Welcome families from the class of 2023! May 30-31 marks spring orientation on campus. Details Welcome families from the class of 2023! May 30-31 marks spring orientation on campus. Details

Common Intellectual Experience

  • The goals of the two Common Intellectual Experience Seminars (CIE-100 and CIE-200) are 1) to develop a student’s ability to think critically through a pedagogy which stresses the intellectual process; 2) to foster the essential skills of critical reading, effective speaking and clear writing; 3) to develop these skills within the intellectually challenging context of three broad questions relevant to the human condition; 4) to enable the student to make connections across the traditional disciplines; and 5) to promote a shared intellectual endeavor for all entering students.

    All students are required to enroll in CIE-100 and CIE-200 during the fall and spring, respectively, of their first year. (In unusual circumstances, students, with permission of the Office of the Dean, may take CIE in the second year.)

    While Common Intellectual Experience Seminars have an enrollment limited to 16 students to provide an atmosphere conducive to discovery and inquiry, the small sections meet together, from time to time, for common events. Faculty members from all disciplines lead students to reflect about significant issues that introduce them to the intellectual climate of the College. Reading assignments consist of seven or eight books or equivalents. Frequent writing and oral assignments are required throughout the course.

Courses

  • CIE-100. Common Intellectual Experience I 

    The first of a two-semester course introducing inquiry into the core questions of liberal education at Ursinus: What should matter to me? How should we live together? How can we understand the world? What will I do? The course will explore these questions through the study of influential primary texts. The first semester focuses on texts from antiquity up to the modern era. Four semester hours. (CIE.)

    CIE-150. Common Intellectual Transition

    A one-semester course, designed especially for transfer students, introducing inquiry into the core questions of liberal education at Ursinus: What should matter to me? How should we live together? How can we understand the world? What will I do? The course explores these questions through the study of influential primary texts drawn from both semesters of the Common Intellectual Experience, with attention to reading critically, writing for revision, and discussion in a small classroom environment. Students will also become familiar with Ursinus resources, including the Institute for Student Success, Myrin Library, the Center for Writing and Speaking, and Career and Post-Graduate Development. Open to transfer students with 24 or more transfer credits, excluding AP credits. Four semester hours. (Fulfills the CIE requirement for eligible transfer students.

    CIE-200. Common Intellectual Experience II 

    This course continues the inquiry into the four core questions begun in CIE-100 (CIE I) through the study of influential primary texts. The second semester focuses on texts from the modern era through contemporary times. Four hours per week. Four semester hours. (CIE.)

    CIE-300. Common Intellectual Experience III 

    This course allows deeper exploration into issues and texts encountered in CIE-100 and CIE-200. While the topics may vary each semester, this seminar will be a discussion-oriented, interdisciplinary course that permits engagement with themes in a more sustained and focused manner. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (Possible DN or GN, depending on the topic.)

    Note: This course may be taken more than once.