A core part of the Liberal Studies student experience.
As you pursue individualized learning tailored to reward your passion and advance your goals, you’ll take three core seminars:
LS 20100 LS Seminar I: Ways of Knowing
In the Sophomore Seminar, we undertake to survey, both historically and by diverse disciplines, the broad spectra of informational content that we call knowledge. In this process we will be exposed to the differing techniques by which people attempt to increase or improve their grasp of knowledge. We will learn deductive, analytical and dialectical tools from the tradition of Western philosophy, as well as explore the possibilities of knowing through techniques as far ranging as meditation or art. Our final project, an Ontology of the Self, asks each student to begin the process of creating a “map” of the self from the various elements we have studied and then analyze exactly what it is that they think they know about “who” or “what” they are.
LS 20200 LS Seminar II: Introduction to Humanities
Your Introduction to Humanities seminar is an exploration of the ways fields like history, literature, drama, music and art combine for answers to problems that society has faced throughout the ages and continues to confront today.
LS 20300 LS Seminar III: Introduction to Social Sciences
The Introduction to the Social Sciences is a breadth course, as educated people know a little about a lot of things. All of the social sciences—anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, sociology—share a scientific grounding that is a product of time and culture, and all were born in what we call the modern era. We'll take a historical look at their origins, premises, methods, and the ways they have changed how we think about our world. We'll also examine critiques of the social sciences and explore areas of contention.
Rounding out these seminars, you’ll pursue Directed Studies and courses that form a concentration of your choosing.
You’ll often work one-on-one with your instructor on a topic of mutual interest: that’s a directed study. You’ll also choose from a rotating menu of special topics and selected courses to develop your concentration. Here’s where you may choose from courses offering a closer look at topics in film, women’s studies, philosophy, poetry, history and other fields in the humanities.