The Residential College Seminar program is designed to enhance the intellectual life of the residential colleges by offering courses that fall outside typical departmental structures, often taught by instructors whose professional life lies outside the university. Each residential college sponsors one seminar each term, and a defining feature of the program is that undergraduates play a central role in the seminar selection process. Each residential college has a student committee responsible for evaluating seminar proposals and interviewing candidates.

Course descriptions for college seminars for the fall and spring terms can be found in Yale Course Search. Students may search for college seminars by selecting YC: College Seminar under the "Any Department" dropdown in the left side search panel. The online listings contain course titles, descriptions, and prerequisites. Course syllabuses are available on Canvas @ Yale.

Students apply to college seminars during registration. Students from the sponsoring college have priority admission to the first six roster spots in each seminar. Students may apply to no more than two college seminars in a given term and may only enroll in one college seminar in a single term and four college seminars in their Yale College career. Auditing is not permitted in college seminars. See the YCPS, K. Special Academic Programs, Limit on Residential College Seminars, for more information.