known as etymology) and their development over the centuries. Visit GSD 1911
HIST 1911 Fall 2026 A History of the Drug Wars Humanities and Social Science This course will examine the history of controlled substances throughout the Western Hemisphere, focusing in particular on the scope of the so-called war on drugs of the past 30 years. Our study of the past is intended to help us understand the present context and to allow us to imagine a different future regarding these complicated issues. Visit HIST 1911
HIST 1934 Fall 2026 The History of Tourism: From Global to Local Perspectives Culture and People In this seminar, students will ask what tourism—an activity that many of us engage in, whether in our hometowns or abroad—can teach us about past and present societies. Students will have the opportunity to conduct research in the U of M archives, prepare website content, and/or design research interviews, with the goal of contributing to a public exhibition scheduled for 2027. Visit HIST 1934
HIST 1936 Fall 2026 Death to Tyrants!: Political Violence from the Ancient World to Today Politics and Government This seminar examines the long history of political violence from ancient Greece and Rome through the modern era to better understand its enduring impact on global society. By exploring the motivations and justifications behind such acts, students will analyze historical lessons to address the rising threat of political disruption in the contemporary world. Visit HIST 1936
HIST 1931 Fall 2026 The Monkey King and His Afterlives: Retelling the Story of A Chinese Novel Literature and Film This course explores the origins, adaptations, and enduring cultural impact of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, following the humorous adventures of four pilgrims traveling to India for Buddhist scriptures. Through a modern English abridgment, students will analyze the nature of the novel's humor and what its beloved characters reveal about Chinese society. Visit HIST 1931
JOUR 1918 Fall 2026 Brand Activism and Advocacy: Strategic Communication for Change Business From Amazon to Zappos, companies around the world increasingly are engaging in brand activism and advocacy as a way to enhance their brand image, recruit and retain employees, and enact change. In this course, students will explore different ways that corporations use brand activism/advocacy messages to influence the public sphere, the various outcomes that may occur as a result of brand activism/advocacy messaging, and ethical concerns. Visit JOUR 1918
LING 1913 Spring 2027 What's in a Word? Humanities and Social Science This course is a guided tour through the vocabulary of English, one of the largest and most varied in any of the world's languages. One practical advantage of learning the answers to these and other questions is that it helps in vocabulary building and in demystifying specialized and technical terminology. Visit LING 1913
LING 1912 Fall 2026 Invented Languages Humanities and Social Science In this course you will learn about the myriad properties of natural languages, and decide what relationship an invented language of your own will bear to them. Will you seek to imitate them, to combine some of their properties in unforeseen ways, to make the most euphonious (or cacophonous) language you can imagine, or to create one with the complex and precise engineering of a fancy watch? Visit LING 1912
MATH 1901 Fall 2026 Mathematical Climate Models Biological and Environmental Sciences This course will investigate the changing climate from a quantitative perspective by finding scientific data on the Internet, analyzing the data with spreadsheets, learning the basic processes determining Earth's climate, and projecting the data into the future. Visit MATH 1901
MUS 1916 Fall 2026 All About Music: Its Meaning, Reality, Communication, and Embodiment Arts, Design, and Music This seminar explores the profound role of music in our lives, investigating how it balances intellect and emotion while questioning why we still value live performances in a digital age. Through diverse listening sessions and open discussion, students will examine how music touches our reality and why Nietzsche considered life without it to be a mistake. Visit MUS 1916
OLPD 1926 W Spring 2027 Artificial Intelligence and Society Science and Technology AI has touched many aspects of human life, and it will continue to do so. This course uses an interdisciplinary approach to critically examine AI's origins, proliferation, and its omnipresence through social, political, and philosophical angles. Visit OLPD 1926
OLPD 1907 Fall 2026 Introduction to Data Analysis in Education and the Social and Behavioral Sciences Humanities and Social Science This course introduces fundamental statistical concepts and methods tailored for education and the social sciences, emphasizing the practical application of techniques to real-world data. Students will progress from basic descriptive and inferential statistics to more complex bivariate and multivariate modeling, specifically focusing on causal inference and research replication. Visit OLPD 1907
OLPD 1905 Fall 2026, Spring 2027 What is College For? Humanities and Social Science This freshman seminar investigates the evolving value and purpose of higher education by examining critical issues such as student debt, access and systemic barriers. Through reading, media analysis, and discussion, students will reflect on their own educational goals while exploring whether a college degree remains a necessary pathway to a successful life. Visit OLPD 1905
PHIL 1916 W Fall 2026 What's So Great About Classical Music? Arts, Design, and Music Many reasons are given for the importance of classical music, but only one matters: that it is, at its best, great art. Once you understand this you have a way of getting quickly to the essentials, in which great forces collide, quests are undertaken, new worlds are visited, alien creatures emerge from the depths of the unconscious, and much, much more. Visit PHIL 1916
PHIL 1918 Fall 2026 Comics as Art Arts, Design, and Music In this seminar, we will explore the idea that comics are as legitimate an art form as painting or poetry. We will ask: How do comics differ from other artistic media? How does reading a comic differ from reading poetry or novels? How have comics influenced, and been influenced by, culture and politics? And what, exactly, makes a comic a comic (and not something else)? Visit PHIL 1918
PLSC 1915 Fall 2026 Stardew Valley Biological and Environmental Sciences This course utilizes the video game Stardew Valley as a practical lens to introduce students to the core principles of systems thinking and basic agronomy. Through gameplay, hands-on activities, and multi-week projects, participants will analyze the complex interconnections between crop production, resource management, and community dynamics. Visit PLSC 1915
POL 1922 Fall 2026 From Cold War to Hot War: Russia, Ukraine, and Eastern Europe Humanities and Social Science This course explores the shift from Cold War to Hot War in Europe, specifically in communist and former communist Eastern Europe, Ukraine, and Russia. Visit POL 1922
PSY 1928 Fall 2026 Case Studies in Neuropsychology Biological and Environmental Sciences This first-year seminar course introduces students to the field of clinical neuropsychology through the use of notable case studies, several of which resulted in major theoretical breakthroughs following their publication. Neuropsychology is focused on understanding associations between brain and behavior, the assessment of cognitive and behavioral functioning from a brain-behavior perspective, and the design of effective treatment strategies to help individuals who have experienced brain injuries/disorders. Visit PSY 1928
PSY 1923 Fall 2026 The Freshman 15: Stress and Health Management for College Students Humanities and Social Science The changes across many domains of one's life can disrupt healthy habits and initiate unhealthy ones. In this seminar we will use a biopsychosocial framework, popular in health psychology, to examine personal health influences and choices. Visit PSY 1923
RELS 1911 Fall 2026 Islam in America: A History of the Present Culture and People In this freshman seminar, students will examine the long-history and contemporary formation of Islam as a religious, racial, and political discourse in America. Together, we will approach this history in the plural, as histories of Islam in America, paying particular attention to the different local and global historical processes that led to the enslaved and voluntary migrations and conversions of a range of racially, ethnically, and class variegated Muslim communities. Visit RELS 1911
SUST 1903 Fall 2026 Campus Sustainability and Climate Action Biological and Environmental Sciences This first-year seminar introduces students to climate action and operational sustainability by using the campus as a hands-on learning laboratory. Through real-world experiences with Facilities Management, students will explore topics such as behavioral psychology, systems thinking, and climate communication to prepare for sustainability-focused careers. Visit SUST 1903
TH 1917 Fall 2026 Content Creators and Society Arts, Design, and Music This course explores how the global rise of content creators has fundamentally reshaped traditional media, politics, and social activism. Students will analyze specific digital phenomena—from "momfluencers" and "tradwives" to podcasters and TikTokers—to understand their impact on family life, political discourse, and feminist movements. Visit TH 1917
TH 1911 W Fall 2026 Attending (to) Theater Arts, Design, and Music This seminar introduces students to the vibrant small and mid-sized theater scene of the Twin Cities through attendance at 8–10 live performances and direct engagement with industry professionals. By developing critical and creative tools, participants will explore how the performing arts can foster a unique sense of community and "commonwealth." Visit TH 1911