Undergraduate Overview
University College
First-Year Seminars/Learning Communities
First-year seminars, an academic course required of entering students, are offered by all IUPUI undergraduate schools. The courses facilitate student transition to college by introducing key information and skills needed to succeed and by offering opportunities to connect with faculty, staff, and other students. The courses are taught by an instructional team, including a faculty member who sets academic goals and is the team leader, a student mentor who serves as a role model and peer guide to the college experience, a librarian who introduces library resources and literacy information, and an academic advisor who provides information on academic policies and procedures and works with students to begin academic planning as well as major and career decision making. First-year seminars are typically linked with other entry-level courses to form learning communities, where faculty may collaborate in creating class assignments. Students enrolling in seven or more credit hours who are first-time freshmen or transfer students with 17 or fewer transfer credit hours are required to enroll in a first-year seminar during their first semester at IUPUI. Students enrolling in fewer than seven credit hours are exempt.