College of Arts and Sciences

Special Courses and Programs

In addition to departmental and interdepartmental concentrations, the College of Arts and 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 site.

African American Studies

American and New England Studies

Education

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

Islamic Studies

Judaic Studies

Korean

Liberal Arts/Dental Education Accelerated

Liberal Arts/Medical Education Accelerated

London Internship Programs

Medieval Studies

Modern British Studies Program

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

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 and Sciences and the Graduate School of Arts and 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 and Sciences.

The departmental sections of this site 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 and 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.

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Boston University Collaborative Degree Program (BUCOP)

Students who wish to enroll simultaneously in the College of Arts and 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 and 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 junior 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 and Sciences on the recommendation of the Office of Admissions. All other students who achieve a GPA of 3.5 or above in their freshman year may enter the program as sophomores. For more information, contact the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program, 745 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 435, Boston, MA 02215; 617-353-8330.

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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 and 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 and Oxford), France (Grenoble and Paris), Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy (Padova and Venice), Japan, Los Angeles, Mexico, New Zealand, Niger, Peru (summer only), Senegal (summer only), Spain (Madrid and Burgos), Switzerland, and Washington, D.C., as well as exchange opportunities in Denmark, France, Japan, 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 in the Study Abroad Resource Library, 232 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215; 617-353-9888.

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Boston University Marine Program (BUMP)

The Boston University Marine Program offers a specialized curriculum within the Department of Biology. Undergraduates at Boston University who choose to concentrate in Biology with a specialization 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 an overall GPA of 2.7 and must have successfully completed the following courses: CAS BI 107, BI 108, and BI 260; CH 101 and 102; and MA 213.

In the MS, students choose a sequence of four intensive, research-oriented courses from among 12 one-month courses. MS courses vary each year. The courses are taught at an advanced undergraduate level in terms of independence, initiative, ability to think critically, 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 the 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, 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 in the Biology Department main office at 5 Cummington Street.

Sea Education Association (SEA)

SEA offers four semester programs—SEA Semester, 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-powered sailing ships.

SEA Semester 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. SEA Semester is offered year-round, beginning approximately every two months. Students, regardless of major, can participate in this unique experience.

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. It is an oceanography-focused program that builds on SEA's strengths in student-centered field research. The oceanography shore component in Woods Hole features three guest lecturers, recognized experts in their field who work with SEA faculty to present lectures and develop student research projects.

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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22 October 2007
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