College of Arts & Sciences

About College of Arts & Sciences

The Boston University College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) serves as the academic core of Boston University, located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1873, the college functions as the primary liberal arts division of the university, providing the foundational curriculum for undergraduate students across the institution. As an integral component of a private research university, the college operates under the broader governance of Boston University, which is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

The academic structure of the College of Arts & Sciences is organized into three primary divisions: the Humanities, the Natural Sciences, and the Social Sciences. These divisions encompass more than 60 departments and programs, offering a wide array of undergraduate majors, minors, and graduate degrees. The curriculum is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and empirical inquiry. Faculty members within these departments engage in both instructional duties and ongoing research, contributing to the academic output of the university.

Within the Natural Sciences division, the college maintains departments focused on biology, chemistry, computer science, earth and environment, mathematics and statistics, physics, and psychology. These departments utilize various laboratory facilities distributed across the Boston University campus, including the Science and Engineering Complex and the Life Science and Engineering Building. These facilities support experimental research and provide students with access to instrumentation and computational resources necessary for scientific study.

The Humanities and Social Sciences divisions include departments such as English, philosophy, history, political science, economics, sociology, and international relations. These programs emphasize the study of human culture, societal structures, and historical context. The college also hosts various interdisciplinary centers and institutes that facilitate research in specialized areas, such as the African Studies Center, the Center for the Study of Religious Life, and the Institute for Philosophy and Religion. These centers provide platforms for faculty and students to collaborate on research projects that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries.

The physical campus of the College of Arts & Sciences is situated primarily along Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. The main CAS building serves as a central hub for administrative offices, lecture halls, and seminar rooms. Beyond the central building, the college utilizes a network of academic facilities, libraries, and research centers spread throughout the university campus. The Mugar Memorial Library serves as the primary research library for the college, housing extensive collections of books, journals, and digital archives that support the academic requirements of the various departments.

In addition to its departmental offerings, the College of Arts & Sciences administers the Boston University Hub, which is the university-wide general education program. This program requires students to fulfill specific learning outcomes across multiple areas of study, including philosophical and aesthetic inquiry, scientific and social inquiry, quantitative reasoning, and communication. This framework ensures that all students, regardless of their specific major, engage with a breadth of academic disciplines, maintaining the college’s commitment to a liberal arts foundation.

The college maintains a significant research profile, receiving funding from various federal agencies, private foundations, and international organizations. Research activities span diverse topics, from climate science and public health to linguistic analysis and political economy. Faculty and students often collaborate on publications and conference presentations, contributing to the broader academic discourse in their respective fields. The integration of research and teaching remains a primary operational objective for the institution.

Admissions to the College of Arts & Sciences are managed through the central Boston University admissions office, which evaluates prospective students based on academic performance, standardized testing, and extracurricular engagement. The college admits students into a variety of degree programs, including Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The academic calendar follows a standard semester system, with additional summer sessions available for accelerated study or credit recovery.