University Undergraduate Advising Handbook

FIRST-YEAR SEMINARS

A student's campus of enrollment determines whether or not he/she is required to complete a first-year seminar. Campuses that no longer require an FYS provide students with a first-year engagement experience.

A student's degree audit will monitor the completion of his/her FYS requirement. (See section 12 of this sample degree audit. "OK" indicates the requirement has been met; "NO" precedes the statement if a student has not met the requirement.) If a student changes his/her campus location, the student's audit will be changed to indicate whether the student needs to fulfill this requirement based on established criteria.

FIRST-YEAR SEMINARS (FYS)

L-9: First-Year Seminars in the Academic Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual provides clear and detailed information about how to identify a first-year seminar, how the courses are structured, and who is required to complete a seminar.

A list of all first-year seminars is online. PSU seminars are also listed under "PSU" in the Schedule of Courses. First-Year Seminars designated with an "S," "T," or "X" suffix are also found in the Schedule of Courses and the University Course Description section of the Undergraduate Degree Programs Bulletin by course abbreviation.

Completing a First-Year Seminar may also fulfill other requirements in the student's program, such as General Education, major, minor, or elective. For example, if a student completed AAA S 083S (GH), it would satisfy 3 credits of the General Education humanities requirement and the First-Year Seminar requirement.

First-Year Seminar content varies. Course numbers and, in some cases, section numbers indicate different content. To select an appropriate seminar, read the course descriptions. For colleges not listed at this site, contact the appropriate advising center at University Park or at another Penn State campus.

Students generally select a First-Year Seminar in their college or major. A student in the Division of Undergraduate Studies can take a First-Year Seminar in any college. The First-Year Seminar is portable. The requirement is satisfied by completing any First-Year Seminar. However, students should be cautious when selecting a seminar because, for some majors, a seminar has been incorporated into a required course. Some First-Year Seminars have departmental controls. If a student is seeking enrollment in one of these courses, the appropriate college advising center at University Park or another Penn State campus or the appropriate department should be contacted for registration information.

CAMPUS ENGAGEMENT PLANS

Approved campus engagement plans are online.

The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. Please consult a Penn State academic adviser for more detailed information.

This page is part of the University Undergraduate Advising Handbook, which is maintained by the Division of Undergraduate Studies, DUS@psu.edu.

Last Update: August 2009