Our Schools & Colleges

College of Arts & Science (CAS)

Study with world-class research faculty at the heart of the BU academic experience. With nearly 3,000 courses across four divisions – Humanities, Natural, Social, and Computational sciences – CAS is BU’s largest college. 

• Students study within 23 academic departments and more than 70 programs of study, tackling challenges of the past, present, and future.
• Almost all BU students take courses in CAS, where you will find world-class research faculty, such as a MacArthur Fellow, a former US Poet Laureate, 19 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a National Book Award winner, and 45 Guggenheim Fellows.
• One-on-one academic counseling – in your academic department or through the pre-medical and pre-law programs – helps you decide what path to take and shows you how to position yourself for success after graduation.
• Whatever your discipline, CAS faculty strongly encourage participation in hands-on research, even as early as your first year.

Explore CAS Majors CAS Website

College of Communication (COM)

Become a skilled communicator in a global marketplace. COM combines a core liberal arts foundation with a professional communication education through a curriculum emphasizing critical thinking, writing and research skills, and the mastery of new technology in areas ranging from journalism to advertising to film.

• At COM, students are inspired by top journalists, Emmy award winners, authors, playwrights and filmmakers. COM boasts 19 Pulitzer Prize-winning graduates and alumnae named among the most powerful women in Hollywood.
• Located in the one of the largest media markets in the nation, COM offers you the chance to intern in Boston and beyond —everywhere from Los Angeles or D.C. to London—with organizations such as The Boston Globe, Hill Holiday, or 20th Century Fox.
• Students run the show and gain real-world experience on our campus TV and radio stations; student newspaper, the Daily Free Press; and at our full-service, in-house public relations and advertising agencies.
• Students gain global perspectives through opportunities such as the London Internship Program, Global Student Newsroom, or covering world-class events like the Olympics.

Explore COM Majors COM Website

College of Engineering (ENG)

Learn to solve society’s most pressing challenges and advance the frontiers of science and technology through research and discovery. The ENG core curriculum provides solid grounding in science, math, and engineering fundamentals, and the college offers many special programs, including the Senior Design Project.

• ENG trains students to become “Societal Engineers,” individuals with the ability and passion to use the engineer’s quantitative problem-solving skills to improve society.
• Recognizing the increasingly central role of data science in all areas of the economy, the ENG has transformed its approach to undergraduate education by integrating data science courses into every student’s curriculum.
• Backed by nearly $100 million in sponsored research awards, ENG offers you the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge research at a university named an “International Powerhouse” by Times Higher Education. Over 250 ENG students hold paid research positions in faculty labs each year.
• In ENG’s state-of-the-art Engineering Product Innovation Center or Imagineering Laboratory, you can develop innovative products using computer-aided design tools and cutting-edge 3-D printers.

Explore ENG Majors ENG Website

College of Fine Arts (CFA)

With programs in Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts, CFA is a community of artist-scholars and scholar-artists who are passionate about the fine and performing arts. Prepare for a meaningful creative life by developing the intellectual capacity to create art, shift perspective, think broadly, and master relevant 21st-century skills.

• CFA students are passionate about the fine and performing arts, committed to diversity and inclusion, and determined to improve the lives of others through art.
• Students study under Broadway producers, Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians, and world-renowned visual artists and scholars who are leaders in their profession.
• From sound-proof musical practice rooms to dedicated art gallery space to a new, 75,000-square-foot Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre and Production Center, CFA provides optimal environments for learning and creative expression.

Explore CFA Majors CFA Website

College of General Studies (CGS)

The College of General Studies is a two-year, interdisciplinary and global liberal arts program within our top-ranked research university. The CGS curriculum is designed to give you a comprehensive liberal arts foundation in the humanities, social sciences, rhetoric, and natural sciences.

• Your classes will begin in January with a semester in Boston, followed by a six-week summer term at BU’s campus in the heart of London. This unique global curriculum offers experiential learning experiences that reinforce course material, and is the only opportunity at BU for a first-year study abroad experience. However, if, due to personal circumstances, you are unable to study in London, CGS offers a summer term in Boston.
• You will return to Boston in September to complete the second year of the CGS program.
• You will collaborate with classmates in tight-knit cohorts that form a cohesive academic community and receive one-on-one faculty guidance from accomplished professors.
• You will take electives in your area of academic interest and explore possibilities for majors and minors in BU’s other schools and colleges. After you have completed CGS, you will transition seamlessly into the college or school of your choice to earn the BU degree you desire. A full-time CGS academic advisor will partner with you every step of the way as you plan out your path.
• Before you start at BU in January, your fall gap semester presents a unique opportunity to discover yourself through work, volunteerism or internships, and to gain exposure to valuable life and career skills. About 30% of students take college-level courses during their gap semester.

CGS Website

Sargent College College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences (SAR)

Combine a rigorous education with clinical training at one of the most highly ranked programs in the US dedicated to the health and rehabilitation sciences. Sargent offers an outstanding faculty, modern curriculum, and state-of-the-art facilities. 

• As one of the top-ranked health science colleges in the US, Sargent College combines outstanding faculty, challenging curricula, 10 clinical centers, and 28 state-of-the-art research facilities to provide a rigorous education and exceptional clinical training.
• Sargent College offers a pre-medical pathway through several of its majors.
• Backed by nearly $13 million in research funding—among the highest in the US—you can participate in cutting-edge research with faculty.
• Learning extends beyond the classroom through clinical fieldwork and internships, thanks to Sargent’s network of more than 1,200 hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers in the US and world.

Explore Sargent Majors Sargent Website

Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences (CDS)

BU tackles societally-relevant interdisciplinary challenges through computation and data. CDS programs equip students with foundational knowledge and practical skillsets in algorithmics, analytics, software engineering, machine learning, and AI.

• • Encourages exploration through experiential learning and in-the-field practicums.
  • Housed in 19-story building opening in 2022 with state-of-the-art resources.

Explore CDS Majors CDS Website

Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies

Advance human progress and improve the human condition. Pardee aims to produce globally competent citizens, leaders in international affairs, and the next generation of global leaders. Housed within the College of Arts & Sciences, the school consists of two divisions: International Studies and Regional Studies.

• Students will be encouraged to study language, to cross disciplinary boundaries, to develop regional expertise, to identify the great challenges of our times and to develop the leadership skills to tackle them.
• Pardee is home to BU’s esteemed Department of International Relations in addition to other areas of study and thematic programs, including Asian studies, African studies, Latin American studies, European studies, Middle East & North African studies, and more.
• Outstanding faculty bring together scholarly rigor and a passion for applying their knowledge to practice and policy. They work on issues of peace and war, terrorism, international security, environment, trade and finance, international communication and culture, human rights, and much more.

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Arvind and Chandan Nandlal Kilachand Honors College

The Kilachand Honors College is for the highest achievers and most intellectually curious students. There are a host of colleges and universities with fine honors programs, but this distinctive, four-year curriculum teaches teams of students to address important global, societal, corporate, and geopolitical challenges. Kilachand students are courageous, and they want to put their knowledge to use to benefit their communities. Students complete the Kilachand coursework alongside their chosen major in one of our other degree-granting schools or colleges.

Kilachand Honors College Website

Questrom School of Business

The innovative curriculum at Questrom will develop your critical thinking, quantitative analysis, and professional skills through intensive team-focused projects. With a distinctive global focus, the curriculum also emphasizes cultural differences in business practices, to prepare you to become a business leader across all sectors of the global economy.

• Questrom courses enable students to gain a working knowledge of the fastest-growing industry sectors: health and life sciences, digital technology, and social impact and sustainability.
• You will develop a comprehensive business plan for a new product or service in Questrom’s semester-long, team-based core project that integrates coursework across finance, operations management, marketing, and data analytics.
• Students complete internships at Boston-area companies such as General Electric, Fidelity Investments, and Bank of America. It’s no surprise that an impressive 99 percent of Questrom’s graduates seeking employment received an offer within six months of graduation.

Explore Questrom Majors Questrom Website

School of Hospitality Administration (SHA)

Gain the business management skills necessary to succeed in the hotel and restaurant, travel, and tourism industries. You’ll be immersed in the hospitality field, learning from world-class industry professionals, respected researchers, and seasoned veterans from around the globe

• Located in a city that caters to the sophisticated traveler and fine dining enthusiast, SHA offers a hospitality-focused management degree in a world-class hub for hospitality and tourism. Students to explore a variety of management-focused electives, such as Tourism Management or Digital Marketing Strategies for the Hospitality Industry.
• More than 97 percent of SHA graduates find employment within six months of graduation at top companies like Marriott International, ARAMARK, or the Walt Disney Company.
• A global perspective is so important for SHA graduates that a study abroad experience is built into the curriculum at no additional cost. You might spend a summer interning at The Ritz Hong Kong or The Taj Hotels in India, or take a short-term trip to explore the culture and communication of Greece and China.

Explore SHA Majors SHA Website

Wheelock College of Education & Human Development

Develop a sophisticated understanding of how to make a difference in the lives of children, families, and communities by disrupting traditional ways of thinking and learning. And receive substantive clinical training alongside an experienced teacher. 

• Wheelock will prepare you to become a life-changing educator with multiple pathways to pursue careers in education, mental health counseling, youth justice, or child life, as change agents, innovators, and entrepreneurs.
• You can take your teaching skills beyond the Boston area with international fieldwork experiences in London, England and Sydney, Australia.
• Pursue a professional pathway in Youth Justice & Mental Health, Teaching & Learning, Deaf Education, or Educational Design for Transformative Futures.

Explore Wheelock Majors Wheelock Website