Courses within College of Natural and Human Sciences
AI, Ethics, and Society
Artificial intelligence is reshaping nearly every corner of modern life, but who decides how it works, and whose values does it reflect? Drawing on Computer Science and Science and Technology Studies, this course examines the design choices, tradeoffs, and societal consequences embedded in AI-powered systems across contexts like labor, politics, health, education, and the environment.
Ancient Lessons for a Modern World
Honors Offered
The ancient world has more to say about modern life than we might expect. This first-year seminar explores timeless questions about humanity, meaning, and the sacred through oral traditions, texts, and artifacts from across the globe, using unexpected connections between the distant past and the challenges of today.
Creative Disruptions: AI, Memes, and Critical Examination of Social Media
Honors Offered
Artificial intelligence, internet memes, and social media are transforming the way we communicate, create, and understand the world around us. This first-year seminar takes a multidisciplinary look at these digital forces, equipping students with the critical thinking and creative tools to navigate and contribute meaningfully to an increasingly interconnected world.
Data-Driven Thinking
From business projections to college essays, data is everywhere. Knowing how to access, organize, visualize, and interpret it is essential to informed decision-making. This first-year seminar offers a gentle introduction to data-driven thinking, probability, and simple simulations, using critical thinking to reach interesting, and sometimes surprising, conclusions about the world around us.
Engaging with Nature: Ecology, Awareness, and Community
Our relationship with the natural world shapes our wellbeing, our communities, and our future. This first-year seminar immerses students in immersive ecological experiences, from hiking and gardening to community volunteering, building the awareness and connection needed for community and to care for the environment around them.
Lessons from Psychology About Learning and Success
Psychology offers powerful insights into how people grow, adapt, and succeed. This first-year seminar uses psychological research to explore how people learn and what contributes to academic and personal success. With a focus on grit, the course helps students develop strategies for navigating college and making the most of their first-year experience.
Quest for Health: The Role of Mindfulness in Healthy Behavior
College can make it weirdly hard to do the simple things that help you feel okay: sleep enough, eat real food, move your body, manage stress, and stay connected to people who matter. In this class, we’ll use mindfulness as a way to pause, notice what you actually need, and experiment with small changes in your daily life. Together, we’ll look at stress, sleep, screens, food, movement, and relationships, and you’ll design a personal health goal to try out over the semester... all with support, not judgment.
Reptiles and Amphibians in Truth and Culture
Snakes, lizards, frogs, and turtles have fascinated, and frightened, humans for thousands of years. This first-year seminar explores the biology, mythology, and cultural legacy of reptiles and amphibians, challenging the biases and beliefs that have shaped how we see, and treat, these remarkable creatures.
The Science and Practice of Learning and Thriving in College
Understanding how you learn is one of the most valuable tools you can have in college and this first-year seminar is dedicated to helping you develop it. This course, through psychological science, invites students to explore how people learn, how they cope with challenges, and how emotional intelligence shapes success, practicing different strategies to discover what works best for them across the varied experiences of college life.
The Science and Practice of Learning and Thriving in College – Engineering
Engineering Students Only
Have you ever wondered how people learn and how you apply that learning to new problems in a challenging environment? This course explores the cognitive and psychological science behind learning and emotional intelligence, while giving you the space to practice different skills and strategies to find what works best for you.