Registration Guide: English

English majors should take CAS EN 101 Encounters: Reading Across Time & Space as their first course. This course covers: encounters in literature from Britain, the Americas and around the globe: early literature in English and contemporary adaptations and remediation. Explores canonical and non-canonical texts, in various genres and media, including poetry, drama, travel narrative, autobiography, novel, film, performance.

• If taken at BU, CAS EN 101 fulfills a single requirement in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation, Teamwork/Collaboration.

Your second course should be a writing seminar to work towards your First-Year Writing Seminar Hub requirement.

If you did not apply to BU with a TOEFL/IELTS score, you can select this course from one of three options:

• CAS EN 120 Freshman Seminar for English Majors: This is a popular writing seminar for English majors. EN 120 is offered only in the fall semester. Topics will vary by section. This course will fulfill the First-Year Writing Seminar Hub requirement.
• CAS WR 120 First-Year Writing Seminar: If you are entering in the spring semester, or if you’d prefer not to take EN 120, you can instead take CAS WR 120. Each section of WR 120 focuses on a specific topic/theme, so you should register for a section that pairs with your interests. This course will fulfill the First-Year Writing Seminar Hub requirement.
• CAS CC 101 Core Humanities 1: The Ancient World (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 interested in 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 – 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.)

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.

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 CC 111: 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.

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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.

First-Year Seminar: FY 101 (offered fall only, 1 unit) – Optional

FY101 is an optional one-unit course that serves as a semester-long introduction to BU and college life. Each section is taught in combination by a BU administrator and a student peer mentor.  You will meet with a small community of peers 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 investigate the social, academic and cultural dimensions of student life at Boston University, while making deep connections with your fellow students, your peer mentor, and a BU staff member.

 

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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.