Registration Guide: Undeclared
As an undeclared student, you have yet to decide on a major to pursue – and that’s great! The undeclared major is one of the largest majors for incoming CAS students. CAS offers many undergraduate major options, so we applaud your wisdom and thoughtfulness in taking the time to explore different academic pathways and gather more information before making a decision. CAS Advising will provide you with a variety of resources to explore your academic options, ranging from individual advising appointments to specialized freshmen seminars and programs.
A typical first semester Undeclared schedule looks like:
- Course of interest/Major exploration course
- Course of interest/Major exploration course
- Language course or Course of interest or Core Natural Science course
- CAS WR 120 First-Year Writing Seminar* or CAS CC 101 Core Humanities 1 (fall semester)
- Optional add-on: CAS FY 101 First-Year Seminar (fall semester) or CAS FY 102 First-Year Career Development (spring semester)
*If you were previously instructed to take the Multilingual Writer Placement, please take this before registering for a course. Based on your placement, you can choose to register for one of the following courses: CAS WR 111 Academic Writing for ELL Students 1, CAS WR 112 Academic Writing for ELL Students 2, or CAS WR 120 First-Year Writing Seminar.
Please see below for further information about suggested courses for an undeclared major:
Course #1: Course of Interest/Major Exploration Course
This course should be an introductory course (usually 100-level) in a subject of interest to you. It could offer further exploration of a subject you’ve enjoyed studying in the past, or it could cover an area that is completely new and unknown and that sparks your curiosity.
- The Bulletin is a great place to see the course requirements for different CAS majors; click the “BA” link for the corresponding major you are interested in to see its specific course requirements.
- You can also review other Major Guides that may interest you for suggested first-semester courses.
- Make sure that you do not register for a course that you have, or will have, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or other external credit for. The only exception to this is if you are pre-health; refer to the Pre-Health section of this website for more information.
Additionally, it will be helpful if this course fulfills one or more BU Hub requirements that you have not yet fulfilled, though this is not required. The BU Hub Course Listing page is a great place to look through Hub course possibilities. Or, you can review our Registration Instructions for tips on browsing by topic or Hub requirement. To learn more about the BU Hub, go to www.bu.edu/hub.
Course #2: Course of Interest/Major Exploration Course
This course should be an introductory course (usually 100-level) in a subject of interest to you. It could offer further exploration of a subject you’ve enjoyed studying in the past, or it could cover an area that is completely new and unknown and that sparks your curiosity.
- The Bulletin is a great place to see the course requirements for different CAS majors; click the “BA” link for the corresponding major you are interested in to see its specific course requirements.
- You can also review other Major Guides that may interest you for suggested first-semester courses.
- Make sure that you do not register for a course that you have, or will have, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or other external credit for. The only exception to this is if you are pre-health; refer to the Pre-Health section of this website for more information.
Additionally, it will be helpful if this course fulfills one or more BU Hub requirements that you have not yet fulfilled, though this is not required. The BU Hub Course Listing page is a great place to look through Hub course possibilities. Or, you can review our Registration Instructions for tips on browsing by topic or Hub requirement. To learn more about the BU Hub, go to www.bu.edu/hub.
Course #3. Language course, Course of Interest, or Core Natural Science
CAS Language Course: CAS students must exhibit proficiency through the fourth-semester level of a language other than English. If you have not already done so, please review the full language policy here.
If you will fulfill this requirement through coursework at BU, then your next course should be a language. If you’re new to the language, you’ll start with the first-semester level (usually coded as 111 – for example, Spanish 1 is LS 111, Arabic 1 is LY 111, etc.). If you have previously studied the language, you will need to take a placement test to determine what level to start with (for instance, LS 112 Spanish 2, LY 211 Arabic 3, LK 212 Korean 4, etc.). Please review the CAS Language Requirement page for detailed information about placement tests and appropriate levels.
If you will fulfill your language requirement through advanced credit (such as AP/IB scores) or through native proficiency of another language, you have fulfilled your language requirement and can instead take a course of interest (as seen below).
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Course of Interest: Select a course that interests you – perhaps based on subjects you’ve enjoyed in the past or a new subject you’re excited to try for the first time! If you’re not sure where to start, you can review our Registration Instructions for tips on browsing by topic or Hub requirement.
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CAS CC111: Core Natural Science 1: Origins—of the Big Bang, Earth, Life and Humanity (offered fall only): The origins of the physical world, a scientific parallel to CC 101. Explores how the fields of astronomy, earth science, biology, and anthropology help us to understand our place in the cosmos from a scientific perspective. Topics include the Big Bang, evolution of the stars and earth, evolution of life, and the origins of human life and society. Assignments include computer-based and experimental laboratory work as well as team-based investigation and original research.
This course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I, Teamwork/Collaboration.
**PLEASE NOTE: Students in the Core Program who are interested in majors within the natural sciences (Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Neuroscience, Physics, etc.) and are taking or planning to take at least one laboratory course this semester should NOT enroll in CAS CC 111.
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CAS CC 212: Core Natural Science 2: Reality, Science, and the Modern World (offered spring only): Studies the paradigm-shifting scientific theories of quantum theory and relativity that created a new world view and forced the 20th century into a new understanding of our relation to reality. Students parallel these theories with current debates about science, such as those concerning climate change and the phenomenon of “junk science.” Considers the role of science in the modern world, how we know what we know, the roles of Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle and chaos theory, and the nature of truth in a 21st century context.
This course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking.
**PLEASE NOTE: Students in the Core Program who are interested in majors within the natural sciences (Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Neuroscience, Physics, etc.) and are taking or planning to take at least one laboratory course this semester should NOT enroll in CAS CC 212.
Course #4. CAS Writing Course or Core Humanities 1
Your fourth course should be a writing course:
- If you did not apply to BU with a TOEFL/IELTS score, you can take either:
- CAS WR 120 First-Year Writing Seminar. Each section of WR 120 focuses on a specific topic/theme, so you should register for a section that pairs with your interests.
- CAS CC 101 Core Humanities 1: Ancient Worlds: (offered fall only): An interdisciplinary study of the origins of civilization, from Mesopotamia and the Hebrew Bible to the development of Greek civilization through Homer, Greek tragedy, and the philosophy of Plato. You should enroll in CAS CC 101 if you are considering the Core Curriculum. This course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, First-Year Writing Seminar, Creativity/Innovation.
- If you applied to BU with a TOEFL/IELTS score, you should take the Multilingual Writer Placement (instructions will be sent via email) before you register for a writing course. The writing placement is a suggestion, but it will help you make an informed decision about the most appropriate level for you. Depending on what level WR course you register for, you will fulfill the following Hub requirements:
- CAS WR 111 Academic Writing for ESL Students 1 – fulfills The Individual in Community Hub
- CAS WR 112 Academic Writing for ESL Students 2 – fulfills Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy Hub
- CAS WR 120 First-Year Writing Seminar – fulfills First-Year Writing Seminar Hub (If you place into WR 120, you are welcome to take CC 101 Core Humanities 1 instead to fulfill your FYW Hub.)
Optional Course #5. First-Year Seminar
First-Year Seminar: FY 101 (offered fall only, 1 unit) – Optional
FY101 is a one-unit course that serves as a semester-long introduction to BU and college life. Each section is co-taught by a BU staff member alongside a BU student. You will meet with a small community of other incoming students who will serve as conversation partners as together you learn how to leverage BU’s resources to create a more successful and meaningful college experience. Through discussions, activities, class field trips and program-wide events, you will make immediate connections with the BU community. Specialty sections are available for natural science majors, social science majors, computer science and math majors, undeclared students and first-generation college students. There are many sections available for all CAS students, too.
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First-Year Career Development Seminar: FY 102 (offered spring only, 1 unit) – Optional
FY102 will help first-year students get started on utilizing the Career Development Cycle to maximize their time at BU. During this course students will create a plan of action towards choosing a major, creating a resume, finding an internship, and preparing for a career that they will love. Seminars are offered in various fields of interest and include guest speakers from different industries.
Ready to register? Let’s go – click here!