CAS Transfer Student Registration Checklist

The checklist below will guide you through the registration process for the College of Arts & Sciences. Please read each step thoroughly. We encourage you to register for courses as best as you can prior to meeting with an advisor; you can continue to make changes throughout the summer based on external credit and advising.

STEP #1: Complete your Pre-Registration Action Items

1. Create your BU login & email account (skip if you have already created your BU login and email):

This login will serve as your official BU email account, which is the primary communication method BU will use going forward. It will also allow you access to secure University resources. You must activate this account before completing any of the steps below. You should receive an email with instructions to set up your email account after paying your enrollment deposit. You can also find comprehensive instructions here.

2. Sign up for Orientation:

Please sign up for Orientation by June 10th, 2024. If you are trying to register for Orientation after the 6/10 deadline, please email orientation@bu.edu.

3. Set up academic and/or housing accommodations for qualified students with disabilities:

If you are eligible for academic and/or housing accommodations, you should begin working with Disability & Access Services (DAS) as soon as possible. To begin:

• Fill out the DAS online Intake Form.
• Upload your documentation to your new Accommodate Portal. You can also fax (617-353-9646) or email (access@bu.edu) your documentation to DAS directly.
• Schedule an intake appointment with a DAS staff member by calling 617-353-3658.
• For more information, please see the DAS website.

STEP#2: Familiarize Yourself With Your Degree Fundamentals

You will need to complete all of the following requirements in order to earn your Bachelor of Arts from CAS. Please use the links below to further explore these degree requirements. We want you to have a general understanding at this time; don’t worry about trying to memorize every minute detail.

1. A minimum of 128 academic units
2. BU Transfer Hub (BU’s general education requirements)
3. Language Requirement – CAS requires all students to demonstrate or develop proficiency at or above the fourth-semester level in one language other than English. There are multiple ways to fulfill this requirement, including external credit.
4. Major Program Requirements – Use the Academic Bulletin to explore the requirements for the major(s) you are interested in. You can also visit the program or academic department webpage to explore program resources and course recommendations. Your general education/Hub requirements are designed to be interwoven throughout your entire time at BU; this means your major courses may also fulfill Hub requirements. Use the Major + Hub Guides to gain a better understanding of what courses to take this semester and which Hub requirements you will/won’t complete within your major. (If you are not sure what you’d like to major in, look through the Undeclared Transfer Guide for Registration.)

STEP #3. Explore Specialized Academic Opportunities

BU offers a variety of specialized courses and academic programming that may be of interest to you. Use the links below to explore these opportunities:

• Pre-Professional Programs: Pre-Health and Pre-Law– Recommended if you are interested in law, dentistry, nursing, medicine, optometry, physician assistant studies, veterinary medicine, or other related health fields.
• Core Program– A comprehensive and interdisciplinary curriculum for students who love books, ideas, and intellectual discussion.
• Transfer First Year Seminar – To get the most from your first year at BU, consider a transfer seminar course centered on developing relationships, skills, and helpful campus knowledge with fellow transfers: HUB FY 101 . This course also fulfills a single Hub requirement in Individual In The Community.
• BU Hub Opportunities – In addition to general Hub electives, there are several distinct and innovative Hub learning experiences that encourage exploration and allow students to engage with faculty, staff, and students across the University.
  • Hub Cocurriculars are open to all BU undergraduates. They are 0-unit, ungraded experiences that combine hands-on activities, discussion, and reflection and fulfill one Hub requirement. HUB FY 101 The First-Year Seminar is considered a Hub co-curricular.
  • Hub Pathways are sets of interdisciplinary courses that cover a specific topic: either Social & Racial Justice or Environment & Society. Combined, the courses in each pathway provide an in-depth understanding of their topic while also fulfilling many, if not all, Hub requirements. Hub Pathways are fully elective, and students can choose to incorporate as many courses within a particular Hub Pathway as they wish.
  • Hub Social & Racial Justice courses help students explore the historical and systemic bases of racial and social inequities and develop skills around advocacy and action. If this interests you, consider registering for HUB SJ 101 Social & Racial Justice 1: Systems & Structures. HUB SJ 101 is open to first-year and sophomore students and fulfills three Hub requirements. The SJ 101 and 102 courses are open to sophomores only.
  • Hub Interdisciplinary Coursesare a series of introductory-level classes that introduce students to exciting topics of broad appeal from a multidisciplinary perspective.

  STEP #4: Consider External Course Evaluations & Advanced Credit

  Interpreting Transfer Course Evaluations

  You should have already begun the transfer course evaluation process to determine BU course equivalencies. You can track this transfer evaluation on MyBU Student. To expedite this process, please make sure you have submitted all syllabi and official transcripts with final grades to BU.

  You’ll see the evaluation decisions of your prior courses. If a course’s evaluation decision is marked as T, you received transfer units for it; if the evaluation decision is marked as TX, you did not receive transfer units. Additionally, your evaluation decision indicates how many Boston University units (aka credits) it is worth and the specific BU course it has been equated to (if applicable).

  Some evaluation decisions may still be pending – these are marked with TP or TS (instead of T or TX). Please use the key below to determine the status of any such courses and next steps you may need to complete:

  

  Sometimes courses are valid, college-level courses, and up to the standard of our academic departments, but they do not have an exact course match to be equated to. Those courses are given an evaluation of “T” and are then given a generic course number. For example, a course called “Authors of California” could be evaluated by our English department as appropriate to transfer in, but we don’t offer a course with that subject, so it could be equated to “CAS EN 2TR” which means it’s equivalent to a 200-level English course.

  If you have questions about your evaluations, you can contact the Credit Evaluation Office at credeval@bu.edu.

  External Units through Examination Scores or Dual Enrollment:

  You may be entering BU with AP, IB, GCE, or other exam scores, or you may have taken college-level courses while in high school through a dual enrollment program. You can review how this external credit may count towards your degree here.

  To have your test scores reviewed for an official score report must be sent to Boston University. All Advanced Placement reports should be sent to the Admissions Office directly from CollegeBoard; all international score reports (such as IB, GCE, etc.) should be sent to the International Admissions Office at intadmis@bu.edu. Dual enrollment forms are available through the link above and should be emailed to credeval@bu.edu with an official transcript.

  Please note: the information above is to guide you through the initial steps of advanced credit or dual enrollment. You should also work with your academic advisor to determine if and how this may count towards your overall degree and how it may impact your course registration.

  STEP #5: Register for Courses

  Once you have read through all the information provided in the steps above, you are ready to register for your four, 4-unit academic courses.

  A typical first-semester schedule looks like:

  1. Major required course
  2. Major required courseorCourse of interest
  3. Language courseorCourse of interest
  4. Hub course (an elective that you take for a Hub requirement)
  5. Optional add-on:HUB FY 101 First-Year Seminar

  We encourage you to register as soon as you are able. Be sure to keep the following in mind:

  • Four, 4-unit courses is the standard course load for each semester in CAS.
  • Utilize the Major + Hub Guides to gain a better understanding of which courses to take this semester and which Hub requirements you will/won’t complete within your major.
  • Consider your major requirements and expected external credit as you register. Directions on how to review your external credit is in Step #4.
  • When selecting Hub courses or other electives, focus on what subjects interest you – perhaps based on classes 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.
  • Remember, course registration is an ongoing process – once you’ve selected classes, an advisor will review your schedule to make sure it meets your needs and goals. You may also continue to add and revise your schedule between now and the beginning of the semester.