Mentors Matter!
Faculty Mentors can connect you with a broader network of international affairs professionals and can encourage you to take advantage of enriching academic and career opportunities.
Pardee graduate students are assigned a Faculty Mentor, and Pardee undergraduate students have Faculty Mentor Teams. A Faculty Mentor Team is a group of 3-5 Pardee professors dedicated to mentoring students in a given Regional Studies major or International Relations track. Students who benefit the most from this program are those who proactively work to build and maintain a relationship with their professors.
For Undergraduates
The goal of the Faculty Mentor Program is to help students develop relationships with Pardee faculty outside of the classroom. Connections with faculty are crucial for success during your time at BU and beyond, as professors can provide valuable guidance and advice on research opportunities, career paths, graduate school, and more.
Pardee undergraduate students have designated Faculty Mentor Teams consisting of 3-5 professors. Regional Studies majors have a Team based on their major. International Relations majors have a Team based on their declared functional track and their declared regional track. If you have not declared your regional or functional track yet, that’s ok! You are welcome to connect with a faculty member from a track that you’re interested in. Students can find more information about the professors on their Faculty Mentor Teams here.
Students are encouraged to connect with a professor from their Team at least once per semester to discuss topics such as:
- How to be a successful student
- Connecting with other professors
- Intersection of coursework and careers
- Research opportunities
- Career paths
- Internship questions
- Pardee Honors Program
- Graduate school
You can connect with professors in multiple ways. We’ve listed some ideas for students below:
- Attend an event that one of your Faculty Mentors is hosting
- Stop by a “Cookies & Conversation” session
- Drop by your professor’s office hours
- Send your Faculty Mentor an email to schedule a time to meet
- Talk to a professor after class
Your Faculty Mentor Team will also periodically email students to invite you to relevant events and make you aware of opportunities of interest.
For any questions about Faculty Mentor Teams for undergraduates, please reach out to your Pardee Advisor or the Student Services Office at psgugrad@bu.edu.
For Graduates
All Pardee graduate students have a faculty mentor to advise them on their future as global affairs professionals. While every incoming student has an assigned mentor, faculty mentor roles are meant to change over time. For some students, your initial mentor may be the professor you work with through a Research Assistantship. For students completing an MA paper, their faculty mentor will eventually become the professor they choose to be their MA Paper advisor, for example.
Your Faculty Mentor and Academic Advisor are here to support your success at the Pardee School. While some of the information you discuss with us will be similar, we suggest meeting with us based on the list of topics below.
| Faculty Mentor |
Academic Advisor |
| How To Be a Successful Student |
Pre-Registration Meetings/Course Selection |
| Connecting with Other Professors |
MAIA and MGP Specializations |
| Intersection of Coursework and Careers |
Course Petitions |
| Research Opportunities |
Dropping/Adding Courses |
| MA Paper or MGP Capstone Project |
Academic Support Services |
| Career Advice |
Graduation Checks |
| Additional Graduate Degrees |
Personal Concerns e.g. (health, financial) |
For any questions about faculty mentors, please reach out to the Graduate Office.