Brookings Quadrangle

Home to some of the oldest buildings on campus, many beloved WashU traditions occur in Brookings Quadrangle. The Quadrangle also hosts the senior toast with the Chancellor where the Commencement speaker is announced.

Media Gallery

Beth

African & African-American Studies, International & Area Studies Student '20

David

Computer Science and Finance Student '23

Julie

Marketing and Psychology Student '23

Shannon

Psychology Student '20

Academics

Traditions

📖 Academics

Washington University in St. Louis offers over 1500 courses a year, with more than 90 fields of study across our five undergraduate divisions. These divisions are the College of Arts & Sciences, the McKelvey School of Engineering, the Olin Business School, and the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts (which include our College of Art and our College of Architecture).

Our undergraduate students come for all across the United States and its territories, and represent more than 50 countries around the world. With a little over 7,000 undergraduate students, this variety of perspectives, world views, and lived experiences help to shape each and every student as they work together to seek new knowledge in an ever changing world.

Beyond Boundaries

The Beyond Boundaries Program helps talented, self-initiated, and self-motivated students become creative problem solvers and insightful scholars who are prepared to pursue their own broad interdisciplinary interests. This unique educational experience requires collaboration across our academic disciplines and perspectives, drawing on the strength and interconnectedness of the university’s seven schools.

Although students admitted to this program enter the University unaffiliated with one specific division, after their first year, they matriculate into one of WashU’s undergraduate divisions while they continue engaging with the Beyond Boundaries Program.

Advising

Your four-year advisor will be there with you every step of the way, from registering for your first semester to choosing a major, planning IQ Curriculum courses, and finding resources for academic support, research, study abroad, internships and more.

When you declare a major, you receive a Major Advisor with specific knowledge about your area of study and opportunities in the field.

As you advance, you also work with advisors to explore your options for your next steps after graduation, including graduate school, health school, law school, or an immediate career.

Together with your advisors, you will explore yourself, discover your options, make plans, and reflect on your experience, as you create your academic and professional pathway at WashU and beyond.

In the Classroom

While you indicate one division when applying to the University, we encourage you to take classes across the board. As an institution, we believe in the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to education. More than 80% of students will pursue more than one major, minor, or pre-professional track - often times spanning across more than one of our divisions.

In addition to forging your own unique, interdisciplinary tracks, we have a number of classes and programs that will allow you to approach questions from a variety of perspectives. With an average class size of 26, you will have the opportunity to engage in stimulating conversations with your peers and faculty!

🐻 Traditions

From carnivals to concerts, cultural shows to Olympic games, our students come together as a community throughout the year to celebrate, learn, and connect with one another.

WILD

The quad is home to W.I.L.D. (Walk In, Lay Down), a free concert held for the Washington University community each fall and spring. Recent performers at WILD include Childish Gambino, Carly Rae Jepsen, Young the Giant, Jason Derulo, All-American Rejects, Icona Pop, and Chance the Rapper.

Thurtene

ThurtenE Carnival (pronounced like "thirteen") is the oldest and largest student-run carnival in America! The first ThurtenE was a multi-ring circus in 1907 on Francis Field. Nowadays, this three-day event features carnival rides, live performances, and delicious food, and it's held at several parking lots around the Athletic Complex.

Res College Olympics

Every year, residential colleges compete against each other in the Residential College Olympics, which features a wide variety of events like basketball, dodgeball, tug-of-war, and Twister.

Cultural Shows

Events celebrating and promoting diversity are cherished traditions at Washington University. At these annual events, our community comes together to explore and enjoy a rich variety of cultures, customs and experiences.

Some examples of these events include Diwali Celebrations, the Lunar New Year Festival, the Black Anthology, and Carnaval.