‘What’s the difference between a lecture and a seminar?’ Many students wonder this as they prepare to transition from school to university, where they’ll begin to experience a set of very different teaching methods. Two of these methods – lectures and seminars – typically make up the majority of the contact time on a taught course.
As you set out on your undergraduate journey, grasping the difference between these teaching formats will help you adapt to higher education and maximise your learning. And if you're preparing for your undergraduate programme or even just researching university life, gaining a clearer picture of what to expect from the teaching is an excellent place to start.
In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at what seminars and lectures are, what they involve, and the key differences between them.
Once you’ve got a better understanding of how lectures and seminars work, and whether this style of teaching sounds right for you, explore our undergraduate courses in business, management, accounting and finance – several of which are ranked top in the UK.
A university lecture is a formal presentation conducted by a lecturer. This teaching format introduces theories and concepts to the students and lays the groundwork for deeper discussions in seminars. Students are expected to take notes and assimilate information in lectures.
Visual aids, such as videos and slides, are often used in lectures to effectively illustrate complex concepts. Lectures are generally held weekly per course and are usually an hour long, typically occurring before seminars on the same topic. Also, lectures have a larger number of students in attendance, ranging from 30 to over 350.
The primary aim of a lecture is to introduce the fundamentals of a subject and to enable students to absorb the key material.
In a university lecture, a lecturer delivers structured information on specific topics, and the students listen and take notes. Unlike conventional school classes, where students interact with lecturers frequently, lectures are more likely to be passive, with limited two-way communication.
Students may have the opportunity to ask questions in a brief Q&A session after the lecture. Otherwise, they can note down questions to ask later in a seminar or in office hours.
Seminars are small group sessions where participants get the opportunity to discuss topics in depth. They are often held after a lecture on the same topic, and therefore give students the opportunity to engage with topics, concepts and the material in a more interactive setting. Such sessions usually last for an hour frequency will vary from course to course, but you can typically expect to have one seminar per module you take each week.
Seminars offer a forum to analyse the concepts taught in lectures, discuss with peers and tutors, and ask questions. This creates a space for intellectual interactions, extensive debate, analysis and practical application of theories.
University seminars are designed for students to discuss topics in the course reading materials or lectures in detail. Students are encouraged to engage actively in cerebral discourses and interact with one another while learning. On some courses, seminars also allow for students to work together on group projects and practical tasks.
Seminars, unlike lectures, focus on the development of analytical and problem-solving capabilities through collaborative learning. The smaller class size individualises the teaching process and makes it possible for the seminar leader to pay attention to each and every student.
We use a range of taught sessions depending on the module and level ranging from traditional lectures and seminars to longer workshops and tailored asynchronous activities.
When comparing lectures vs seminars, there are a few fundamental differences to grasp. Let’s unpack these in more detail.
One difference between a lecture and a seminar is the structure. A lecture is generally a monologue – a one-way presentation by the lecturer to a large group of students. A seminar, on the other hand, is a smaller and more interactive and collaborative session where students actively participate in detailed discussions.
Lectures feature limited engagement – usually only note-taking and occasional questions. Seminars, however, are an opportunity for active engagement in discussions, presentations, group work and peer collaboration. This difference in student participation means that seminars allow for more practical and inclusive learning.
Lectures are aimed at equipping students with concepts and theories that form the foundation of the course. Conversely, seminars allow for critical thinking, analytical thinking, problem-solving, debate, and peer-to-peer interactions that deepen students’ understanding of the course through practice. Skills such as communication, teamwork and independent research, which are crucial to students' careers in their fields of study, are acquired courtesy of seminars.
Workshops are also common method of teaching at university. They are similar to seminars in certain respects – they also involve smaller groups of students compared to lectures and help students acquire better understanding of the material as well as practical skills. However, they serve different purposes from seminars in the learning process.
You may be wondering, what is the difference between a seminar and a workshop? Workshops have a similar setup as seminars but centre on developing specific skills, tools or techniques related to the subject. They involve hands-on activities, practical exercises and real-life applications of theories and concepts.
At Warwick Business School, we have undergraduate courses in disciplines such as accounting and finance, international management and business management. Many of our courses have been recognised and accredited in top global rankings.
Are you interested in learning more about our course offerings? You have the option to use our course finder or download a course information brochure for further information on our world-class programmes.
Lectures run weekly per module.
Seminars are usually composed of around 25-30 people per class, and hence allow for more personalised interaction.
Seminars generally last an hour. This means that they provide a more focused and intensive period for discussing and collaborating.
Explore more information on the University of Warwick's teaching methods.
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