CAS Facts

• 1873

  The College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) at Boston University was founded in 1873 as the College of Liberal Arts. The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GRS) was founded in 1874 as the School of All Sciences.

• 2500

  Students enroll in Bachelor of Arts programs in 25 academic departments, in interdisciplinary degree programs, and in individually designed independent concentrations. Undergraduates choose from over 60 majors and more than 2,500 courses.

• 650

  There are more than 650 professors and full-time lecturers in the College and Graduate School, plus hundreds of research faculty and part-time instructors. Our faculty includes two Nobel Laureates, a former Poet Laureate of the United States, two National Book Award winners, and 17 fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

• 7000

  The College enrolls more than 7,000 students and provides instruction in the liberal arts for 6,500 more from BU’s other schools and colleges.

• 8

  The College offers special academic opportunities in eight areas of interest. In cooperation with the Graduate School, many of the College’s departments offer combined BA/MA programs. Through the Boston University Collaborative Degree Program (BUCOP), students may enroll in another of the University’s undergraduate schools to earn dual bachelor’s degrees. Seven-year programs with the Boston University School of Medicine and the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine lead to the BA and, respectively, the MD and DMD. A joint program with the School of Public Health leads to the BA and MPH.

• 31

  The Core Curriculum is an innovative CAS program of eight courses offering an in-depth study of classic works in the humanities, important ideas in the natural sciences, and the concerns and theoretical bases of the social sciences.

• 350

  All CAS students are required to complete a full year of instruction in writing. To help them satisfy that requirement, the Writing Program offers small freshman seminars in over 350 sections that teach students to read challenging works with discernment and to write with clarity and persuasiveness.

• 30

  Before our students decide on a major, a team of 30 professional and faculty academic advisors provides one-on-one guidance, creating a small-college experience at the core of a large research university. Once a major is chosen, the faculty and deans of the College play primary roles in the academic advising of undergraduates and in mentoring in such contexts as the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program and senior Work for Distinction projects.