First Year Experience Courses
A First-Year Seminar (FYSE/FYSU/FYSG) is an academic course (3 credit hours) that explores special topics taught by outstanding faculty.
Learning Communities (LC) link two academic courses (6-8 credit hours). Faculty teaching these courses work together to establish joint activities and common curriculum themes designed to explore the ways in which subjects are interrelated.
All FYE courses have an attached Synthesis Seminar (FYSS). FYSS courses are discussion based so students get the most out of the experience. Upperclassmen serve as peer facilitators and lead weekly 50-minute synthesis seminars that introduce students to the College’s academic community. The synthesis seminar component offers the advantage of getting the perspective of and advice from a successful College of Charleston student.
Students must be enrolled in all parts of their Learning Community (including all science labs) or First-Year Seminar to receive credit.
As you look through the first-year seminar and learning community course offerings, feel free to contact First-Year Experience at fye@cofc.edu if you have questions about specific courses or course requirements.
Online courses are indicated as such and are listed as either Synchonrous (SYNC) or Asynchronous (ASYNC).
- Synchronous online course class meetings are facilitated during the times they are listed, and students and faculty may interface in realtime via Zoom or other videosharing software methods.
- Asynchronous online courses will not meet during a regularly scheduled time for class meetings.
In-Person courses: Unless labeled as online, our FYE courses are taught as in-person/hybrid courses. That means depending on classroom size and social distancing, some portions of the course will also have a hybrid component with online and alternative learning.
Painting Using Renaissance Techniques, an FYE course.