Academics

First-Year Seminar Course Preferences

SEMS 110 is a seminar-style course that all first-year students are required to enroll in and complete.


Section

1

Title

The Power of Positivity

Description

The Power of Positivity SEMS 110 Course will guide you through using Positivity to find success throughout your journey of life. Activities and discussions will be taken from motivational speakers, leadership experts, and music to help you find success through POSITIVITY.

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Section

2

Title

The Hidden Curriculum

Description

Need help decoding the mysteries of the college world? Want to know more about the secrets of college life? This first-year seminar course will explore the unwritten rules of college that you cannot find in a standard textbook. Students will discover and learn skills that contribute to their academic success.

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Section

3

Title

(Re)Writing Your History

Description

How we tell our history shapes our perspectives, both nationally and personally, but it's also full of contradictions and blind spots. For instance, did you know Japan's name isn't really Japan, or that flannel might be older than Jesus? This course provides an introduction to overlooked aspects of historical analysis and design theory to help you write your own history, starting with a chapter of success in your first college semester.

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Section

4

Title

Path to Wisdom: Data, Information, & Knowledge

Description

The essence of scholarship is the creation of knowledge. This course examines how the flood of data and information we receive through modern technologies can be processed into a greater understanding and awareness of the world around us. Mass media, big data, artificial intelligence, and social media will be examined in how they shape perspectives and impact discourse. As students begin their transformation into scholars, understanding how technology both hinders and empowers the creation of knowledge is a key to growth.

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Section

5

Title

The Science of Happiness

Description

This course will allow students to explore what happiness means through a scientific lens. Students will be able to engage and discover ways to find their own happiness as students at Thiel!

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Section

6

Title

Health and the Humanities

Description

This course will explore how health, disease, and therapy are expressed in the humanities. Our focus on these in literature, history, philosophy, religion, and art will enrich our understanding of the experience of patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. In lively discussions and intriguing examples, we will consider perspectives on health in cultural context, ethics in the biomedical sciences, and the development of empathy and understanding in the context of healthcare.

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Section

7

Title

“Alright, Stop, Collaborate and Listen”

Description

This interactive seminar is designed to equip you with the essential skills needed to thrive in college and beyond. Through a blend of discussions, activities, guest speakers, and reflection, you will explore and build skills that will lead to a fulfilling future. Topics covered will include collaboration, active listening, effective communication, building a growth mindset, leadership, critical thinking, time management, and self-awareness. This seminar will provide you with a solid foundation to launch into your future academic and personal endeavors.

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Section

8

Title

The Civil Rights Movement through Film

Description

The African American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s was a struggle for freedom, equality, and human dignity. Through documentary films, major motion pictures, and primary sources, we will study this pivotal fight for justice. What were the major ideas and events of the Civil Rights Movement? Who were its leaders? What were its impact and legacy? We will also explore how the Civil Rights Movement is remembered, captured in films, and taught in school. No previous knowledge of this period in history is needed. All are welcome to learn about this exciting effort by Black Americans to win civil rights.

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Section

9

Title

Star Wars & the First-Year Experience

Description

This section of SEMS 110 serves as an introduction to academic discourse through the critical examination of George Lucas’s Star Wars as a cultural phenomenon. Set in exotic otherworldly locales such as sylvan Ahch-To and hyper-metropolitan Coruscant, journeys undertaken by characters in the Star Wars universe have captivated generations of fans. This course examines the cultural products (films, books, video games, etc.) constituting the Star Wars universe and the fan base that sustains their production in the context of academic scholarship.

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Section

10

Title

Art and the Human Experience

Description

Explore universal human experiences through the lens of visual art. Studying works from the Thiel College Art Collection will illuminate, challenge, and affirm our common humanity. Engage with the language of art to better understand yourself and others, nature and the world around us, as well as our common achievements and follies. First year students will learn how to “read” and interpret art to enrich their personal journey into college life.

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Section11
TitleStrong Start Success Seminar
DescriptionYour first semester at college is as exciting as it can be nail-biting. What is this new world? Who am I and how do I fit into this new world? How do I manage my time and responsibilities with this new freedom? What if I am not prepared for the academic rigors of college? Where do I go if I need help with… well, anything! Where can I get a good cup of coffee in Greenville?


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Thiel College
75 College Ave
Greenville, PA 16125
1-800-248-4435