Discovery Seminar

Note: Register On Time

If you do not complete your preference form by July 1, you will be placed into a Discovery Seminar with an open seat.  

Every first-year student will enroll in a Discovery Seminar (DSC_OX 101) as the initial step in Oxford’s signature general education curriculum focused on discovery, exploration, and reflection. These 3-credit courses allow you to work closely with one another in a seminar class led by a faculty mentor who will also serve as your academic adviser for your entire time at Oxford. 

Discovery Seminars:

  • Are intentionally designed to be open and accessible to all first-year students; we encourage you to consider courses that align with your interests and also those that would introduce you to a new topic or area of inquiry;  
  • Introduce you to ways of knowing and producing knowledge within a discipline or field of study;
  • Lead you to discover how to find and use evidence to question, analyze, interpret, and create knowledge;
  • Provide a close-knit learning community (each seminar will enroll 15-18 students, with your instructor as your academic adviser).
PATHS Discovery Seminars

Since fall 2025, we have offered a group of connected Discovery Seminars called PATHS (Professional Advancement Through Humanities Study) DSCs. Along with the benefits of a regular Discovery Seminar, PATHS DSCs offer you a unique cohort experience: you'll read transformative texts shared with students in all other PATHS DSCs; get access to special co-curricular activities like plays, musical productions, and guest lectures; and join other PATHS DSC students for group meetings and social activities. Along the way, PATHS courses will help you develop the kind of skills that your future employers deeply value: ethical leadership, collaborative teamwork, critical thinking, effective communication, and creativity.

To participate in the PATHS program, please choose one of the six PATHS DSCs on your Discovery Seminar preference form. The four PATHS Discovery Seminars are listed below:

  • Decolonizing Research: Dr. Elise Blasingame 
  • Talking to Trees: Dr. Michael Martin 
  • Spanish Across Borders: Dr. Cristina Tarazona 
  • Biological Categories: Dr. Emily McLean 
  • Gender and Education: Dr. Danielle Griffin 
  • Queer Mathematics: Dr. Julie Hulgan 

Current Discovery Seminars

Below are the Discovery Seminars being offered in Fall 2026. None assume nor require previous knowledge of or experience with the topic. Be sure to click on the title for more information about the course.

By July 1, you must complete the Discovery Seminar preference form to identify the five courses that most interest you. You must have a login ID to register. Based on your ranked preferences, you will be registered for a Discovery Seminar before your arrival on campus. Every effort will be made to place you in one of the courses on your list.  

Submit your discovery seminar preferences now