Intensive Freshman Seminars: Indiana University Bloomington

Welcome to Intensive Freshman Seminars

IFS is a transition-to-college program. It is your chance to step into life at IU Bloomington before the fall semester even begins. With IFS, you will move into your dorm on campus early to work with leading faculty in a 3-credit course, create your first college friendships, immerse yourself in unique programming designed to connect you with IU's extensive resources, and prepare yourself for life at college.

IFS 2023 takes place from July 30th to August 16th, right before your fall semester begins. IFS virtual week starts July 30th. IFS students move to campus on August 6th. In-person course meetings begin on August 7th.

Explore Courses

Reserve your spot

Your success at IU begins here

At IFS, you'll have the opportunity to:

Connect with a top professor
Participate in a small and rigorous college class
Learn alongside other incoming freshman & create lasting friendships
Explore IU's campus
Discover opportunities for leadership, service, and study

Connect with faculty

Learn from one of Indiana University's leading faculty members in a small classroom setting. Because IFS classes are small, students have the chance to work individually with their professor and make personal relationships with faculty. With classes in a variety of subjects and unique co-curricular opportunities, there's an IFS class for every type of student.

Create friendships

When you attend IFS, you aren't just academically successful, you're socially involved too. You will participate in a variety of activities and events while exploring campus and making friends with new and returning IU students. Meet other students before coming to campus at IFS virtual events. Have a blast at the IFS Welcome Festival, perform a hidden talent at an Open Mic Night, attend an outdoor movie night, and more. Experiences aren't limited to what happens in the classroom. At IFS, you'll never be bored.

IFS Course Spotlights

See the full list of IFS courses to learn more and meet the IFS faculty. Once you've identified your top four course preferences, submit your IFS application.

Culture and Revolution in Paris, 1850-1900

David Pace

Paris in the late 19th century was the site of a cultural and political revolution that created the world we live in today. War, bloody battles between the classes, and an on-going struggle over the role of religion in French society tore the city apart. It also saw a total transformation of art, culture, and what it means to be male and female.

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Black Dance Is/Black Dance Ain't: Intro to African/African American Aesthetics

Stafford C. Berry Jr.

What is black dance? Is there a black aesthetic? How do we know it when we see it? This course will interrogate African/Diaspora dance, power, and privilege in America.

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Technology Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Travis J. Brown

How can we learn to be more effective innovators? What exactly makes a technology innovative? What is the process for taking a technological innovation and building a financially viable startup based on it? These are topics which are often discussed as being mysterious and, in turn, unteachable.

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