Because the U-M Residential College (RC) is the academic sponsor for Semester in Detroit, all courses offered are listed through the RC. Please note, however, that students do not have to be enrolled in the RC to participate. Semester in Detroit is available to ALL U-M undergraduates regardless of their school or department.
Basic Overview
Most SiD courses can be used to meet College of LSA distribution requirements for the social sciences and the humanities. In some cases, SiD courses can be used to meet concentration requirements (but this is ultimately determined by a concentration advisor.) Additionally, the credits you earn in Semester in Detroit count towards the LSA Minor in Urban Studies -- which requires you to enroll in at least five classes for a total of at least 16 credit hours.
Spring/summer students will have to take two additional courses on the Ann Arbor campus to fulfill the Urban Studies minor requirements (including one of the two core courses previously mentioned). Previous SiD students from the spring programs have taken classes like AmCult 301 (“Detroit Politics and Community Organizing”) and History 364 (“History of Suburbia”) to complete the minor.
The Courses
Foundational Courses (all required):
- RCSSCI 250-103: From the Underground to Motown: A Course on Detroit’s History (3 credits) – Baba Jamon Jordan
- RCCORE 301-101: Community-Based Internship (2 credits) – Craig Regester
- RCCORE 302-101: Community-Based Internship Reflection Seminar (1 credit) – Rose Gorman
Elective Courses (1 required):
*Note: elective courses are open to ALL UM students, regardless of participation in the program*
- RCHUMS 334-102: Detroit Artist as Activist (3 credits) – Darcy Brandel
- RCSSCI 360-101: Theory and Practice of Visionary Organizing (3 credits) – Stephen Ward
