The School of Communication is home to a very unique collection of disciplines and majors, all devoted to the science, history, theory and art of human communication. It follows that our introductory seminars would also be just as distinctive! Our First-Year Seminars put into practice our commitment to exploration, experimentation and collaboration through an interdisciplinary model that encourages students to play and engage with fields and practices outside of their declared majors from the very start. Our hope is to light the fire of curiosity and encourage students to engage in “serious play” all throughout their time at NU and beyond.
What Are the SoC FYS Seminars Like?
SoC First Year Seminars are thematically focused, interdisciplinary courses that introduce students to the study of human communication and expression through the lens of speech and hearing sciences, social scientific and humanistic studies of media, and the arts of performance, film production and storytelling. Faculty from the School’s five departments and six undergraduate majors (communication studies, human communication sciences, performance studies, radio/television/film, theatre, and dance) engage students in accessible and informative classroom experiences that explore the subject and methodology of their research, practice, and creative work. First-Year Seminar courses have included activities such as campus field trips to labs and university archives, attendance at both NU and Chicago productions, and hands-on workshops with visiting artists and scholars, just to name a few. These courses also provide a great opportunity for students to meet and work with peers across disciplines at an early stage, opening up pathways for continued intellectual and social interdisciplinary engagement.
FYS Learning Goals
- Engage critical thinking skills while exploring the breadth of School of Communication creative and research endeavors.
- Experiment with research and communication conventions associated with School of Communication disciplines.
- Collaborate with peers from different SoC majors to highlight the benefits of interdisciplinary inquiry.
Previous SoC First Year Seminars include:
| Title | SoC Faculty Areas Represented |
|---|---|
| Serious Play: from the Sandbox to the Stage | Theatre & Communication Sciences and Disorders |
| Navigating Failure: An Adventurer’s Guide | Theatre & Radio, TV and Film |
| Communication in Times of Stress | Communication Studies & Theatre |
| 'Home' Through Choreography and The Camera | Dance & Radio, TV and Film |
| Influence: Design and Evaluation | Communication Studies & Radio, TV and Film |
| Global Pop: Musical Voices in Practice and History | Performance Studies & Theatre |
2025-2026 SoC First-Year Seminars (subject to change):
| Title | SoC Faculty Areas Represented | Quarter |
|---|---|---|
| Ephemeral Archives and Performance | Theatre & RTVF | Fall |
| ‘Home’ Through Choreography and the Camera | RTVF & Dance | Fall |
| Over the Rainbow | Theatre & RTVF | Fall |
| Global Pop: Musical Voices in Practice and History | Theatre & Performance Studies | Winter |
| Communication in Times of Stress | Theatre & Communication Studies | Winter |
| Persuasive Communication | RTVF & Theatre | Winter |
| Language in the Body - Language in the Brain | Communication Sciences and Disorders & Theatre | Winter |
| Stages of Healing: Theatre as a Tool for Encouraging Positive Health Behaviors | Theatre & Communication Studies | Spring |
| CREATE: The Art, Work, and Science of Creativity | Communication Studies & RTVF | Spring |
| Remapping Minds/Rewiring Bodies: Neuroplasticity and Dance Theatre | Dance & Communication Sciences and Disorders | Spring |
| Future Tense: Rhetoric and Speculative Media | Communication Studies & RTVF | Spring |
| Fostering Connections Through Theatre and Communication Studies | Communication Sciences and Disorders & Theatre | Spring |
Policies and Procedures:
All students who matriculate or transfer into the School of Communication during their first year at NU must take a SoC First-Year Seminar (CMN 101). Students will be assigned a specific quarter during which they will need to register. They may choose from any of the topics offered during that quarter. If a student transfers into the School of Communication during their sophomore year or later, they are not required to take a SoC First-Year Seminar.
Other Opportunities for Interdisciplinary Play & Study at NU...
Courses:
- Digital Musical Instrument Design Course (RTVF 376/COMP SCI 375)
- Technology and Human Interaction (COMM ST 351-0/COMP SCI 314-0)
- Social Network Analysis (COMM ST 352-0/COMP SCI 341-0)
- Digital Propaganda and Repression (COMM ST 379-0/POLI SCI 390)
- Performance and Technology: Composition Workshop (PERF_ST 340)
- Dance for Camera (DANCE 345/RTVF 379)
Questions?
For general questions, email the First-Year Seminar Director at soc-fys@northwestern.edu. For registration concerns, students should meet with their SoC Academic Advisor.