Course Selection
We encourage you to approach your first year with a curiosity about the many subjects and courses Bowdoin offers.
What intrigues you? What do you want to learn more about? You may have started to learn about Bowdoin’s curriculum when you were deciding to apply here (we’re glad you did!). Then you learned a bit about this fall’s courses over the summer.
How do I learn more about the courses offered?
- Visit Department and program websites
- Browse the Catalog for course offerings
- Search Workday for courses (BOW STU Find Course Sections)
Tips for Selecting Courses Your First Year!
- Select courses that interest you!
- Four courses each semester is the norm.
- Sample broadly - consider both courses with which you have some experience as well as those that you may not have heard about before.
- You don’t have to complete a distribution requirement each semester, but you might find it's a nice way to try out new subjects and balance the courses you take.
- Check your placements in Workday to learn what courses you might start with in the languages, math, sciences, and music.
- Avoid taking three courses in a row or four courses in one day (that’s too much!)
- Check if the courses you are interested in taking require a prerequisite (course you need to take before you take this one) or placement survey, whether they have labs, discussion sections, or require additional time (such as for film screenings), and whether they have open seats (Workday Student will show all these details).
I’m thinking about med/vet/dental school. What should I take?
Health Professions Advising is ready to guide you. Start with https://www.bowdoin.edu/health-professions/academics/index.html.