University Professors Program

The following list reflects the 2006/2007 faculty.

Anthony G. Barrand University Professor; Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. BA, University of Keele (Scotland); PhD, Cornell University

Alicia Borinsky Fellow of The University Professors; Professor of Spanish, Romance Studies, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. MA, PhD, University of Pittsburgh

Aram Chobanian President Emeritus of the University; University Professor; John I. Sandson Distinguished Professor of Health Sciences and Dean Emeritus, School of Medicine; Former Provost, Boston University Medical Campus. AB, Brown University; MD, Harvard Medical School

James J. Collins University Professor; Professor of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering; Co-director, Center for BioDynamics. BA, College of the Holy Cross; DPhil, University of Oxford (England)

Richard H. Egdahl University Professor; Alexander Graham Bell Professor of Health Care Entrepreneurship; Professor of Management; Professor of Surgery, School of Medicine; Professor of Public Health, School of Public Health. MD, Harvard Medical School; PhD, University of Minnesota

Sheldon Glashow University Professor; Arthur G. B. Metcalf Professor of Mathematics and Science in the Department of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences. AB, Cornell University; AM, PhD, Harvard University

Charles Glenn Fellow of The University Professors; Professor of Administration, Training, and Policy Studies, School of Education. Dean ad interim, School of Education. AB, Harvard College; PhD, Boston University

Liah Greenfeld University Professor; Director, Institute for the Advancement of the Social Sciences; Professor of Political Science and Sociology, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. BA, MA, PhD, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel)

David Hempton University Professor; Professor of Church Theology, School of Theology. BA, Queen’s University Belfast (Ireland); PhD, University of St. Andrews (Scotland)

James H. Johnson Fellow of The University Professors; Associate Professor of History, Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. BA, University of Oklahoma; MA, PhD, University of Chicago

Sir Hans Kornberg University Professor; Professor of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. MA, DSc, University of Oxford (England); ScD, University of Cambridge (England); PhD, University of Sheffield (England)

Charles Lindholm University Professor; Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. BA, MA, PhD, Columbia University

Igor Lukes University Professor; Professor of History and International Relations, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. BA/MA, PhD, Universita Karlova (Czech Republic); MALD, PhD, Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy

Herbert Mason University Professor; William Goodwin Aurelio Professor of History and Religious Thought; Professor of History and Religion, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. Director, Institute for the Study of Muslim Societies and Civilizations. AB, AM, PhD, Harvard University

Jeffrey Mehlman University Professor; Professor of French, Romance Studies, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. BA, Harvard College; PhD, Yale University

Uri Ra’anan University Professor; Professor of International Relations, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School; Director, Institute for the Study of Conflict, Ideology, and Policy. MA, MLitt, University of Oxford (England)

Bruce Redford Director, University Professors Program; University Professor; Professor of Art History and English, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. BA, Brown University; BA, King’s College, University of Cambridge (England); PhD, Princeton University

James W. Schmidt University Professor; Professor of History and Political Science, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. BA, Rutgers University; PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

John Silber President Emeritus of the University; University Professor; Professor of International Relations and Philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School; Professor of Law, School of Law. BA, Trinity University; MA, PhD, Yale University; LLD (hon.), LHD (hon.)

H. Eugene Stanley University Professor; Professor of Physics and Physiology, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School; Director, Center for Polymer Studies. BA, Wesleyan University; PhD, Harvard University

Lawrence Sulak Fellow of The University Professors; Professor of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. BS, Carnegie Mellon University; AM, PhD, Princeton University

Rosanna Warren University Professor; Emma Ann MacLachlan Metcalf Professor in the Humanities; Professor of English; Professor of Romance Studies, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. BA, Yale University; MA, Johns Hopkins University

Elie Wiesel University Professor; Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities; Professor of Philosophy and Religion, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. LittD (hon.), Jewish Theological Seminary; LHD (hon.), Hebrew Union College, Boston University, Yale University, Brandeis University, University of Notre Dame

Emeriti

Peter L. Berger University Professor Emeritus; Professor Emeritus of the Sociology of Religion, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School, School of Theology; Director, Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs. BA, Wagner College; MA, PhD, New School for Social Research

Rodolfo Cardona University Professor Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Romance Studies, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. BA, MA, Louisiana State University; PhD, University of Washington

D. S. Carne-Ross University Professor Emeritus; Professor Emeritus of Classics and Modern Languages, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. MA, University of Oxford (England)

Gerald P. Fitzgerald University Professor Emeritus; Professor Emeritus of English; Professor Emeritus of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. AB, AM, PhD, Harvard University

Geoffrey Hill University Professor Emeritus; Professor Emeritus of Literature and Religion, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. MA, University of Oxford (England); DLitt (hon.), University of Leeds (England)

Alberto de Lacerda University Professor Emeritus of Poetics and Comparative Literature. Institut Français (Portugal), British Institute (Portugal)

Norman Lichtin University Professor Emeritus; Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. BS, Antioch College; MS, Purdue University; PhD, Harvard University

Claudio Véliz University Professor Emeritus; Professor Emeritus of History, College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School. BSc, University of Florida; PhD, London School of Economics, University of London (England)

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Program of Study

The University Professors Program (UNI) is a separate College at Boston University that grants MA and PhD degrees in fields that combine, bridge, or fall between established intellectual disciplines. Consulting closely with faculty advisors, students design their own cross-disciplinary programs of study.

The distinguished group of faculty appointed as University Professors have built their own intellectual bridges between various disciplines of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. They all hold a dual appointment in at least one other School or College at Boston University.  The University Professors are some of the most distinguished scholars at Boston University, including Nobel Prize winners and members of international academies, and their counsel enables all UNI students to get to know leading authorities in many disciplines.

Upon admission, each student is assigned an advisor who is familiar with the student’s area of intellectual pursuit. The advisor is responsible for helping the latter establish a sharply focused, intellectually sound program of study. After completion of coursework, an advisory committee, with one or more members who can be external to the program, is established in consultation with the student.

Depending on the nature of the area to be studied, the particular student’s background, and the availability of courses, a given degree program is constructed from courses offered by any School of College of the University. Although the exact number of courses may vary from student to student, the general course requirements are completion of 32 credit hours for a post-master’s PhD candidate and 64 credit hours for a postbachelor’s PhD candidate. Regular advising and semester reports provide evaluations, on the basis of which a student’s course of study may be altered.

Requirements

In addition to general course requirements (see above) the following are required of all graduate students:

•  ID 500 Seminar This is a year-long seminar (1 credit each semester) that meets once a week throughout the academic year to consider papers presented by faculty of the University Professors Program. The seminar provides a practical opportunity for incoming students to learn about the academic interests and current investigations conducted by the University Professors.
•  Comprehensive Examinations are required of PhD candidates only. They are administered after the completion of coursework. They take the form appropriate to the particular area of study (i.e., written, oral, or a combination of both). These are administered and graded by the faculty advisor and advisory committee.
•  Foreign Language Requirement Students should show evidence of mastery of at least one and possibly two foreign languages appropriate to their particular area of study. Ordinarily this evidence consists of passing a written examination.
•  Thesis/dissertation proposal and public defense of prospectus.
•  A master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation and oral defense are required of all graduate students.

See the Graduate section of the University Professors Program website for full requirements for graduate students in the University Professors Program.

Time Limits

Although time limits depend on the particular circumstances of each student and the advice of the advising professor and graduate committee, it is normally expected that a master’s degree program should not exceed three years; a postbachelor’s doctoral program should not exceed seven years; and a post-master’s doctoral program should be completed within five years.

Any student who chooses or is advised to transfer into another degree program at Boston University or another institution will be expected to fulfill the entrance requirements of that program.

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Admission

Application forms for the University Professors Program and instructions for submission of complete credentials can be downloaded from www.bu.edu/uni/admissions/graduate. They may also be obtained from the Program Coordinator, University Professors Program, Boston University, 745 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215. The University Professors Program is not a division of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. A nonrefundable application fee of $70 must be submitted with each application. Applicants must also submit the following credentials to the program coordinator by January 15 for fall semester and October 15 for spring semester:

•  Official transcripts or records of each college or university attended
• A written statement that includes a short declaration of your proposed areas of study, i.e., sociology of literature; and a more detailed presentation of a possible dissertation topic or research agenda. The statement should outline the student’s intellectual interests, background, and proposed area of concentration, showing why these interests cannot be combined within the scope of existing degree programs at Boston University, and showing that there are educationally sound and intellectually significant reasons for combining them
•  Official records of the Graduate Record Examination and Test for English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for international students (note: international students must take both the GRE and TOEFL)
•  At least three letters of recommendation from faculty who are not affiliated with the University Professors Program. These letters should comment on the student’s capacity for sustained independent work, intellectual aptitude, and seriousness of purpose
•  Applicants are encouraged to provide a writing sample.

Final selection of students will be made by the Admissions Committee of the University Professors Program. This same committee has the responsibility to name the student’s faculty advisor. Regardless of qualifications, no student will be admitted unless there are qualified faculty available to provide that student with appropriate guidance and supervision.

Financial Aid Financial aid decisions are based on merit considerations rather than financial need. All admitted students will be reviewed for financial assistance. No application forms are required for financial assistance. Financial aid awards range from course scholarships to full-funding packages which include full tuition scholarships and living stipends.

Academic Policies

Grading The University Professors Program authorizes all University grading symbols.

Academic Standards To remain in the program, students are required to maintain a 3.5 grade point average from semester to semester.

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Courses and Seminars

The following courses, under the auspices of the University Professors Program, are open to all graduate students of the University community.

UNI HU 540 Literary Translation: Practice and Theory

Prereq: competence in a second language. A seminar on the theory and practice of literary translation, with attention to translators of the Bible, Homer, Dante, and contemporary European writers, among others. Weekly series of presentations by translators from Boston and elsewhere. Open to registered students and to the public. Registered students complete special projects and attend workshops. Warren. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

UNI HU 541 The Sister Arts

Prereq: juniors, seniors, and graduate students only and consent of instructor. This seminar examines how the linked activities of showing and telling, seeing and saying, have preoccupied Western culture since the classical period. We will explore the intimate relations between word and image by concentrating on such subjects as ekphrasis and spatial form. Must submit to instructor a 5–7 page sample of writing. Also offered as CAS AH 598 and CAS EN 598. Redford. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

UNI HU 572 Literature of Memory III: Faith and Tragedy

NO WEB REG. Prereq: 400-level course in the humanities or upper-level literature class. Preference given to seniors and graduate students. From antiquity to modern times, writers have tried to capture what is essential in human nature by composing tragedies. What defines tragedy? How does the tragic form provide occasions for ethical examination? We will explore tragic literature from Sophocles to Miller and from Shakespeare to Shaw, as well as theories of tragedy from Aristotle to Brecht. Discussion section required. Also offered as CAS RN 577and STH TS 863. Wiesel. 4 cr, 1st sem.

UNI HU 573 Literature of Memory IV: Hope and Despair in Chasidism

NO WEB REG. Prereq: 400-level course in the humanities or upper-level literature course. Preference given to seniors and graduate students. Stamped approval from instructor’s office required. The Chasidic revolution, originating in Eastern Europe, altered the course of religious history by introducing radically innovative models of spiritual life that remained grounded in classical Jewish tradition. This course will constitute an exploration of the central tension in the movement between the Chasidic emphasis on joy and the experience of despair. How does one find hope in desperate times? How do fundamental principles impact a community’s ability to generate constructive belief in the face of anguish? We will examine the ways in which some of the great Jewish religious figures of the 18th and 19th centuries negotiated choices surrounding faith and melancholy, dealt with the temptation to despair and fostered hope among others. Discussion section required. Also offered as CAS RN 578 and STH TS 870. Wiesel. 4 cr, 1st sem.

UNI HU 811 Stalking the Wild Mind: The Psychology and Folklore of Psychic Phenomena and Extrasensory Perception

A research seminar exploring the implications of and methodologies for investigating phenomena at the threshold of human ability. Topics include extrasensory perception, constraints on the development of human potential, prophetic divination, dowsing, and artistic insight. Also offered as UNI HU 311. Barrand. 4 cr, 1st sem.

UNI HU 840 Folk Songs as Social History

Anglo-American folk songs and singing styles as expressions of personal, social, and cultural history. Topics include finding and using regional and thematic song collections, performance of traditional music, preparation and presentation of song materials in selected projects. Also offered as GRS AN 840. Barrand. 4 cr, 1st sem.

UNI ID 500 University Professors Seminar

Weekly presentation of papers by the faculty of the University Professors Program. Open to enrolled students in UNI and the public. See a listing of topics on the web: www.bu.edu/uni. Registered UNI students must take both semesters. Year course. 1 cr, each sem.

UNI ID 541 Seminar on Modernity I

The seminar may be taken either or both semesters (offered as UNI ID 543/CAS SO 543 in spring semester). The seminar deliberately and systematically crosses disciplinary boundaries to explore the origins, nature, and fate of modernity. The details of the year’s program depend on the disciplines represented by the participating students whose individual interests are accommodated as much as possible. In past years, the seminar has focused on the cultural foundations of modernity, specifically and primarily nationalism, but also Romanticism, science, and major political ideologies; modernization and development as studied by the social sciences, modernism and postmodernism in literary and cultural studies, and the nature of man and society in the perspectives of modern philosophy have also been of central interest in the seminar. Guest lecturers from relevant departments of the University and other specialists in the Boston area are invited to share their ideas. Also offered as CAS SO 541. Greenfeld. 4 cr, 1st sem.

UNI ID 543 Modernity Seminar II

May be taken either or both semesters. (Offered as UNI ID 541/CAS SO 541 in the fall semester).  This interdisciplinary seminar continues the inquiry began in the fall semester examining the origins, nature, and fate of modernity; new students are encouraged to enroll. The details of the course depend on the disciplines represented by the participating students, whose individual interests are accommodated as much as possible. In past years, the seminar has focused on the cultural foundations of modernity, specifically and primarily nationalism, but also Romanticism, science, and major political ideologies; modernization and development as studied by the social sciences, modernism and postmodemism in literary and cultural studies, and the nature of man and society in the perspectives of modern philosophy have also been of central interest in the seminar. Guest lecturers from relevant departments of the university and other specialists in the Boston area are invited to share their ideas. Also offered as CAS SO 543. Greenfeld. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

UNI ID 564 History of Education

The focus is on the history of education as a public concern, as reflected in government policies, debates about the purposes of education, conflicts around questions of religion and schooling, etc. Thus the focus is not so much on classroom practices as on influences from outside which have affected schools. Also offered as SED AP 620. Glenn. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

UNI SS 515 Authenticity and Identity

This course will explore the idea of the authentic self in Western culture, reading authors such as Montesquieu, Hegel, Rousseau, Diderot, Moliere, and Nietzsche. Historical and cross-cultural perspective will be provided through examples from Medieval Europe, Pakistan, America, Bali, and China. Also offered as CAS AN 515. Lindholm. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

UNI SS 541 Directed Study in Russia’s International Policies I

Russian (Soviet and post-Soviet) approaches to international policy (includes relations with other former Soviet republics); ideological and practical aspects. The policy-formation process and its machinery; domestic (factional) impact upon that process. Strategic and tactical concepts from Lenin to Putin. The history of interstate (and interparty) relations. Also offered as CAS IR 541. Ra’anan. 4 cr, 1st sem.

UNI SS 542 Russia: A Country in Trouble

The course presents today’s Russia from two perspectives. First, as a country determined to regain its status of a world-class power. Second, as a country that is breaking under the impact of organized crime and the public health and environmental crises. It analyzes the career of Vladimir Putin, the conflicts between Yeltsin and Gorbachev, and their attack on the political, security, and military elites of the old regime. The end of the Cold War is examined from the perspective of U.S.-Soviet relations. Also offered as CAS IR 542 and CAS PO 556. Lukes. 4 cr, 1st sem.

UNI SS 543 The Changing Face of Eastern Europe

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Eastern Europe has become the most interesting laboratory for testing competing political and economic theories. Focused on events that followed the collapse of communism, the course studies the domestic and foreign policies of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Germany; it analyzes the disintegration of Yugoslavia. Also offered as CAS IR 543 and CAS PO 557. Lukes. 4 cr, 1st sem.

UNI SS 544 Comparative Political Systems and Foreign Policies

Conflicting concepts of state and nation and the persistence of ethnic conflict. Raison d’état and ideology in international relations. National and territorial aspirations; alliance systems and spheres of influence. Policy formation and decision making in closed societies. The democratic approach to decision making. Party and electoral systems in the parliamentary form of democracy. Also offered as CAS IR 544. Ra’anan. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

UNI SS 545 European Diplomatic History, 1789 –1918

The evolution, function, and interaction of modern East and Central European states. Nationalism as a major factor in European history. National unification and multinational empires. The perception and utilization of options in European diplomacy. The impact of technology and the arts upon policy formation. The emergence of the post-1871 alliance systems and the path to World War I. Also offered as CAS IR 545. Ra’anan. 4 cr, 1st sem.

UNI SS 546 Power and Legitimacy

This course studies various political theories and their role in forging the world of today. Primary sources from Plato to Havel provide the framework for an inquiry into the relationship between the state and the individual, the ruling class and its subjects. The course is based on the premise that the central question facing all societies is: “Who is going to rule, and why?” Also offered as CAS IR 546. Lukes. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

UNI SS 570 Lovers and Leaders: The Anthropology of Romance and Charisma

Why do people sometimes believe that an individual is godlike or uniquely lovable and desirable? This class will use theory from anthropology, sociology, and psychology to discuss this question, dealing with the dyadic idealization (romantic love and “friendship to the death”) and idealization of a leader (charisma). Also offered as CAS AN 570. Lindholm. 4 cr, 1st sem.

UNI SS 591 The Great Powers in the Middle East

The seminar focuses on the rivalry between the great powers of Europe in the Middle East, commencing in 1798 and on the resolution of these conflicts in the First World War and its immediate aftermath. The course concludes with brief reference to the continuing conflicts arising from the peace settlement of 1922 with a special reference to the Suez episode of 1956. Also offered as CAS HI/IR 591. Fromkin. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

UNI SS 772 Psychological Anthropology

The course introduces students to some key theoretical perspectives and controversies in the cross-cultural study of psychology. The reading is of classic texts and of cross-cultural studies of emotion, sexuality, concepts of the person, national character, consciousness, authority, and religion. Also offered as UNI SS 372 and CAS AN 372/GRS AN 772. Lindholm. 4 cr, 1st sem.

UNI SS 802 Directed Study in Russia’s International Policies II — External Policy Post-1991: Decision Making — Structure and Process

The presidential “apparat,” the government, the Federation Council, the Duma, and the Regions. The evolving party system. The Russian “diaspora” and the “near abroad.” Relations with Primakov’s traditional clients. Also offered as GRS IR 802. Ra’anan. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

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Additional Courses

The following courses taught by University Professors are offered in departments of other Schools.

CAS AN 594 Seminar: Social Movements

TBA. Lindholm. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS EN 505 Poetry Seminar

Prereq: consent of instructor, to whom a selection of poems must be submitted during the period just before classes begin. See English department for course restrictions.  A workshop in the writing of poetry. Manuscripts read and discussed in class. Individual conferences. Enrollment limited chiefly to graduate students. Warren. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS EN 528 Literature of the Eighteenth Century II: The Age of Johnson

The great critic and lexicographer Samuel Johnson dominated late-eighteenth-century London intellectual life. Explores Johnson’s multi-faceted achievements and those of his principal colleagues—Boswell, Goldsmith, Reynolds, and Burne. Redford. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS HI 486 Islamic History

Examination of major historical forces that determined the growth and character of Islamic civilization from beginnings to modern times. Mason. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

GRS IR 772 Classics of International Relations

A reading of major international relations classics of the twentieth century in the original texts, assessed both in their historical context and from a contemporary point of view. Fromkin. 4 cr, 1st sem.

GRS LS 851 Writing in the Americas

Study of works by leading authors of the Americas with participation by writers as special guests. Issues discussed include universal versus regionalist concerns, the writer’s role in today’s society, history as component of contemporary fiction, and Latin America at the century’s end. Borinsky. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS RN 641 Islamic Mysticism: Sufism

Rise and development of the mystical movement in early Islam; analysis of the thought of leading Sufi brotherhoods, their organization, liturgy, and religious life; the impact of Sufism on classical and postclassical Islam. Also offered as STH TX 844. Mason. 4 cr, 1st sem.

GRS PH 801 Philosophy of the Enlightenment: Montesquieu

Rosen. 4 cr, 1st sem.

GRS PH 854 Political Philosophy: Leo Strauss

Rosen. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

GRS SO 837 Sociology of Culture

Examines the mutual interdependence between social structure and culture, focusing on the ways in which belief, faith, knowledge, symbol, ritual, and the like both produce and are products of social organization. Greenfeld. 4 cr, 1st sem.

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31 October 2007
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