Cross-College Challenge (XCC)
The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.
All of the undergraduate schools and colleges at BU offer courses that fulfill BU Hub requirements. For a listing of these courses offered by a particular school or college, please visit the Bulletin section for that school or college. For a complete listing of all courses that fulfill Hub requirements, please visit the BU Hub website. For curated lists of Hub courses that focus on interdisciplinary themes of global significance, please view the BU Hub Pathways for Social & Racial Justice and for Environment & Society. For a listing of Hub courses in BU Study Abroad programs, please visit the BU Study Abroad website.
In addition to courses offered in the schools and colleges, there are Hub specialty courses that fulfill Hub requirements and have “HUB” as the college code, including the Cross-College Challenge (XCC), Hub social and racial justice courses, Hub interdisciplinary courses, Hub cocurriculars, Hub Study Abroad experiences, and other Hub opportunities. Any offerings in this section reflect the Hub requirements fulfilled by them in the 2025/2026 academic year.
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HUB XC 410: BU Cross-College Challenge Projects (WIN)
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Are you looking to take on a real-world challenge, build your collaboration, leadership, and written communication skills' Would you like to work with fellow students from across BU and with a community partner on an interesting and engaging project' Then the Cross-College Challenge (XCC) is for you! This particular course will focus on writing-intensive within the communication Hub area. Each semester there are exciting new courses offered in areas such as social equity, data science, sustainability, public health, and more. XCC courses are open to juniors and seniors from all schools and colleges at BU. For specific course offerings visit: bu.edu/xcc. Create-Communicate-Collaborate. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Teamwork/Collaboration, Creativity/Innovation, and Research and Information Literacy. -
HUB XC 411: Back to the Past: Gaming and Design for Immersive Role Play
In this game-based Cross-College Challenge (XCC) course, students will play and then design an immersive role-playing game for the Reacting to the Past (RTTP) consortium, our community partner. RTTP uses active, experiential learning to help students engage with important social, political, historical, and cultural debates. Student teams will research, create, playtest, and pitch their own micro-games based on controversies broadly related to topics such as social justice, science and technology, law, and/or focused in the Northeast. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Research and Information Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration, Writing-Intensive Course. -
HUB XC 420: BU Cross-College Challenge Projects (DME)
Are you looking to take on a real-world challenge, build your collaboration, leadership, and multimedia communication skills' Would you like to work with fellow students from across BU and with a community partner on an interesting and engaging project' Then the Cross-College Challenge (XCC) is for you! This particular course will focus on digital-multimedia expression within the communication Hub area. Each semester there are exciting new courses offered in areas such as social equity, data science, sustainability, public health, and more. XCC courses are open to juniors and seniors from all schools and colleges at BU. For specific course offerings visit: bu.edu/xcc. Create-Communicate- Collaborate. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Teamwork/Collaboration, Creativity/Innovation, and Research and Information Literacy. -
HUB XC 421: Unheard Voices: Deconstructing the Dominant Narratives by Inclusion
Given the racial injustice and the current challenges society faces today, it is imperative that higher education institutions create equitable spaces and opportunities to include the voices and experiences of marginalized communities that feel secondary and peripheral in a dominant discourse. Student teams will work with community partners to create a series of podcasts that share knowledge and thoughts from communities that often feel marginalized and invisible in the national equity and democratic discourse. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Research and Information Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration. -
HUB XC 422: Exploring Walkability in Boston
This Cross-College Challenge (XCC) course will partner with WalkMassachusetts, a nonprofit that makes walking safer and easier in Massachusetts, to tell the fascinating and inspiring stories of the roads less traveled (by foot) in Boston. Through video storytelling, students will explore walkability through a diversity of perspectives. Engaging in all stages of production, student teams will create projects that strive for social justice through amplifying community voices or through actionable change. WalkMassachusetts will feature and promote videos on their website and social media. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Research and Information Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration. -
HUB XC 433: BU Cross-College Challenge Projects (OSC)
Are you looking to take on a real-world challenge, build your collaboration, leadership, and communication skills' Would you like to work with fellow students from across BU and with a community partner on an interesting and engaging project' Then the Cross-College Challenge (XCC) is for you! This particular course will focus on oral/signed communication within the communication Hub area. Each semester there are exciting new courses offered in areas such as social equity, data science, sustainability, public health, and more. XCC courses are open to juniors and seniors from all schools and colleges at BU. For specific course offerings visit: bu.edu/xcc. Create-Communicate-Collaborate. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Teamwork/Collaboration, Creativity/Innovation, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Research and Information Literacy. -
HUB XC 434: Marketing and Social Equity in the Cannabis Industry
In this Cross-College Challenge (XCC) course, student teams will work with the leadership of cannabis industry organizations in Massachusetts as they seek to promote entrepreneurial interests among social equity applicants. Teams will design and develop marketing plans, materials, and other wrap around services, for approved applicants. As part of this course, XCC student teams will conduct market research, develop strategies, and offer creative solutions around what those clients can do to generate awareness and market for those new businesses. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Research and Information Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration. -
HUB XC 435: Spirit of Wonder: Cross-Cultural Storytelling
This Cross-College Challenge (XCC) course provides students with the opportunity to study and practice social cross-cultural research methodologies with the Spirit of Wonder project, including designing qualitative research questions, connecting and engaging with targeted populations, and conducting Spirit of Wonder¿s storytelling interviews, and to work collaboratively to present their findings in written and visual formats. Students receive the tools they need to interview candidates, analyze their stories and develop narratives, and work as a team to make presentations on various themes. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Research and Information Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration. -
HUB XC 437: Environmental Justice and Urban Tree Canopies
Students will learn about urban tree canopies, the environmental, socio-cultural, physiological, and psychological benefits of tree cover; understand the causes and effects of redlining and other policies that contribute to tree canopy variations and environmental injustice; gain insight into attitudes and values of residents and communities; and perhaps even plant trees. Working in teams, students will collaborate with community partners on projects relevant to the course and to those partners¿ goals. They will present their findings and report to their community partners. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Oral and Signed Communication, Research and Information Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration. -
HUB XC 438: The Art and Science of Technology Consulting
This Cross-College Challenge (XCC) course introduces practical concepts of technology consulting using an experiential project which is developed and implemented in collaboration with course faculty, and community partners/clients, such as Innovate@BU. Each inter-disciplinary student team will act as a consulting firm, that understands and solves a given customer problem and proposes a solution and creates a detailed Requirement Specification for the customer. Students learn and develop collaboration, communication, problem-solving and leadership skills. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Oral and Signed Communication, Research and Information Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration. -
HUB XC 473: Justice Media Computational Journalism Co-Lab
This Cross-College Challenge (XCC) and BU Spark! course is a newsroom and a laboratory. If you have a background in computer and data science, statistics, computer engineering, or journalism-related disciplines, you will have an opportunity to work on interdisciplinary, student teams to co-produce a data-driven news investigation for one of our established media partners (like the Boston Globe, CBS Boston, GBH, USA Today, and more). You will work on computational investigations focused on issues of justice and accountability, and be guided by veteran faculty practitioners. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Research and Information Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration, Writing-Intensive Course . -
HUB XC 475: Spark! Innovation Program
The Spark! Innovation Fellowship program supports student innovators passionate about solving problems through technology. The course provides a structured process where students advance a technology project of their own creation, or an innovative solution for a problem sponsored by an external partner. The goal is to design, develop, and deploy a working prototype in one semester with the support of industry mentors. Students can participate as part of a pre-formed team or they can be assigned to a team. There are two participant tracks for each team: developers and designers. Effective Summer 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Creativity/Innovation, Research and Information Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration.
