University Seminars

Information for Students

For more than three decades, the University Seminar (USEM) program has provided an opportunity for students to take unique seminar style courses in a variety of fields.

University Seminars offer students the chance to take a course with an instructor from a school outside of their own or on a topic that would not typically be found within a single program of study. It is expected that these courses will help students develop critical thinking skills and explore new ideas in an environment that encourages interactive learning and intensive discussion.

In the past, USEMs were limited to first- and second-year students. New for the 2026-2027 academic year, these courses will be open to all undergraduate students.

Enrolling

USEM courses are offered during both the fall and spring semesters, are capped at 18 students, and are offered on an open enrollment basis to students interested in the topic of the course. There are two models for the USEM program: one offers two-credit courses (USEMs 1570 and 1580) and the other offers one-credit courses (USEM 2570 and 2580).

You can enroll in a University Seminar through the Student Information System (SIS) the same way you enroll for any other course. Search for class mnemonic “USEM.”

Note: College of Arts & Sciences' student only: USEM 1570s and USEM 2570s count as NON-COLLEGE credit and USEM1580s and USEM 2580s count as elective credit inside the College of Arts & Sciences. Students in the College students are limited to a maximum of 8 hours of USEM coursework.