Portland State University Studies | Sophomore Inquiry & Upper Division Clusters

Sophomore Inquiry (SINQ) and Upper Division Cluster courses focus on an array of interdisciplinary subject areas which complement a student’s major.

At the sophomore level, students choose three different Sophomore Inquiry (SINQ) courses, each of which lead into thematically linked, interdisciplinary Upper Division Cluster courses. Each individual SINQ course acts as the gateway to its corresponding Cluster (See Program Map.) For students who began University Studies at the freshman or sophomore level, all Upper Division Cluster courses must be selected from a Cluster that links directly to the SINQ courses that student has taken. It’s important to note that all students (including transfer students not required to take SINQ classes) will be given University Studies credit only for Cluster courses taken from the same Cluster.

For a presentation on how the SINQ and Clusters programs work, see SINQ & Clusters Structure below.

Study Abroad Opportunities:

Visit Study Abroad's UNST Resource page to get the most up-to-date information regarding earning UNST credits abroad.

Sophomore Inquiry Sophomore Inquiry (SINQ) courses introduce students to concepts, questions, methods, and other content that are to be further explored in their corresponding Clusters.	Upper Division Clusters Upper Division Cluster courses engage students more richly and more in-depth with the thematic lines of inquiry introduced in their SINQ courses.
Registration Tips To get started planning your time here at PSU, visit these resources to get those most out of your education.	The number of required FRINQ and SINQ courses for students varies according to the number of transfer credits a student brings to PSU.
Minors Consider using Cluster courses to complete part of a Minor. Follow this link to tools that will help you get the most out of your UNST experience.	Online Pathways It is now possible to complete select SINQ, Cluster, and Capstone requirements entirely online. Simply click here to find out more.
Sustainability Pathways Consider using Cluster courses to put toward a minor in Sustainability. Follow this link to find Sustainability courses by Cluster.