First Year

The first year is aimed at exploring the academic world and the various academic disciplines.

All first years take Academic Skills and Practice. This course is a first introduction to liberal arts & sciences as well as academic study in general. It will help you develop skills in critical thinking and communicating in English in an academic context.

If you are only proficient in one language you also start learning a second language. The objective is to pass the intermediate 2-level course of this language. If you do know two or more languages you must take a language & culture class of a language that you are not familiar with. You can choose from French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Dutch and ancient Greek/Latin. 

You take courses in at least two departments, as part of the breadth requirement. Offerings in Humanities, Science, and Social Science include courses that provide a general survey of a discipline, geared to students of all academic backgrounds, in support of the mission for broad education. In the end all UCU students take at least one course in every academic department.