While not required, first-year seminars are an excellent introduction to academic life in the College and are highly recommended for first- or second-semester students. The primary goal of the first-year seminar program is to provide every first-year student with the opportunity for a direct personal encounter with a faculty member in a small class setting devoted to a significant intellectual endeavor. First-year seminars also fulfill one of the College General Education Requirements. Below is the list of the first-year seminars offered for Spring 2026. Previously offered first-year seminars can be found in the first-year seminar archive.

You can find first-year seminars in Path@Penn by going to the bottom of course search, choosing the "Course Attribute" drop down menu, and then typing in first-year seminar attribute "AUFS."

In addition to the courses approved for the various sectors, first-year seminars fulfill a sector requirement. To find the sector that a first-year seminar fulfills (first-year seminars have an attribute of AUFS), refer to Path@Penn.

First-Year Seminar Donors

First-Year Seminars are supported by endowments created by the following generous donors:

• Richard E. Abrams, W'66, and Marilyn S. Abrams
• Carol Eininger, CW'70, and Roger Einiger, W'69
• The Dalck and Rose Feith Family
• Leonard Goldberg, W'55, and Wendy Goldberg
• Dhananjay M. Pai, W'83
• Joseph F. Rascoff, W'67, and Jane Rascoff
• Emily and Jerry Spiegel
• The Estate of Richard J. Wehle
   

Archive of First-Year (Freshman) Seminars