First-Year Seminar Program

The First-Year Seminar (FYS) Program is the centerpiece of students’ first-year academic experience at the College of Arts & Science. Within a small classroom setting, students are exposed to college-level academic content and expectations that form the basis of a liberal arts education. By engaging with their peers and faculty in dynamic critical thinking, writing, and presentation activities, students gain core skills and research competencies that lay the foundation for success during their NYU experience and beyond. First-Year Seminars also connect students to the rich academic and cultural resources of NYU and New York City. Except where noted, the seminars do not assume any specific prerequisite course or background on the student's part. Each seminar is 4 points, and enrollment is limited.

If you are a faculty member and are interested in teaching a First-Year Seminar, please fill our our online form.

First-Year Seminar Program Goals

Although they span many disciplines and integrate diverse ways of knowing, the First-Year Seminars have the following shared goals:

• Cultivate analytical and critical thinking;
• Advance multimodal communication and presentation skills;
• Use short-form and long-form writing to explore ideas;
• Introduce modes of inquiry and research in the disciplines represented in the College;
• Incorporate issues of ethics and diversity;
• Develop intellectual curiosity through academic mentoring and engagement with the liberal arts.

First-Year Seminar Program Themes

In addition, we are please to introduce the following academic themes that map explicity to our Dean's Undergraduate Research Fund (DURF) conference themes. These themed seminars will allow us to connect seminars of different disciplines and engages students more fully in the linked co-curricular Cohort Program.