College of Arts & Sciences

Special Courses and Programs

In addition to departmental and interdepartmental concentrations, the College of Arts & Sciences, either within its own curriculum or through other schools and colleges of the University, offers a number of special courses and programs. The following examples are described in the departmental sections of this bulletin.

African American Studies

American & New England Studies

Education

Intensive language Study Abroad programs: Grenoble, France; Madrid, Spain; and Padova, Italy

Judaic Studies

Korean

Liberal Arts/Dental Education Accelerated

Liberal Arts/Medical Education Accelerated

London Internship Programs

Medieval Studies

Modular Medical Integrated Curriculum (MMEDIC) (individual modules open to students not in MMEDIC program)

Muslim Studies

SEA Semester

Washington Internship Programs

Women’s Studies

Other opportunities are mentioned below.

BA/MA Program

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 36–40, 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 degrees 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 Collaborative Degree Program students.

BA/MPH Program

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 sixteen 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 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 Collaborative Program (BUCOP) 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 Programs in CAS Room B2; a completed application to the School of Public Health submitted via the SOPHAS online system; 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 the 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 degree, the student’s overall record will undergo a review by the Assistant Dean for Admissions and the Assistant Dean for Education at SPH, who will make a final decision regarding a full transition to the School of Public Health.

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

1. Statistics: CAS MA 115 and 116; or CAS MA 213 and 214; or CAS MA 684; or SPH BS 701 (Elementary Biostatistics, 3 credits); or SPH BS 703 (Biostatistics, 4 credits). 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. (However, 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 711 (Introduction to Epidemiology, 3 credits) or SPH EP 712 (Epidemiological Methods, 4 credits). SPH EP 712 is strongly recommended for students who plan to concentrate in Epidemiology, Biostatistics, or Environmental Health at the School of Public Health.

3. Health Law: SPH LW 707 (Essentials of Public Health Law, 2 credits) or SPH LW 751 (Public Health Law, 4 credits). Students who plan to concentrate in Health Law must enroll in SPH LW 751.

Students are required to meet with the Registrar or Assistant Registrar at the School of Public Health shortly after being accepted into the dual degree program in order to plan their public health courses in advance. 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 will formally “un-declare” it in the CAS Records Office, since courses taken toward the minor cannot also be counted toward the MPH degree.

Application Approval Forms and advising appointments may be obtained in the Preprofessional Advising Office (CAS Room B2) 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.

Boston University Collaborative Degree Program (BUCOP)


Students who wish to enroll simultaneously in the College of Arts & Sciences and another undergraduate school or college of Boston University to pursue dual bachelor’s degrees may apply for admission to the Boston University Collaborative Degree Program (BUCOP). Application should be made no earlier than the first semester of the sophomore year and no later than the end of the first semester of the junior year. If admitted, students must satisfy all requirements of both degrees, be enrolled in the BUCOP program for at least three semesters, and complete no fewer than 36 courses.

Interested students should meet with an academic counselor in CAS Room 105. Information about BUCOP is also available in CAS Room B3.

Directed Study

Directed study enables the advanced undergraduate student to pursue independent research under the guidance of a faculty specialist. Ordinarily, directed study proposals are developed in consultation with a faculty advisor and are submitted for approval not later than the week preceding early registration to the Directed Study Committee in CAS Room 105. Directed study projects may be undertaken for variable credit (1–6 credits) and are well suited for internships that have an academic foundation. Students may complete a maximum of 12 credits of directed study while at the College of Arts & Sciences. Further information and applications are available in CAS Room 105.

College Honors Program

The College Honors Program provides an enhanced curriculum for academically outstanding freshmen and sophomores. Four College Honors courses, selected with the supervision of a College Honors advisor, must be completed satisfactorily by the end of the sophomore year to complete the program. The program’s student association publishes a newsletter, Nuntius. Qualified incoming freshmen are invited into the program by the Dean of Arts & Sciences on the recommendation of the Admissions Office. For more information, contact the College of Arts & Sciences Honors Program, 745 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 435, Boston, MA 02215; 617-353-8330.

Independent Work for Distinction


Any qualified student may undertake a program of independent work, in his or her concentration or minor concentration, that provides the opportunity to develop a special competence in the field. To graduate with distinction, seniors must undertake a two-semester independent investigation culminating in a thesis and an oral examination based on the thesis. Students who successfully complete their work for distinction with a grade of B+ or better in each semester may be recommended to graduate with distinction in the concentration.

Juniors who plan to undertake independent work during the senior year must, in consultation with a faculty supervisor in the concentration or minor concentration, select a suitable topic to be investigated. A description of the project written by the student, together with a copy of his or her unofficial academic transcript through the middle of the junior year and a reference report written by the proposed faculty supervisor, must be approved by the departmental Honors Committee and submitted to the Work for Distinction advisor in CAS Room 105 by May 15 for work to begin in the fall, and by November 15 for work to begin in the spring. Qualifying students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0; some departments may require a higher grade point average. Work for Distinction projects may not be combined with study abroad programs.

If approved, independent work will constitute two of the eight courses comprised by a normal course of study during the senior year. A student engaged in an independent work project is expected to report regularly to his or her faculty supervisor. It is expected that the independent work will culminate in a thesis, which the student will defend before a committee of the faculty. Bound copies of theses may be reviewed in CAS Room 105.

Accelerated Programs

Special programs in medicine and dentistry are offered to highly qualified students. Comprehensive descriptions of these programs can be found following the departmental sections at the end of the College of Arts & Sciences section of this site.

Study Abroad and Internship Programs

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, Peru (summer only), Senegal (summer only), Spain (Madrid and Burgos), Switzerland, Syria (summer only), and Washington, D.C., as well as exchange opportunities in 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 fields of concentration. Internship programs generally combine 4 credits of internship with 12 credits of related coursework.

Study abroad is open to qualified students in all 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 under the International Programs section of this site. Further details are provided in the Special Programs section that directly follows the CAS Departments and Programs section.

Applications for programs sponsored by Boston University are available from International Programs, 232 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215; 617-353-9888; E-mail: abroad@bu.edu; International Programs. Information for other study abroad options is available from International Programs, 888 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215; 617-353-9888.

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Boston University Marine Program (BUMP)


The Boston University Marine Program offers a specialized curriculum including major and minor concentrations 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, Boston University Marine Program, 675 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 141A; 617-358-4961; E-mail: bump@bu.edu.

Sea Education Association (SEA)

SEA offers four SEA Semester programs—Ocean Exploration, Oceans and Climate, Documenting Change in the Caribbean, and SEA Summer Session—that provide rigorous academic and practical experience leading to an interdisciplinary understanding of the oceans from wind-driven sailing ships.

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.

SEA Summer Session condenses the educational gains of SEA Semester 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 the SEA Semester, with the difference that instruction in maritime studies continues in the summer into the sea component.

Oceans and Climate is a 12-week, 17-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. Onshore, 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 6-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 program. It recognizes that few regions have seen such enormous changes in the last five centuries as the islands in the Caribbean Sea. 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.

Applications are available from the Sea Education Association, Inc., P.O. Box 6, Woods Hole, MA 02543; 800-552-3633; E-mail: admission@sea.edu;Website: Sea Education Association. For further information, see the Special Programs section that directly follows the CAS Departments and Programs section in this site.

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Published by Trustees of Boston University
One Silber Way
Boston, MA 02215

16 October 2009
Boston University
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