Learning Community for First-Year Students

The College of Arts & Sciences offers a special non-residential learning community experience, the Alpha Scholars program, to all first-year students, regardless of their major. Freshmen who enter the Alpha Scholars program will enroll in a pair of fall semester courses. Each pair will include a required English course linked to another course in Biology or History. These courses are designed to give students a strong intellectual foundation for later work in their major fields, and count toward the University’s Essential Studies and Integrative Studies general education requirements. The class formats encourage active learning, student participation, and the development of critical thinking and writing skills.

The Alpha Scholars program also involves learning opportunities that may extend beyond the classroom. Students attend co-curricular lectures, art performances or other events that relate to topics in their courses, and explore the significance of these events in group discussions. Events that have an admission fee are paid for by the College of Arts & Sciences.

The Alpha Scholars program is designed for students who are looking for a unique academic experience and who want to become involved in a educational community that is built around interactive learning and close contact with fellow students and faculty.

Program Benefits

• A pair of Fall semester courses that fulfill general education requirements

• Interactive learning with an emphasis on critical thinking and writing skills

• Co-curricular lectures, art performances, or cultural events that complement each course

• Open to all students living either on-campus or off-campus