Academics

Freshman Seminars

The College of Arts and Sciences will offer 4 Freshman Seminars in Fall 2011 for UM undergraduates in their freshman year.

Freshman Seminars are:

Small-group classes with no more than 18 students
Open only to freshmen
Courses that develop your abilities in intellectual inquiry and critical thinking
Classes that hone your skills in effective oral and written communication
Taught by distinguished faculty from the College of Arts & Sciences and the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
Offered on a wide range of interesting topics
Intended to expose students to real investigations in the methods and materials of a particular discipline
Often interdisciplinary in nature and/or experimental in subject and design
An excellent way to explore new interests; nor prior background is expected
A wonderful opportunity to develop more personal, long-term mentoring relationships with faculty than is possible in larger classes
Three-credit courses that fulfill one of the general education requirements in the social sciences, natural sciences, literature, fine arts, philosophy, and religion

Listed below are descriptions of the seminars scheduled for 2011.

FLT 190 What Makes Caribbean Popular Culture "Pop"?
What makes popular culture "popular"? What makes Caribbean culture Caribbean? This course will read, listen, and visit with local artists to come up with a response! 3 credits
FLT 191 The Moon Over Miami
The Magic City has inspired many writers and filmmakers. Discover the city and its writers through a critical engagement with the relationship between reality and spectacle, and maybe you will end up writing the next great Miami novel! 3 credits
FPR 190 Vita Contemplativa: Monastic Life from Antiquity to the Age of Twitter
An English literature professor guides you through a study of voices and religious communities organized around prayer, work, and quietude, including examples from the Catholic, Orthodox and Buddhist traditions. 3 credits

FNS 190 iListen/UListen
With a leading professor of computer science, explore algorithmic principles to explain how people listen to music and are connected through popular music sharing social networks. 3 credits
FNS 192 Global Warming, Solar Power and Environmental Sustainability
The United States is a world leader in both fossil fuel depletion and environmental innovation. Learn about the political science of alternative energy with a scholar who has published extensively on the future of solar power. 3 credits
FNS 193 The Miami Art/Science Experiment
In small collaborative research and learning groups, a biologist/artist will guide this class through the use of scientific and artistic processes to investigate and portray life in southern Florida. 3 credits

FSS 190 Miami Museums Today
Explore the rich artistic life of Miami through a variety of great cultural institutions. This class will introduce the critical concepts of museum studies through field visits to local art galleries and historical museums under the guidance of an art historian. 3 credits
FSS 193 Same-Sex Love and Desire in US History
A distinguished professor of Colonial US history explores the history of sexual and romantic attraction between men and between women (what we might today describe as gay and lesbian history) as it unfolded from the revolutionary period through twentieth centuries. 3 credits
FSS 197 Student Rights Under the Constitution: An Interactive Introduction to Law
With a focus on issues closest to the lives of college students, this seminar led by a professor of law introduces the concepts of ethical judgment, civic character, value inquiry, and the role of law in moral decision-making. 3 credits