The Beyond Boundaries Program is a two-year program that equips students to make a difference in a complicated world. By allowing students to enter WashU unaffiliated with any one school, the program allows them to address challenges that do not reside in the territory of a single discipline.
Beyond Boundaries is a framework of classes and resources that allows students to understand issues in an interdisciplinary way. WashU faculty from the School of Medicine, Olin Business School, Brown School, School of Law, School of Engineering & Applied Science, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, and Arts & Sciences collaborate in the Beyond Boundaries program to produce an interdisciplinary curriculum rich with possibilities for students with interests that do not fit within traditional subject matter boundaries.
Beyond Boundaries aims to bring a students’ different interests into conversation with each other in order to approach the big social and intellectual problems of tomorrow. This is a different approach than having two majors, which indicate an interest in two separate fields of study. Many students in the program may have two majors, but it is not a requirement of the program.
Requirements
Beyond Boundaries spans the first two years of a students’ time at Washington University, with an optional continuation into the third and fourth year. At the beginning of their second year, Beyond Boundaries students matriculate into their chosen school and declare a major during the spring semester.
- Students who participate in both the first and second years of the Beyond Boundaries Program will receive a milestone notation on their transcript.
- Students who complete years three and four of the Program, regardless of whether they entered in their first or third year, will receive a milestone notation on their transcripts.
- Those who complete all four years of the Program will receive an Interdisciplinary Certificate upon graduation.
The curriculum of years one and two includes College Writing, multiple Beyond Boundaries courses, a course in collaborative problem-solving, and a host of lectures, seminars, and community-building events that count towards program requirements.
Students participating in Beyond Boundaries can still complete their graduation requirements in four years.
Who Should Apply
Students who are talented, self-initiated, and self-motivated, and who wish to pursue their own broad interdisciplinary interests through a unique education experience that requires collaboration across academic disciplines and perspectives should consider applying to this program.
Who Should Not Apply
Students interested in pursuing degrees in Biomedical Engineering (BME), Chemical Engineering (ChemE), and Environmental Engineering (EECE) may not be able to participate in the program due to specific track-based requirements in the Engineering Division.
These students are invited to apply for Year Three of the Beyond Boundaries Program, which spans the student’s third and fourth years and includes a fourth year capstone experience.