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Choose Your Seminar
Choose a seminar from a wide variety of fascinating topics. Begin with classroom discussions that frame your seminar concepts and identify key issues. Take the learning beyond the classroom with site visits, meetings with local experts, and field trips. Colby College is an ideal environment to take learning into your own hands, consider your college major, and learn from inspiring, expert instructors.
For students interested in further STEM opportunities, Putney also offers a Career program in AI, Robotics, & Technology, in collaboration with the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence at Colby College. Click here to learn more about this program.
Architecture, Design, & Sustainability
Design expresses ideas in spatial, material, and cultural terms, drawing inspiration from diverse sources—a functional need, the structure of a leaf, a philosophical text. From architecture and urban planning to user-centric technologies, design can also be structured with sustainability in mind, forming interconnected systems that benefit both communities and the planet. Read more In this seminar, explore how we interact with space through hands-on exercises paired with critique sessions, small-scale construction projects, guest designers, and dynamic collaborations with other seminars. Engage with professional designers and learn how Colby became one of the first colleges to achieve carbon neutrality and continues to approach progress with sustainability in mind, from LEED-certified spaces to an iBike and pedestrian friendly inner campus. Dive deep into topics centered on utility and beauty with digital drafting and historic styles. Throughout the session, explore how the concepts of design and sustainability are inextricably linked, and increasingly so. Learn how the concepts of use cases, impact studies, material life cycles, and functional aesthetics overlap and inform both products and policies focused on design. Develop a small portfolio of your work, including a final design project in plan, model, or digital form. There is a $100 supplemental fee for this course. Read less
Business & Entrepreneurship
What makes a business succeed in today’s market and what are the steps between identifying a need and opening your doors? In recent years, larger-than-life characters like Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk have dominated headlines and raised questions about leadership, charisma, and risk-taking, all while cornering their markets. Read more This hands-on course begins by examining the economic players and the playing field where firms operate, with discussions of supply and demand, regulations and free trade, international trade, and currency flows. Learn about the conditions that create fertile ground for businesses to thrive, from 19th-century industrialists to modern Silicon Valley, and glean insights from the individuals who succeed in these environments. With role-playing, guest speakers, and lectures, consider the practical aspects of business, including management, finance, marketing, advertising, public relations, organizational psychology, corporate leadership and culture, and business ethics. Examine profiles, strategies, successes, and failures of the famous and infamous as you develop and present your own “formula for entrepreneurial success.” Then, working together as a team, put what you have learned into practice as you research, develop, and pitch your own business. Read less
Creative Writing
Whether you want to write your first novel or create a poem that captures a specific emotion or experience, this dynamic workshop-style course is a step toward finding your voice and pushing your boundaries as a creative writer. Through personalized exercises led by published authors, Read more develop skills in the genre of your choosing while exploring important craft challenges such as dialogue, imagery, narrative structure, word choice, theme, and storytelling technique. Draw inspiration from your surroundings in picturesque rural Maine, the same landscapes that inspired literary greats such as Henry David Thoreau, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Stephen King. . Visiting guest writers bring additional voices and perspectives as you workshop your piece. Share your work and receive valuable feedback from your peers and instructor as you push yourself to think creatively and try new techniques. Host a celebratory final reading and present your best pieces to the Pre-College community. Read less
Environmental Science, Society, & Sustainability
Maine’s dramatic peaks, interior lakes, and magnificent seascapes have inspired countless environmentalists, including Henry David Thoreau and Rachel Carson. Colby College’s Environmental Studies program is one of the oldest in the United States and an ideal base from which to explore the relationship between humans and the world around us. Read more In this seminar, discuss a wide range of environmental issues, all while challenging assumptions and popular narratives that surround them. Through field trips, guest speakers, case studies, and collaborative work, investigate renewable energy systems, environmental policy, science communication, sustainable agriculture, and the intersection of environmental health and public health. Visits to farms, and nature preserves, as well as Colby’s campus gardens and wood-fueled biomass plants, help contextualize the issues. For your culminating project, focus on one aspect of environmental health and present its impacts on global health and human livelihoods, and share your recommendation for an action plan to combat the impacts of climate change. Read less
Farm to Table
Dive into Maine’s thriving local food and seafood culture, meeting with inspiring individuals and entrepreneurs who have dedicated their lives to the land and sustainable fishing practices. Expand your understanding of sustainable food systems Read more and how they differ from conventional large-scale agriculture as you sow, harvest, cook, and savor your way through Maine’s food scene. Explore the challenges in the fishing and farm industry as a catalyst for economic development and job creation, and how eating locally sourced food can promote public health. This seminar provides immersive experiences that encourage thoughtful engagement with food-related issues, sustainable and organic farming practices, small- and large-scale farming, farmers’ markets, food accessibility, and more. Gain experience volunteering in the fields as well as Colby’s campus garden. Create a menu of your own and prepare a dish using products sourced from local farms and markets. There is a $150 supplemental fee for this course. Read less
Fashion Design
Trace the history of the multi-billion dollar global fashion industry as we know it today. Gain an understanding of the environmental and consumer trade-offs of the fashion industry, one of the largest polluters in the world, and the movement toward sustainable production. Read more Engage in discussions with designers, retailers, and textile manufacturers working in the U.S. and abroad. Participate in hands-on workshops to learn many of the skills and techniques needed to design and create your own ready-to-wear clothing line. Learn the basics of illustration, draping, and sewing. For a final project, produce and present your own design portfolio, research a subject of your choice, or co-curate a group fashion show. Students do not need to have a background or experience with sewing or fashion to participate in this program. Students with sewing and designing experience can pursue projects aligned with their background and abilities. There is a $100 supplemental fee for this course. Read less
Film Production & Studies
From major theater releases and streaming platforms to YouTube and TikTok, more video is being produced and consumed than ever before. Dive into the craft of video production and filmmaking in this production-oriented seminar to explore the medium’s potential for creative expression and visceral impact. Read more Practice storyboard development, camera operation, sound recording, lighting, direction, and non-linear editing. Just as importantly, learn how to work as a team, translating ideas to visual reality as you collaborate on a series of video projects with your peers. As part of your craft, study and learn from the work of filmmakers and directors, from the popular to the obscure. Explore the myriad possibilities of the medium by reviewing a variety of films, from documentaries to experimental shorts, as you build your own cinematic vocabulary. Cap off the session by filming your self-chosen final project. This is an opportunity to tell a story in a narrative, documentary, or experimental style, producing a short video to present at a campus-wide film screening. The resulting short film festival is often a highlight of our final day celebrations on campus and provides a tangible accomplishment you can bring home to show family and friends (or rack up views on YouTube!). There is a $150 supplemental fee for this course. Read less
Forensic Science
From CSI to Dexter, Sherlock Holmes to Bones, forensic science is portrayed in popular culture as a nearly magical tool in modern-day crime investigations. But is a drop of blood or a single strand of hair really the same as a smoking gun? In this seminar, look critically at case studies from around the world Read more and learn how forensic evidence can be used in securing criminal convictions. In the lab, learn the science behind crime-solving tools such as blood spatter analysis, fingerprinting, and bone and hair identification. Learn how this evidence is collected—how to approach a crime scene, from preserving evidence to documenting through sketch and photograph—and how it can be used both by prosecutors and defense attorneys in court. Discuss the CSI-effect and its impact on the courtroom, then work in teams to solve crimes using scientific knowledge and reasoning. While some seminar lessons are lab-based, the larger emphasis of this course is critical thinking and complex reasoning. Final projects may take the form of a Mock Trial, examining the use of forensics in vindicating those wrongly convicted, or analyzing and reporting on a simulated crime scene. There is a $100 supplemental fee for this course. Read less
Photography
Designed for photographers of all skill levels, this seminar teaches the basics of digital photography and composition before diving into more advanced shooting techniques and editing instruction. Whether your passion is portrait, landscape, adventure, or storytelling, build your confidence and nurture your creativity Read more through one-on-one workshops with your instructor and group critiques. In the classroom, learn aesthetic principles and review the work of a variety of photographers, from Dorothea Lange to Krista Rossow. Then, head outside for digital photography tutorials in the field, using landscapes of picturesque Maine to become a better travel photographer and storyteller. Back on campus, learn the techniques of photo editing and basic digital manipulation, while also discussing the implications of digital manipulation in an age dominated by the power of the image. Collaborate on projects with other seminars, curate a gallery showing of your work, and leave with stronger image-making skills and passion for photography. Students are responsible for bringing their own digital camera with manual controls and a computer with Adobe Lightroom installed. There is a $100 supplemental fee for this course. Read less
Political Science
American politics has always been messy and complex, but our contemporary moment seems to be particularly so. What are the effects of polarization on our democratic process? How do Americans think about politics, and what role does identity play in political and electoral choices? How do our political institutions respond Read more to the demands of increasingly diverse constituencies, with divergent views on issues like immigration, voting rights, health care, climate change, social justice, and gun rights? In this seminar, examine the forms and functions of politics from the Roman Republic to the French Revolution and the American “democratic experiment,” then dig into the big issues facing U.S. governance today. Develop an understanding of the players involved in the political process—representatives, political parties, lobbyists, activists, voters, and the media—as well as their incentives and influences. Use Maine and the sharp contrast between its two congressional districts as a case study for how electoral politics meets policy enactment, or its leadership in conservation and renewable energy. Talk with current and former elected officials, activists, and local organizations to hear their perspectives and experiences, including how the state’s Independent voters uniquely impact politics and policy. Drawing on case studies and discussions with experts, journalists, and lawmakers, develop a final project that addresses one of the many challenges that State and Federal policymakers face. Read less
Pre-Med & Biomedical Ethics
If you think a future in health professions might be your calling, this introductory, lab-based course covers key concepts and principles in biology and examines broader ethical questions about practicing medicine. From the molecular level, learning how genes and proteins function in cells, to population-level discussions Read more about mutations, diseases, and evolution, explore the interconnections of living systems and the role medical science plays in unraveling the mysteries of life. In addition to time in the campus lab, meet with researchers and medical practitioners to gain a better sense of the challenges doctors face today and how the practice of medicine continues to evolve. Discuss the intersection of ethics and medicine, and how moral principles are applied to clinical medicine and scientific research. Explore public health issues, such as health care delivery, drug availability, vaccine-preventable disease, equity and access to care, and the role of government agencies in dealing with international health crises such as Zika, malaria, Ebola, and COVID-19. Investigate a global health story of your choosing or select a medical challenge to focus on, such as mental health, diabetes, obesity, the rise in food allergies, or the affordability of care. Debate the issue with your classmates, interview health experts, conduct independent research, and cap the seminar with a presentation of your findings. There is a $100 supplemental fee for this course. Read less
Psychology
The principles of psychology permeate our lives every day, often in ways we don’t realize. How do we decide what to do? How much of who you are is determined by your family, your gender identity, or your friends? Understanding human cognition, emotions, and behavior allows psychologists to better predict how we may behave Read more in specific situations, why we think the way we do, and how emotions impact our interactions with our world. Begin by learning the basic goals of psychology, then examine theories that attempt to explain the many aspects of personality and behavior. Observe and describe human behavior, attempt to explain why specific behaviors occur, predict what may happen in the future, explore ways to control future behaviors, and work to turn negative behaviors into positive actions. While psychology is not an absolute science, there are ways to research, experiment, and categorize behaviors in order to better understand the signs and symptoms of psychological disorders, and the impacts individuals have on society. Explore concepts through the lens of behavioral, trait, and multicultural theories and relate them to your own experiences. Learn how biology and psychology intersect to create unique individuals. Through readings, discussions, films, experiments, and activities, explore the basic foundation of psychology and evaluate your own decisions from a new perspective. Read less
Social Activism, Service, & Leadership
From climate change to income inequality, food security to systemic racism, the world needs young people to be leaders. This seminar is designed for students who are passionate about advocating for a cause, who want to better their community, and seek to improve their leadership skills. Read more Focus on turning advocacy into action as you work on developing, funding, and implementing solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. Whether your passion is elephant conservation in southeast Asia, increased funding for your local food kitchen, or better recycling and composting initiatives at your school, learn and discuss strategic ways to engage others and bring awareness to an issue. Brainstorm with your peers about which issues you want to tackle, create a strategic project plan, prepare to fundraise and mobilize a campaign, and then lead and inspire your peers, community members, and those around the globe who share your passion to be of service to your community. Learn how to be an effective leader among your peers while you hear from distinguished leaders in different fields about the struggles and accomplishments they have encountered in their careers. Volunteer at the campus organic garden or remove invasive species from the campus pond. Practice your public speaking skills by presenting your project in front of your peers and instructors to cap off your program. Students in this seminar will earn 6-8 service hours. Read less
Studio Art
Develop and refine your artistic vision as you explore studio art through a variety of materials, media, and perspectives. This seminar, taught by a working artist, is for students who are well-practiced in the field, as well as those who are new to creating art. Work in drawing, painting, sculpture, and mixed and new media Read more as you expand existing techniques, establish new skills, and take your work in new directions. In both studio- and plein air-based lessons, create pieces based on subjects ranging from the human figure to still life, from landscape to portraiture, and from realism to abstraction. This collaborative and interactive course blends art practice with visits to area museums, discussions with accomplished artists, lessons on historical and contemporary movements, and consideration of how art can address global problems, and what role artists play in finding solutions. Through regular critiques and discussions modeled after college-level studio courses, constructively evaluate your own and your classmates’ work. With your instructor’s guidance, learn how to document your pieces, prepare a personal portfolio, and share your work online. At the end of the session, work with your classmates and instructor to curate and exhibit your work at a program-wide gallery opening on campus. There is a $100 supplemental fee for this course. Read less
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Program Overview
Learn more about the experience and structure of Pre-College at Colby College.
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