Student Directed Seminars

Student Directed Seminars are an expansion of the directed studies option offered by most departments and are a great way to enhance your own learning experience while gaining facilitation and leadership skills. You will also have the unique opportunity to work closely with a faculty member to develop the course proposal and syllabus. If you are an upper-year undergraduate student, in third-year standing or higher, you are eligible to coordinate a Student Directed Seminar.

When considering your suitability as a Student Coordinator, the Advisory Committee will be looking for students that have a strong academic background and leadership experience that can translate to a classroom environment.

Student Coordinators must be able to demonstrate:

• Motivation and a capacity for self-learning;
• A clear understanding of the Student Coordinator’s role as a facilitator, not an instructor;
• An ability to work independently and think critically;
• Aspirations for a career in teaching, or pursuing graduate school;
• Experience working in teams and inspiring others.

STUDENT DIRECTED SEMINARS FAQ

Students interested in being a Student Coordinator should review the Student Directed Seminars FAQ.

Faculty Sponsors are tasked with ensuring the academic rigor of the student directed seminar they sponsor. As such, a Faculty Sponsor should only sponsor a student coordinator they believe has the capability and capacity to run a successful seminar. A Faculty Sponsor’s role encompasses many duties including, but not limited to:

• Ensuring academic rigor;
• Providing ‘approval’ on topics, grading schemes and syllabus;
• Assisting with the seminar course development;
• Resolving any grade or academic-related disputes during the seminar’s duration;
• Signing off on final grades.

To ensure Faculty Sponsors have the capacity to fully participate and commit to this innovative learning experience, it is preferred they be tenured or on tenure-track. Faculty Sponsors that are not tenured or tenure-track will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Faculty Sponsor FAQ

Faculty interested in being a Faculty Sponsor, should review the Faculty Sponsor FAQ.

Student participants are co-learners in a peer-guided environment, and are expected to facilitate some course discussion. Like coordinators, participants are upper-year undergraduate students with a high degree of motivation for self-learning. Furthermore, participants are expected to participate in peer-review grading and seminar processes. Students are allowed to participate in a maximum of two student directed seminars during their degree.

The Student Directed Seminars Advisory Committee is comprised of students, faculty, and staff. The Advisory Committee reviews all student directed seminar proposals thoroughly for academic rigor, quality of course plans, appropriate grading schemes and assignments, and the overall qualifications and suitability of the Student Coordinator.

The Advisory Committee will base their approvals on four core criteria:

1. Quality and Development of the Proposal
2. Suitability of the Student to Coordinate a Seminar
3. Student’s Grades and Academic Qualifications
4. Faculty Recommendation Form

May 30, 2026: Application deadline (date TBD in early 2026)

Early June 2026: Applications are reviewed by the Advisory Committee

Late June 2026: Applicants are notified of the status of their application

August 2026: Orientation Session

Fall 2026: Synchronous and asynchronous training to design your seminar

January 2027: Seminar begins

Information session dates will be posted late 2025.

• Student Directed Seminar Proposal Form
  To be submitted by Student Coordinator
• Faculty Sponsor Form
  To be submitted by Faculty Sponsor
• Faculty Recommendation Form
  To be submitted by Faculty Recommender

All three forms must be completed and emailed to fasscurriculum.ubco@ubc.ca.

PSYO 486-001: Stress and Trauma in Context: An Interconnected Experience

Application and real-world context of stress and trauma phenomenon. Participants will critically engage with current theories of stress and trauma using psychological, developmental, cultural and social lenses. Throughout the seminar, participants will be given the opportunity to explore course content through a focused literature review and public presentation of their work.

The prerequisites for this seminar are: All of PSYO_O 111, PSYO_O 121, and third-year standing. Students must also have a minimum GPA of 70% in all courses.

Students interested in registering for this seminar must contact fasscurriculum.ubco@ubc.ca.

PSYO 486-002: Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination

This seminar examines the underlying psychological mechanisms present within stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. Course activities include engaging with timely research, assessing practical case studies, and participating in class discussions.

The prerequisites for this seminar are: All of PSYO_O 111, PSYO_O 121, and third-year standing. Students must also have a minimum GPA of 70% in all courses.

Students interested in registering for this seminar must contact fasscurriculum.ubco@ubc.ca.