Academic Life of Case Western Reserve University

While you may find freshmen sitting in the morning dark, staring at computer monitors with fingers poised over the keyboard as the hour of class registration draws near, you won't find any upperclassmen doing the same. The face is, none of Case's classes are that crowded, and only a handful actually fill up within the first few days of registration, so there is no need to stress about signing up at the earliest possible moment. As a freshman, the introductory math and sciences classes are generally the most populated, but no student should have trouble getting in. If a student does get locked out of a class, there's always plenty of variety left to choose from.

SAGES

This variety has been further expanded with the implementation of the Seminar Approach to General Education and Scholarship program, or SAGES. Incoming students enroll in what is called a First Seminar. These courses are small, limited to seventeen students. Every course will be taught by a Case faculty member who will function as the students advisor for the freshman year. That way, instead of being immediately thrust into an open-ended college environment, students will be in close contact with someone who can give advice and help map out the academic path their students wish to follow, which is certainly helpful given the myriad opportunities available. Instead of sitting around and listening to droning lectures for hours, like so many other freshmen courses, First Seminars promote student discussion allowing peer interaction and letting students express their ideas and experiences. The three hours a week dedicated to the First Seminar will be accompanied by "fourth-hour activities" that incorporate the cultural and scientific institutions around University Circle, including the Cleveland Natural History Museum, Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Western Reserve Historical Society, allowing students to get out of the classroom for a change.

SAGES Group

First Seminar courses are followed in the students later years by University Seminars, Departmental Seminars, and a Senior Capstone course, all of which let students concentrate on and study what interests them. Aside from SAGES, Cases's undergraduate students benefit from a great deal of freedom. Instead of requiring students to be admitted to specific undergraduate colleges such as an engineering college or a physical sciences college, students are free to study whatever subjects they feel like pursuing. This translates to a theater major being able to take an electrical engineering course with no more hassle than clicking the "add course" button through Case's online class registration system. While some may not feel the need to experiment with their course selections, the fact that the option is available is useful, just in case something really interesting pops up in a subject that is not your major. Physical education is also part of the curriculum, where students can golf, play racquetball, practice tennis, or keep up their running regimen.

College Scholars Program

Students have the opportunity to apply to the College Scholars Program (CSP) during their freshman year. If accepted, they would take one CSP course for three credits per semester for the remaining three years of their undergraduate study. CSP courses emphasize student directed study and service learning, and allow groups of students to meet and discuss issues with professors and, often, distinguished guests such as, in the past, Kurt Vonnegut and Ralph Nader. The program also provides the option to live in CSP-specific housing consisting of single rooms and fully equipped kitchens.

Internships

Because Case is embedded in a metropolitan setting. It's easy to get some real-world experience through internships. Whether it is with an engineering firm or an independent newspaper, Cleveland companies are eager for student workers, and look to Case to turn our capable candidates. This provides an opportunity for students to gain knowledge that can't be learned in the classroom. One hundred and sixty employers offer students co-op programs that may be alternated with classroom study. Also available are study abroad programs, a Washington semester, and work-study programs, as well as accelerated degree programs, B.A./ B.S. degrees, student-designed and dual majors, 3-2 binary engineering degrees, non-degree study, and independent study.

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