Sophomore Tutorial

After declaring the concentration in the fall, sophomores in History & Literature take a Sophomore Tutorial in the spring. Jointly taught by two faculty (usually one historian and one literary scholar), Sophomore Tutorials immerse concentrators in the creative, rigorous, and rewarding work of interdisciplinary scholarship. 

To allow plenty of time to explore new interests, History & Literature concentrators do not declare a particular Field of Study until the end of the sophomore year. Sophomore Tutorials serve as introductions to interdisciplinary methods across the fields, focusing on the development of students' writing, research, and oral communication skills. This discussion-based, reading and writing-intensive course is letter-graded, meets once a week, and culminates in a Sophomore Essay (3,000-4,000 words).

Each sophomore is assigned an academic adviser who is one of the student's Sophomore Tutorial instructors. While a student's academic adviser will be the one to approve the student's course selections, sophomores are encouraged to seek the advice of both tutors. In addition, each sophomore is assigned a concentration adviser who will check in at each step along the way from the first semester in the concentration until graduation, getting to know students and their interests as they develop over time.