The BA/MA programs offered jointly by the College of Arts & Sciences and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences in specific academic disciplines are a blend of the undergraduate experience and graduate study leading to increased career opportunities, professional training, or advanced graduate work. Students must apply before March 1 of their junior year and must meet a GPA requirement of at least 3.0 through the end of their junior year (some departments may have higher requirements). Students in a BA/MA program, in consultation with their BA/MA faculty advisor, develop a plan of study that focuses on greater depth and integration of concepts in the chosen discipline. The number of required courses ranges from 36 to 40, minimizing duplication of coursework while ensuring that students complete a full BA and a full MA experience, including theses or capstone components. Students receive the BA and MA simultaneously. Graduation applications must be submitted for both the BA and MA portions of the degree. A second major field of study for the BA portion of the program is allowed only by petition to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

The departmental sections of this Bulletin provide additional information. Detailed statements of departmental requirements are available from the BA/MA advisor in the appropriate department. Application forms may be obtained in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Admissions Office, Room 112, Boston University, 705 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215. Students are urged to contact the department BA/MA advisor well in advance of application to begin development of their plan of study. The BA/MA program is not available to Boston University dual degree program students.

For most recent information, please visit the School of Public Health website.

The BA/MPH program offered jointly by the College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Public Health is a blend of the undergraduate experience and graduate professional study leading to increased career opportunities in the field of public health. Students complete all degree requirements for the (128-credit) BA and all requirements for the (48-credit) MPH. Up to 16 credits of graduate-level School of Public Health coursework completed in the final two years of undergraduate study may be applied both as elective credit toward the BA and as credit toward fulfillment of core requirements for the MPH. Careful planning and full-time enrollment can result in students’ receiving the MPH after a total of five years of study, rather than the usual minimum of five-and-a-half years. The BA is awarded at the completion of all BA requirements; the MPH is awarded once students have completed all MPH program requirements and requirements for one of the eight MPH concentrations.

Public health is a diverse field that draws on expertise from many disciplines, including math, science, law, ethics, psychology, sociology, political science, and communications. Students applying to the BA/MPH program will be expected to demonstrate a commitment to public health as evidenced by their previous coursework, personal statement in the SOPHAS application, and past employment and extracurricular activities. Nevertheless, students in all CAS undergraduate concentrations are eligible to apply for the BA/MPH program, provided that they are not concurrently enrolled in the Boston University dual degree program or in another dual undergraduate/graduate degree program such as the BA/MA or the BA/MD. Students pursuing an undergraduate minor in public health must drop that minor if they are accepted and choose to enroll in the BA/MPH program. Students must apply for the program by April 1 of their sophomore year (for July admission) or by October 15 of their junior year (for January admission) and may apply prior to taking any courses at the School of Public Health. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.20, and successful applicants will generally have a GPA above 3.50.

Application to the dual degree program will consist of an application approval form signed by the director of prehealth studies in CAS Room B2; a completed SOPHAS application to the School of Public Health; an official Boston University undergraduate transcript; three letters of reference, including one from a faculty member at CAS specifically addressing the student’s capacity to do graduate-level work; and SAT scores for Critical Reading, Math, Writing, Essay, and two subject tests (or corresponding ACT scores). GRE test results will not be required as part of the application.

Students accepted to the MPH program will be required to meet certain standards and undergo further review prior to entering SPH for their final year of study. They must maintain the GPA graduation requirement and fulfill all other requirements for their particular major in CAS. Additionally, they must achieve a grade of B- or better in all SPH core courses in which they enroll as undergraduates and must attain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 in all SPH courses. Upon completion of the BA, the student’s overall record will undergo a review by the assistant dean for education and the director of undergraduate education, who will make a final decision regarding a full transition to the School of Public Health. This review may be referred to the SPH Admissions Committee.

By the time of graduation from CAS and as a condition of entry into SPH, students must have completed the following:

1. Statistics: CAS MA 115 and 116; or CAS MA 213 and 214; or CAS MA 684; or SPH BS 701 (Elementary Biostatistics, 3 cr); or SPH BS 703 (Biostatistics, 4 cr). Students who attain a grade of B or higher in both CAS MA 115 and CAS MA 116, or in both CAS MA 213 and CAS MA 214, or in CAS MA 684 will have fulfilled the MPH biostatistics requirement and are not required to take an SPH biostatistics course. Credit received for these CAS statistics courses does not count toward the minimum total of 48 credits of SPH coursework required for graduation with the MPH; and SPH BS 703 is the preferred biostatistics course for all MPH candidates concentrating in epidemiology or biostatistics.)
2. Epidemiology: SPH EP 713 (Introduction to Epidemiology, 3 cr). Students who previously took EP 711 or EP 712 may “count” these courses.
3. Either SPH LW 740 or the MPH Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights core course requirement (LW 707 or LW 751). Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights concentrators must take either LW 740 or LW 751. All students will have to take the MPH Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights core course requirement eventually to meet the MPH requirements, and they may complete this requirement after they graduate from the College of Arts & Sciences.

Students are required to meet with the director of undergraduate education or a staff member in the SPH Registrar’s Office at the School of Public Health shortly after being accepted into the dual degree program in order to plan their public health courses. Students are also expected to review this tentative schedule of courses with their academic advisor at CAS. Students who have previously declared an undergraduate minor in public health must formally “un-declare” it in the CAS Records Office, since courses taken toward the minor cannot also be counted toward the MPH.

Additional information about the BA/MPH program may be obtained by making an appointment with the director of prehealth programs at the College of Arts & Sciences. Students must meet with the director of prehealth programs well in advance of application to discuss their interest in the BA/MPH program and obtain the director’s signature on an application approval form.

For more information about the Boston University School of Public Health, visit the school website or contact Sophie Godley, director of undergraduate education at the School of Public Health, at sgodley@bu.edu.

Boston University sponsors a variety of study abroad and internship programs in Argentina (summer only), Australia, China, Ecuador, England (London), France (Grenoble and Paris), Germany, Guatemala, Ireland, Israel, Italy (Padova, Rome, and Venice), Japan, Los Angeles, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Niger (Spring 2012 only in the 2011/2012 academic year), Peru (summer only), Spain (Madrid, Burgos, and Menorca), Switzerland, Syria (summer only), and Washington, D.C., as well as exchange opportunities in China, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Singapore, and Turkey. Students may also enroll in programs sponsored by other institutions or enroll directly in foreign universities. Study abroad programs integrate students into a foreign culture and allow them to concentrate on language acquisition, study of the program country, and coursework in their majors. Internship programs generally combine 4 credits of internship with 12 credits of related coursework.

Study Abroad is open to qualified students in all of the University’s schools and colleges. Most forms of financial aid except Work-Study and supplemental housing grants are applicable, and the programs are open to qualified students from other American universities. Descriptions of Study Abroad opportunities are located at Study Abroad and Internship Programs.

Applications for programs sponsored by Boston University are available from the Study Abroad office; email: abroad@bu.edu; Website: www.bu.edu/abroad. Information for other international programs options is available from Study Abroad, 888 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215; 617-353-9888.

The Boston University Marine Program offers a specialized curriculum including a major and minor in marine science. Undergraduates at Boston University who choose to concentrate in marine science are required to participate in the Marine Semester (MS). The MS is also open to visiting students enrolled at other institutions. Undergraduates seeking admission to the MS must have junior standing and must have successfully completed one of the following marine breadth courses: CAS BI 260, BI/ES 423, ES 331, ES 440, ES 541, or ES/GE 507, (or, for visiting students, an equivalent course at the home institution).

In the MS, students choose a sequence of four intensive, research-oriented courses from a selection of one-month courses. MS courses vary each year. The courses are taught at an advanced undergraduate level in terms of independence, initiative, critical thinking, and understanding of the scientific process. Students write experimental design plans and research proposals, make research posters, give oral presentations, and submit final papers. In addition to standard biology, earth sciences, and environmental science courses (see respective department course listings), lecturers are brought in from around the world to teach courses in their areas of specialization. Whether a student’s interests lie in ecological processes, biodiversity and evolution, ichthyology, symbiosis, genetics, marine mammalogy, animal physiology and behavior, oceanography, environmental studies, coastal processes, cellular and molecular mechanisms, or microbial processes, the MS has something to offer.

For more information on BUMP opportunities, please contact the program manager at Boston University Marine Program, 5 Cummington Street, Room 106B; 617-358-4961; Email: bump@bu.edu.

SEA offers six SEA Semester programs—Ocean Exploration, Oceans & Climate, Documenting Change in the Caribbean, Sustainability in Polynesian Island Cultures and Ecosystems, Energy & the Ocean Environment, and Marine Biodiversity and Conservation—that provide rigorous academic and practical experience leading to an interdisciplinary understanding of the oceans from wind-driven sailing ships. An abbreviated version of Ocean Exploration is also offered as a Summer Session.

Ocean Exploration is a 12-week, 17-credit program. The first portion of the program consists of a six-week shore component in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where students take interdisciplinary courses in oceanography, nautical science, and maritime studies. This is followed by six weeks aboard a sailing research vessel, during which students conduct oceanographic research projects and assist in sailing the vessel. Ocean Exploration is offered year-round, beginning approximately every two months. Students of any major can participate.

The SEA Summer Session condenses the educational gains of Ocean Exploration into a shorter summer program. The eight-week, 12-credit program comprises a four-week shore component followed by four weeks at sea. Students take the same shore-component courses offered in Ocean Exploration, with the difference that instruction in maritime studies continues into the sea component.

Oceans & Climate is a 12-week, 18-credit program for upper-level science students. Students study the role the oceans play in setting the Earth’s climate, both as a sink and a buffer for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and as a major mechanism of heat transport between the equator and high latitudes. On shore, guided by SEA faculty and visiting distinguished lecturers from across the country, students study topics in oceanography and ocean policy, and learn skills necessary to operate a sailing research vessel. In addition, they design an independent research project to be carried out during the six-week research cruise. At sea, students carry out all functions of the sailing research vessel and gain practical experience in offshore oceanographic research.

Documenting Change in the Caribbean is a 12-week, 17-credit interdisciplinary program focused on understanding 500 years of environmental, political, and social change throughout the diverse islands of the Caribbean region. Today’s dynamic mix of cultures and biota in the islands bears little resemblance to the world encountered by Christopher Columbus. Students document these changes using maps and charts, colonial documents, commercial records, voyage accounts, species surveys, and the literature of Caribbean people from both the Colonial and post-Colonial periods. The cruise track of the sea component for this program provides more frequent and longer port stops than a typical SEA Semester, with directed exercises on shore to explore local cultures and environments.

Sustainability in Polynesian Island Cultures and Ecosystems is a 12-week, 17-credit interdisciplinary program focusing on the dilemma of environmental and cultural sustainability in French Polynesia. The curriculum of five team-taught courses is writing-intensive and designed for students in any academic major who are interested in environmental studies, humanities, and social sciences. The program begins with a four-week shore component in Woods Hole, continues with a seven-week sailing research voyage from Tahiti to Hawaii, and concludes with a one-week shore component in Honolulu. Central to students’ work in all five courses is research leading to the production of a web-based atlas of French Polynesia.

Energy & the Ocean Environment is a 12-week, 17-credit interdisciplinary program focusing on the social, environmental, and technological dimensions of energy production and transportation in coastal and open-ocean environments. This semester attracts students who are interested in investigating the challenges associated with using the oceans for energy security while achieving healthy, sustainable marine ecosystems. The interdisciplinary curriculum is open to all majors but is especially suited for environmental science, natural science, or physics/math majors interested in taking a holistic approach to a scientific question. The program begins with a six-week shore component in Woods Hole followed by a six-week sailing research voyage.

Marine Biodiversity and Conservation is a 12-week, 18-credit program for upper-level science or policy majors. The oceans cover 70% of our planet and yet less than 1% of their area is protected.  Undiscovered ocean biodiversity has the potential to transform medicine, industry, environmental remediation, and energy production, but is threatened by pollution, habitat destruction, fishing, and climate change. With limited knowledge of biodiversity, we lack the data needed to plan rational and effective protection and conservation of the ocean. This semester challenges students to integrate the scientific study of marine biodiversity with conservation planning for the Atlantic high seas area. The program is composed of a framework-building initial five-week shore component, followed by a five-week research cruise and a final two-week interdisciplinary synthesis phase back ashore in Woods Hole. Practical scientific and policy research skills are introduced and practiced while conducting original marine biodiversity research and generating conservation recommendations.

Interested students may apply online at www.sea.edu or contact Sea Education Association, P.O. Box 6, Woods Hole, MA 02543; 800-552-3633; admission@sea.edu. For further information, see the Boston University Affiliated Programs section of this site.