CAS: Astronomy

Sample Pathway

Below is an example of a four-year plan of a College of General Studies student pursuing a degree in astronomy. Students will work with their CGS academic advisors and the astronomy department to plan their own pathway to an astronomy degree.

Gap Semester Recommended external course: Calculus I (equivalent to CAS MA 123). Note: Prior approval must be granted for external coursework.
  Semester I Semester II
Freshman Year CGS RH 103
CGS SS 103
CAS AS 203*
CAS MA 124		 CGS Required Courses (London or Boston-New England semester)
Sophomore Year CGS SS 201
CGS HU 201
CAS AS 202*
CAS PY 211 or PY 251		 CGS HU 202
CAS MA 225
CAS PY 212 or PY 252
CAS Second Language (if needed)
Junior Year CAS PY 313 or PY 351
CAS AS 311
CAS MA 226 or CAS MA 242
CAS Second Language (if needed)		 CAS PY 355
CAS AS 312
CAS Second Language (if needed)
Elective**
Senior Year Astronomy Elective [AS 413 (if offered) or PY 405]
Astronomy Elective
CAS Second Language (if needed)
Elective**		 CAS AS 441
Astronomy Elective
Elective**
Elective**

*Please contact Anne Smartvlasak in the Astronomy Department to request permission to add the class.

**Choose your non-major electives carefully to fulfill any remaining BU Hub requirements. You will find a list of all of the courses that carry Hub units on the University’s BU Hub website. External courses are not eligible for Hub general education credit.

Astronomy courses by HUB Unit can be found on the Astronomy Department webpage.

College of General Studies Program Requirements

  • Two rhetoric courses: CGS RH 103 and CGS RH 104
    • CGS RH 104 is taken during the London semester
  • Two natural science courses: CGS NS 201 and CGS NS 202
    • Astronomy majors in good standing will be exempted from CGS NS 201 and CGS NS 202.
  • Three social science courses:
    • CGS SS 104 is required and is taken during the London semester
    • Students select at least two additional SS courses and will work with their academic advisor to determine course selection
  • Three humanities courses:
    • CGS HU 104 is required and is taken during the London semester
    • Students select at least two additional HU courses and will work with their academic advisor to determine course selection

Note: Students who are exempt from CGS NS 202 must enroll in at least one CGS course in semester II of sophomore year.

Major Requirements

A total of 15 courses are required, all completed with a grade of C or higher. For required courses, please see the CAS bulletin. Unless otherwise noted, all courses are 4 credit hours.

For more information about the major, please see the Astronomy Department website. Please contact Catherine Espaillat (cce@bu.edu), Director of Undergraduate Studies, with any questions.

Continuation Requirements

  • Completion of the CGS required courses and appropriate electives
  • Cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 2.00

Graduation Requirements

Boston University students completing a degree in CAS must also complete the following requirements.

  • BU Hub requirements
    • Students who take the specific CGS courses noted on the pathway above will fulfill all BU Hub requirements except the units listed below. These remaining Hub units will be fulfilled through the following courses:
    • Creativity/Innovation (1 unit) fulfilled by CAS AS 312
    • Quantitative Reasoning I (1 unit) fulfilled by CAS PY 251 or PY 211
    • Quantitative Reasoning II (1 unit) fulfilled by CAS MA 124
    • Scientific Inquiry I (1 unit) fulfilled by CAS PY 251 or PY 211
    • Teamwork/Collaboration (2 units) fulfilled by CAS PY 251, 252 (or PY 211, 212)
    • Writing-Intensive Course (1 unit) fulfilled by CAS AS 441
  • CAS requirements:
  • Astronomy major requirements
  • CAS requires a minimum of 128 credits, excluding PDP, ROTC, and CAS FY and SY courses.

This is a sample pathway to be used in consultation with your CGS Academic Advisor.

It is subject to change according to course availability and individual circumstances.

Last revised: 02/06/2023