Investigate New Directions
As an exploratory student, you'll sample coursework in familiar subject areas such as English, history, and science; you will also be encouraged to investigate academic disciplines you may not have discovered yet. A course in environmental economics may spark a passion for sustainability or finance; the Medieval Art and Architecture class might lead to an art history major; an introductory course on Japanese culture could spur an interest in global politics.
Whatever your future path, the more than 2,000 courses available at Ithaca College are designed to spark your curiosity, challenge you intellectually, and prepare you for more focused study in a major or minor.
And one major advantage of being an exploratory student is that you’ll usually get to register for courses ahead of other non-majors -- even in many highly sought-after classes.
Another benefit of the program is the chance to participate in an Ithaca Seminar, an interdisciplinary liberal arts course that combines rigorous study of a particular topic with issues surrounding the transition to college. Each fall first-year students may choose from over two dozen seminars, such as American Politics in the Age of Obama; Moral Psychology and the Seven Deadly Sins; and What Was in Aristotle's Medicine Cabinet? The Origins of Modern Medicine.
These small, supportive group experiences, limited to 20-25 participants, are designed to build students’ communication, analytical, and critical-thinking abilities -- skills that will serve them well no matter which field they ultimately choose.
Exploratory students have the opportunity to pre-register for an Ithaca Seminar prior to their attendance at summer orientation. The seminars provide a great chance to learn something new and explore the transition to college in a small class setting. Another important bonus -- seminar instructors will serve as your academic adviser until you declare a major.
Find Out More about Ithaca Seminars
