Intensive Courses, Career Training Offered during Winter at Wesleyan Session

This January, Winter at Wesleyan will offer students an opportunity to get a jump-start on the new year by taking a short, intensive course for credit or participating in programs at the Career Center.

The Winter Session courses may be of particular interest to students seeking a lighter course load in a future term, or those working to graduate in three years. The faculty has approved four immersion-style courses, to begin Jan. 8: “Introduction to Computer Programming” (taught by Associate Professor of Computer Science James Lipton); “Sex, Drugs and Shopping: Decadence and Desire in Post-War American Fiction” (by Associate Professor of English Sally Bachner); “U.S. Foreign Policy” (by Associate Professor of Government Douglas Foyle); and “Applied Data Analysis” (by Professor of Psychology Lisa Dierker). The small classes—permitting for close interaction between faculty and students—will meet for five hours each day over the course of eight days, allowing students to complete a full-semester course in only two weeks.

Each course is offered for full credit at a cost of $2,900, and students may live in residence halls at no additional cost. An optional meal plan is available. Limited financial aid is available to students who are U.S. citizens and who receive aid during the academic year. Registration is now open here.

Non-Wesleyan undergraduates may also sign up for Winter Session courses by contacting the Continuing Studies Office at (860) 685-2005 or emailing winter@wesleyan.edu.

“I’m pleased that Wesleyan is offering students these new options for Winter Break,” said Wesleyan President Michael S. Roth. “We are moving forward with this small pilot program following a healthy debate amongst the faculty about the pros and cons of short immersion-style courses. I’m eager to see how students and faculty find the Winter Session courses, and how effectively the intensive courses complement those offered during the regular semesters.”

Also in January, the Career Center will present Winter on Wyllys, a variety of career-related initiatives. For the first time, Wesleyan will host the Fullbridge Program, an independent program that provides intensive training in business fundamentals. Tuition, room and board are $4,900. Questions about the program should be directed to admissions@fullbridge.com. For more information or to apply, visit Fullbridge’s Wesleyan site.

In addition, Career Center staff will present two week-long intensive programs: CareerLab for those preparing to enter the job market, and Choosing Good Work for students trying to make sense of their options and personal goals. Both programs will run Jan. 15-22, and space is limited. Registration is open now on the websites.

The Career Center also will offer its WEShadow externship program—through which undergraduates may explore a career by shadowing Wesleyan alumni or parents during Winter Break—and an alumni guest speaker series on career-related topics. The WEShadow program will accept student applications from Nov. 4-15.

“I am aware that there is a lot of student demand for career-related programming in January, and I’m thrilled that we have been able to move forward with these offerings for 2014,” said Director of the Wesleyan Career Center Sharon Belden Castonguay.

Call the Career Center at (860) 685-2180 with questions about Winter on Wyllys.

More photos of  the Winter at Wesleyan kick-off event are below: