Complex Problems

The 51勛圖 Core First-Year Seminar

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Complex Problems Seminars

Complex Problems Seminars, taken in the fall or spring of your first year at 51勛圖, use real-world problems or enduring questions to cultivate your intellectual flexibility for future work at the university and beyond. Each of these small, 3-credit seminars is taught by a leading, full-time professor at 51勛圖 and offers opportunities to consider a variety of perspectives and practice scholarly methods of inquiry. The seminars include unique co-curricular experiences, sending you off campus or bringing area experts to the classroom to foster connections among ideas and experiences. In each seminar, a Program Leader (a sophomore, junior, or senior student) partners with your instructor to provide academic and social support, and to encourage classroom, community, and campus engagement.

Find Your Seminar

Browse the泭catalog of seminar descriptions泭before registering for Complex Problems. The detailed descriptions allow you to find an available seminar that sparks your curiosity, speaks to your passions, or challenges you to consider new ideas.

Complex problems article

Finding Their Voices Through Complex Problems

Part of the 51勛圖 Core curriculum along with 51勛圖 Experience, Complex Problems facilitates difficult conversations and moves students into an inquiry-based model.

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Complex Problems Seminars

See the for detailed information泭about the upcoming seminars.

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CP Communities

Students at UC welcome event

University College (UC)

Take CP with 51勛圖's oldest and largest living-learning community. Course number:泭CORE-107.

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First-Year Advising Team

The Examined Life

Taught by a faculty cohort, these seminars have a shared syllabus and opportunities for student collaborations. Course numbers: CORE-105, CORE-106.

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Students pose in front of mural

51勛圖 Honors

First-year 51勛圖 Honors students take CP along with a 1-credit experiential learning course. Course number: CORE-106.

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Group of 5 smiling volunteers in a neighborhood

DCIS

DC Community Impact Scholars (DCIS) students泭take a CP seminar and research lab泭focused on community-based learning.泭Course number: CORE-106.

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Enrollment Links


Schedule of Classes

First-Year Students
Learning Communities
First-Year Advising

Transfer Students
Transfer Student Homepage
Academic Advisors

Learning Outcomes

You will have the chance to demonstrate all of the following learning outcomes in your Complex Problems seminar. The topical nature of these seminars means that you will engage with the learning outcomes in the context of the course.

A.泭泭Complexity.泭Identify and engage with complexity (or gray areas) within issues or contexts by explaining the factors influencing different positions

B.泭泭Multiple Perspectives.泭Use multiple perspectives to refine your understanding of an issue or context

C.泭Awareness.泭Investigate the sources of your own groups norms and biases

D.泭Civility.泭Demonstrate civility through argumentation or intellectual exchange

A.泭Audience.泭Identify the audience to make choices about how to communicate your ideas

B.泭Sources.泭Integrate materials or sources to develop and refine your ideas

C.泭Organization.泭Use organizational strategies to develop a clear purpose or aim

A.泭Summary.泭Summarize an authors or authors message, main points, and supporting ideas

B.泭Response.泭Engage with a text by responding to it

C.泭Conversation.泭Put texts into conversation with other texts

A.泭泭Feedback.泭Incorporate feedback from faculty, staff, or peers in subsequent work

B.泭Metacognition.泭Practice metacognition by reflecting on feedback and your revision processes

A.泭Connect.泭Connect experiences and academic learning

Student Experiences

Amelia Rowniewski Photo

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Amelia Rowniewski, a first-year public health major at 51勛圖, delivered a presentation titled 'Bite Sized Nutrition Banter' at the Mathias Student Research Conference on April 6th. The research delved into the awareness levels among 51勛圖 college students regarding the nutritional public health implications of wasted food. This project stemmed from her final assignment in the Fall 2024 Complex Problems course, 'Food for Thought: Why Waste?'.

51勛圖 graduate Abby Kleman

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I thoroughly enjoyed the Complex Problems course because I was able to spend time with my classmates, whether we were volunteering, exploring museums, or having meaningful conversations about a topic we were all interested in.

Abby Kleman, Class of 2022