Directed Studies

Directed Studies (DS), a selective program for first-year students, is an interdisciplinary introduction to influential texts that have shaped many Western and Near Eastern traditions, spanning from cultures in the Ancient Mediterranean to the present. Consisting of three integrated full-year courses in literature, philosophy, and historical and political thought, Directed Studies provides a coherent program of study that encourages students to put rich and complex texts into conversation with one another across time and disciplinary boundaries. From day one to the end of their first year, students in Directed Studies engage in critical thinking through learning to analyze challenging and urgent texts, participate meaningfully in seminar discussions, and write clear and persuasive analytic essays. Directed Studies has no prerequisites and provides a strong foundation for any major. Approximately eight percent of the first-year class is admitted each year to the program, which also satisfies Yale College distribution requirements in Humanities and Arts (HU), Social Sciences (SO), and Writing (WR). Students entering the program must enroll in all three courses and are expected to enroll for both semesters. Students participating in DS become members of a close-knit and supportive intellectual cohort that endures well beyond the end of the first year. Additional information is available on the program website.

The DeVane Lectures

The DeVane Lectures are a special series of lectures that are open to the general public as well as to students and to other members of the Yale community. They were established in 1969 in honor of William Clyde DeVane, Dean of Yale College from 1939 to 1963. Details of the course are listed under DeVane Lecture Course in Subjects of Instruction. Supplementary meetings will be held for those students taking the lectures for credit.

Faculty-led ensembles

Yale’s faculty-led performing ensembles offer qualified Yale students the opportunity to enhance their academic experiences through participation in the Yale Concert Band, Glee Club, Jazz Ensembles, and Symphony Orchestra. In addition to the preparation and performance of state-of-the-art music, participation in these ensembles provides opportunities to learn about the fine arts and their place in society and international cultures, and develop skills to become leaders in the arts. Through a robust series of activities (including international tours), students will work with and may become advanced performers, conductors, composers, arrangers, writers, archivists, historians, photographers, producers, media producers, critics, and teachers. Admission to ensembles is by audition, and participating students should enroll in the relevant Music department course affiliated with the ensemble each term. Some instruments are available for semester-long loans (see ensemble websites). 

First-year Seminar Program

The First-Year Seminar Program offers a diverse selection of courses for first-year students, designed to support their transition to college-level learning. Seminars are limited to between fifteen and eighteen students depending on the course, and most meet twice a week. Unless otherwise noted, these courses do not require prior experience in the field. Each year, approximately 100 first-year seminars are offered across a wide range of subjects in both fall and spring terms. Students apply for these seminars during registration. Students may only enroll in one first-year seminar per term, with a maximum of two during their first year at Yale College. Special permission is required for exceptions which must be approved by the Director of the First-Year Seminar Program. Auditing is not permitted in first-year seminars. More details on the program and application procedures are available on the program website. 

Francis Writer-in-Residence

The Francis Writer-in-Residence in Yale College is a distinguished writer of nonfiction who teaches either one or two courses each academic year. The instructor is actively engaged with undergraduate life and serves as an academic mentor through seminars, readings, meetings with students, and other activities. 

Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC)

Yale hosts Naval and Air Force ROTC programs, which offer qualified Yale College students an opportunity to pursue their regular Yale degrees while also preparing for leadership positions in the United States Air Force, Space Force, Navy, or Marine Corps. Regardless of financial need, participating students may receive significant help in meeting the costs of a Yale education through national scholarships offered by each branch of ROTC. While most ROTC students in Yale College earned a scholarship while in high school, any student may enroll in ROTC courses and apply to join ROTC during their first year or sophomore year. Further information about the Air Force ROTC program can be found on the Yale AFROTC website or under Aerospace Studies in Subjects of Instruction. Further information about the Naval ROTC program (including the Marine Corps program) can be found on the Yale NROTC website or under Naval Science in Subjects of Instruction. Yale College students can participate in Army ROTC through a crosstown arrangement at the University of New Haven. Students not matriculated at Yale who are participating in the Air Force ROTC program as part of a crosstown arrangement are subject to Yale College’s Undergraduate Regulations.

Residential College Seminars

Established in 1968, the Residential College Seminar Program fosters innovative courses that extend beyond traditional departmental structures. Seminar instructors come from both the University community and the broader region, including writers, journalists, artists, legal scholars, public health experts, and participants in government and the public sector. The program encourages creative course development, with student committees in the residential colleges playing a key role in selecting the seminars. However, all courses must meet Yale College’s academic credit standards and receive approval from the appropriate faculty committees overseeing the curriculum. Each residential college sponsors at least one seminar per term, and additional seminars may occasionally be offered by the program itself. Students apply to residential seminars during registration. Students from the sponsoring college have priority admission to the first six roster spots in each seminar, but students from any college may enroll. Students may apply to no more than two college seminars in a given term and may only enroll in one college seminar per term, with a maximum of four college seminars in their Yale College career. Exceptions to enrolling in more than one residential college seminar per term require special permission from the Director of the Residential College Seminar Program and from the Yale College Committee on Honors and Academic Standing for more than four such seminars in total. Auditing is not permitted in college seminars. Course descriptions and further details can be found on the program website.

ritvo-slifka writer-in-residence

Ritvo-Slifka Writer-in-Residence in Yale College is an emerging or mid-career professional writer, chosen from fiction writers, playwrights, critics, journalists, screenwriters, essayists, and poets. Both as a fellow of a residential college and as an instructor of one or two courses in each academic year, the Ritvo-Slifka Writer-in-Residence meets formally and informally with students through classes, through the one-on-one advising of creative writing projects, and through readings and extracurricular activities. 

rosenkranz writer-in-residence

The Rosenkranz Writer-in-Residence in Yale College is a distinguished professional writer, chosen from fiction writers, playwrights, critics, journalists, screenwriters, essayists, poets, and social commentators. Both as a fellow of a residential college and as an instructor of one or two courses in each academic year, the Rosenkranz Writer-in-Residence meets formally and informally with students through classes and through readings and extracurricular activities. 

Studies in Grand Strategy

Studies in Grand Strategy is a two-semester, calendar-year interdisciplinary seminar. The class investigates methods and materials for teaching and understanding grand strategy as a historical concept and as an active approach to geopolitics, statecraft, and social change. Each course, worth one credit, emphasizes connections between history and strategy, scholarship and real-world practice, leadership, and citizenship. The two-term seminar aims to educate students intending to pursue careers in a wide variety of fields and is part of the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy. Additional information can be found on the program website.

Yale Journalism Initiative

The Yale Journalism Initiative (YJI) empowers Yale students to pursue careers in journalism by bridging the gap between Yale’s academic instruction and the dynamic–often opaque–world of professional journalism. The YJI team provides career guidance, organizes events with distinguished journalists, and offers programming to support students in their journalistic ambitions. YJI also provides internship funding to students who complete Yale's advanced journalism seminar, ENGL 4460. The seminar is open to undergraduates and select graduate and professional students; application is required through the English department’s selection process for creative writing classes. Students who complete the seminar may apply to become Yale Journalism Scholars, a distinction that denotes a deep commitment to the craft of journalism. For more information on the initiative or on becoming a Journalism Scholar, see the Journalism Initiative website.