Kilachand Course Requirements
The Kilachand curriculum is flexible in an effort to accommodate the school, college, and major requirements students must fulfill in addition to Kilachand and the BU Hub, but is anchored by common experiences.
All Kilachand students take the following courses:
- KHC ST 111 & KHC ST 112
- KHC HC 501
All Kilachand students must also meet the following course requirements, but are able to make choices to suit their interests, goals, or specific Hub needs:
- Kilachand First-Year Seminars (two total; offerings vary by semester and year)
- Global Challenges course (one required, though both are encouraged: KHC HC 301, KHC HC 302)
- Keystone Project (related coursework will vary according to pathway chosen)
- People in Process: Choice & Change section (KHC HC 502 or KHC HC 512 or KHC HC 522)
Depending on the combination of choices above, Kilachand students enroll in a total of 20-30 units (credits) of Kilachand coursework over four years. For reference, a typical minor in the College of Arts & Sciences is 20-24 units.
All Kilachand courses fulfill BU Hub requirements.
The First Year
The first year introduces students to academic disciplines and interdisciplinary fields and focuses on helping them develop the crucial skills of critical and creative thinking and college-level writing.
Students enroll in 6 units of Kilachand coursework each semester of their first year. The Kilachand course commitment in the first year is the heaviest of the four years and for some students, the first year will comprise half of their Kilachand coursework.
Kilachand Writing Studio
All Kilachand students are required to enroll in the Kilachand Writing Studio in the first year:
KHC ST 111: Writing Studio I (2 units, fall)
KHC ST 112: Writing Studio II (2 units, spring)
Kilachand students enroll in the Kilachand Writing Studios in place of courses in the CAS Writing Program (CAS WR 120 and CAS WR 151, 152, 153) that most BU students take to complete the first-year writing requirements.
First-Year Seminars
First-year seminars engage students in scholarly research and creativity through an intensive look at topics, problems, and questions in various disciplines and interdisciplinary areas.
All students are required to enroll in one First-Year Seminar each semester of the first year (4 units each).
The Second & Third Year
In the second and third years, students enroll in 1-3 courses for a total of 4-10 units and explore fundamental problems facing human society that are best understood in an interdisciplinary context. They also begin practical and creative planning for their senior year Keystone Project.
Interdisciplinary Approaches to Global Challenges
All Kilachand students are required to take at least one course in the Global Challenges sequence, typically in the second year. These team-taught courses invite students to discuss and propose solutions to major global challenges, from public health to forced displacement to political systems.
Students may choose to enroll in one or both of the following:
KHC HC 301: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Global Challenges I: Global Health (4 units, fall)
KHC HC 302: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Global Challenges II: Forced Displacement (4 units, spring)
Keystone Proposal Workshop
Students following the internal Kilachand Keystone Project pathway (most Kilachand students) are required enroll in the Keystone Proposal Workshop. Students learn how to design a research and/or creative project and pitch their ideas to their workshop colleagues as they formulate proposals for the Keystone Projects they will complete in their senior year. Students following application-based major department pathways (CAS Honors, COM Production III, SAR Thesis for Distinction) are strongly recommended to enroll in the Keystone Proposal Workshop. Students in the College of Engineering or the Questrom Honors Program do not take KHC HC 451.
KHC HC 451: Keystone Proposal Workshop (2 units, either semester)
The Fourth Year
In the fourth year, Kilachand provides the space and resources for students to engage in their own creative and intellectual pursuits and then share their work with a variety of audiences.
People in Process
All Kilachand students are required to enroll in one senior seminar each semester of the fourth year. In the senior seminars, students and faculty discuss how to live engaged and fulfilling lives within and beyond the university at a transitional moment in students’ personal experiences.
KHC HC 501: People in Process: Lives & Works (2 units, fall)
Students choose one of the following:
KHC HC 502: People in Process: Choice & Change – Writing Intensive (2 units, spring)
KHC HC 512: People in Process: Choice & Change – Oral/Signed Communication (2 units, spring)
KHC HC 522: People in Process: Choice & Chance – Digital/Multimedia Expression (2 units, spring)
Keystone Project
All Kilachand students are required to complete a year-long Keystone Project in their chosen fields under the mentorship of a project advisor. Students may choose from a variety of pathways to complete the Keystone, ranging from 4-8 total units. Students should familiarize themselves with the Keystone Project information here.
Students following the internal Kilachand Keystone Project Pathway are required to enroll in the Keystone Independent Study, though all pathways require coursework. Students should be mindful of the units and associated BU Hub requirements, if applicable, for each Keystone Pathway.
KHC HC 503: Keystone Independent Study I (2 units, fall)
KHC HC 504: Keystone Independent Study II (2 units, spring)
Current students should visit the semester registration pages for current course topics.