AU’s University College is a unique and challenging first-year academic experience that combines classwork with residence life and exciting opportunities for supervised learning activities in Washington, D.C. The idea is simple: you’ll live the topic you’re exploring. For fall 2009, there are 13 different UC seminars, and each of them is a General Education foundation-level course, so they all "count" for something regardless of your major. UC seminars are usually capped at around 20 or 22 students, so there's a lot more class discussion and you get to know the professor, the other students, and your Program Associate (PA) really well. The PA is an upper-class student who both serves as a teaching assistant for your class and also lives on your floor in the residence halls, so s/he is able to serve as a mentor pretty much 24/7. Every week, your professor and your PA will organize outings and guest speakers for you so you can explore your course topic from a different angle.
University College is open to all admitted AU freshmen, but it does require a brief separate application so we know which seminar will be the best fit for you (you indicate 3 preferences and write a short essay). Because of the demands of both this program and the Honors program, it is not possible to participate in both. For more information about the University College program and the application process, please check out the following site: http://www.american.edu/universitycollege/.
You should also feel free to call the UC program office on weekdays between 9am and 5pm; they'll be happy to talk to you.
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