Bulletin
As the document of authority for all students, the Bulletin is your guide to the departments, programs, policies, and courses at BU. Requirements listed here take precedence over information found elsewhere.
Current Bulletin 2023/2024
The 2023/2024 Bulletin applies to students who were admitted for a start date in 2023/2024. Students admitted in earlier years must have permission from their academic department to follow the 2023/2024 Bulletin year. The University reserves the right to change the Bulletin and academic policies listed within at any time. Read more…
Students who were admitted prior to 2023/2024 may find their academic Bulletin in the Bulletin Archives.
BU Hub
The BU Hub is our University-wide general education program. In the Hub, students explore a broad array of disciplines and ways of thinking as they prepare to navigate an increasingly complex and interconnected world. The Hub helps students develop skills that will equip them to thrive in their personal, professional, and civic lives.
Arvind & Chandan Nandlal Kilachand Honors College
Honors College undergrads are part of a new approach to liberal education. Pursue a major in one of BU’s schools and colleges, such as Arts & Sciences, Business, Fine Arts, and Engineering, while completing Honors College seminars, studios, and a keystone project. Cocurricular activities include lectures, readings, and performances on- and off-campus.
Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
With 22 departments, students have multiple pathways to MD or combined degree programs in their chosen fields and specialties. Students take advantage of cutting-edge clinical facilities and laboratories on the Medical Campus and with affiliated institutions throughout the city and the nation.
College of Arts & Sciences
The largest college at BU—with more than 20 departments—CAS is where you’ll find undergraduate programs in the humanities, natural and computational sciences, and social sciences.
College of Communication
From Mass Communication, Advertising & Public Relations, to Journalism, to Film & Television, COM’s departments offer graduate and undergraduate programs dedicated to training well-rounded professional communicators.
College of Engineering
Choose from programs in Biomedical Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, and Materials Science & Engineering. Whatever the topic, ENG is focused on advancing the frontiers of science and technology through research, discovery, and innovation.
College of Fine Arts
CFA’s three schools—Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts—form an intense, dynamic arts community combining professional, individualized training at the graduate and undergraduate levels with collaborative work that increasingly crosses departments and schools.
College of General Studies
This two-year college offers an integrated liberal arts core curriculum, taught through a collaborative team structure. From here, students continue into specific majors in the University’s various liberal arts and professional degree programs.
Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences
An academic unit that complements and connects various disciplines through the language of computation and data. Passionate about moving computing and data sciences into the future, CDS is an interdisciplinary unit offering undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Graduate Medical Sciences
Emphasizing research and graduate education in the biomedical sciences, GMS offers 33 fields of study—including interdisciplinary programs in many areas—leading to master’s, PhD, or MD/PhD degrees as well as certificates.
Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
With nearly 40 areas of humanities, natural and computational sciences, and social sciences to choose from, GRS is home to approximately 1,800 graduate degree candidates and faculty from many schools and colleges at BU.
Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine
SDM offers the Doctor of Dental Medicine (a traditional four-year and advanced-standing two-year) and advanced certificates and degrees, such as CAGS, MSD, DSc, and DScD, in all recognized specialties. Qualified undergrads can enroll in the seven-year program to earn a BA or BS from CAS and a DMD.
Metropolitan College & Extended Education
Choose from more than 80 full- and part-time degree and certificate programs, as well as noncredit courses of study and an undergraduate degree completion program. On-campus, online, and blended programs in fields as varied as literature, computer science, management, criminal justice, and gastronomy—to name a few—are available to MET students.
Questrom School of Business
The Questrom School of Business’ curricula emphasize digital technologies, health and life sciences, and energy and the environment. Undergraduates can earn a BSBA, while graduate students choose from MS, MBA, PhD, and dual degree programs.
Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences
Four departments—Health Sciences, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences—offer programs focused on professional training and cutting-edge research. Students doing fieldwork benefit from a clinical network of more than 1,200 affiliations across the country—500 of them in Greater Boston.
School of Hospitality Administration
Bachelor of Science candidates earn a comprehensive liberal arts and management background complemented by study abroad, internships, and work experiences in the industry. Various course concentrations are available for specialization. Graduate students earn a Master of Management in Hospitality (MMH) degree with the opportunity to concentrate in real estate, revenue management, digital marketing, senior living, restaurant management, and innovation & entrepreneurship.
School of Law
JD and LLM departments offer a range of programs and specializations, including American law, intellectual property law, banking and financial law, and tax law, as well as several dual degree programs with other BU schools and colleges.
School of Public Health
Students pursue different levels and approaches to their comprehensive public health studies, from professional master’s and doctoral degrees to specialized academic MS and PhD programs. Certificate and dual degree programs with other BU graduate schools are also available.
School of Social Work
Explore our MSW programs, where students learn and apply clinical and macro practice methods in diverse communities throughout the world. PhD, dual degree, and Professional Education programs take social work careers to the next level.
School of Theology
This graduate professional school offers an array of programs at the master’s and doctoral levels, preparing students for ministries and vocations that foster personal and social transformation. The school emphasizes community principles of love, justice, safety, rights, responsibilities, and respect.
Wheelock College of Education & Human Development
Undergraduates immerse themselves in cross-disciplinary coursework in education and human development before selecting a specialized pathway in their junior year, while graduate students choose from among more than 20 programs in teacher preparation, educational leadership & policy studies, counseling, applied human development, and child life.
Additional Academic Areas
Boston University Academy
This small, independent, coeducational high school provides intellectually curious, academically strong students with diverse interests a traditional, classically based core curriculum. Students graduate with up to 48 undergraduate-level credits, some of which may be transferred to college upon matriculation.
Center for English Language & Orientation Programs
At CELOP, international students can find programs to improve their English and understanding of US culture while living on Boston University’s rich and diverse campus. Students can study English from high beginning to advanced levels; prepare for entrance into US higher education institutions; enhance their communication skills in a professional setting; or, improve their English skills while pursuing degrees or working in the US.
Physical Education, Recreation & Dance
Members of the BU community take advantage of credit and noncredit classes, a family recreation program, club sports, and a minor in dance. Facilities include the Fitness & Recreation Center, the Case Center/Walter Brown Arena, Nickerson Field, the Track & Tennis Center, and the sailing pavilion.
Division of Military Education
This typically four-year program culminates in a commission in the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps. ROTC students receive hands-on leadership training that builds strong team bonds and develops confidence, discipline, stamina, poise, and management skills.
Study Abroad
BU Study Abroad offers students from Boston University more than 70 academic and internship programs in more than 15 countries spanning six continents. Boston University Study Abroad offers excellent, innovative, and diverse cross-cultural learning experiences for all students. Our study abroad programs cultivate the intellectual, professional, and personal qualities necessary for success in an increasingly interconnected world.
