Programs

In addition to their enrollment in the UHC, students pursue a major in one of Boston University’s eight undergraduate schools and colleges. Only courses with a grade of C or higher will count towards completion of UHC requirements.

There are four components of the program:

The First Year

2 courses: 12 credits
During the first year, students take two seminars—one in the Fall Semester, one in the Spring Semester—that introduce them to research, creation, and discovery through an intensive look at an example of current work in a specific discipline. Seminars give students the chance to explore contemporary themes and problems in different fields. Supplementing the seminars are studios that help students acquire the skills creative activity demands—the ability to write lucidly, argue effectively, speak clearly, reason quantitatively, locate and assess the reliability of sources, and conduct research ethically.

The Second Year

2 courses: 8 credits
During the sophomore year, students take a two-semester course that explores nature, art, and society from the perspective of selected disciplines. This course is divided into six units, each of which devotes four to six weeks exploring practices of research, invention, and creation in specific disciplines and across three broad overlapping areas. Units will exemplify work in specific disciplines such as physics, history, music, engineering, literature, and public health.

The Third Year

1 course: 4 credits
In the third year students engage in research, invention, and creative activity in their major discipline. While working closely with a faculty member from their own field students will take part in a seminar that cuts across disciplinary boundaries in the arts, sciences, and professions. In this one-semester course students develop and defend a proposal for their senior keystone project. The form of the proposal depends on their chosen discipline, but they must be able to communicate the problem they address—and their approach to it—to a non-specialist audience. Students have the option of taking the course either in the Fall or Spring semester to allow study abroad.

The Fourth Year

2 courses: 8 credits
During the fourth year, students complete their keystone project, an example of creation, research, and discovery in their major discipline. The form of the keystone project will vary from field to field but must be appropriate to the standards of the student’s discipline. Projects can be completed individually or by a team cutting across disciplines or colleges. Students will work on their project with a major advisor in their discipline while they continue to develop and communicate their work with peers in the UHC. UHC students will plan a conference or series of workshops in which they present their keystone projects to students and faculty before graduation.

Breakdown of Required Coursework

9 courses: 32 credits

Freshman year
Fall	Seminar	4 credits
	Studio	2 credits
Spring	Seminar	4 credits
	Studio	2 credits
Sophomore year
Fall	Second-year course, Part 1	4 credits
Spring	Second-year course, Part 2	4 credits
Junior year
Fall or Spring	Third-year course	4 credits
Senior year
Fall	Fourth-year course, Part 1	4 credits
Spring	Fourth-year course, Part 2	4 credits