Undergraduate Information
Majors at the College of Arts & Sciences at Boston University
The majors in the Boston University arts and sciences curriculum are designed to ensure you experience the challenges and rewards of studying an academic discipline or interdisciplinary subject in considerable depth. College of Arts & Sciences graduates go on to work in a variety of fields, such as medicine, law, education, technology, business and marketing, engineering, communications, and entertainment.
Major requirements usually consist of 9 to 16 required courses with a minimum of 8 courses in a single department or program, plus a varying number of courses in other closely related departments. With the help of an advisor, each student in the College of Arts & Sciences chooses and completes one of the majors described here. You may elect to double-major or to supplement your major with a minor. Dual BA/MA and BA/MS programs provide students the opportunity to earn two degrees, usually over the course of five academic years. Additional and double majors are listed under the major descriptions. For an up-to-date description of each major and minor, please view its official listing on the Boston University Bulletin.
* denotes a major or minor offered through the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, which is housed within CAS and offers a rich array of majors and minors focused on global challenges and societies.
African American & Black Diaspora Studies
Archaeology
Archaeology Program
Contact: Professor Robert Murowchick, Director of Undergraduate Studies, remurow@bu.edu
Additional major: classics & archaeology; archaeology & environmental science (BA)
Astronomy
Astronomy Department
Contact: Associate Professor Catherine Espaillat, Director of Undergraduate Studies, cce@bu.edu
Additional majors: astronomy & physics; astrophysics & space physics (BA/MA program only); geophysics & planetary sciences
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Biology
Department of Biology
Contact: Professor Dean Tolan, Director of Undergraduate Studies, tolan@bu.edu
Ben Bradbury-Koster, Undergraduate Program Specialist, bradkost@bu.edu
Stacy Straaberg Finfrock, Undergraduate Program Specialist, stacysf@bu.edu
Additional major specializations: behavioral biology; cell biology, molecular biology & genetics; ecology & conservation biology; neurobiology; science education
Chemistry
Department of Chemistry
Contact: Courtney Rorke, Undergraduate Program Coordinator, chemuaa@bu.edu
Additional majors: biochemistry; chemistry & physics; teaching of chemistry
Additional major specializations: chemical biology; science education
Chinese Language & Literature
Classical Studies
Department of Classical Studies
Contact: Associate Professor Stephanie Nelson, Director of Undergraduate Studies, nelson@bu.edu
Additional majors: ancient Greek; ancient Greek & Latin; classical civilization; classics & archaeology; classics & philosophy; classics & religion; Latin
Computer Science
Department of Computer Science
Contact: Erin Murdock, Undergraduate Academic Advisor, emurdock@bu.edu
Additional majors: linguistics & computer science; mathematics & computer science; physics & computer science; statistics & computer science
Earth & Environment
Earth & Environment Department
Contact: Professor James Lawford Anderson, Director of Undergraduate Studies, lawford@bu.edu
Sayaka Yamaki, Undergraduate Program Coordinator, syamaki@bu.edu
For BA/MA students: Senior Lecturer James Baldwin, Director of Master’s Programs, jbaldwin@bu.edu
Additional majors: Earth & environmental sciences (BA); environmental analysis & policy (BA); geophysics & planetary sciences (BA); Earth & environmental sciences/energy & environment (BA/MA); Earth & environmental sciences/remote sensing & geospatial sciences (BA/MA); environmental analysis & policy/energy & environment (BA/MA); environmental analysis & policy/remote sensing & geospatial sciences (BA/MA); archaeology & environmental science (BA)
Economics
Economics Department
Contact: Todd Idson, Director of Undergraduate Studies, tidson@bu.edu
Yinglin Li, Undergraduate Program Coordinator, yinglinl@bu.edu
Additional majors: economics & mathematics; economics & mathematics/economics (BA/MA program only
French Studies
Department of Romance Studies
Contact: Professor Odile Cazenave, Head of French Studies (Department of Romance Studies), cazenave@bu.edu
Additional majors: French & linguistics; French studies/French language & literature (BA/MA program only)
German Language & Literature
History of Art & Architecture
Holocaust, Genocide & Human Rights Studies
Japanese Language & Literature
Linguistics
Department of Linguistics
Contact: Associate Professor Jon Barnes, Chair, jabarnes@bu.edu
Additional majors: computer science & linguistics; French & linguistics; Italian & linguistics; Japanese & linguistics; linguistics & African languages; linguistics & philosophy; linguistics and speech, language & hearing sciences; Spanish & linguistics
Mathematics
Department of Mathematics & Statistics
Contact: Associate Professor Konstantinos Spiliopoulos, Director of Undergraduate Studies, kspiliop@math.bu.edu
Professor Margaret Beck, Director of Undergraduate Mathematical Instruction, mabeck@bu.edu
Chelsey Edwards, Undergraduate Program Administrator, chelseye@bu.edu
Additional majors: economics & mathematics; economics & mathematics/economics (BA/MA program only); mathematics & computer science; mathematics & mathematics education; mathematics & philosophy; statistics & computer science; mathematics & physics
Middle East & North Africa Studies*
Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages & Literatures
Philosophy
Department of Philosophy
Contact: Assistant Professor Marc Gasser-Wingate, Director of Undergraduate Studies, mgw1@bu.edu
Additional majors: classics & philosophy; linguistics & philosophy; mathematics & philosophy; philosophy & neuroscience; philosophy & physics; philosophy & political science; philosophy & psychology; philosophy & religion
Physics
Physics Department
Contact: Margaret Barch, Undergraduate Program Administrator, mbarch@bu.edu
Additional majors: astronomy & physics; chemistry & physics; physics & computer science; physics & philosophy; mathematics & physics; science education
Psychological & Brain Sciences
Russian Language & Literature
Spanish
Department of Romance Studies
Contact: Professor Alicia Borinsky, Head of Spanish section (Department of Romance Studies), borinsky@bu.edu
Additional majors: Spanish/Hispanic language & literature (BA/MA program only); Spanish & linguistics
Minors at the College of Arts & Sciences at Boston University
While not required, students often opt to complete a minor in an additional field of interest to broaden their skill sets and knowledge. In addition to the disciplines listed below, minors are available in all of the CAS major areas of study except for biochemistry & molecular biology and neuroscience. Also available to CAS students are a number of minors offered by BU’s professional schools and colleges.
You can view more information about all minors at the Boston University Bulletin.
African Languages & Literatures/African Studies*
Environmental Remote Sensing & Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
German Language & Literature
Holocaust, Genocide & Human Rights Studies
Muslim Cultures/Muslim Societies*
Portuguese & Brazilian Cultural Studies
Religion in Science & Medicine
Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies