The Sophomore Research Seminars build on the University’s first-year writing curriculum, empowering sophomores to strengthen and expand their academic research skills in preparation for junior and senior independent work. Each seminar operates within a focused, interdisciplinary context; is organized around an original research project of each student’s own design; and integrates regular opportunities for writing in community with other sophomores, faculty, and research specialists across campus. We’re pleased to offer five seminar options for Fall 2025, covering intellectual ground from humanistic handiwork to scientific curiosity. Visit the links below to find out more—or apply now! Please note: year-long seminars redistribute the workload of a single semester over a full year. Completion of both semesters is required to earn that credit (and distribution requirement, if needed), which will appear on your transcript at the end of the spring term. Fall only seminars follow Princeton’s standard undergraduate pacing and crediting system, with students earning a full credit (and distribution requirement, if needed) at the end of the fall term. Course Offerings WRI 220/221: The Writing’s on the Wall Why do we so rarely talk about the rejected Picasso behind Spelman or how the Endowment weathers storms in the market? Spend a year making data-driven discoveries about the campus we call our home!Year-long seminar; EC or SA upon completion in the spring WRI 235: Is Talk Cheap? We spend hours of the day talking with others. What makes interview and survey research different from those everyday conversations? How do social scientists turn conversational data into revolutionary discoveries?Fall only seminar; EC or SA upon completion in the fall WRI 240/241: Cuneiform, Codices, Comics Archives hold humanity's history—or at least some of it. So what is stored in archives? How do humanities scholars discover fascinating objects, learn from them, and publicize their new knowledge?Year-long seminar; EC or HA upon completion in the spring WRI 260/261: The Invisible Hand Hands-on engagement with crafting produces a different type of knowledge than reading, logical deduction, or other methods. Spend a year putting process over product—and make something!Year-long seminar; EC or LA upon completion in the spring WRI 270/271: The Curious Scientist The latest issue of Nature is filled with thrilling discoveries, but how do scientists dream up those projects? How can undergraduate students move from textbook knowledge into innovative research questions?Year-long seminar; EC upon completion in the spring News Sophomore research Alyssa "Ally" Lloyd wins Princeton Research Day Award Sophomore researcher Alyssa "Ally" Lloyd's research project for WRI 220/1 "Princeton in a Pin[ch]: How Worn Labels Promote Inclusion and Exemplify Exclusion at Elite Institutions" won the Princeton University Library Award at the 2024 Princeton Research Day. Research and community in the Sophomore Research Seminars Learn how the Sophomore Research Seminars build community around ongoing research, shaping research questions and data collection by imagining possibilities through peer feedback. Introducing the Sophomore Research Seminars: An Interview with Professor Emma Ljung Alexis Wu '25 interviews Professor Emma Ljung about the new Sophomore Research Seminars offered by the Writing Program.
