Spring 2025 Course Planning Guidelines
Class of 2028
Registration Date: Sunday, November 17, 2024
Please read these instructions carefully. Note: these guidelines are intended to prepare you for your academic advising appointment, not replace your appointment. You must make an advising appointment with your CGS academic advisor to review your academic plans. You will not be able to register for classes until you have spoken with your advisor.
Please contact CGS Student Services (617-353-2850, cgs@bu.edu) with any questions regarding the course registration process. Remember to include your full name and BU ID# in your email. Academic questions, including which courses you should register for, should be directed to your CGS academic advisor.
Step One: Understand the Big Picture
College of General Studies Program Requirements
The CGS Program: The College of General Studies’ innovative, integrated, interdisciplinary, team-based program inspires students to make connections between disciplines and to connect their knowledge to real-world problems.
CGS Program Requirements: Required CGS program courses include two writing courses in the first year and two natural science courses in the second year. To complete the CGS program, students select at least three additional CGS humanities courses and at least three additional CGS social sciences courses to be taken during the first and second years. For more information, see the College of General Studies Program requirements.
BU Hub: All BU students will pursue coursework in the BU Hub, a general education program that is integrated into the entire undergraduate experience. BU Hub requirements are flexible and can be satisfied in many ways, through coursework in and beyond the major and, in some cases, through co-curricular activities. The CGS program fulfills most of the BU Hub University-wide general education requirements, and all CGS courses carry BU Hub units.
Students will determine the most appropriate course selection in consultation with their academic advisor.
Advanced Credit
Students who wish to apply an Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or any other examination scores must consult with their CGS academic advisor. Please refer to Boston University’s Admissions website for further information.
To have your test scores reviewed for college credit, an official score report must be sent to Boston University. All Advanced Placement reports should be sent to the Admissions Office directly from College Board; all other score reports should be sent to the International Admissions Office at intadmis@bu.edu.
The following AP/IB scores award credit for the noted CGS first-year courses and HUB units:
| AP/IB Credit | Corresponding CGS Course | HUB Unit(s) |
| AP English Literature (score of 4 or 5) | HU 103 (The Ancient World Through the Enlightenment) | No Hub unit |
| IB English Language A – Literature Higher Level (score of 5 or above) | HU 103 (The Ancient World Through the Enlightenment) and HU1** (Elective credit only) | AEX (Aesthetic Exploration)
|
Note: BU does not award credit for IB English A: Language and Literature.
Step Two: Elective Options
Choosing an Elective
Your spring 2025 schedule will consist of a combination of courses that work towards the College of General Studies Program requirements in addition to one or more elective courses. Electives are courses taken either for academic exploration or to work towards a particular major or degree plan.
The school and college pages below outline elective options. If an elective is unavailable at the time of registration, you can select an alternative elective.
- College of Arts and Sciences
- College of Communication
- College of Engineering
- Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences
- Questrom School of Business
- College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College
- School of Hospitality Administration
- Wheelock College of Education & Human Development
- Pre-Law track
- Pre-Medical track
For more information about the four-year pathways to a degree, check out this helpful tool.
Step Three: Speak With Your CGS Academic Advisor
You must make an appointment with your CGS academic advisor to review your academic plans. You will not be able to register for classes until you have spoken with your advisor.
After speaking with your academic advisor and confirming your fall course plans, your advisor will lift an “advising hold” which will allow you to register for courses on MyBU Student beginning November 17, 2024.
Step Four: Plan Your Schedule and Summer Study
The Spring 2025 Course Schedule is available online on the MyBU Student Portal. You can view descriptions of all BU courses by using the Course Search.
Students may use the Spring 2025 Schedule Builder on MyBU Student to plan your spring 2025 schedule by following the information below:
Plan Your Required CGS Courses
Your CGS course registration/team for spring 2025 determines where and when you will study during the summer. Summer 2025 term dates are below.
Availability on these teams is determined by your registration time assigned by the BU Registrar’s Office. While we can guarantee that you will be able to enroll in the CGS courses that are recommended by your CGS academic advisor, we cannot guarantee a spot in a particular CGS team or summer term of preference. See below for more details:
| CGS Team(s) | Summer 2025 Term Location | Summer 2025 Term Dates |
| Team A | Boston, MA | Summer 1: May 20 – June 27 |
| Teams B, C, D, E | London, UK | Summer 1: May 19 – June 27 |
| Teams F, G, H | London, UK | Summer 2: June 30 – August 8 |
Your course numbers for spring 2025 CGS courses are listed below:
- Humanities: CGS HU 103
- Rhetoric: CGS RH 103
- Social Sciences: CGS SS 103
- All your CGS course sections must start with the same letter! This indicates that all your CGS courses are on the same team. Students who register incorrectly for their CGS courses will need to adjust their schedules accordingly to complete course registration.
- Correct CGS course registration:
- CGS HU103 FF (lecture) and F1 (discussion)
- CGS RH103 FA (lecture) and F2 (discussion)
- CGS SS103 FF (lecture) and F1 (discussion)
- Incorrect CGS course registration:
- CGS HU103 AA (lecture) and A1 (discussion)
- CGS RH103 FF (lecture) and F4 (discussion)
- CGS SS103 BB (lecture) and F1 (discussion)
- Correct CGS course registration:
- Remember to plan multiple options! Your first choices may not be open. Choosing multiple options will save you from having to search multiple times on registration day.
Plan Your Electives
Remember, no time conflicts! Make sure the times of your electives and CGS courses do not overlap. The Boston University class passing time is 15 minutes. This means that you have a 15-minute interval between classes. This is not a class conflict.
- Make sure to add all required components of classes (lecture, discussion, lab, pre-lab) if needed. Please note that your elective classes do not need to start with the same letter as your CGS course sections.
- Remember to plan multiple options! The first class you choose may not work with your CGS required courses and choosing multiple options will save you from having to search multiple times on registration day. Use the Spring 2025 Schedule Builder on MyBU Student before registration begins to plan your classes.
Step Five: Note Your Compliance Status, Registration Date and Time
Check the “Spring 2025 Compliance” tile on MyBU Student to confirm that you do not have any compliance holds on your account. A compliance hold will prevent a student from accessing course registration.
Registration for first year students opens on Sunday, November 17, 2024. Registration appointment times are determined by the University Registrar and are based on a student’s academic level (class year) and the last digit of their Boston University ID number. That information is posted on the Boston University Registrar’s website. Registration appointment times will also be available in MyBU Student.
Please note that space in a particular CGS team is not guaranteed. Students who are unable to register for a desired CGS team should select a different team that fits with their elective.
Step Six: Register for Classes
Prior to your registration date, be sure to check MyBU Student to confirm you are still in compliance for registration. If you have already met with your academic advisor and they approve of your spring class plans, your advising hold should be lifted in MyBU Student.
Use the Spring 2025 Schedule Builder on MyBU Student before registration begins to plan your classes.
In preparation for Spring 2025 class registration, students should closely review the following instructional videos, which further explain how to register for classes in MyBU Student: