First-year Seminar Program

Spring Quarter 2025 Enrollment Information

First-year Seminars are open first to all first-year students including first-year freshman with sophomore standing during the first-year student enrollment period. Incoming first-year students with sophomore standing should use the campus Course Pre-Authorization system to be cleared to enroll in a seminar and then use WebReg to enroll in seminars during your enrollment time.

Early enrollment is encouraged due to the small class size.

Visit the Schedule of Classes to see enrollments (select all departments and 87.) Use WebReg to enroll in seminars during your enrollment period.

Sophomores may enroll directly in first-year seminars by using WebReg after the freshman enrollment period and if seats are available.

Please use the campus Course Pre-Authorization system if you have an enrollment question.

Please use the Virtual Advising Center, VAC to contact the advisor of the department or program offering the seminar for all non-enrollment questions.

Department of Anthropology

Mapping Capitalism
ANTH 87 A00
Section ID: 875928
Pedersen, David (dpedersen@ucsd.edu)
Location: SSB 269
Tuesdays, 4:00 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.
Meeting Dates: TBA

This course introduces students to the study of ‘capitalism’ not just as an economic arrangement, but also as a deeply cultural, historical, and political way of organizing life (human and otherwise) on the planet. We will examine different ways that scholars have ‘mapped’ capitalism. By approaching the issue as one of map-making, we will appreciate that the diverse ways of describing, explaining, and representing capitalism always involves a process of purposeful selection. No map can show everything. What is shown in any particular account is what is necessary to get to a particular destination. With respect to capitalism, this course asks three kinds of questions: What are these destinations? Are we there yet? Where would you like to go?

Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics

How to Read the Scientific Literature
ASTR 87 A00
Section ID: 871154
Burgasser, Adam (aburgasser@ucsd.edu)
Location: SERF 329
Tuesdays, 4:00 p.m. to 5:50 p.m.
Seminar will meet Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10

One of the most important skills to develop as a new researcher in a scientific discipline is reading the scientific literature. Publications are the "currency" of science, yet they can also be hard to read and understand with their terse language, jargon, and confusing structure. In this seminar, we will deconstruct scientific articles, and learn how to find, read, and understand the primary literature, We will examine the structure of scientific papers and discuss why these remain the primary means of disseminating research results; explore the ecosystem of scientific literature through journals, peer-review, and citations; learn a research-validated approach called CERIC to critically read and evaluate scientific articles; and practice methods of going from reading articles to reporting on them in papers, presentations, and discussions. This seminar is particularly suited for undergraduates who are considering their first research experience.

Department of Bioengineering

Mammalian Cell and Tissue Culture
BENG 87 B00
Section ID: 886257
Sah, Robert (rsah@ucsd.edu)
Location: PFBH 391
Fridays, 10:00 a.m. to 10:50 a.m.
Seminar will meet weeks 1-8

How do mammalian cells and tissues cultures (MCTC) enable scientific discoveries and problem solutions in Biological & BioMedical Sciences, BioTechnology & BioEngineering, and Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine ? How is digital light microscopy used to image and characterize cells, tissues, and cultures ? In an activity-based interactive setting, students will explore the skills and knowledge of MCTC used in academia and industry to investigate the cause and treatments for diseases.

The Knee
BENG 87 A00
Section ID: 886240
Sah, Robert (rsah@ucsd.edu)
Location: PFBH 391
Fridays, 9:00 a.m. to 9:50 a.m.
Seminar will meet weeks 1-8

Our knees are amazing biomechanical (BM) and mechanobiological (MB) structures! They support large loads and facilitate motion with little friction or wear, and they adapt to mechanical demands, normally without pain. How do the tissues of, and around, the knee (articular cartilage, bone, meniscus, ligament, tendon, muscle), work as a BMMB unit in health so we can stand, walk, run, and jump? What are current and future treatments for knee injuries and degeneration?

Department of Chicanx and Latinx Studies

What is a Chicano? And why should we care anyway?
CLX 87 A00
Section ID: 809115
Castro, Robert (r1castro@ucsd.edu)
Location: PCYNH 104
Thursdays, 2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.
Meeting Dates: TBA

These questions are the springboard for our seminar. The answers will be discovered through discussions of important social, political, economic, cultural, and historical aspects of the Chicano experience. Join the conversation and share your voice!

Cinematic Arts and Film Studies

Banned Films
FILM 87 A00
Section ID: 809816
Rahimi, Babak (brahimi@ucsd.edu)
Location: MCC 221
Tuesdays, 9:00 a.m. to 9:50 a.m.
Meeting Dates: TBA

This seminar examines the relationship between law, politics and cinema and why governments have banned certain films throughout history. We will examine films such as This is Not a Film, Sweetness of Spirit, Battleship Potemkin, LAge dOr, The Bohemian Girl, Clockwork Orange, Goldfinger and others.

Cult Films of 1940s-2000s
FILM 87 C00
Section ID: 869076
Havis, Allan (ahavis@ucsd.edu)
Location: MCC 221
Fridays, 10:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.
Meeting Dates: TBA

Cursory look at enigmatic cult film classics from 1940 to today. Basic aesthetics and ideas of cult films will be celebrated. Films will probably include BLUE VELVET, DELICATESSEN, INVADERS FROM MARS, THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE.

What Film Can Teach Us About Life
FILM 87 B00
Section ID: 809859
Rahimi, Babak (brahimi@ucsd.edu)
Location: MCC 221
Tuesdays, 10:00 a.m.:00 p.m. to 10:50 a.m.
Meeting Dates: TBA

This seminar is about how film can reflect and change our lives. We will discuss movies such as: I Love you, Beth Cooper,American Beauty, Sliding doors, Seventh Seal, Happiness, La Dolce Vita, Taste of Cherry, Do the Right Thing, Christmas Story and others.

Department of Computer Science & Engineering

Tracking Viral Epidemics
CSE 87 A00
Section ID: 875925
Moshiri, Niema (a1moshiri@ucsd.edu)
Location: EBU3B 2154
Wednesdays, 1:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.
Meeting Dates: TBA

How can epidemiologists track the spread of a virus? As sequencing technologies become increasingly affordable and accurate, the analysis of viral genome sequence data is becoming increasingly commonplace in epidemiology. We will learn how to use bioinformatics tools to study the evolution of viruses and to conduct real-world molecular epidemiological analyses.

Critical Gender Studies

Gender and Sexuality in Popular Culture
CGS 87 A00
Section ID: 812765
Wesling, Megan (mwesling@ucsd.edu)
Location: RWAC 292
Tuesdays, 2:00 p.m. to 3:50 p.m.
Seminar will meet Weeks 1-5

We will talk about how sexuality is constructed in television, film, and advertising. Students will have opportunities to propose shows or films for discussion.

Department of History

Sun, Sea, Sand & Sex: What Do Tourism and Tourists Really Do?
HITO 87 B00
Section ID: 841740
Patterson, Patrick (p1patterson@ucsd.edu)
Location: RWAC 846
Mondays, 5:00 p.m. to 6:50 p.m.
Seminar will meet Weeks 1-5

Tourism is big fun -- and big business. It has changed the world in enormous ways, and it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. We will look at major issues and hot topics relating to the impact of tourism and tourists in the contemporary world, including environmental impacts, sex tourism, economic development and underdevelopment, "cultural imperialism," and sustainability.

What Is Socialism? (And What Isn't)
HITO 87 A00
Section ID: 841738
Patterson, Patrick (p1patterson@ucsd.edu)
Location: RWAC 846
Mondays, 3:00 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.
Seminar will meet Weeks 1-5

Socialism has recently become a very hot topic in American politics -- something that people are fighting for and fighting against. Conservatives, libertarians, and others on the political "right" continue their long tradition of rejecting as "socialism" a wide range of policies they do not like. But many progressives and others on the "left," inspired by Bernie Sanders and like-minded activists, have recently started to embrace this label (after running away from it in the past).

Department of Literature

Love at First Sight
LTCS 87 A00
Section ID: 822034
Nguyen, Hoang (htn057@ucsd.edu)
Location: RWAC 372
Tuesdays, 9:00 a.m. to 10:50 a.m.
Seminar will meet Weeks 1-4

The course looks at the relationship between love and time in contemporary romantic comedies. It examines rom-com relationships that follow traditional life courses and those that reject romantic chronology altogether. Films may include How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, 50 First Dates, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, I Give It A Year, and Weekend. Students will learn foundational skills in film analysis.

The Young Adult (YA) in Literature and Film
LTCS 87 B00
Section ID: 822035
Nguyen, Hoang (htn057@ucsd.edu)
Location: RWAC 372
Tuesdays, 12:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.
Seminar will meet Weeks 1-4

Through the study of YA novels and film adaptations, we consider how ideas about adolescence have been conceived and transformed in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The course investigates the category of the American teen as a modern identity category: a juvenile delinquent, an angsty non-conformist, a sexual subject, a racialized criminal, a gang banger, a gender poser, a bookworm, and a market demographic.

Department of Mathematics

Math's Unsung Trailblazers
MATH 87 A00
Section ID: 872926
Bowers, Adam (abowers@ucsd.edu)
Location: APM 7321
Wednesdays, 12:00 p.m. to 12:50 pm.
Meeting Dates: TBA

Histories of mathematics often focus on European men, but there are many other interesting stories to be told. In "The Secret Lives of Numbers: A Hidden History of Math's Unsung Trailblazers", Kate Kitagawa and Timothy Revell tell some of these stories. We will read and discuss this unique history of mathematics text. No specialized mathematical knowledge is required.

Trigonometry Refresher Course
MATH 87 B00
Section ID: 872927
Bowers, Adam (abowers@ucsd.edu)
Location: APM 7321
Fridays, 12:00 p.m. to 12:50 p.m.
Meeting Dates: TBA

Do you need a refresher in trigonometry? We will go over some of the ideas of trigonometry that are useful in other courses, such as calculus.

Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Creative Robotics: Engineering Expression
MAE 87 A00
Section ID: 872412
Twomey, Robert (rtwomey@ucsd.edu) &
Mullin, Jennifer (jmullin@ucsd.edu)
Location: Envision Arts&Engineering 302
Wednesdays, 1:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.
Seminar will meet Week 2 (4/9), Week 4 (4/23), Week 5 (4/30), Week 7 (5/14) and Week 9 (5/28)

In this hands-on seminar we will explore the connection between art and engineering. We will apply the fundamental topics and skills covered in this seminar to create interactive robotic avatars. Topics include the development of expressive behavior through visual design and mechanical motion, character design and fabrication, and the use of a microcontroller, sensors and actuators. We will use a design process to guide the avatar development from a concept to a functional robotic sculpture.

Department of Physics

Introduction to LaTeX: typeset your own science/engineering papers
PHYS 87 A00
Section ID: 869095
Ben, Grinstein (bgrinstein@ucsd.ed)
Location: MYR-A 4623
Wednesdays, 1:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.
Seminar will meet Weeks 1-10

LaTeX is the standard mark-up language for professional typesetting of scientific and engineering documents (from papers to books). This is a hands on seminar, covering from LaTeX and editor installation to producing a document with tables, figures and equations. Students have a choice to work on their laptops or use computers in the computer lab.

Department of Political Science

Data Literacy: how not to be fooled by data
POLI 87 A00
Section ID: 881663
Mignozzetti, Umberto (uguarniermignozzetti@ucsd.edu)
Location: SSB 104
Fridays, 12:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.
Seminar will meet 4/18, 4/25, 5/2, and 5/9

Data Literacy will equip participants with essential skills to navigate data-rich environments. It encompassing understand data fundamentals, sourcing, management, and ethics. It will teach descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, exploratory data analysis, and definitions of causal effect. All these skills will be taught only using intuitive thinking, without the need for math or software. This seminar aims at empowering first-year students to analyze, interpret, and make informed decisions based on data insights.

Revelle College

Reading Banned Books: Literature, Censorship, and Control
REV 87 A00
Section ID: 869166
Rodriguez, Bretton (bsrodriguez@ucsd.edu)
Location: GH 253
Wednesdays, 2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.
Seminar will meet Weeks 1-10

In this seminar, we will explore the history and practice of banning books as a means of trying to control information and exert power over society. Over the course of the quarter, we will read fictional books that depict the practice and consequences of banning books along with works of non-fiction that have either been banned or depict the impact of censorship. Through our discussion of these texts, students will have the opportunity to delve into the relationship between literature, censorship, and different types of social and political control.

Department of Scripps Institution of Oceanography

An Introduction to Volcanoes
SIO 87 B00
Section ID: 839698
Cook, Geoffrey (gwcook@ucsd.edu)
Location: York 3030
Thursdays, 9:00 a.m. to 10:50 a.m.
Seminar will meet Weeks 1-5

Students will be introduced to the fascinating world of volcanoes using a combination of hands-on activities, analogue demonstrations, and a wide variety of multimedia including videos, photos, and computer simulations.

Physics of Surfing
SIO 87 C00
Section ID: 872480
Morzfeld, Matthias (mmorzfeld@ucsd.edu) &
Feddersen, Falk (ffeddersen@ucsd.edu)
Location: IGPP 303
Tuesdays, 4:00 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.
Meeting Dates: TBA

This seminar will cover three topics in physics related to surfing: 1) generation, propagation, and breaking of waves; 2) the energetics of a surfer riding a wave; and 3) the fluid mechanics of a surfboard. There will be at least one lab on the SIO pier. Students will present their lab results at the end of the quarter.

Rocks that Rock! An exploration of exciting, unique and otherwise fascinating Earth materials
SIO 87 A00
Section ID: 839697
Cook, Geoffrey (gwcook@ucsd.edu)
Location: York 3030
Tuesdays, 9:00 a.m. to 10:50 a.m.
Seminar will meet Weeks 1-5

Students will learn about rocks, the rock cycle, and the myriad of Earth materials that make up the planet and solar system. Exciting hand-specimens and multimedia presentations will enhance and augment the presentation.

The Language of the Ocean: and why we should be listening.
SIO 87 D00
Section ID: 876215
Jensen, Paul (pjensen@ucsd.edu)
Location: ECKRT 236
Tursdays, 3:30 p.m. to 4:20 p.m.
Meeting Dates: TBA

The primary mechanisms by which marine organisms communicate with each other and interact with the environment are not mediated by sight or sound but instead chemistry. The processes mediated by chemical compounds include predator/prey interactions, mate recognition, defense, larval settlement, and even nutrient acquisition. This seminar will explore the topic of marine chemical ecology, how we are learning to decipher the language of the ocean, and how climate change is affecting the alphabet in which this language is written.

Sixth College

Make ‘Em Laugh: A History of Funny Ladies from Lucille Ball to Ali Wong
CAT 87 A00
Section ID: 813667
Bronstein, Phoebe (pbronstein@ucsd.edu)

From I Love Lucy to recent to Ali Wong and Sarah Silverman, this course will examine the often unruly and always hilarious ladies of comedy. We will talk about humor as both culturally and historically located, inflected by ideas about race, class, gender, and sexuality. Potential screenings will include (but are not limited to) I Love Lucy; Baby Cobra; I Love You America; Spy; The Mindy Project; and The Marvelous Mrs. Mazel.

Department of Visual Arts

Creative Robotics: Engineering Expression
VIS 87 A00
Section ID: 872413
Twomey, Robert (rtwomey@ucsd.edu) &
Mullin, Jennifer (jmullin@ucsd.edu)
Location: Envision Arts&Engineering 302
Wednesdays, 1:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.
Seminar will meet Week 2 (4/9), Week 4 (4/23), Week 5 (4/30), Week 7 (5/14) and Week 9 (5/28)

In this hands-on seminar we will explore the connection between art and engineering. We will apply the fundamental topics and skills covered in this seminar to create interactive robotic avatars. Topics include the development of expressive behavior through visual design and mechanical motion, character design and fabrication, and the use of a microcontroller, sensors and actuators. We will use a design process to guide the avatar development from a concept to a functional robotic sculpture.