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Undergraduate (UGS) Seminars

Undergraduate (UGS) Seminars 

First-year seminars introduce students to social and academic life at the University, providing a small-group experience to support students' transition. These are considered high-impact practices by AAC&U, and are offered centrally in Undergraduate Studies, as well as within the colleges.

MSU has a range of seminar offerings, including special topic seminars, college transition seminars, off-campus and global seminars, as well as seminars offered by academic colleges and majors. These options allow for incoming students to engage in small learning communities designed to help them succeed in college. Some of these opportunities are specialized and offered in departments and colleges, and other seminars are open to everyone and offered by the university.

Get going! Choose a first-year seminar that is right for you! Spartans roll up their sleeves and delve into learning with a passion. First-year seminars provoke your thinking and stimulate big ideas for your experience as a Spartan.

UGS INFO FLYER

If you have any questions, please contact the following: 

For FSA UGS (102-103) Sheila Marquardt, Coordinator of Global Initiatives, marqua36@msu.edu

For UGS (201): Brooke Robinson, Program Coordinator, robi1233@msu.edu 

For UGS (210) Alysa Lucas, Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies, lucasaly@msu.edu

For UGS (250) Bethany Judge, Director of Experiential Learning, judgebe@msu.edu 

First-Year Seminars Abroad (UGS 102) and Away (UGS 103)

Students are able to begin their academic experience in a variety of exciting locations around the world. UGS 102/103 seminars are led by faculty the summer before students begin at MSU. These courses allow students to explore global and domestic issues, connect with faculty, and develop confidence in the transition to MSU. This course can also be substituted as an Integrative Studies Course. 

The goals of this program include: 

  • Introduce students to scholarly and academic life at MSU; 
  • Help students develop confidence related to the college transition;
  • Expose students to global learning and opportunities at MSU;
  • Introduce global problem-solving in preparation for integrative studies coursework; and
  • Introduce students to multiple ways of knowing and problem-solving.

The learning outcomes of the course include (See Academic Goals and Model for detailed outcomes): 

  • Transition to college
  • Analytical thinking
  • Cultural Understanding
  • Integrative reasoning

For more information, including a list of current programs and the application process, please visit the Office of Education Abroad website. Please email any inquiries you may have about first-year seminar abroad programs to fsabroad@msu.edu or contact Dr. Sheila Marquardt at 517-884-8977 or marqua36@msu.edu.

First-Year Seminar Transition Course (UGS 110)

UGS 110 seminars are offered in the Fall for newly admitted students and are primarily taught by Academic Advisors. This seminar focuses primarily on facilitating adjustment to college. 
  1. Create an academic success plan that includes strategies, campus resources, and support systems that are relevant to achieving your goals. Includes emphasis on self-awareness and self-advocacy in the following areas:
    1. Organizing for learning 
    2. Seeking help 
    3. Building relationships 
    4. Careers & majors 
  2. Create a social engagement plan to help facilitate your involvement in the university community, expand your network, and enhance your sense of belonging at MSU. Includes emphasis on self-awareness and self-advocacy in the following areas:
    1. Sense of belonging
    2. Building relationships 
    3. Getting involved 
    4. Expanding your cultural horizons 
  3. Create a plan for using strategies and campus resources to further develop awareness of, to promote, and to maintain your health and wellness in college. Includes emphasis on self-awareness and self-advocacy in the following areas:
    1. Time management 
    2. Stress management 
    3. Financial management / literacy 
    4. Mental health 
    5. Physical health 
    6. Other health and wellness areas as individually relevant

Big Ideas Seminar” Series (UGS 201)

Our Big Ideas seminars provide an opportunity for testing and challenging ideas, as well as connecting with faculty who will continue to have an interest in you and your studies here at MSU. These courses also provide you chances to intersect different interests with your major or try something new if you’re still exploring majors, minors, or certificate interests. Seminars may be used as elective credits toward your degree and are offered both fall and spring semesters for early college students, particularly first-and second- year students. 

UGS INFO FLYER

Examples include: 

COLLEGE QUEST: This innovative course invites you to embark on a personal quest of self-discovery and strategic planning for your academic and professional future. You will build an avatar and embark on a university campaign. Through engaging activities, game elements, and collaborative projects, you will integrate technology to navigate the wicked problem of planning your future (https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/wicked-problems). You will learn how to use digital tools such as Microsoft 365 Audacity, and Camtasia, as well as generative AI, like ChatGPT, ClaudeAI, Copilot. The course provides a simulated four-year journey, encouraging you to craft your narrative through technological decisions and reflections. Your quest will develop your powers at getting the most out of university support systems like academic advising, neighborhood success centers, and other student services. You will use technology to record your evolution as you construct, present, and reflect on your evolving identity. Through this journey, you will not only become adept at using essential MSU digital tools but also lay a strong foundation for your academic and career path ahead.
ETHICS, GENETICS AND PUBLIC POLICY. Today we can do Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) for about $1000. Should government encourage or require individuals to have WGS so that individuals would know their vulnerability to various genetic disorders as well as the genetic vulnerabilities they could pass on to future possible children? Should individuals be legally required to reveal the results of WGS to future possible marriage partners? Should government pay for pre-implantation diagnosis of eight-cell embryos so that parents can choose embryos (future possible children) free of specific genetic disorders? If individuals have WGS and are told they have an enhanced risk for Type II diabetes, then fail to alter their eating habits and acquire diabetes, should they be required to pay all related medical costs because they were irresponsible with their health? Should parents be allowed to do WGS for their children? Or is that a violation of their privacy? These are some of the issues we will explore in this seminar. 
THE SCIENCE OF LEARNING. This seminar will address how people gain different types of knowledge, learn different types of skills, and perform under pressure - what happens when you really want to do your best and the outcome matters. Preparation for class will require reading, small-group meetings, and data collection- experiments on a small scale. Class activities will involve discussing and debating the issues at stake, supported by deep knowledge of the outside readings, small-group meetings, and the data that have been collected. Issues will include similarities and differences in mind and brain activity across different kinds of knowledge and skill, attention and how it works, and the impact of difficult circumstances: multitasking, social scrutiny, anxiety, and pressure. Readings will cover a wide range, including excerpts from a novel called `The Art of Fielding' by Chad Harbach to scientific papers on choking under pressure, basics of skill acquisition, and how taking tests helps learning.
JOKES ON YOU - ROLE OF EVERYDAY LANGUAGE IN CULTURE: Ever feel like you missed the joke? A lot of meaning comes from understanding language and the cultural meanings and references embedded in that language. Even for those who have studied a world language, sometimes the daily use of that language, slang, jargon, and cultural references can be lost. This section will look at the role language plays in daily life and culture, using Spanish as a lens to explore cultures and American ethnicities. Prior knowledge of a foreign language (Spanish) is not required.
SPARTANS WILL EXPLORE & CREATE: AN INTRODUCTION TO UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AT MSU. This course is for students interested in learning about undergraduate research and/or creative activities at Michigan State University and who have not yet started a mentored research project. Students will explore how research is conducted in a variety of fields and learn skills that are useful in all areas of scholarship, including research ethics, using journal citation managers, how to read scholarly literature and navigating MSU’s website to find research opportunities. By the end of the course, students will be ready to engage in a mentored research or creative experience.
FINDING CONNECTION IN AN EPIDEMIC OF LONELINESS. Loneliness impacts us all. In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, has declared an epidemic of loneliness. This public issue is a crisis with half of adults reporting being lonely, and nearly 27% of young adults experiencing loneliness. But are we lonelier now than we have been in the past? How has COVID impacted this epidemic? In what ways does loneliness impact our lives and well-being? More importantly, how can we help ourselves and others? This UGS 201 course will address loneliness and connection concepts; the impact of loneliness on us, peers, communities, and society; and how to combat loneliness in our lives.
MSU DIALOGUES. MSU Dialogues offers a comprehensive curriculum aimed at educating participants on social identities, fostering relationships across diverse identities, and promoting greater equity and justice in society. Students will gain valuable insights into inclusive leadership, communication strategies, and community building to enhance both personal and professional growth. Topics covered include diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
ISLAM, MUSLIMS, AND ISLAMOPHOBIA. This course aims to provide students with a working knowledge of (1) the religion of Islam and the core beliefs and practices that have defined Muslim communities; and (2) certain influential contemporary anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic discourses and sentiments. This course will feature guest speakers, an optional visit to a local mosque, and film viewings. This course is restricted to First- and Second-year students, but overrides can be requested through course administrators by emailing (lucasaly@msu.edu and robi1233@msu.edu).
HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORTARY ANTISEMITISM. This seminar will afford students from across the university the opportunity to learn about the historical roots and contexts of contemporary antisemitism, to define antisemitism, and to identify key tropes in the history of antisemitism. Antisemitism is at historic levels in the United States, and we know some students have also experienced it on our campus. This course will help students recognize antisemitism and understand its historical roots. Class is primarily online asynchronous with attendance required at one of three in-person events. This course is restricted to First- and Second-year students, but overrides can be requested through course administrators by emailing (lucasaly@msu.edu and robi1233@msu.edu).

Second-Year Seminar (UGS 210)

Students in this course focus on self-reflection and focused exploration of issues related to the second-year of college; consideration of one's personal identity, career possibilities, academic and social engagement, college involvement; design of pathways to achieving academic and career aspirations; and planning a fulfilling college experience.

This seminar is for second-year students to engage in self-reflection and focused exploration in order to:

  1. evaluate what you have learned about yourself as you consider the larger questions of “Who am I?” and “What do I want my life to be?”
  2. evaluate your academic engagement, social engagement, and involvement in college;
  3. create plans for making new or developing deeper levels of social engagement and college involvement that align with your values, interests, and aspirations;
  4. expand your awareness of career possibilities;
  5. narrow your career aspirations and identify pathways that align with them; and
  6. begin developing a detailed graduation plan, including curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular experiences.
 

Career and Professional Development (UGS 250)

This seminar is open to sophomores and juniors. Students in this course focus on the connection between academic majors, professional skills, and careers; development of skills needed to identify, obtain, and maintain a fulfilling career; and engagement with employers, alumni, and professional organizations. 

  1. Examine scholarly literature and research related to career myths and the linearity of career paths 
  2. Identify and examine career paths that are relevant to your core interests, values, and skills for employment
  3. Identify and examine academic pathways that align with your potential career paths 
  4. Define the scope of experiences needed to advance toward a career path 
  5. Participate in and reflect upon professional development related experiential learning activities (e.g., career fair, employer panel, informational interview) 
  6. Create and begin making measurable progress on a professional development plan, which could include experiences like: 
    1. preparing for successful internship and employment applications (e.g., resume development, social networking, mock interviews) 
    2. participating in student-led organizations and activities 
    3. securing employment while in college 
    4. using a diverse set of resources to research companies and industries of interest 
    5. completing an internship 
    6. studying abroad or away
    7. initiating professional relationships with potential mentors in your prospective career paths 
    8. exploring, preparing, and applying to graduate/professional school 

Experiential Learning in Undergraduate Studies (UGS 292)

This seminar is open to freshman, sophomores, and juniors with the approval of their department. Students in this course engage in supervised high impact educational experiences for early career undergraduate students. Exact course objectives will depend upon the format and modality of how the course will be implemented. Course objectives may include: 

  • To apply classroom learning to real-world experiential engagements
  • To interact ethically, professionally and in culturally sensitive ways with culturally diverse others
  • To outline ways that college can prepare them for their future goals and careers
  • To engage in appropriate and ethical behavior for a given context
  • To work independently and collaboratively to solve problems and address contemporary real-world issues