First-Year Seminar (FSEM)

Prerequisite: Freshman standing (30 credits or less). The first-year seminar introduces students to the pursuit of intellectual inquiry. Students will study a non-traditional topic in a non-traditional way while exploring the concept of a liberal arts education. Specific topics will vary from course to course. Transfer students enrolling at UMW with more than 30 credits may not take this course.

Students will explore how a variety of literary texts (from ancient epic to the modern novel) represent the supernatural--myth, religion, monsters, magic, spirits, and more--and how the supernatural has taken on a variety of metaphysical, cultural, and psychological meanings over time. This class will also introduce students to essential skills and resources for their undergraduate education.