Graduate
Thank you for your interest in graduate studies at Boston College.
As part of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Theology department offers a joint M.A. with the Philosophy department and the Ph.D. in five areas of specialization (Bible, Comparative, Ethics, Historical, and Systematic), preparing its graduates for scholarly careers of research, teaching, and service in higher education.
All information on the Graduate Theology application process can be found in the Program Brochure. Applications are due in early January of each year for the upcoming fall. The application itself is completed online through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and is opened mid-autumn for the upcoming cycle (e.g. opens September 2019 for January 2020 deadline).
To order a copy of the Theology Graduate Program Brochure please contact the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at gsasinfo@bc.edu or 617-552-2244, or visit the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences web site where you will find downloadable forms, application details, and instructions for applying online.
Graduate Student Testimonials
Doctoral students are expected to:
- Acquire a rigorous mastery of the Judeo-Christian tradition, enabling them to critically probe the foundations of various theological positions.
- Command the tools and techniques of research particular to their field and to organize and integrate their knowledge in such a way as to make an original contribution to the academic study of theology.
- Engage in ecumenical, inter-religious, interdisciplinary, and cross-cultural academic conversation as appropriate to their discipline.
- Acquire the skills and competencies necessary to present papers at appropriate academic conferences and to publish the results of their research in respected peer-reviewed journals.
- Acquire the skills and competencies necessary to succeed not only as an active scholar but as an effective teacher.
Students in the Joint M.A. in Philosophy and Theology are expected to:
- Demonstrate a working understanding of the fundamental texts, voices, conversations, and debates that have shaped the history of philosophy and theology in the Western tradition (ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary);
- Appreciate and systematically engage the historical and ongoing interaction between philosophy and theology in the Western tradition, particularly as it concerns questions of God, reason, revelation, faith, language, doctrine, culture, and human experience;
- Appreciate and constructively engage the various genres, methods, styles, aims, and historical contexts of philosophical and theological inquiry;
- Develop a program of study in consultation with an advisor that includes a concentration in one of the following areas: Faith, Science, and Philosophy; Foundations in Philosophy and Theology; Medieval Philosophy and Theology; and Philosophy and Religions.
- Demonstrate a sophisticated ability to write and speak about philosophical and theological texts and issues through graduate seminars, language study, a comprehensive exam, and an optional thesis.