Freshman Seminars 2024 Fall

WebReg registration begins each quarter on Monday of the 8th week of instruction. Windows open from 7 a.m. through 7 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.

University Studies

Enrollment in Uni Stu 3 will be restricted to freshmen until the day the 18-unit enrollment limit is lifted. After this date, enrollment in Uni Stu 3 will be open to all lower-division undergraduates.

For more information on the Freshman Seminars, please visit Freshman Seminar website or call the Undergraduate/Undeclared Advising Office at 949-824-6987. Students may enroll in a maximum of three freshman seminars during their entire time at UCI.

Neural technologies – a new way to cure paralysis?

Neural interface technologies are systems which convert nervous system activity into the control of external devices. This essentially allows a person to directly mind control computers, robots, and other devices without the need to generate any movements. Such technologies can potentially help people with severe paralysis to control assistive or prosthetic devices to interact with their environment again. This seminar will introduce fundamental concepts underlying how these systems operate.

Assignments and Activities Reading will include introductory texts to neuroscience, brain anatomy, brain electrophysiology, and a selection of papers on seminal BCI technologies and studies. There will also be live demonstrations of brain computer interface technology.

Assignments will include 1 written report on self-directed literature review on a self-selected topic in the field, and 1 brief oral presentation.

Activities will include in-class lectures, in-class discussion, in-class analysis of journal articles from reading assignments, live demonstration, and final exam (based on lectures and reading).

O-Chem Edge: Prep for 51, MCAT, DAT, PCAT

This introductory course is designed to help you prepare for organic chemistry, a course that is notorious for being tough! By working together in small environment, we’ll prep students on how to study and master the topics, with an eye towards why is is relevant to students who will ultimately apply to higher education in the health sciences, specifically medical, dental, and pharmacy. The textbook we use will be focused on questions that you’ll see on the MCAT, DAT, and PCAT!

Unlocking the Leader Within: Leadership Principles for Pre-Health Students

How do you find a great mentor in the healthcare field? What should you do to optimize your shadowing experience? How can you avoid burnout while pursuing your professional goals? What are the best practices for leading a student organization? Leadership principles can help you successfully optimize your experience as a student and future healthcare trainee. This course is an introduction to important leadership principles such as emotional intelligence, finding your why, position-less leadership and conflict resolution.

Crafting Software: Opportunities and Challenges in Software Engineering

Embark on a 10-week exploration in “Crafting Software,” a dynamic course delving into the ever-evolving landscape of software engineering. Uncover historical foundations, unravel the mysteries of AI, and understand the human dimensions in collaborative coding. Navigate the intricate balance between software and business, learn about modular design, software testing, and requirements engineering. Traverse privacy and security concerns, ethical dilemmas, and gain insights into future trends. Conclude with stimulating discussions, reflecting on innovations, challenges, and opportunities in the field. Join us in “Crafting Software,” an immersive journey exploring the art and science of software engineering with a keen focus on innovation and the future.

Drugs

The majority of individuals in modern society will use drugs at some point in their lives. Most drugs will be taken for legitimate medical purposes, while some are used recreationally. In a very basic manner, this course will introduce students to human physiology, how drugs work and where they come from, some common health issues and the drugs used to treat them, and some well-known recreational drugs.

Envisioning the Future of Healthcare: Towards a Brave New World

Forecasting the future of healthcare is an imperfect science. As the boundaries between technology, medicine, business, public health, and policy becomes increasingly blurred, society has the responsibility to critically analyze priorities in a complex and fast-changing environment, while maintaining focus on the human element of the patient-provider experience. A basic understanding of how current trends in healthcare will potentially shape delivery models is needed to appreciate the many promises and pitfalls that lie ahead in the future.

Adventures in AI

Explore the fascinating world of machine learning and its diverse applications across various domains. This seminar aims to provide an accessible and engaging introduction to machine learning concepts, ethical considerations, and real-world applications through interactive discussions, case studies, and hands-on activities.

Note: This seminar is designed to be inclusive and accessible to students from various backgrounds. No prior prerequisites are required, and the content is tailored to be engaging within the constraints of a 1-credit, 50-minute per week format.

Into the Wild

Discover the Great Outdoors at your doorstep. Put the book (phone) down and climb a rock, take a hike, kayak the Back Bay, and make some friends. While (re-)discovering your love for nature with your fellow anteaters, meet Earth System scientists who study the causes, consequences, and solutions for climate change and how we can live more sustainably on our amazing planet. Insta-worthy pics. No experience required.

Photography Techniques

This seminar will discuss the physics of modern-day digital cameras and lenses and will discuss different photography composition techniques for portrait, landscape, and other types of photos. The seminar will also explore analysis methods including software such as Lightroom. This seminar is part technology and part creative applications. A genuine interest in photography and an access to at least an entry level DSLR is essential to get the most out of this seminar series.

Controlling the World with Your Mind: Brain-Computer Interfaces for Communication and Control

Neuroscience research has rapidly evolved through the development of brain-computer interface systems. Through the use of noninvasive brain measurements, such as electroencephalogram (EEG), patients are now able to communicate, regain motor function, and control their world around them. This lecture will provide insight into the neuroscience, biomedical engineering, and computer science concepts behind brain-computer interfaces and their applications.

AI for Human Good

“AI for Human Good” explores how AI and technology can enhance well-being and drive positive societal change. Students will learn ethical AI practices, innovative technologies, and human-centric applications through case studies and hands-on exploration, focusing on applications that benefit society.

A Gentle Introduction to Robot Motion Planning

The objective of this seminar series is to introduce UCI freshman students to the world of robot motion planning. A robot’s ability to plan its movement without explicit human guidance is a basic prerequisite for robotic autonomy. The objective of motion planning algorithms is to enable an autonomous mobile robot to determine its movements in a cluttered environment to achieve various goals while avoiding collisions. This seminar series cover deterministic classical motion planning algorithms, including sensor-based planning, decomposition and search-based planning. The course intends to expose undergraduate students (Engineering and Computer Science) to solution approaches to problems that they may encounter in emerging technologies and disciplines such as autonomous driving and transportation, smart manufacturing, and general mechanical and aerospace robotic applications.

Pathophysiology of Human Vision

This series of discussions include summaries of eye evolution, eye embryology and common ocular anomalies, normal adult ocular anatomy and physiology and histopathology of common ocular diseases including refractive errors, color vision, stereopsis and visual perception. This information should be valuable for any career in health sciences including nursing, medical technology, dentistry and medicine.

Unaffiliated

DROP: The deadline to drop courses is the end of Week 2 by 5:00PM. Drops can be made in WebReg.
CHANGE: The deadline to change grade option or variable units is the end of Week 2 by 5:00PM. Changes can be made in WebReg.
ADD: The deadline to add courses is the end of Week 2 by 5:00PM. Adds can be made in WebReg.