Undergraduate Academics

View of the front of the Sears Building from the Case Quad.

Case Western Reserve University confers baccalaureate degrees based on programs offered by the faculties of the Case School of Engineering, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, and the Weatherhead School of Management. Some major programs are offered in collaboration with the School of Medicine, the Cleveland Institute of Art, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. The faculties and administration are dedicated to offering educational programs that enable undergraduates to achieve disciplinary literacy in one or more major fields; to acquire educational breadth through study across the arts and humanities, the social sciences and management, and the sciences and engineering; and to learn to think critically and to communicate effectively.  Furthering the university's mission, the educational programs aim to foster the development of qualities of integrity, creativity, leadership, and societal engagement.

Advisors for first-year students, major field advisors, other faculty, and four-year advisors in the Undergraduate Advising Support Office assist students in selecting a field of study suited to each student’s interests and qualifications. Students with broad educational interests and goals may choose to add one or more minor fields of study to their major field of study; may pursue concurrently two or more majors for the Bachelor of Arts degree, two or more majors for the Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree, or two or more majors toward the Bachelor of Science in Management degree; may complete one degree program with a secondary major from another degree program; or may earn two bachelor’s degrees by completing both a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science degree or by fulfilling the requirements for two Bachelor of Science degrees. The Bachelor of Music degree offered by the Cleveland Institute of Music may be combined with either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree at Case Western Reserve University. Qualified students who wish to accelerate their undergraduate and graduate or professional studies may earn the opportunity to begin in the senior year advanced study toward a graduate or professional degree.

The university provides undergraduates with a rich variety of experiential learning opportunities both on and off campus. The location of the university in University Circle, with its outstanding array of cultural, educational, and health care institutions, and the proximity and accessibility of the university’s professional schools and their facilities enable undergraduates to draw upon diverse and distinctive resources to enrich their education. Programs that engage students in curriculum-related employment include the Cooperative Education Program and the Practicum ProgramStudy Abroad, the exchange program with Fisk University, and the Washington Semester immerse students in educational environments that build global and national knowledge and perspective. Research opportunities for undergraduates abound at the university, in University Circle institutions, and in the greater Cleveland community.  Individual departments offer independent study opportunities to motivated and qualified students, and some departments offer courses that incorporate practical field experience or community service.