UMass Boston

First-Year and Intermediate Seminars

In these seminars, you will deepen your ability to think and write critically.  These courses are part of the General Education curriculum and emphasize inquiry from a disciplinary perspective. They will teach you how to:

  • develop appropriate questions
  • evaluate evidence
  • form a reasoned conclusion or judgment

These seminars meet the learning objectives of the General Education Curriculum at two different levels. Click below for more information about these learning objectives and registration requirements:

First-Year Seminar: Learning Objectives

  1. Careful Reading: Students should develop effective reading strategies to demystify “careful reading” at the college level. For example, in class-practice should teach ways to find “main arguments” at the college level.
  2. Clear Writing: In writing, students should be able to cite evidence appropriately, represent and attribute complex ideas accurately, and apply theoretical material to other situations.
  3. Verbal Reasoning (Critical Thinking): Students, in writing or speaking, should be able to cite evidence appropriately, represent and attribute complex ideas accurately, and apply theoretical material to other situations. They should also begin to assess the credibility of sources.
  4. Using the Library and Information Technology to Further Learning: Students should be able to locate and evaluate a variety of different kinds of sources in the Healey Library, including on-line sources.
  5. Collaborative Work: Students work on a team project involving a concrete and interesting project, typically reporting to the class as a whole.
  6. Speaking/Listening: Students should be able to cite evidence appropriately, represent and attribute complex ideas accurately, and apply theoretical material to other situations.
  7. Academic Self-Assessment: Students should be able to review their progress based on a selection of assignments during a term.

First-Year Seminar: Registration

You must take a first-year seminar if you enter the university with fewer than 30 credits. All first-year seminars are at the 100 level.  
Take a first-year seminar with the suffix “G” after the course number if you are in the:

  • College of Liberal Arts (CLA)*
  • College of Education and Human Development (CEHD)

These courses carry four credits and meet for four hours per week.

College of Science and Mathematics:  we encourage you to take a CSM Gateway Seminar as your First-Year Seminar.  These course numbers are identified by the suffix “S” after the course number (for example, BIOL 187S and BIOL 188S).   Each course carries two credits per semester and you are expected to take the two-course sequence over two semesters.   As an alternative, you may take a “G” course.

*CLA First! Program:  consult your advisor for information about how to meet this requirement. 

You may not take more than one First-Year Seminar or more than one Intermediate Seminar course.

Intermediate Seminar: Learning Objectives

Intermediate Seminars emphasize three capabilities: Verbal Reasoning, Careful Reading, and Clear Writing.

  1. Careful Reading: Students should develop effective reading strategies to demystify “careful reading” at the college level. For example, in class-practice should teach ways to find “main arguments” at the college level.
  2. Clear Writing: In writing, Students should be able to cite evidence appropriately, represent and attribute complex ideas accurately, and apply theoretical material to other situations. They should also be able to integrate a range of sources within an essay, work with how sources relate to or contradict one another, evaluate sources, critique theory, and position one's ideas in relation to others' ideas.
  3. Verbal Reasoning (Critical Thinking): Students, in writing or speaking, should be able to cite evidence appropriately, represent and attribute complex ideas accurately, and apply theoretical material to other situations. They should also be able to integrate a range of sources within an essay, work with how sources relate to or contradict one another, evaluate sources, critique theory, and position one's ideas in relation to others' ideas.
  4. Using the Library and Information Technology to Further Learning: Students should be able to locate and evaluate a variety of different kinds of sources in the Healey Library, including on-line sources.
  5. Collaborative Work: Students work on a team project involving a concrete and interesting project, typically reporting to the class as a whole.
  6. Speaking/Listening: Students should be able to cite evidence appropriately, represent and attribute complex ideas accurately, and apply theoretical material to other situations.
  7. Academic Self-Assessment: Students should be able to review their progress based on a selection of assignments during a term.

Intermediate Seminar: Registration

You must take an Intermediate Seminar if you enter UMass Boston with fewer than 90 credits either as a new freshman or as a transfer student.
Take a course at the 200-level which has the suffix “G” after the course number, clearly labeled as an Intermediate Seminar, if you are in:

  • College of Liberal Arts (CLA)
  • College of Science and Mathematics (CSM)
  • College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) 

Other ways to complete this Intermediate Seminar requirement: 

  • College of Management:  complete MGT330
  • College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CNHS):  take NU212 
  • Online CNHS:  take NU360