BU Hub
Choose from hundreds of Gen Ed courses across campus
The BU Hub is your general education program. It is designed to ensure that you—and every other BU graduate—will have the breadth of knowledge and skills you’ll need to succeed in the 21st century. And it gives you flexibility along the way.
What should I consider when choosing Hub courses?
Unlike many general education programs, the BU Hub doesn’t restrict you to a small set of required courses. Instead, it lets you choose from over 1600 courses and cocurricular experiences offered in our ten undergraduate schools and colleges.
With so many options available, some planning ahead is helpful. Your advisor can help you figure out which Hub units you will earn through your major. (And if you are pursuing a minor, your advisor can help you map out the units you will earn through that set of courses, as well.) Then you can look at the Hub units that you won’t earn automatically and start to think about what you might want to do to earn those units.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself:
What am I a little curious about?
For instance, maybe you’re in the College of Communication but you’ve always been a little curious about tourism or the hotel industry. You can meet general education requirements by taking a course in the School of Hospitality Administration that carries Hub units.
How can I explore one of my main interests from a different perspective?
Maybe you’d like to take a course in a different discipline that aligns in some way with your major interests. For instance, you might be an Earth & Environmental Sciences major, and you might want to earn a unit of Creativity/Innovation by taking “Arts Engagement as Active Hope: Reconnecting with Human and Non-Human Communities to Create a Sustainable Future” in the College of Fine Arts.
What is something I miss?
Maybe you love your work in Computer Science, but you also miss reading fiction, and you’d like to earn a unit of Creativity/Innovation by taking “Children’s Literature: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, and Imaginary Spaces” in the College of Arts & Sciences.
How might I enrich my study abroad experience through the BU Hub?
Or maybe you’re thinking about studying abroad in Sydney, and you’d rather wait to earn a unit of Creativity/Innovation by taking “Australian Cinema” while you’re there.
What is a skill I would like to have in the future?
Think about things you might want to be able to do in life—for instance, perhaps you might want a basic understanding of statistics to be able to understand research studies covered in the news. Or perhaps you would like to learn more about a particular genre of music you enjoy. Or perhaps you want to learn more about nutrition so you can lead a healthy lifestyle.
How can I find Hub courses that interest me?
Two great ways to find Hub courses are the Course Search and the Hub Courses List on the BU Hub website.
Course Search is a tool that allows you to search the entire database of Boston University courses. You can search by keywords associated with topics that interest you, and you can filter your search by semester, by college, and/or by Hub areas(s) covered in the course. Or, if you’re interested in finding Hub courses that cover a particular combination of units, you can pull up a complete list of options.
If you want to see the incredibly broad range of courses you can take to fulfill a particular unit, look at the Hub Courses List on the BU Hub website under that area. You probably won’t be surprised to see that courses on evolution and sustainability fulfill Scientific Inquiry I, but did you know that you could also take a course on language and music, or a course on the Australian wine industry?
What are BU Hub Pathways?
Hub Pathways are curated lists of Hub courses that focus on broad topics of global significance. Courses in each Hub Pathway cover most of the Hub areas, allowing students to approach a particular topic from multiple perspectives while meeting general education requirements.
Am I required to do a Hub Pathway?
Hub Pathways are fully elective. Students can choose to incorporate as many (or as few) Hub courses from a particular Hub Pathway into their coursework as they wish.
Will a Hub Pathway appear on my transcript?
Hub Pathway courses are not tracked on a student’s record, and there is no credentialing associated with a Hub Pathway. Rather, Hub Pathways offer suggestions for students to explore.
Registration tips for first-year students
These are great starting points for a conversation with your advisor.
- As you select courses for your first semesters, be sure to consult with an academic advisor in your program. In addition, the following tips may be helpful: You should try to take your First-Year Writing Seminar (ex. CAS WR 120) as soon as possible, as it is a prerequisite for Writing, Research, and Inquiry and for the Writing-Intensive courses.
- If you are trying to select a major, taking major courses that also carry Hub units can be a great way to explore different fields while earning general education units.
- If you have declared your major, you should check to see which Hub units are automatically earned through major requirements. If you are choosing electives, you may want to select a course that meets Hub requirements that are NOT met by your major.
- Taking a Hub course can be a good way to try out a possible minor.
- If you are considering a double major or a dual degree, you may want to consider a Hub course in this second field that fulfills Hub requirements that are not met by your first major.
- Many fourth-semester language classes carry one unit for Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. If you are planning to continue studying a language you began in high school, you may want to enroll in a language class while the material is still fairly fresh in your mind.
- If you are thinking of taking a Quantitative Reasoning course that builds on work you did in high school, you may want to enroll in that course sooner rather than later.
- There are several defined pathways through the Hub that some students will follow, including the CAS Core Curriculum, the College of General Studies, and Kilachand Honors College. Students may take one or more of the courses in the Core Curriculum or choose to complete the full curriculum. Students not enrolled in the College of General Studies may also choose to take one or more classes there.
Can I petition for an exception to BU Hub Requirements?
The BU Hub is required of all BU undergraduates. It is a curriculum that is shared across all of the undergraduate schools and colleges, and it is one of the defining elements of a Boston University undergraduate degree. As explained in the Bulletin, “Adjustments to Hub requirements are rarely made. In truly unusual circumstances, a student’s school or college will work with the Hub Exceptions Committee to determine whether any adjustments are warranted. Students should address questions regarding exceptions to their school’s advising office or student services office.” The following individuals serve as liaisons between their school or college and the Hub Exceptions Committee:
- CAS: Kerry Buglio, Assistant Dean for Advising & Academic Services
- CFA: Ruthie Jean, Associate Dean, Academic Programs and Enrollment
- CDS: Colleen Kenney, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Academic Advising
- CGS: Alyse Bithavas, Associate Dean for Student Academic Life
- COM: Bill Taylor, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Affairs
- ENG: Carole Dutchka, Assistant Director, Undergraduate Programs Office
- SHA: Makarand Mody, Associate Professor (Until April 15th, 2024)
- Kilachand: Taryn Craig, Assistant Director for Recruitment Initiatives and Academic Advisor
- Pardee: Kate Taylor, Director for Academic Affairs
- Questrom: Rachel Reiser, Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Student Experience and Services
- Sargent: Gael Orsmond, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
- Wheelock: Elizabeth Vassallo, Assistant Director for Undergraduate Student Services