Course Planning Guidelines, Spring 2021

College of General Studies Program Requirements

The College of General Studies’ innovative, integrated, interdisciplinary, team-based program inspires students to make connections between disciplines and to connect their knowledge to real-world problems. Required CGS program courses include two writing courses in the first year and two natural science courses in the second year. To complete the CGS program, students select at least three additional CGS humanities courses and at least three additional CGS social sciences courses. For more information, see the College of General Studies Program requirements.

All BU students will pursue coursework in the BU Hub, a general education program that is integrated into the entire undergraduate experience. BU Hub requirements are flexible and can be satisfied in many ways, through coursework in and beyond the major and, in some cases, through co-curricular activities. The CGS program fulfills most of the BU Hub University-wide general education requirements, and all CGS courses carry BU Hub units.

Students will determine the most appropriate course selection in consultation with their academic advisor.

Advanced Credit

Students who wish to apply an Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or any other examination scores should consult with their CGS academic advisor. Please refer to Boston University’s Admissions website for further information.

To have your test scores reviewed for college credit, an official score report must be sent to Boston University. All Advanced Placement reports should be sent to the Admissions Office directly from College Board; all other score reports should be sent to the International Admissions Office at intadmis@bu.edu.

The following AP/IB scores award credit for the noted CGS first-year courses and HUB units:

Note: BU does not award credit for IB English A: Language and Literature.

Choosing an Elective

In addition to the College of General Studies Program requirements, you will take one or more electives. The school and college pages below outline elective options. If an elective is unavailable at the time of registration, you can select an alternative elective.

• College of Arts and Sciences
• College of Communication
• College of Engineering
• Questrom School of Business
• Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences
• Wheelock College of Education & Human Development
• School of Hospitality Administration
• Pre-Law track
• Pre-Medical track

For more information about the four-year pathways to a degree, check out this helpful tool.

You must make an appointment with your CGS academic advisor to review your academic plans. You will not be able to register for classes until you have spoken with your advisor.

During your appointment, your advisor will give you your Academic Advising Code, which you will use to unlock the registration tool on the Student Link. See the registration instructions for guidance on unlocking the registration tool.

The spring 2021 Class Schedule is available online on the Student Link. You can view descriptions of all BU courses by using the Course Search.

You will use the Student Link Planner to plan your spring 2021 course schedule. Refer to the registration instructions for guidance on using the Planner tool.

Plan Your Required CGS Courses

Your CGS course registration/team for spring 2021 determines where and when you will study during the summer. Summer term 2021 dates are below. Availability on these teams is determined by your registration time assigned by the BU Registrar’s Office. See Step Five for details.

• Team A will study in Boston during summer session I (May 24-July 2)
• Teams B, C, and D will study in London during summer session I (May 24-July 2)
• Teams E, F, and G will study in London during summer session II (July 6-August 13)

Your class numbers for spring 2021 CGS courses are listed below:

• Humanities: CGS HU 103
• Rhetoric: CGS RH 103
• Social Sciences: CGS SS 103
  .
• All of your CGS course sections must start with the same letter. This indicates that all of your CGS courses are on the same team.

• When you use the Student Link Planner to plan your spring 2021 classes, you will have a mock-up of your spring 2021 class schedule and you’ll be ready for registration. Refer to the registration instructions for guidance on using the Planner tool. The planner does not reserve seats in the classes. It is a tool to plan a schedule.
• The button labeled “Continue Search From” at the bottom of the screen when searching for a course means there are more courses on the next page.
• Remember to plan multiple options! Your first choices may not be open. Choosing multiple options will save you from having to search multiple times on registration day.

Plan Your Electives

Remember, no time conflicts! Make sure the times of your electives and CGS courses do not overlap.

• Be sure to hit the “Continue Search from” button at the bottom of your search results to view all sections being offered.
• Note that some courses will require multiple sections (i.e. a lecture plus a discussion). If more than one is needed, the Student Link will note this next to a blue pushpin at the beginning of the course listing. Make sure to write down available times for all required sections. Please note that your elective classes do not need to start with the same letter as your CGS course sections.
• Remember to plan multiple options! The first class you choose may not work with your CGS required courses and choosing multiple options will save you from having to search multiple times on registration day. Use the Planner option in the Student Link to create a draft of your schedule. Refer to the registration instructions for guidance on using the Planner tool.

Registration for first-year students opens on Sunday, November 29, 2020. Check the Student Link to confirm you are in compliance for registration. Upon logging in, go to the Personal tab, followed by selecting Compliance Status; failure to meet the requirements will prevent you from registering.

The University Registrar assigns your registration time, which is determined by the last digit of your BUID number. See below for your assigned time. Please note that all times are Eastern Standard Time.

Students are not permitted to register prior to the assigned start dates and times listed for each semester, however students are strongly encouraged to use the Student Link to begin setting up their planners in advance.

If you’ve used the Planner option, you can simply add the classes from your planner to your schedule when registration opens for you. Refer to the registration instructions for guidance if you need it.

If the class(es) on your Planner are full or closed, you should register for your back-up options. Note: If the course is flagged, then open seats shown are not available.