Tutorials

In a tutorial, students typically study a topic in depth with a faculty member and a small group of students.  Tutorials can be a terrific way to get to know a faculty member well, build relationships between a small group of students, and to deeply engage with a scientific topic and scientific approaches.  Tutorial structure varies by concentration; not all of the life sciences concentrations include tutorials.

Chemistry:  The sophomore tutorial in chemistry provides an introduction to research and faculty in the Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department.  Each week, chemistry faculty members deliver informal seminars about their research.  This provides an excellent opportunity for students to learn about research opportunities as well as current topics in chemistry.

HEBThe HEB Sophomore Tutorial is a small, discussion-based course required for Sophomore concentrators. In this highly interactive course, students read scientific papers that focus on key topics in our field, and discuss discuss and write about the findings and ideas that have shaped the field of human evolutionary biology. Topics include cooperation, cognition, culture, race, diet, bipedalism, and more. Through the course, students are introduced to the core questions, issues, and methods in our field, focusing on evolutionary theory, the concept of adaptation, and their application to human evolution.

MCB and CPB:  For the MCB and CPB tutorial, students are matched with a faculty member during their sophomore year, in a pairing that lasts until graduation.  Students meet regularly with their faculty tutor to discuss primary research articles.  Tutors also are a great resource for advice about academics and career opportunities.  For more information about the Board of Tutors in Biochemical Sciences program, click here.

NeurobiologyDuring junior year, Neurobio students typically enroll in the Neurobiology 101hf tutorial series.  In these small, interactive courses (limited to an enrollment of 12), students explore distinct areas of neurobiology, such as: memory, drug addiction, and computational neurobiology. These courses are designed to be the first classes where our students learn directly about their field through reading the primary scientific literature.

Psychology:  The sophomore tutorial is an integral component of the psychology concentration.  During this tutorial, students examine a variety of issues and topics from contemporary psychological research and are introduced to research techniques and communication skills that are integral to the study of psychology.