The
Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences Bulletin
contains detailed information about degree
programs, course offerings, requirements,
and policies. A summary of degree programs
and requirements appears below, but please
consult the Bulletin online for the most
specific information. If you require a paper
copy, you may request that one be sent to
you (within the United States) by filling
out this online
form. To expedite your application process,
we strongly encourage you to use our online
resources, including our online
application for admission.
General
Requirements for the M.A.
Course Requirements
Candidates
for the M.A. degree are required to complete
a minimum of 8 graduate-level semester courses
(32 credits) or the equivalent. At least
4 of the required 8 courses must be in the
major field. Normally, no more than 4 courses
may be taken concurrently. Each student
must register for at least one course each
semester until completion of all departmental
course requirements unless he or she obtains
an authorized leave of absence.
Residency
Requirement
Students must be registered
in the semester or summer term in which
they complete degree requirements and in
the preceding semester.
Language
Requirement
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences has no general foreign language requirement. Proficiency in one or more foreign anguages is required in many of our degree programs; please consult the individual program listings for specific requirements.
Thesis
or Comprehensive Examination
A thesis or a comprehensive
examination may be required, as determined
by the department or division of major study.
Time
Limit
The program shall be completed
within three years after the first registration
for study leading to the M.A. degree.
General
Requirements for the Ph.D.
* Post-bachelor’s candidates
without a master's degree or its equivalent
are required to complete a minimum of 16
graduate-level semester courses (64 credits)
or the equivalent. Specific requirements
relative to the selection of courses, seminars,
and research, or directed study will be
determined for each student by the department
or division in the field of concentration.
Note that each student who has been awarded
a Teaching Fellowship must register for
a 2-credit teaching course. Credits for
this course do not count toward degree requirements,
but appear on the transcript as evidence
of instruction and evaluation in teaching.
Normally, no more than four courses may
be taken concurrently. Each student must
register for at least one course each semester
until completion of all departmental course
requirements unless granted an authorized
leave of absence.
* Post-master’s candidates
with a master's degree or its equivalent
are required to complete the equivalent
of a minimum of 8 graduate-level semester
courses (32 credits). Specific requirements
relative to the selection of courses, seminars,
and research or directed study will be determined
for each student by the department or division
in his or her field of concentration. Normally,
no more than four courses may be taken concurrently,
and each student must register for at least
one course each semester until completion
of all departmental course requirements
unless granted an authorized leave of absence.
Residency
Requirement
Each student must satisfy
a residency requirement of a minimum of
two consecutive regular semesters of full-time
graduate study at Boston University. Full-time
study in this context is full-time commitment
to the discipline as determined by the department.
Without necessarily implying full-time course
enrollment, this commitment permits access
to libraries, laboratories, instructional
staff, and other academic facilities of
the University, including the department
of concentration.
Doctoral students holding
appointments as teaching fellows or research
assistants are considered full-time students
for purposes of the residency requirement
provided that the time beyond that required
by their appointments is devoted fully to
their graduate program. In order to graduate,
students must be registered part or full
time in the semester or summer term in which
they complete degree requirements, as well
as in the preceding semester.
Language
Requirement
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences has no general foreign language requirement. Proficiency in one or more foreign anguages is required in many of our degree programs; please consult the individual program listings for specific requirements.
Qualifying
Examination
All students shall demonstrate
mastery of their major fields in special
examinations set by the major department.
All parts of the qualifying examination
must be passed before the dissertation prospectus
or outline will be accepted by the Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences.
Ph.D.
Candidacy
A student in a Graduate School
of Arts and Sciences Ph.D. program will
be accepted to Ph.D. candidacy upon successful
completion of such qualifying examinations
as are designated by the department. At
that time, the department will notify the
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, which
will formally accept the student to Ph.D.
candidacy. The maximum period allowable
between matriculation and acceptance to
Ph.D. candidacy is established by the individual
department. Once entered, a Ph.D. candidacy
will expire on its fifth anniversary and
after such time will be renewed only if
the student equalities for candidacy as
determined by the department and the Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences. In no instance
will a student who is not a Ph.D. candidate
be allowed to defend a completed Ph.D. dissertation.
Dissertation
Candidates shall demonstrate
their abilities for independent study in
dissertations representing original research
or creative scholarship.
Dissertation
Prospectus
After completing coursework,
language requirements, and the qualifying
examinations, a student proposes a dissertation
topic and asks the department to identify
first and second (and in some departments
third) readers for the dissertation. The
first reader will be a member of the student's
department, except by special arrangement
with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
The dissertation prospectus should be completed
before the more extensive phase of dissertation
research is undertaken. The department is
responsible for reviewing and evaluating
a draft prospectus. The review is followed
by revision and the production of a final
draft, which must be approved by the readers,
the director of graduate studies, and the
chairman. The
approved prospectus is submitted to
the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Office on or before the date specified in
the GRS Graduation
Calendar. Although the length of the
prospectus will vary from discipline to
discipline, it cannot exceed twenty double-spaced
(or ten single-spaced) pages, not including
bibliography. Specific procedures for meeting
the general guidelines described here vary
from department to department.
Abstract
and Final Oral Examination
Students undergo final oral
examinations in which they defend their
dissertations as valuable contributions
to knowledge in their fields and demonstrate
a mastery of their fields of specialization
in relation to their dissertations. The
examining committee is composed of five
or more Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
faculty members, at least two of whom are
from the student's department. By special
appointment, approved by the dean of the
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, examiners
may be from outside the School itself. The
membership of the committee must be approved
by the chairman or the director of graduate
studies. Before the final oral examination
can be scheduled, the candidate must obtain
initial approval of a dissertation abstract
from the readers, the director of graduate
studies, and the chairman. The abstract,
which cannot exceed 350 words in length,
describes the thesis, methods, and general
content of the dissertation. The
abstract must be submitted to the Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences Office at least
three weeks before the examination. Two
weeks before the examination, the schedule
of the examination is due in the Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences Office, together
with fourteen copies of the approved abstract.
Students are responsible for arranging an
examination date with the department and
for requesting that the Graduate School
of Arts and Sciences schedule the examination.
Students should consult their departments
and the GRS Graduation
Calendar about specific procedures and
dates pertaining to abstracts and examinations.
General instructions concerning the scheduling
of examinations and the submission of abstracts
are available from the Graduate School of
Arts and Sciences Office.
Time
Limit
The post-bachelor's program
must be completed within seven years after
the first registration for doctoral study.
The post-master's program must be completed
within five years after the first registration
for the doctoral program.
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