introduction

The McGillycuddy-Logue Center for Undergraduate Global Studies is pleased to announce the Global Service and Justice Program (GSJP), open for first-year applicants during the Fall  semester.  In the Catholic and Jesuit tradition, the program will provide an opportunity for Boston College students to critically engage with concepts of community service and social justice throughout their time at BC. Through local and international service experiences paired with group reflection and coursework, students will seek a more informed vision of their role in the world, both locally and globally.

Program Description

The program structure combines rigorous academic preparation, personal experiences and guided reflections that will, in turn, facilitate an evaluation of deeply-rooted assumptions and foster a more comprehensive understanding of global issues. Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive a GSJP certificate and transcript documenting their academic and service accomplishments and will emerge as more informed activists and better-prepared leaders.

Students will complete a series of experiential and academic components related to social justice during their time at BC. Thematically, the program will look progressively outward as students first consider the meaning of service on a personal level, then look towards its meaning in the community, and finally interpret social justice on a global level. A senior capstone course will help draw together four years of service and reflection as students integrate what they have learned and experienced as GSJP students. Students will be sent forth from BC having a greater sense of personal and communal commitment to service and justice.

Service Component

• Local community service placement of at least one semester during sophomore year.
• International service experience of at least four consecutive weeks, ideally during a junior year semester abroad.

Academic Component

Cohort courses:

• One-credit course during spring semester of freshmen year
• One-credit course during spring semester of sophomore year
• Three-credit seminar course during senior year

Individualized Concentration:

• Four additional academic courses are required.  The courses must be relevant to international service and explore a common theme, such as environmental justice, peace studies, or global health, but will be tailored to the individual student’s interests.  Concentration courses will be selected in consultation with the program advisors and may count towards other graduation requirements (ie. major, minor, or core requirements). 

Language Component

• A minimum of two courses beyond BC's language requirement

Building Community

• Three mandatory retreats are offered to students during their first, second, and fourth years of study.

How to Apply!

• Applications are open to first-year students only.
• Applications for the current academic year, 2011-2012 are closed.
• Incoming first-year students, class of 2016, may apply during their first-semester, Fall 2012. Applications will become available here in September, 2012.

For more information please feel free to contact the GSJP graduate assistant, Patrick Reynolds, at gsjp@bc.edu