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A Message from Dean Cudd Undergraduate Education Graduate Education Faculty Facilities Community Global University Make Your Impact Boston University
What will you do? Irene and Thomas Kelley are giving students in the Department of Earth & Environment the tools they need to measure crucial data. David S. Katz is giving students in the CAS Astronomy program the power to quickly analyze and download data. George Bernard enables biology graduate students to travel for research, making the planet their laboratory. CAS board member Steve Karbank is bringing leading environmental philosophers to speak to the BU community. Generous supporters helped renovate our organic chemistry labs, resulting in three state-of-the-art labs in 6,000 square feet of space. Bob Hildreth and Susan Tane are bringing great poets to campus through The Favorite Poem Project. Living fully to 102, poet Ida Fasel (CAS’31, GRS’45) funded a fellowship in Jewish Studies. Benjamin Lambert is bringing chemistry to life with the gift of the department's first endowed colloquim series.

Tory's Story

Archaeology buff, language lover, and irrepressible spirit, Tory Sampson (CAS’15) doesn’t let being deaf hold her back. Watch the video and read her story.

Undergraduate Education

A place where ideas grow

Students who choose to attend BU’s College of Arts & Sciences are a special breed. Brimming with talent, they are looking for a place where their ideas can take shape. Help us nurture the next generation of leaders and thinkers.

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Doubly Prepared

Alberto Medina began his journey toward a double major in college while he was still in kindergarten. That’s when he participated in his first science fair. Medina (CAS’13) fell in love with science, a passion he pursued through the ensuing 16 years of science fairs, high school advanced placement classes, the College of Arts & Sciences pre-med program, and a biology major.

Medina also wanted to study abroad and see the world. Having grown up speaking Spanish and English at home, he parlayed his bilingual abilities into a second major in French, another Romance language. He fully immersed himself in French language and culture through the BU Study Abroad programs in Grenoble and Paris.

“Having two majors teaches you different ways of thinking,” says Medina. “Even with something like writing—writing in the science world is completely different from writing in the literary world. You can’t be metaphorical in science.”

Research backs up Medina’s assertion. Double majors often apply knowledge and approaches learned in one major to their work in the other major—thus strengthening their integrative and creative thinking skills, according to a Vanderbilt University report.

The report found a much higher rate of double majors at top colleges—19 percent at the nine elite institutions studied, versus 9 percent at US colleges overall.

In 2013, 22 percent of CAS graduating seniors were double majors or dual degree recipients. This high rate is a by-product of sustained efforts at all levels to encourage interdisciplinary learning. No major takes up more than half of a student’s course credits, and most take up considerably less. A wide range of structured double majors is offered. And academic advisors help students create course schedules that accommodate multiple majors as well as dual degrees. But students are not pushed to double major; rather, they are encouraged to explore different disciplines so that they learn different ways of solving problems, whether or not they double major. The goal is to prepare them for the challenges that await in an ever-shifting economy.

Donors who have made a difference already

  • Maria Stata (CAS’62) gave $2.5 million to support a professor who would impart the legacy of ancient Greece on non-classics majors. See how
  • David S. Katz (CAS’80, LAW’85) purchased nine brand-new computers for astronomy students, changing their interstellar explorations overnight. See how
  • Three sets of parents and three alumni have established Century Challenge scholarships, each one a $100,000 endowment that will provide support for undergraduate students with financial need, in perpetuity.

Our impact

Preparing for opportunities that haven’t yet been born

Question: What do CAS graduates do with a liberal arts degree? Answer: Anything they set their minds to do. A rigorous grounding in the liberal arts creates a foundation of critical thinking skills and broad knowledge. This foundation allows our students to tackle whatever challenges the job market, and life, throws at them.

Whatever the challenges of the future, our students will be ready. Their readiness will come from strong academic counseling and guidance, cutting-edge research opportunities, study abroad immersion experiences, and innovative programs like the CAS First Year Experience (FYE). FYE assists with the transition into college and offers a variety of cultural activities, social gatherings, peer mentorship, and workshops to broaden students’ horizons.

We are always looking for ways to improve the undergraduate student experience at CAS, both in the classroom and in those critical social connections that help lay the groundwork for a fulfilling life. Help us ensure that that commitment is always there for our students.

Your impact

What is your passion? Explore how you can make an impact

Your impact on students can be enormous, and the opportunities to support their growth are substantial.

You can help with the further development of the CAS First Year Experience, supporting more students in the program. Or, you can help ensure that BU graduates top their national peers in writing and computation excellence by investing in expanding the Writing Program, which supports students across the University. You can have an impact on students by supporting their hands-on research at home or abroad. Or you can support opportunities for faculty to develop new courses and teaching methods.

You can do all this and more through the CAS Annual Fund, gifts to targeted areas, or support for students through scholarships. You can also participate in the Century Challenge and watch as your gift doubles through a one-to-one match by BU. So many ways to have an impact; all you have to do is pick which is right for you.

Make Your Impact
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