38-100 CATALYST - MCS First-Year Seminar

3 units, Carnegie Mellon University

The CATALYST seminar will equip transfer students to MCS, as well as those students who did not successfully complete the EUREKA seminar, with foundational knowledge, skills and perspectives that will support their development as emerging scientists and scholars. During the seminar, students will be presented with opportunities and experiences designed to help them frame how the MCS curriculum aspires to shape their evolving identities in the areas of scholar, person, professional and citizen, while also engendering a sense of excitement about science and scientific inquiry. The seminar will offer information and strategies that are employed both by successful students and by successful scientists in optimizing their approach to work and life, with a key focus on areas such as cognitive learning skills, research, teamwork, goal setting, time management, community engagement, ethics, resources and assessment. Additionally, the seminar will introduce students to the learning outcomes and requirements associated with the MCS core curriculum, with a particular emphasis on the self-directed ENGAGE courses and the role of the MyCORE e-portfolio system in documenting and framing student growth and development.

Prerequisites: none listed

Offered: Spring 2027, Fall 2026, Spring 2026, Fall 2025

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