Welcome to the Freshman Seminar Program!
Something exciting is about to happen. You're at the start of an academic journey. The Princeton courses you take over the next four years will lead you into all sorts of directions: you'll encounter new fields of knowledge, discover new ideas, and, above all, experience the adventure of learning.
There is perhaps no better way to begin that journey than by taking a Freshman Seminar.
Open only to members of the first-year class, the FRS program is designed to give students an early opportunity to experience the excitement of working closely with an instructor and a small group of fellow students on a topic of special interest. Those topics span an extraordinary range and are taught by some of the University's most esteemed instructors. Because of that, many students subsequently identify their Freshman Seminar as one of their most enjoyable and meaningful academic experiences at Princeton — one that enabled them to discover new intellectual passions and form enduring relationships with faculty members and fellow students.
Using our application portal, list and submit your course choices before the period ends. You may revisit the application portal in order to change your preferences as many times as necessary until the deadline. Please note: Freshman Seminar applications are NOT processed on a first-come first-served basis. All applications are processed after the deadline.
In "Art and Science of Motorcycle Design" (FRS 106), students restore a vintage Triumph motorcycle, reading and discussing literature around the topic along the way. Here, students take their project for a spin in the P-rade.
Students in "Cirque des Mathématiques" (FRS 140) analyze circus acts as a way to explore creative applications of mathematics.
Students of FRS 129 Visualizing Nature: Techniques in Field Biology, with Craig A. Marshall in Kenya (Jan. 2024)
FRS132 students translate Gogol’s short story “The Nose” to an environmental tape drawing in the basement of VisArts”
Student Testimonials
This course was amazing. I got to meet a lot of cool guests, go to Venice, and hands–on work making things like sol–gel, glass plates, and lampworked jewelry. It is so apparent just how thoughtful and passionate Dr. Feng was in designing this course, and I think that really helped all of our activities to genuinely be enjoyable. The course's design exposed us to a lot of different fields and techniques for glass–making, which enabled us students to figure out what we liked and explore more for our final projects. As an AB humanities student I fully expected fulfilling the SEL requirement to be a drag, so to have had such a great experience and to have discovered something that I actually am still interested in is very special. Although I have no idea what Dr. Feng's plans are for next year, I really hope that courses like this continue to get offered as Freshman seminars in future years. Thanks again for everything Dr. Feng!
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Professor Littman is absolutely amazing! He brought together a group of participants from various concentrations, many of which were not BSE, and helped them to understand basic principles of engineering, motorcycle design, and the philosophy behind both. He encouraged student participation through the use of roles such as scribe, photographer, and hands–on assembly and disassembly groups.
*****
Professor Anderson's kindness and willingness to challenge us really made a difference in this course, helping me grow as a reader and discuss topics important to me. I was able to digest difficult texts and draw concepts about life out of them.
*****
Professor Edward's seminar is a phenomenal class, and it truly shifted how I approach choosing and engaging in classes. It is probably the most influential class I have taken at Princeton.
*****
Professor Dun gave wonderful feedback and frequently. It was always very helpful and constructive and I think I have become a better historical writer because of him.
*****
TAKE THIS CLASS!!! As an aspiring engineer and physician, I learned SO MUCH about the scientific aspects of technology/medicine, as well as the humanistic/artistic/ethical perspectives of medicine. It was the perfect balance! Dr. Georges is such a smart and amazing professor, and I learned a ton from her.
*****
Professor Fellbaum did a great job in covering a topic that is so complex in such a clear and organized manner. Looking back, I realize just how in–depth and how much content we covered, and how much more I know about this field.
*****
Ethics in Finance was my favorite class this semester. Each lecture was such carefully crafted and Professor de Swaan clearly cares a lot about his students and the material he is teaching. I think he did a really good job at keeping me and my classmates engaged and excited about the material we were studying.
*****
This class is amazing! Not only is Professor Moore fascinating and a great professor, but having a class dedicated to student opinion and discussion is a refreshing change from the intense, cutthroat classes I was expecting in my first semester. There were not too many writing assignments, but when there were, they were manageable and honestly fun to write. I've learned so much from this class, from Perrault's and Grimm's fairy tales to modern day conspiracy theories. Definitely take this!!!!
*****
This class was amazing! Professor Kelleher is the BEST and is very understanding of workload being too much or deadlines being too soon. The professor also takes into account the various math backgrounds in the class as to not make the material unfair to those who do not have previous experience. She is a light grader and the material was very engaging – take this class!