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Unparalleled challenges confront the twenty-first century: an intensive, global, highly competitive and changing economy, the exponential growth of information technology, alarming patterns of civic disengagement, and increased skepticism of major social institutions.
Developing leaders who can address these challenges with knowledge, skill, expertise and a vision of a just society are the goals of the James A. Woods, S.J., College of Advancing Studies.
The Woods College of Advancing Studies offers part-time study to undergraduate and graduate students from widely differing backgrounds and preparations who wish to maximize their experiences and master the skills necessary to advance their future.
Undergraduate Programs
The James A. Woods, S.J., College of Advancing Studies offers the atmosphere of a small college within the environment of a large university. Students receive personal attention while enjoying access to the many resources of Boston College. The inclusive admission policy of the Woods College of Advancing Studies captures and embodies the spirit, the defining character of Boston College, where institutional aspirations are never allowed to overshadow the unique individuality of the learners who make up our local educational community. This presence sparks dynamic and interactive undergraduate learning opportunities.
Bachelor of Arts degree program allows students to begin studying for an undergraduate degree or complete a degree initiated at other institutions.
Professional Studies certificate programs provide a sound understanding of an undergraduate discipline as well as current professional knowledge within that discipline.
Special Student program is available to undergraduates who want to take credit classes without enrolling in a degree program.
Visiting Student program allows registration for credit in day classes without enrolling in a degree program.
Courses are scheduled ordinarily from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. during the fall, spring and summer.
Special Students
Special students are individuals interested in taking evening undergraduate courses for academic credit, but not in applying for a degree. Such students enroll at registration. No previous application is necessary.
Visiting Students
Individuals wishing to attend during the day as special undergraduate students should apply to the Woods College of Advancing Studies for Visiting Student status. Each applicant is advised during the academic process. Qualified applicants are admitted to specific courses on an individual basis.
Professional Studies Certificate
The Professional Studies Certificate is an end in itself for some students. For others, it may be applied toward completion of a bachelor's degree. Whatever one's ultimate goal, whether to qualify for promotion, initiate a career change, or earn an undergraduate degree, professional studies can help achieve that objective. The number of courses required to complete a Professional Studies Certificate varies with the area of study, but in every instance courses must be completed at Boston College. Students must receive at least a grade of C for each course credited toward the certificate. Certificate requirements should be completed within two years of initial enrollment; courses are permanently retained on the student record. A request to receive a formal certificate must be filed in the Woods College of Advancing Studies the semester the certificate requirements are completed.
A Professional Studies Certificate may be obtained in Accounting, Communications, Criminal and Social Justice, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Management and Marketing.
Bachelor of Arts Program
The Bachelor of Arts Program prepares students to address and master the challenges of a rapidly changing and increasingly complex world. A flexible, broad-based curriculum permits registrants to choose courses and tracks of study reflecting their individual interests and varied career objectives. The curriculum offers intensive work and a degree of disciplined mastery in a major area. It also provides breadth and venturesome possibilities in communications, corporate systems, criminal and social justice, information technology, the humanities and the social sciences.
While Boston College majors may be completed through the Woods College of Advancing Studies by taking day classes, those majors available for completion by taking all evening classes are American Studies, Communications, Information Technology, Corporate Systems, Criminal and Social Justice, Economics, English, History, Political Science, Psychology, Social Science and Sociology.
Schedule
Degree candidates complete a minimum of thirty courses with at least a C- cumulative average.
Transfer students must complete at least half their course work at Boston College to be eligible for a degree.
For students in the degree program, the maximum course load is three per semester. Authorization for one additional course will be given only if a student has completed these courses, each with a grade of B- or above, in the previous semester. Degree candidates may register for either day or evening classes.
The core curriculum emphasizes a distinguishing characteristic of liberal education. It is neither too narrowly focused nor too diffused. Such diversity of subject matter and approach promotes professional success. All bachelor programs require seventeen core courses in humanities, social sciences, mathematics and sciences.
Humanities develop communication strengths, explore diverse cultures, and introduce the kinds of thinking that relate learning to the moral significance and practical direction of life. The nine course requirement comprises Introductory College Writing, Literary Works, and an English elective; two foreign literature in English translation or two intermediate foreign language courses; Problems in Philosophy and a philosophy elective; and two theology electives.
Social Sciences provide a better understanding of how people develop, think and interact; how they adapt and change the environment. Required are two history courses and three additional courses selected from the following areas: economics, history, political science, psychology, or sociology.
Mathematics and Sciences enhance content knowledge and its impact on individuals, communities, societies and the global environment. A computer course and two courses in either mathematics or science comprise the three course requirement.
Undergraduate Admission
The James A. Woods, S.J., College of Advancing Studies is a focal point for a dynamic and diverse community of Greater Boston undergraduate degree seekers. This college—which has inspired aspirations for eighty-three of Boston College's one hundred and forty-eight year history—resonates with the give and take of students, faculty, graduates, friends, parents, donors, and the Boston community.
The admissions process is designed to respond to the strengths and needs of talented applicants from all walks of life. All are unique, yet all share much in common, not the least of which is the desire to continue their education. Advancing Studies students are accepted, not for where they are, but where they want to go and what they might become.
The Woods College of Advancing Studies' website invites interested individuals to view the catalogue and obtain an application at www.bc.edu/advancingstudies. Degree applicants complete an application and submit an official copy of their high school record or equivalent documentation. While secondary school graduation or an equivalency certificate is required, entrance requirements are flexible. The applicant's motivation, interest, and present seriousness of purpose are criteria for admission. No entrance examinations are required. On the basis of official college transcripts submitted at the time of application, admission to advanced standing may be granted to students who have pursued studies in fully accredited liberal arts colleges. Courses equivalent in content and quality to those offered by Boston College and in which the applicant has received a grade of at least a C are considered.
Interested applicants may participate in CLEP, the College Level Examination Program, which evaluates non-traditional college learning such as self-directed study and job related experiences. On the basis of CLEP scores submitted when applying, applicants may be awarded college credits.
When an applicant's file is complete, a personal interview is scheduled. Assistance in the selection of courses is provided and recommendations made based on the applicant's interests and career goals.