Sophomore SeminarsSophomore seminars are only open to
current sophomores (i.e., members of the class of 2013 in fall
2010). Juniors and seniors should not register for and will not be
admitted to any course designated as a sophomore seminar.Majors and prospective majors are
encouraged (though not required) to take one of the Sophomore
Seminars offered each semester. There are no prerequisites.
The work load and level of sophistication of these courses is
roughly equivalent to upper division (100 level) courses. Sophomore
seminars are, however, different from upper division courses in
three respects. First, they are strictly limited in class size--each
has a maximum enrollment of fifteen. Second, as their name implies,
the seminars are only open to those in the sophomore year. Third,
the courses are built around discussion rather than lectures.
Sophomore seminars are intended to give students a chance to get to
know one of their professors well, something that is not always easy
given the large size of most of our classes. Their small size also
allows professors to give each student's work closer attention and
feedback than it might have received otherwise. Some of the courses
that have been offered in the past include "Acquiring Political
Knowledge," "Defense in Democracies," "Race and Class in American
Politics," and "How the Cold War Was Played." As noted earlier,
these courses do not fulfill the advanced seminar requirement.
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