A student speaks in her First-Year Seminar

First-Year Seminar Program

The ideal introduction for First-Year students to Harvard’s intellectual opportunities.

Apply for a Seminar with Open Seats!

Background photo of a student contributing to a discussion in a First-Year Seminar.

First-Year Seminars provide students with the optimal environment to work closely with faculty and peers on topics of mutual interest. They are also ideal for discovering areas of interest and exploring potential concentrations. We offer the broadest set of topics, and students can enroll in one seminar, worth 4 degree credits, in each term. Incoming students apply to our seminars during the summer prior to their arrival at Harvard. In August, students can secure their Fall seminar, their Spring seminar, or two seminars of their choice, one for each of the terms.

A list of FY Seminars with open seats will be available during the Spring Term Course Registration period.

Explore the diverse range of 100+ seminars being offered for the 2024-2025 academic
year.

Students in a First-Year Seminar pose during their field trip to the Rose Art Museum.

Find answers to frequently asked questions and learn how to apply for these highly rewarding seminars.

Find resources specific to First-Year Seminars, from proposal to application review and seminar instruction.