Understand the two undergraduate degree routes
Princeton offers undergraduate students two main degrees: the Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) and Bachelor of Science in Engineering (B.S.E.). Students apply to Princeton University rather than directly to a department or a concentration. Once enrolled, a student builds a plan within the selected degree structure. This is different from applying to a separate programme that admits a fixed cohort to one major. If you are comparing subjects, ask first which degree route offers the field and what general and departmental requirements come with it.
The A.B. allows students to explore across departments before focusing on a concentration, with general education and departmental requirements alongside independent work in later years. Princeton's 2026-27 Undergraduate Announcement describes A.B. students as taking a range of courses in the first and sophomore years, making progress on writing, language and distribution requirements, then concentrating more intensively on their chosen major in junior and senior years. It says students declare the departmental major before junior year and complete independent work that culminates in a senior thesis. The exact course minimum and independent-work rule depend on class year, so read the announcement version for the cohort whose rules apply rather than treating an old requirement as universal.
The B.S.E. has a more prescribed technical foundation. The same 2026-27 announcement describes required preparation in mathematics, physics, chemistry or molecular biology, and computing, in addition to departmental study. It also includes humanities and social-science coursework and a first-year writing seminar. That combination is important: engineering students follow a technical sequence but still complete University-wide breadth and writing requirements. The exact accepted equivalents and deadlines appear in the current B.S.E. programme page and the relevant department entry.
Compare the curriculum before choosing a field
Princeton's admission directory lists 37 undergraduate concentrations and more than 50 minors and interdepartmental certificate programmes. Computer science is available through both the A.B. and B.S.E. route. The presence of the same field under two degrees does not mean that the curricula are interchangeable. An applicant considering computer science, for example, should compare the respective degree requirements, required mathematics and science preparation, distribution expectations and options for independent work. The title of a subject is only the starting point for that comparison.
For an A.B. programme, look at its course requirements, general education, language and writing expectations, and how the department organizes junior independent work and the senior thesis. For a B.S.E. programme, check the sequence of mathematics, physics, chemistry or molecular biology and computing, then review the department's additional prerequisites and upper-level courses. These distinctions affect the kind of academic work a student will do and the amount of flexibility available in choosing electives. Do not conclude that one degree is more suitable merely from a ranking or the name of a major; use the published course plan and your own academic interests.
Minors and certificates add another dimension but do not replace the primary degree. Princeton lists them separately from concentrations, so verify their eligibility, course overlap and completion rules. Interdisciplinary certificates may combine work across departments, while a concentration remains the student's main academic field. The relevant programme page explains what a student must complete and whether the certificate can be pursued with the intended degree plan.
Use the catalogue for current requirements
The Registrar identifies the Undergraduate Announcement as the source for up-to-date undergraduate academic regulations, programmes of study, course offerings and related details. It separately directs graduate students to the Graduate School catalogue for fields of study, degree requirements, deadlines and courses. Use these sources according to the level of study: an undergraduate degree page does not establish what a doctoral programme requires, and a graduate catalogue does not replace the undergraduate rules.
Start with the current catalogue's degree programme page, then open the specific department or field entry. Check whether the listed courses are required or elective, whether a prerequisite must be completed first, and whether a listed course is offered in the term you expect to take it. A programme page may describe a stable structure while the live course schedule changes each term. For that reason, distinguish degree rules from the actual current-semester timetable. If you are comparing two fields, write down requirements in the same categories: foundations, distribution, electives, independent work, and any special departmental sequence.
The 2026-27 Undergraduate Announcement gives a dated view of the current published structure at the time it was reviewed. Applicants for a later entering class should check whether Princeton has replaced it with a new edition and whether any requirement is class-year-specific. A number in an old catalogue can remain relevant for the cohort it names without being the rule for every future student. If a programme page and a department advisor give different information, ask the department's director of undergraduate studies which catalogue and class-year rule governs your plan.
Graduate coursework is programme-specific
Princeton graduate programmes publish their own fields, course plans, degree requirements and deadlines. The Graduate School catalogue is the official starting point for those details, with a department or programme page providing more specific sequencing and research expectations. A doctoral path may emphasize research and dissertation work, while professional or master's programmes can have different coursework and internship structures. Do not transfer undergraduate A.B. or B.S.E. requirements to a graduate degree, or assume all graduate programmes share one duration, curriculum or funding arrangement.
Before applying, confirm that the exact programme admits students for the intended term and that the listed curriculum supports your goals. Read prerequisite courses as written; do not infer that experience or a similarly titled class automatically meets them. For a research degree, identify the programme's field requirements and understand how it handles faculty research fit. For a professional programme, compare required courses, practica or projects and the completion plan. Current course offerings and deadlines may change, so refer to the live catalogue and the programme's admissions pages for the relevant application year.
This page focuses on how to find and compare Princeton's course structures rather than listing every department or graduate programme. A directory can show the breadth of available fields, but a course catalogue and departmental plan answer the more important question: what will you study, in what sequence, and under which degree rules?