CAS: History

For further guidance on course selection and degree planning, please contact the appropriate department academic advisor based on the first letter of your last name:

• A- F: Giovanna Karlovic (gigikar@bu.edu)
• G – N: Jon Eyberse (jeyberse@bu.edu)
• O – Z: Elle Nicoletti (enicole@bu.edu)

Upon completion of the CGS program, students must have earned credit towards the following 10 courses:

• Humanities: 3 courses
  • Choose two from CGS HU 103, CGS HU 201, or CGS HU 202
  • CGS HU 104*
• Natural Sciences: 2 courses
  • CGS NS 201 and CGS NS 202
• Rhetoric: 2 courses
  • CGS RH 103 and CGS RH 104*
• Social Sciences: 3 courses
  • Choose two from CGS SS 103, CGS SS 201, or CGS SS 202
  • CGS SS 104*

*Required course taken during the Summer term.

All history majors must take at least 12 courses, including CAS HI 200 and two seminars at the 400- or 500-level, and fulfill the distributional requirement. CAS HI 200 should ideally be taken in the sophomore year. A grade of ‘C’ or higher is required for all courses counted toward the major. For required courses, please see the CAS Bulletin.

Students who complete the following College of General Studies courses with a grade of C or higher will receive HI credit towards the major.

• SS 103 is equivalent to HI 101
• SS 104 is equivalent to HI 102
• SS 201 is equivalent to HI 176
• SS 202 is equivalent to HI 2XX

Note: Students may not obtain credit for taking CAS HI 101, CAS HI 102, CAS HI 176 if they have taken CGS SS 103, CGS SS 104, and CAS SS 201 since these duplicate the credit received for these CGS courses.

Students with a score of 4 or 5 on a history Advanced Placement examination receive credit as follows:

• European History exam: CAS HI 098
• American History exam: CAS HI 099
• No credit is given for the World History examination
• Note: These courses cannot count towards the history major and are to be used as general credits towards graduation

For more information, please see the History Department webpage.

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

In addition to the history major requirements, Boston University students completing a degree in CAS must also complete. 

• BU Hub requirements
• CAS requirements:
  • Second Language requirement
  • Natural Sciences Laboratory requirement*
• History major requirements 
• CAS requires a minimum of 128 units, excluding PDP, ROTC, and CAS FY and SY courses

*Note: The CAS Natural Sciences Laboratory Requirement is met through completion of College of General Studies Program of Study.