Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Who should apply for this program?
A: Students interested in tackling societal, intellectual, technological and scientific challenges through collaborative problem solving. This program is ideal for students who want to become insightful, interdisciplinary scholars during their time at Washington University.
Q: Who should not apply for this program?
A: Transfer students to Washington University are not eligible to apply to our program. In addition, students who are seriously considering pursuing degrees in Biomedical Engineering (BME), Chemical Engineering (ChemE), and Environmental Engineering (EECE) may not be able to participate in the first years of the program due to specific track-based requirements.
Q: Can I be in the Beyond Boundaries Program as well as one of the First Year Ampersand Programs in Arts & Sciences?
A: To promote access to all university programs and offerings to the maximum number of students, Beyond Boundaries Program students are not allowed to be in Ampersand Programs but are welcome to sign up for an Arts & Sciences First-Year Seminar or First-Year Opportunity Program.
Q: What if I apply to Beyond Boundaries Program and do not get in?
A: Applicants who are not selected to be in the Beyond Boundaries Program have their admissions materials forwarded to the undergraduate division they selected during the application process. Being declined by the Beyond Boundaries Program is not a liability at all to an applicant’s overall WashU application. There is no risk in applying to the Beyond Boundaries Program.
Q: Once accepted into the Beyond Boundaries Program, can I change divisions?
A: After being accepted into the Beyond Boundaries Program, a student is essentially admitted into a division devoted to program students only. Program students spend most of their first year with the Beyond Boundaries program as their home division, along with a joint program in the division that was indicated on their applications. Near the beginning of the first year spring semester, students will be asked to make a choice for what their new home division will be. Some students make their existing joint division their new home, while others indicate that they would like to move to a completely different division. There are certain guidelines each division has with regard to new students moving into their division, so students are strongly encouraged to start having conversations very early on with their advisors if they are considering moving to a completely different division. For some students this transition can happen by the end of the first year while others may need to take an additional course or two and complete an interdivision transfer before they can be moved.
Q: Is this an “interdisciplinary” program?
A: Yes. Students entering this program will be offered opportunities to explore topics from multiple disciplinary perspectives. The first year seminar explores what it means to be an interdisciplinary scholar and each Beyond Boundaries course will teach students how to view major societal challenges from multiple frameworks through teamwork and collaboration.
Q: Is this a “Scholars” program?
A: The Beyond Boundaries Program is not considered a “scholars” program. There is no tuition remission associated with the Beyond Boundaries Program. Students interested in this program should apply for financial aid through Student Financial Services. Beyond Boundaries Program students may be in a Scholars Program offered through the Office of Scholar Programs and the Beyond Boundaries Program at the same time.
Q: If I am in the Beyond Boundaries Program can I take graduate level courses?
A: No, but many of the Beyond Boundaries course offerings are taught by faculty from our 3 graduate/professional level schools (Brown School, School of Medicine, and School of Law) offering a first-year student a unique opportunity to connect with graduate faculty.
Q: Do the required first-year Beyond Boundaries courses count towards my distribution requirements?
A: Yes, all of the Beyond Boundaries course offerings have “attributes” associated with them. Each attribute for each school indicates a distribution requirement that the course meets. For a chart of these attributes for current Beyond Boundaries classes, please visit our Courses page. For additional information, please reach out to program staff.
Q: What if I don’t like it? (the program)
A: In special circumstances, if a first year program student wishes to leave the program, they must be approved for a transfer to an undergraduate division either before the 4th week of the fall semester or wait until their fall semester has finished. The approval of the Beyond Boundaries Program as well as the proposed school is required.
Q: What are my options after the first year in the program?
A: By the end of the first year, a program student will have matriculated into their chosen school. A student will be taking the majority of their classes within their academic division and major during sophomore year, but will also be involved in the second year of Beyond Boundaries through a variety of extracurricular engagement opportunities. These include, but are not limited to, community building events, Beyond Boundaries hosted workshops, and a number of on and off campus opportunities.
Q: Can I go into any division during the first year at WashU?
A: Beyond Boundaries Program staff and advisors work with students as they move across divisions during their first year. Program students will still be required to meet the academic performance requirements for their intended division in order for the transfer to happen.
Q: Can I switch the academic areas I’m interested in after entering the Beyond Boundaries Program?
A: Yes. Students are not committed to studying what they write about in their application. The program recognizes that students’ interests often change after they matriculate into the Beyond Boundaries Program and into Washington University.
Q: Will it take me longer to graduate?
A: Being in the program should not affect a student’s anticipated graduation date. There may be some exceptions if a student decides to pursue one of the 3 majors mentioned above that have a more rigid course schedule.
Q: What is the difference between this and having two majors?
A: While students with two majors may be interested in two separate areas of study, the Beyond Boundaries Program aims to bring students’ disparate interests into conversation with each other in order to approach the big social and intellectual problems of tomorrow. Many students in the Beyond Boundaries Program will have two majors, but it is certainly not a requirement of the program.