College of Arts & Sciences
The College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) is an academic community of students that comes from every state in the US and most countries in the world and an internationally recognized faculty involved in the discovery, evaluation, and transmission of knowledge. CAS offers the advantages of both a first-class liberal arts college and a comprehensive research university.
Undergraduates in CAS engage with the questions, historic achievements, and contemporary approaches that most fundamentally inform humanity’s search for understanding of individuals, societies, and our physical universe. By studying the humanities and natural, computational, and social sciences, our students develop the tools and lay the groundwork for success and fulfillment in life and career.
Students are enrolled in bachelor of arts programs in over 20 departments and the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, in interdisciplinary degree programs, and in individually designed independent majors. Students can take advantage of valuable internship, research, and study abroad opportunities. They can learn from professors who are leaders in their fields. Our undergraduates develop interpersonal, analytical, and creative thinking skills that will help them throughout their lives. And they receive consistent support from academic advisors, faculty, and student mentors.
In cooperation with the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GRS), many of the college’s departments offer combined BA/MA or BA/MS programs; a combined BA/MPH program is offered jointly with the Boston University School of Public Health (SPH). Through the Boston University dual degree program, students may enroll in another of the University’s undergraduate schools to earn dual bachelor’s degrees. The Modular Medical/Dental Integrated Curriculum (MMEDIC) combines study of the liberal arts and basic medical or dental sciences, providing early admission and an enhanced transition to the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine or the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, respectively, for a limited number of qualified students who have completed their sophomore year.
Qualified students are able to take advantage of the variety of Boston University–sponsored study abroad and internship programs in over 25 cities in over 20 countries. Students may also enroll in programs sponsored by other institutions or may directly enroll in foreign universities.
Programs are available in the fall, spring, and summer terms. Many fall and spring programs offer similar shorter programs in the summer, and some may be combined for a full academic year. Study abroad programs integrate students into a foreign culture and allow them to concentrate on language acquisition, cultural and historical study of the program country, and coursework in their major fields. Internship programs including an academic component generally combine 4 units of internship with 12 units of related coursework.
