Kansas State University

Students will prepare for the “real world” and learn about topics that will help them be successful inside and outside of college. The class will focus on a set of topics or issues based on things like the common book theme, current needs or trends, or of interest to students. Topics may include financial planning, identifying fake news, identity, time management, health & wellness, relationships, career planning, difficult conversations, and many others.

LEAD 212 Introduction to Leadership Concepts

AMETH 160 Introduction to American Ethnic Studies

EDCEP 110 Study Skills and Strategies

This learning community is for students in Biological and Agricultural Engineering. It focuses on developing a solid understanding of the importance of science as a foundation for engineering while working to improve the students' ability to communicate, especially science and engineering design, with a diverse group of people. Students in this learning community must enroll in BAE 101 Introduction to Biological and Agricultural Engineering and Technology as well as CHM 210 Chemistry 1. 

Required Courses

CHM 210 Chemistry 1 

BAE 101 Introduction to Biological and Agricultural Engineering and Technology

Recommended Courses

COMM 105 Public Speaking 1A

MATH 220 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1 

This learning community is for students in Biological and Agricultural Engineering. It focuses on developing a solid understanding of the importance of science as a foundation for engineering while working to improve the students' ability to communicate, especially science and engineering design, with a diverse group of people. Students in this learning community must enroll in BAE 101 Introduction to Biological and Agricultural Engineering and Technology as well as MATH 220 Calculus 1 and the recitation for MATH 220. 

Required Courses

MATH 220 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1

BAE 101 Introduction to Biological and Agricultural Engineering and Technology

Recommended Courses

CHM 210 Chemistry 1

COMM 105 Public Speaking 1A

Join this CAT Community for an introduction to the many dimensions of our life cycle and healthcare. Special attention will be given to life stories, sickness and health, diversity and cultural competencies, differing perspectives on health care and well-being, professionalism, and other topics and insights important to healthcare providers. Healthcare is ultimately about people, both patients and providers, and this will be an opportunity to explore the personal dimensions of healthcare as a field.

AMETH 160 Introduction to American Ethnic Studies

ENGL 295 Life Stories

DAS 195 The Art of Healthcare

As the world becomes smaller, our classrooms become ever bigger. What does this mean for the future of education and what does the classroom of the future look like? Together we will explore how education is changing around the world and how you can be prepared for a global classroom.

EDCI 310 Foundations of Education

GEOG 100 World Geography and Globalization

DED 350 Education in a Global World

In this community, you will explore different engineering degree programs and careers while engaging in learning activities that promote your personal and professional development. You will also develop a solid understanding of how engineers utilize math and science to solve all types of problems. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to get to know other general engineering students and begin building a community of peers. Please keep in mind that the Engineering Futures CAT Community is designed for students who are in the General Engineering program. The required orientation course will help you make progress towards any engineering degree, but depending on the program, you might have to take an additional introduction course.

ECON 110 Principles of Macroeconomics

MATH 220 Analytic Geometry and Calculus I

DEN 160 Engineering Orientation

DEN 161 Engineering Futures

The Engineering Foundations CAT Community is designed specifically for General Engineering students enrolled in College Algebra or Trigonometry. This community will provide students with a connection to the College of Engineering and resources to help them successfully navigate their first semester on campus. Students will engage in learning activities that will strengthen their time management skills, study skills, goal setting and give them the tools to be successful future engineers.

MATH 150 Plane Trigonometry

ECON 110 Principles of Macroeconomics

DEN 015 Connecter Course

Are you interested in potentially becoming a healthcare professional? In this CAT Community, you will explore this interest by learning about different health professions, taking part in different experiences and activities that assist you in discerning your interest in them, and understanding the path to becoming a successful a pre-health applicant.

PSYCH 110 General Psychology

FNDH 132 Basic Nutrition

DHE 195 Exploring the Health Professions

Are you an Open Option student interested in examining your talents and strengths to help find and create your path here at K-State? In this CAT Community, you'll have the opportunity to explore the majors offered by K-State, the range of career possibilities those majors support, all while studying the connections among literature, film, and U.S. politics and their impact on us. This learning community also includes opportunities to participate in unique out-of-class co-curricular events and to develop academic and social networks with students who just may be come lifelong friends.

ENGL 220 Fiction into Film

POLSC 115 U.S. Politics

DAS 195 The Fate We Make

This CAT community will focus on empowering you with tools and resources to create a successful transition to college. You’ll accomplish this through hands-on workshops to learn about bettering yourself professionally and socially while exploring leadership potential. This  learning community is only for first-generation, first-year students.

LEAD 212 Introduction to Leadership Concepts

EDCEP 111 University Experience

LEAD 195 First-Gen Fundamentals  

Did you know that there are more than 400 international students from 50 different countries that are your fellow classmates and a part of the K-State family? In this CAT Community, you will learn how communication transcends location and how to develop your own skills as a global communicator.  

GEOG 100 World Regional Geography

COMM 106 Public Speaking 1

EDCEP 110 Study Skills and Strategies

What does it take to do well on the MCAT, and more generally, to be a good healthcare provider? This CAT community will help students develop their critical analysis and reasoning skills while exploring public health concepts related to health disparities. 

BIOL 198 Principles of Biology

GWSS 105 Introduction to Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies

DAS 195 Hacking the MCAT

We often think of the arts (for example, literature) as the opposite of science. But what happens if you use literature to understand mental illness or read a medical case file as a work of literature? What if you analyze bio-chemical responses to art? Together we will explore the intersection of the arts and science so we can begin to understand how science shapes our understanding of the arts and the ways in which literature and art teach us about science. This CAT Community is for Honors students in the College of Arts and Sciences.

ENGL 297 Honors Introduction to the Humanities

BIOL 198 Principles of Biology OR PSYCH 110 General Psychology*

UHP 189 Honors First-Year Seminar  

*Students interested in the Breaking the Art/Science Divide CAT Community only need to enroll in BIOL 198 or PSYCH 110, not both.

Have you ever wondered how you learn? We will dive deeper into educational theory to help explain stages in your life and how these stages affect your ability to learn. You will also practice strategies that you can use with your future students.

EDCI 310 Foundations of Education

HDFS 110 Introduction to Human Development

DED 350 How We Learn

Mahatma Gandhi said "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." As a CAT community we will identify common interests, develop meaningful service projects, and spend time together learning through service. Nonprofit organizations in and around Manhattan rely on the generosity of volunteers—join us as we seek to develop our own leadership capacity in the service of others.

LEAD 212 Introduction to Leadership Concepts

SOCIO 211 Introduction to Sociology

LEAD 195 Leadership and Service

Develop your advocacy skills for the agricultural industry by examining assumptions of advocacy and leadership.  Explore and engage agricultural issues from the perspective of multiple stakeholders and develop your skills in critical thinking, communication, and productive conflict. This class will be highly interactive and discussion-based. We will focus on current events and engage with industry leaders.

LEAD 212 Introduction to Leadership Concepts

ASI 102 Principles of Animal Science

GENAG 201 Leadership for Agricultural Advocacy

Approach music as a cultural mirror to reveal how Americans have viewed their world and themselves through time. You will create an "ultimate playlist" of recordings and videos to reflect the diversity, history, and values of American culture.

ANTH 204 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

MUSIC 245 Introduction to American Music

DAS 195 American Culture Revealed

In the business world, companies need both marketing and sales in order to succeed. Together we will explore the differences between marketing and sales and how collaboration between them creates best outcomes in any business setting.

MKTG 400 Introduction to Marketing

MKTG 542 Fundamentals of Professional Selling

GENBA 195 Conversational Marketing and Best Practices in Sales

This community engages outstanding freshman business students in a year-long, cohort-based program designed to foster leadership development, ethical decision making, and innovative thinking, while gaining technical knowledge and skills through rigorous coursework. Through industry learning trips, alumni connections, one-on-one mentoring, and other exclusive experiences, students will explore college leadership opportunities and career pathways in the business sector. Students will also work with top faculty members as they transition to college life, and benefit from early access to the College of Business Career Development Program, specialized advising, and career shadowing experiences. For more information on how to apply, click here.

LEAD 212 Introduction to Leadership Concepts

ENTRP 340 Entrepreneurial Mindset 

GENBA 195 Future Business Leaders

We’ve all heard the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” In this CAT Community, you and other pre-health students will explore the implications behind this saying and gain an understanding of how nutrition is important to promoting the optimal health and wellness of patients. You will also learn about different health care practitioner occupations. 

FNDH 132 Basic Nutrition

CHM 210 Chemistry 1

DHE 195 Nutrition and the Health Professions

This CAT Community explores issues concerning the nature and special status of law and the connections between law, society, and morality. Law is a complex social institution that influences our culture and is itself shaped by society. Law is also an institution that is deeply connected with morality. We think of law as obligating us independently of the threat of punishment. We also think the content of law should reflect some basic set of moral values and that law is defective and loses its authority to the extent it fails to reflect our own values. However, the nature of law and of legal reasoning, and the ways society and morality influence law are complex and sometimes controversial matters.

We will discuss the nature and functions of law and explore the links between political change and legal reform, and between law and morality. The course will also include interaction with the Pre-Law advisor and discussion of the many career paths available to students interested in the law.

PHILO 160 Introduction to Philosophy of Law

POLSC 115 U.S. Politics

DAS 195 The Law and Society

Learn the physical and behavioral attributes of physical fitness, health and movement in this CAT Community. You will develop an understanding of the physical therapy profession, examination requirements, education, and opportunities.

KIN 220 Biobehavioral Bases of Physical Activity

FNDH 132 Basic Nutrition

DHE 195 Pre-Physical Therapy

This CAT Community focuses on a practical discussion of how the Principles of Animal Science and Principles of Agricultural Economics course intersect around the issue of profitability in livestock operations. Economic, management, and production factors that impact the costs, revenues and profitability of livestock enterprises will be examined. Paradigms that result in successful academic performance and meeting academic and career goals will also be discussed. Livestock production experience is recommended.

AGEC 120 Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness

ASI 102 Principles of Animal Science

GENAG 202 Profitability in Livestock Enterprises

Explore how art and design relate to the mind and brain as we step into a world of perception and discover the power of image-making. Engage in the language of vision through discussion of art and design history and exploring the creative process as it relates to psychology.

ART 180 Two Dimensional Design

PSYCH 110 General Psychology

DAS 195 Psychology in Art and Design

If rock and roll is designed to be loud, fast, and danceable, how can it be reconciled with college classes, which are sometimes perceived as quiet, slow, and sedentary? What happens when the two concepts come together? In this CAT Community, we will attempt to find out: to discover something about rock and roll, about literature, about rock and roll history. During the semester, you will read a great deal, listen and respond to all kinds of rock and roll, complete all kinds of creative and academic assignments, and even form your own rock bands. That last item is neither a typo nor a joke. However — in the spirit of punk rock — no musical training or skill is required for this class.

ENGL 295 Literature of Rock and Roll

MUSIC 170 History of Rock and Roll 

DAS 195 School of Rock

Theatre. Film. Drama. Cinema. How do these powerful forms interact? How do we create and consume these cultural products? You will learn how to critically analyze these forms while also producing your own works of film and theatre!

ENGL 220 Fiction into Film

THTRE 270 Introduction to Theatre

DAS 195 Screenplays and Stageplays

In this CAT Community, you'll learn important college student success skills, including the ability to confidently share your ideas in a classroom. Alongside your classmates, you'll learn how to take ownership over your learning and apply college student success skills to your K-State journey. 

COMM 106 Public Speaking 1

PSYCH 110 General Psychology 

EDCEP 111 University Experience

Sports as entertainment and lifestyle have have been a dominant force in the United States both economically and in the public consciousness. In this CAT Community, students will take a look at the impact the industry has one all aspects of life in the United States, as it has become almost a religious experience for many. You will trace the rise and fall of a variety of American sports, discuss current-day trends, and engage in activities geared toward understanding the role of sports in the fabric of society. 

MC 160 Principles of Journalism

HIST 252 History of the U.S. Since 1877 

DAS 195 Sports in America

Sustainability and You: People, Planet, and Profit - We each make thousands of decisions each day. But have you ever seriously considered how those decisions may impact the lives and well-being of others or the condition of the planet? This CAT Community introduces concepts of the "triple bottom line" and "circles of sustainability" to help you think more critically about the consequences of your actions--both intended and unintended--and to better understand complex social, environmental, and economic issues.

ECON 110 Principles of Macroeconomics

GEOG 121 Introduction to Physical Geography 

DAS 195 People, Planet, and Profit

"In order to write about life, you must first live it." -- Ernest Hemingway. In this CAT Community, we'll explore the ways race, gender, and class intersect in our everyday lives and in society at large. This CAT Community serves Open Option students. 

ENGL 100 Expository Writing 1 

SOCIO 211 Introduction to Sociology

DAS 195 Writing Life