{"id":138,"date":"2011-11-30T12:24:12","date_gmt":"2011-11-30T17:24:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/?page_id=138"},"modified":"2026-07-28T12:55:06","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T16:55:06","slug":"the-college-program","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/academics\/undergraduate-education\/the-college-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Degree Requirements"},"content":{"rendered":"

Providing our students with the critical skills and knowledge to be successful while at BU and beyond.<\/span><\/h2>\n

The CAS College Program is based on the principles of a liberal education, and on our dedication to the goal that all CAS undergraduates should receive a rigorous and engaging education that will serve them for the rest of their lives.<\/p>\n

The College Program is a common framework of elements that drive the basic requirements for every BA earned in the College of Arts & Sciences: critical skills and competencies graduates will need to continue to learn, create, and flourish; a breadth of knowledge and understanding provided by the general education requirement; and a depth of knowledge and expertise gained through completing a major. The College Program is also dedicated to exploration and discovery as a fundamental part of the undergraduate experience. Flexibility is built into all courses of study to encourage students to delve into any of the many fascinating fields of learning available in CAS or other colleges or to take advantage of some of the special academic opportunities we offer.<\/p>\n

For more information about completing the College Program, see Degree Requirements<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Students matriculating as freshmen prior to 2018 and all transfer students should refer to the\u00a0<\/span>Bulletin Archive<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>for CAS College Program requirements<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Second Language Requirement<\/span><\/h2>\n

CAS requires all students to demonstrate or develop proficiency at or above the intermediate level in a language other than English.<\/p>\n

Proficiency in a second language provides insight into other cultures, enables direct contact with literature and other written and oral texts, and combined with other fields of study, serves a multitude of practical and professional purposes. It sharpens skills in one\u2019s first language, and it develops critical thinking and understanding needed for life in multicultural and multilingual societies in the US and elsewhere.<\/p>\n

For more information on foreign language studies at CAS, visit the Language Learning<\/a> site or the BU Bulletin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Natural Sciences Laboratory Requirement<\/span><\/h2>\n

CAS requires all students to complete one natural science course that includes a laboratory component.<\/p>\n

Central to a modern liberal arts and sciences education is the exposure of undergraduates to the natural sciences. Taking courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and related natural sciences educates students in the nature of the physical world. Laboratory experiments are key to this essential exposure to the scientific exploration of the physical world. Distinct from computer simulations, or experiments studying human behavior, performing hands-on laboratory experiments in the natural sciences exposes students to the direct, personal, scientific exploration of the physical world. This experience is necessary for students to obtain a comprehensive liberal arts and sciences education.<\/p>\n

For more information on the natural sciences laboratory requirement in CAS, visit the BU Bulletin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The BU Hub<\/span><\/h2>\n

CAS requires all students to complete the BU Hub<\/a> requirement, Boston University\u2019s general education program, which establishes a common educational experience for all BU undergraduates. It offers them the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind that will enable them to be lifelong learners and leaders in a rapidly evolving, interconnected, and globalized world.<\/p>\n

The Hub fosters intellectual exploration by encouraging students to take courses in schools and colleges across the University. Hub courses can fulfill both Hub and major requirements, and are interwoven throughout a student\u2019s undergraduate education.<\/p>\n

Majors and Minors<\/span><\/h2>\n
Majors<\/h6>
<\/p>\n

The role of majors in the curriculum is to ensure that all graduates have experienced the challenges and rewards of studying an academic discipline or interdisciplinary subject in consider\u00adable depth. With the help of an advisor, each student chooses and completes one major of between 9 and 18 courses. Some students elect to double-major, or to supplement their major with a minor in a sec\u00adond field of strong personal interest.<\/p>\n

Most students select their major from a comprehensive list of existing departmental and interdisciplinary majors<\/a>.\u00a0In certain cases, students may instead complete an independent major planned in consultation with an advisor.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

Minors<\/h6>
<\/p>\n

Because engaging in wide-ranging academic exploration is fundamental to the undergraduate experience at the College of Arts & Sciences, space is preserved in every student\u2019s course of study for several free electives such as minors<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Although minors are not required, they are available to students who wish to study an area other than their major. Each minor consists of a coherent sequence of five to eight courses in a single department or interdisciplinary field.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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