Our Program

A two year-experience like no other

  • The College of General Studies is a unique two-year educational opportunity—the only program at BU with an opportunity to study abroad built into your first year of college.
  • All CGS students begin their studies in January with a semester in Boston followed by a six-week summer semester in London or New England.
  • After the summer semester, continue into your second year in CGS, taking electives toward your major while finishing your CGS courses and fulfilling BU Hub requirements.
  • You’ll finish your sophomore year with an interdisciplinary Capstone project. Then you’ll transition seamlessly into the school or college of your choice your junior year.

Courses

Browse our course requirements.

Courses

Your two-year curriculum

Learn more about the courses you’ll be taking in the next four semesters—CGS courses in humanities, social sciences, rhetoric, and natural sciences, along with Capstone and electives toward your major.

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Pathways

Chart your course to the BU degree of your choice.

When you finish your two years at CGS, you’ll be halfway to your BU degree and well into fulfilling your BU Hub and major requirements. The Pathways give you a clear map through your time at CGS and your full four years at BU. Explore the CGS Pathway to the school of your choice.

CGS Pathways

College of Arts & Sciences

Continue from CGS into Boston University’s largest college, and you can pick from an array of disciplines. Try computer science or biology—or neuroscience or chemistry. Study history or English literature. Become an architect or philosopher. Make your mark on the world with political science or environmental policy.

College of Communication

Launch your career in public relations, advertising or media science. Get ready to travel the world as a journalist, or work on films and TV.

College of Engineering

Continue from CGS to major in biomedical engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering.

College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College

Explore careers in behavior, nutrition, and health science—or become a registered dietitian or speech therapist.

School of Hospitality Administration

A degree in hospitality administration launches you to work in hotel operations, marketing, human resources, event management and more.

Questrom School of Business

Pick a concentration in accounting, entrepreneurship, marketing, law, strategy—all possible with a continuation into Questrom.

Wheelock College of Education & Human Development

Become an educator with a Wheelock degree. You can study early childhood or elementary education, mathematics or foreign language, social studies, and special ed.

Advising

Develop academic and career goals.

CGS Advisors

Partner with your CGS advisor

CGS’ full-time professional academic advisors are a key partner. Collaborate with them to explore your goals and choose the electives that get you where you want to go. You’ll have opportunities throughout the year—and even before you arrive at Boston University in January—to talk with your academic advisor one-on-one and start planning your path to a BU degree.

Learn about the academic advising program at CGS

Learn