McCosh Hall

Classroom-style courses are often for introductory math and language courses, meet multiple times per week, have about 15-30 students, and are most similar to what students might have experienced in high school.

Lecture classes are usually for large introductory courses such as Introduction to Microeconomics or Introduction to Computer Science and are broken into smaller discussion sections, called “precepts.”

A precept brings together a faculty member or an advanced graduate student and a small group of undergraduates, usually 10-15, to discuss course material, weekly readings, and writing assignments. Precepts are often a place where students get to ask questions and get clarification on material presented in lecture.

The precept system is one of the hallmarks of a Princeton education as this is one of the means through which our students get the chance to interact with classmates and professors to discuss ideas. Science and engineering courses often have a laboratory section in addition to or in place of a precept.

Seminars usually meet once a week for three hours, are capped at 12-15 students, and are always led by a faculty member. They often do deep dives into subjects. Although they are often advanced courses, there are specific seminars reserved for first-years.

Each year, approximately 75 freshman seminars are offered to new students on a wide range of topics. The students’ main responsibility is to think deeply about the material and bring their ideas to the table.

Each freshman seminar is limited to 15 students and is developed and taught by a member of Princeton’s renowned faculty, whose main role is to serve as a facilitator of ideas. Each freshman seminar is hosted by a residential college, which means that discussions started in the classroom can continue over meals or in other informal settings.

Class discussions dictate their own direction and students are encouraged to argue, get inspired and be passionate. Both students and professors consistently cite freshman seminars as among their finest academic experiences at Princeton.

One of the best parts of the Princeton educational experience is that our world-renowned faculty members have come to the University in order to teach and interact with a largely undergraduate student body; this is uncommon among large research universities. Our student-to-faculty ratio is about 5:1. All professors must teach undergraduates, and the fact that Princeton has fewer graduate students and professional schools than our peer institutions ensures that undergraduates have access to a variety of resources and research opportunities that they might not have at other schools.

All courses at Princeton are led by faculty members, never by graduate students. Sometimes advanced graduate students lead several of the precepts or classes for the larger lecture courses, but it is important to note that graduate students never lead lecture courses or seminars. Often, professors of courses with small enrollment might lead all of the precepts, and for larger courses, other professors or even administrators with related expertise might lead precepts. On the whole, Princeton professors are very accessible to students outside class, both through email and office hours.

All of these faculty are also required to hold office hours - a time where students can stop into their office and discuss with them anything they'd like to ranging from material covered in class to day to day life. Even if your precept is not taught by the lead instructor, you can always go to visit them and get clarify on any of the topics.

A significant portion of the educational process at Princeton takes place outside the classrooms and lecture halls, especially during junior and senior years. Junior independent work in the A.B. program usually produces two junior papers, or “JPs,” of 20 to 30 pages at the end of each semester. Several B.S.E. departments also offer opportunities for independent work during junior year. Every A.B. and B.S.E. candidate, with the exception of B.S.E computer science students, must also complete a senior thesis, which is typically 80 to 100 pages. The thesis gives seniors the opportunity to pursue original research and scholarship on topics of their own choice under the one-on-one guidance of faculty advisors. Seniors might take fewer courses to permit a thorough investigation of the thesis topic. Many students go on to expand and publish their theses; others simply draw on the knowledge acquired and opinions formed during the research process later in life.

Established in the fall of 2014, the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) serves to inform, engage, connect, and support currently enrolled undergraduates on matters related to research at Princeton; to enhance independent work through campus-wide initiatives and departmental collaborations; and to promote students' research achievements through research symposia and written and video communications.

Students can begin pursuing undergraduate research at Princeton as early as their first year on campus.

Wendy Kopp ’89 (Founder of Teach for America): An Argument and Plan for the Creation of the Teachers Corporation

John C. Bogle ’51 (Founder of the Vanguard Group): The Economic Role of the Investment Company

Sonia Sotomayor ’76 (US Supreme Court Justice): The Impact of the Life of Luis Muñoz Marin on the Political and Economic History of Puerto Rico, 1930-1975

Pete Conrad ’53 (Commander of Apollo XII, Second Lunar Landing): The Design of a Turbo-Jet Military Advanced Trainer

Michelle (LaVaughn Robinson) Obama ’85 (First African American First Lady): Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community

Ted Cruz ’92 (US Senator): Clipping the Wings of Angels: The History and Theory behind the Ninth and Tenth Amendments of the United States Constitution

Robert Mueller ’66 (Sixth Director of the FBI): Acceptance of Jurisdiction in the South West Africa Cases

Anthony D. Romero ’87 (Director of the ACLU): Colombian Migration and Political Participation in the United States

Meg Whitman ’77 (former President and CEO of eBay and HPE, donor and namesake for Whitman College): The Marketing of American Consumer Products in Western Europe