Advanced Seminar (ASEM)

Faculty

While knowledge and professional skills found in a student's major and minor are important foundations for accomplishment, successful individuals also must be able to navigate a complex political, social, cultural and economic environment that challenges more traditionally limited concepts of higher education and competencies. To help students better understand the demands of contemporary life, instructors teach an advanced seminar based in their area of expertise and passion. The topic will be approached from multiple perspectives in a course designed for nonmajors. Studying in this setting, students demonstrate their ability to integrate different perspectives and synthesize diverse ideas through intensive writing on that topic.

Requirements

  • All undergraduates at the University of Denver are required to take an Advanced Seminar, an upper-level course capped at 18-19 students.
  • This course must be taken at the University of Denver. Students must complete all other common curriculum requirements before taking the Advanced Seminar.

General Outcomes for All Sections of ASEM

  1. Demonstrate the ability to integrate and apply content from multiple perspectives to an appropriate intellectual topic or issue.
  2. Write effectively, providing appropriate evidence and reasoning for assertions.

Features of Writing in an Advanced Seminar

Advanced Seminar course meet four criteria in terms of writing:

  • Students will write a minimum of 20 pages (about 6000 words), some of which may be informal, but some of which must be revised, polished, and intended for an educated readership.
  • Students will complete a minimum of three writing projects that are distributed over the quarter; exceptions might include a cumulative project completed in multiple stages.
  • Students will be required to revise some of their work based on feedback from their professor.
  • There will be some instructional time given to writing.