Graduate Seminar?

[sjoh197]

Sorry if this is a dumb question... But what exactly is a "graduate seminar?" While looking through the course listing... There are multiple classes listed under just "graduate seminar" with no extra info or description. I looked some stuff up online but couldn't find a straightforward explanation of what this really is. I get the general premise I guess, but wasn't really satisfied with my understanding and thought I would just ask.

[TakeruK]

If there are lots of classes with such description, then it's basically a filler class. At my school, we have classes with titles something like "Special Topics in Geological and Planetary Sciences". I've taken this class now two times and each time it's whatever they want to teach in that particular year. Typically, it is an advanced graduate class that revolves around reading papers and discussing their results, rather than following a traditional syllabus with exams etc. Sometimes they are worth the same # of credits/units as a traditional class but often they are only 1/2 or 1/3 of a regular class because they take less work.

Another possibility is that these are credits allocated to things like the department seminar/colloquium/journal club etc. Some schools make it mandatory to attend these things by making them courses and grant credit for them. 

In any case, this is something you won't have to worry about until you get to your new school and discuss courses for the year with your advisor (or whomever you should be discussing course selection with).

[anniesmith]

Graduate seminar may refer to the doctoral coursework component, usually in the first year and maybe the second year too at some universities. In such cases it refers to different subjects such as e.g. Anthropology 8000, Social Policy 8001

It may also refer to the mandatory general weekly/monthly meetings for all research students run by your department (e.g. History department) for all research students e.g. MPhil, EdD etc in your field.

The word seminar distinguishes it from a lecture and tutorial. It means it is a bit like a traditional lecture and tutorial combined.

So you need to check. The internal departmental seminars are less common e.g. monthly and focuses on research methods and thesis writing issues.

The other seminars, if this is what it refers to, are more regular and involve assessments, exams related to different subject areas.

Annie

[AP]

A seminar, as opposed to a lecture, implies reading and discussion. It's supposed to more hands-on texts, theories, methods, etc. rather than a professor simply chewing stuff for you to understand. In different sciences they have different dynamics. In the humanities, we read one book and one or two articles and discuss them, guided by the professor. 

[TakeruK]

Just want to point out that a course titled "Graduate Seminar" with no text description, to me, sounds like a placeholder in the Calendar/Catalog and the fact that it's called a "seminar" does not necessarily mean whatever course is offered in that slot is actually a seminar with guided discussion. It might turn out to be a "regular" class when the course is renamed and given a description, or it might literally just be a seminar where you listen to visiting or local speakers. Or it might be reading/discussion groups like mentioned above.

But the course name doesn't always line up with what is actually taught, especially when it's a placeholder name.