First Year Seminar 191SBS01 - FYS- Topics in SBS

There's more than one way to find success in college and the path to getting there is different for every student. Our goals in this course are to connect with fellow students and the instructor as you become a contributing member of the community, both at UMass and beyond; start planning your individual academic goals and pathways toward achieving them; explore the different majors in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and start thinking like a social scientist.

Open to first-year students. First-year (R1ST) Why do people believe conspiracy theories? How do we decide what information to trust? This course uses conspiracy theories and political controversies as a way to introduce students to political science while helping them navigate their first year at UMass. Our goals are to build connections with fellow students and the instructor, explore academic, experiential, and career opportunities, develop the skills needed for college success, and learn how political scientists ask questions about politics, power, information, and society. Through reflection, discussion, and exploration, students will begin charting their own SBS Pathways while discovering how social scientists make sense of a complex world.