Biology Courses for the BU Hub

The BU Hub requires completion of 26 learning outcome units housed under six different capacities. It is anticipated that completion of the 26 units is typically achieved through taking 10-12 four-credit courses. Please note that transfer students only need to complete 10 Hub units. More info here. Most Biology courses will fulfill units in the Scientific and Social Inquiry, Quantitative Reasoning, most of Communication, and many of the Intellectual Toolkit capacities (See below).

Hub units may be taken across all four years, both in the major and outside the major. There is no limit on the number of courses that can overlap in fulfilling the BU Hub and major/minor requirements. Up to two units can be completed through approved co-curricular experiences (which are not registered courses).

Philosophical, Aesthetic, and Historical Interpretation (3 units)

• Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings—one unit
• Aesthetic Exploration—one unit
• Historical Consciousness—one unit

Scientific and Social Inquiry (3 units)

• Scientific Inquiry I—one unit
• Social Inquiry I—one unit
• Social Inquiry II or Scientific Inquiry II—one unit

Quantitative Reasoning (2 units)

• Quantitative Reasoning I—one unit
• Quantitative Reasoning II—one unit

Diversity, Civic Engagement, and Global Citizenship (4 units)

• The Individual in Community—one unit
• Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy—two units
• Ethical Reasoning—one unit

Communication (6 units)

• Writing
  • First-Year Writing Seminar (WR 100 or equivalent)—one unit
  • Writing, Research & Inquiry (WR 150 or equivalent)—one unit
  • Two writing-intensive courses—one unit each
• Oral and/or Signed Communication—one unit
• Digital/Multimedia Expression—one unit

Intellectual Toolkit (7 units)

• Critical Thinking—two units
• Research and Information Literacy—one unit beyond “Writing, Research & Inquiry”
• Teamwork/Collaboration—two units
• Creativity/Innovation—two units
• Life Skills–Students decide with their advisors on additional courses and/or co-curricular experiences to develop this area (e.g., FY 101).

Learn more about the BU Hub requirements and the learning outcomes for the six capacities.

This rule informs how many Hub units may be fulfilled by a given course. For this rule, Hub units are separated into two separate categories. These are not categories used anywhere else, they’re just categories we’ve created to help simplify the requirements of the 2+1 Rule.

Note that First-Year Writing; Writing, Research, and Inquiry, and Life Skills are not included in either category and have specific rules around how they can be combined with other Hub units.

Considering these two categories, the 2+1 Rule works as follows:

1. If a course is a 4 credit course with at least 3 hours/week of required lab instruction, the course may fulfill up to 4 units, with at most 3 of the units coming from Category 1.
2. If a course is a 4 credit course with less than 3 hours/week of required lab instruction, the course may fulfill up to 3 units, with at most 2 of units coming from Category 1.
3. If a course is a 3 credit course, the course may fulfill up to 2 units, with at most 1 of the units coming from Category 1.
4. If a course is a 2 credit course, the course may fulfill 1 unit.
5. Courses with less than 2 credits, cannot fulfill any units.

For example, BI 107 follows the guidelines for number 1 above:

• Scientific Inquiry I (Category 1)
• Quantitative Reasoning I (Category 1)
• Critical Thinking (Category 2)
• Research and Information Literacy (Category 2)

Another example, BI 203 follows the guidelines for number 2 above:

• Scientific Inquiry 1 (Category 1)
• Quantitative Reasoning 1 (Category 1)
• Critical Thinking (Category 2)

For more information on the Hub, you can refer to the Hub guide for faculty. There is a specific section on the 2+1 Rule as well.

The table below lists in alphabetical order the BU Hub units that courses in the Biology Major (and often taken by pre-health students) will fulfill. It is anticipated that a Biology Major will fulfill 12-16 Hub units through taking courses for the major and that the remaining Hub units will be fulfilled outside of the major. Upon approval, this table will be updated (all are one unit unless otherwise noted).

To see all University courses proposed for the Hub, please view the BU Hub Course Approval Report.

Deadline for Hub Course Proposals: The CAS Dean’s office must receive submissions by November 1 for courses to be offered the following Fall semester or March 1 for courses to be offered the following Spring semester.

BU is using an online submission tool called CourseLeaf to collect Hub course proposals. You can read tips for using CourseLeaf on the CTL website. Characteristics of successful Hub proposals and syllabi can be found here or below on this site. Examples of approved proposals can be viewed here. Below are the steps you should take when proposing a course for the BU Hub.

1. Review the BU Hub Practical Guide for Faculty webpages.
2. Consider which of the BU Hub learning outcomes your existing or new course will address. You may want to consult the GEC’s interpretive documents designed to answer questions the faculty have raised about BU Hub policies, practices, and Learning Outcomes. The Center for Teaching and Learning has also developed instructive Hub Area Guides.
3. Contact Pam Templer and/or Dean Tolan (Chair and/or DUS) about the courses and /or HUB units you wish to propose for the BU Hub.
4. If the Chair or DUS approves (Step 3) alert Melissa Mele and Dean Tolan of the course(s) you intend to propose for the Hub.
5. The course proposal form in the CourseLeaf website will be generated containing the basic information about your course by Melissa and Dean.
6. After they’re finished, you’ll need to log into CourseLeaf* to fill out the remaining sections of the form (indicated in blue in this sample document) and submit your modified syllabus (see next section of this webpage). You do not need to fill out the CAS/GRS New Course Proposal form.

*If you have trouble logging in, email Shannon Barry, BU Hub Academic Program Administrator, sbarry2@bu.edu.