The First-Year Seminar is a requirement for all new students at Penn State.
- Students must take first-year seminar (FYS) within the first two semesters of enrollment.
- FYS are either identified by the course abbreviation "PSU 005" or by the suffix "S," "T," or "X."
- FYS are normally taught by full-time faculty and the class size is limited to about 24 students.
First-year seminars have two overarching goals:
- Engage students in the scholarly community, and
- introduce students to the faculty.
Activities to achieve these goals include:
- Introducing students to University study and to Penn State as an academic community.
- Acquainting students with learning tools and resources.
- Providing opportunities to develop academic relationships with faculty and peers.
- Introducing responsibilities as members of the community.
If you have questions about the FYS, please contact the First-Year Seminar Coordinator for Penn State Berks.
