Auburn First Courses

Auburn First courses count toward post-secondary general education requirements and lay the foundation for academic success at the college level. All courses are subject to seat availability. The Auburn First team encourages students to apply early to secure their first choice.

Students will access their Auburn First courses and complete coursework using Canvas. Please note if your high school uses Canvas, your Auburn First courses will not appear there. They should be accessed at auburn.instructure.com.

Auburn instructors have designed the following courses to meet quality and accessibility standards that will allow students to maximize their academic potential. Auburn First courses will guide students to learn, practice, and complete thoughtfully created assignments that lay a strong foundation for their futures. Information about our Student Orientation and registration is included in the Next Steps email you will receive after your application has been fully processed. Students must complete the Student Orientation course to register for their first semester.

Auburn University faculty members have designed the following courses to meet quality and accessibility standards that will allow students to maximize their academic potential. Auburn First courses will guide students to learn, practice, and complete thoughtfully created assignments that lay a strong foundation for their futures.

Unless specifically stated, Auburn First courses are offered online, asynchronously to participating students. Though there are no synchronous “Zoom” meetings or set class times, this is NOT the same as a student-paced online class.

Auburn First courses are instructor led, meaning that students are expected to log in regularly and work within the course schedule set by their professor. Generally, courses operate on a weekly scheduled release, so students should not expect to be able to do “everything at once”.

Registration Quick Facts:

  • WHEN? Registration for Summer and Fall classes is concurrent and opens in late March. Registration for Spring classes opens in late October.

  • HOW? Auburn First students will use our Course Request Form to register for classes while they are in our program, not Tiger Scheduler.

  • WHERE? Depending on their student status, Auburn First students will access the Course Request Form in one of two ways:

    • New Students must complete an Auburn First application on our website by the deadline. Once accepted, a $250 non-refundable enrollment deposit is required to register for classes. New students will complete the Online Student Orientation to register for classes their first semester.

    • Continuing Students will receive our Course Request Form directly to their AU email account.

  • WHAT ELSE? All courses are subject to seat availability. Students should also consult their counselor prior to registering for classes if they intend to earn dual credit.

For students pursuing automatic admission, pay attention to which courses fall under Group A and which courses fall under Group B. In addition to the other requirements, students must take at least one course from each group to qualify for automatic admission.

Group A Group B
ENGL 1100 ECON 2020
ENGL 1120 ECON 2030
ENGL 2200 HIST 1010
ENGL 2210 HIST 1020
ANTH 1000 COMM 1000
SOCY 1000 POLI 1090
SOWO 2000 POLI 1050

Click here for a complete list of automatic admission requirements.

Course List

Students receive an intensive study of and practice in effective expository and argumentative writing. Course is 3 credit hours. Students who earn a 30 or higher on the ACT English test receive credit for this course at Auburn University. Course is part of Group A.

Pre-requisite: College credit for ENGL 1100 or equivalent ("C" or better). Students receive instruction in rhetorical principles, textual practices, cultural expectations, and critical habits of mind commonly associated with academic research writing. Course is 3 credit hours. Students who earn a 35 or higher on the ACT English test receive credit for this course and ENGL 1100 at Auburn University. Course is part of Group A.

Pre-requisite: College credit for ENGL 1120 or equivalent ("C" or better). Students complete culturally diverse readings in world literature from the ancient period to c. 1600 and engage in course discussions and assignments. Course is 3 credit hours. Course is part of Group A.

Pre-requisite: College credit for ENGL 1120 or equivalent ("C" or better). Students complete culturally diverse readings in world literature from c. 1600 to the present and engage in course discussions and assignments. Course is 3 credit hours. Course is part of Group A.

Students are introduced to the study of human evolution, early civilizations, and globalization, and linguistic and cultural problems using the four sub-fields of anthropology, including biological/physical anthropology, archaeology, cultural anthropology, and linguistics. Course is 3 credit hours. Course is part of Group A.

Students are introduced to the study of social and cultural patterns of society. Course is 3 credit hours. Course is part of Group A.

Students are instructed on economic principles emphasizing scarcity and choice, consumer behavior, supply and demand, markets, production and cost, globalization of markets, role of government, and market and government failure. Course is 3 credit hours. Course is part of Group B.

Students are instructed on economic principles emphasizing economic aggregates, including measuring economic performance, macroeconomic theory, inflation and unemployment, money and banking, and fiscal and monetary policy. Course is 3 credit hours. Course is part of Group B.

Students are instructed on American political institutions, processes and behavior in comparative context, with special attention to the ways in which cultural and social diversity in the United States have impacted its politics. Course is 3 credit hours. Course is part of Group B.

Examination of current trends toward globalization in institutional development to address world problems. Course is 3 credit hours. Course is part of Group B.

Students are introduced to oral communication theory and practice in a public speaking setting, with emphasis on content, organization, delivery, and adaptation to the audience. Course is 3 credit hours. Course is part of Group B.

Survey course on world history from early humanity to the late 18th century. Students will examine the record of human political, social, cultural, religious, and economic activities across time, regions, civilizations, and cultures. Course is 3 credit hours. Course is part of Group B.

Survey course on world history from since the Industrial Revolution. Students will examine the record of human political, social, cultural, religious, and economic activities across time, regions, civilizations, and cultures.Course is 3 credit hours. Course is part of Group B.