

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
New students are invited to attend an orientation session on the first day of summer classes. This orientation has been designed to provide you with an introduction to summer study at Boston College and an opportunity to meet other new students.
Session I Orientation
Monday, June 27 at 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., Simboli 135
* New degree and certificate students are required to attend the orientation session.
New students who plan to enroll in an STM degree program and would like the credits they are taking this summer to count toward their degree should consult the degree-specific policies regarding summer courses on the STM website before registering for courses.
Summer Registration begins Thursday, February 24 at 9:00 a.m., (EST) for all STM students.
All students must be registered for their class prior to the first class meeting.
For step-by-step instructions to register for a course in Eagle Apps please go to this link. You will need your BC credentials and also be connected to the BC VPN (if you are off campus) in order to access this website. You can find instructions to access the BC VPN here. If you need assistance, please email Donna DeRosa.
To access all resources for your summer course you MUST activate your BC Credentials. Information on how to set up your BC Account was sent to you after you registered. NOTE: you will need to know your BC username and Eagle ID, which were sent to you upon your admission.
Students with questions about how to access and/or use Canvas should contact the BC-LMS helpdesk for support. They are available by email 24 hours a day and by text chat or phone Mon-Fri 9:00 pm to Midnight (Eastern US time). Contact information can be found here: https://bc-elocs.zendesk.com/hc/en-us.
Activating BC Credentials
If you are a new student and setting up your BC credentials for the first time follow these instructions:
Go to the BC Agora Page: https://portal.bc.edu/
Enter your user name
Enter your Eagle ID
You will be prompted to change your password.
Your Boston College credentials can be found in the right column of your admissions status page in the Slate Admissions system.. You will need these credentials to log onto the Boston College Portal (portal.bc.edu).
If you are a returning student follow these instructions:
Go to the BC Agora Page Page: https://portal.bc.edu/
Enter your username
Enter your last known password. If you have forgotten your password click on the link “forgot your password?” and follow the instructions. NOTE: you will need to know your BC username and your Eagle ID to follow this process.
If you experience any problems with reactivating your account, please contact the BC help desk: (617) 552-HELP or email them at help.center@bc.edu.
Activating BC Email
Using your BC credentials (found on the right hand column of your application status page, where you accessed your admission letter), log into portal.bc.edu and navigate to Common Services > Address/Alias Settings
Two email addresses will be listed. Both go to the same email inbox. Some people prefer to share the firstname.lastname@bc.edu format, but either one will get to you. Use username@bc.edu whenever you login to Google Workspace.
Set up your Secondary Password
BC Google Workspace requires a separate password called Secondary Password; this is different from your Agora Portal password, and it is only used for Google Workspace.
Log into portal.bc.edu and navigate to Account and Personal Info > Change Secondary Password
Follow the listed guidelines to create your Secondary Password.
Check your BC email
Go to gmail.com
Log in with your Google Workspace credentials:
IMPORTANT: Google will prompt you to set up 2-Step Verification. Don’t delay setting it up. You have 7 days after logging into your Gmail account to set up 2-Step Verification. If you don’t set it up within 7 days, you will be locked out of your account, and need to contact the BC ITS Help Center for assistance (617) 552-HELP (4357).
Given the brevity of these summer courses, it is essential that students come prepared to engage in learning the very first day. To facilitate this, each course has work to complete prior to the first day of class. This generally includes reading and often requires a written essay to be submitted before or on the first day of class.
Pre-course work and first day of class assignments will be posted in the Canvas page for your class in late April.
Activate BC Zoom Account
If you are taking an ONLINE SYNCHRONOUS class, please follow the directions found at the following link to activate and access your BC licensed Zoom account. This is the account you will use to interact with your class this summer. http://cteresources.bc.edu/documentation/zoom/accessing-your-bc-zoom-account/
Please note that all tuition charges must be paid prior to the first class. You can pay your student account through your Agora Portal.
Payment by International Wire Transfer: Boston College has partnered with FLYWIRE to make international tuition payments. For more information, please visit the Student Services website at: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/offices/student-services/billing-student-accounts/billing.html#make_a_payment.
Course Costs:
COURSES FOR CREDIT ($1,196 per credit)
(3 credit courses) 1 course = $3588
(2 credit courses) 1 course = $2392
(1 credit courses) 1 course = $1196
COURSES FOR AUDIT ($598 per audit)
(3 credit courses) 1 course = $1794
(2 credit courses) 1 course = $1196
(1 credit courses) 1 course = $598
ONLINE DROP/ADD: Drop/add must be done prior to the third class meeting for all three-week courses. Drop/add must be done prior to the second class meeting for the 19th Annotation course and the Post-Master's Certificate course. Donna DeRosa and Melissa Bjorklund will be available before and after class during Sessions I and II to process any drop/add requests. REFUNDS: Students who withdraw from a course before the add/drop deadlines will receive a 100% refund. PLEASE NOTE: Refunds are not available after the posted add/drop deadlines.
CONTEXTUAL EDUCATION
Contextual Education is the supervised ministry requirement of the MATM and is usually completed in the last full academic year of the degree program. The experience continues across both fall and spring semesters. It is composed of three elements: work at a supervised ministry site; supervision; and participation in the classroom component (synchronous and asynchronous online for those in hybrid format).
The establishment of ministry sites and supervisors must be done prior to the beginning of the experience. Therefore, in the spring or summer prior, MATM students must meet one-on-one with Dr. Callid Keefe-Perry, Faculty Director for Contextual Education, or Marcia Ryan, Associate Director of Supervised Ministry. Once they have done so, students doing the MATM in the Hybrid format should register for TMPS800702 for the fall and spring semesters.
SPIRITUAL FORMATION FOR MINISTRY
Summer-only and hybrid M.A. degree students are required to register for Spiritual Formation for the Practice of Ministry. In this one-credit formation process, students gather in small cohort groups for prayer and reflection on central themes of spirituality for ministry in order to cultivate practices for integrating faith, life, and ministry. The process consists of two parts: the weekly cohort and the creation of a personal spiritual formation plan, the components of which may be fulfilled throughout the duration of one’s degree program. Groups meet twice a week for three weeks in session one from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., under the guidance of a trained facilitator. The meeting dates are Tuesday, June 28, Thursday, June 30, Tuesday, July 5, Thursday, July 7, Monday, July 11 and Thursday, July 14. The required Spiritual Formation syllabus and readings are available online. Graded on a pass/fail basis. NOTE: Master’s degree students who live locally and/or who also take courses in the academic year are required to take TMPS7080 in the academic year rather than the summer. Students with questions about this policy should contact Sr. Barbara Quinn, R.S.C.J., Associate Director of Spiritual Formation at (617) 552-8447.
All new degree and certificate students are required to take the online academic integrity tutorial in their first summer of study. This tutorial will introduce students to the academic culture at STM and teach students best practices in terms of academic integrity. The associate dean for academic affairs will e-mail all new degree and certificate students with more information as the summer approaches.
These workshops (Part 1 in the fall and Part II in the spring) are required of all new degree and certificate students at STM and are a graduation requirement. Students in degree programs with a supervised ministry/Contextual Education requirement need to take them before their placement begins. For students taking face-to-face courses in the academic year at STM, they are offered on two dates each semester; students choose one each semester. For those living at a distance and doing the MA degree in a hybrid fashion, an online section is offered. Please check the fall and spring course listings to register for the appropriate workshop.
The services and collections of the Boston College Theology and Ministry Library (TML), located at 117 Lake Street in the heart of the Brighton campus, support the curricular and research needs of the faculty, students, and staff of the STM. If you plan to spend any time on the campus this summer, the TML staff look forward to meeting you at the library, where appropriate pandemic-related protocols remain in place for staff and user safety. If you plan to do all of your academic work remotely, the library staff can still provide a wide range of services to you in a virtual capacity and have made many vitally important resources in theology available online. The following websites should prove especially helpful.
Main Page of the BC Libraries: https://library.bc.edu
Website for the TML: https://libguides.bc.edu/tml
Theology at TML: https://libguides.bc.edu/theology_tml
BC Libraries Services Update - COVID-19: https://libguides.bc.edu/servicesupdate
All University students, faculty and staff are issued Eagle One Cards through the Office of Student Services in Lyons Hall. Proof of identification must be presented in order to be issued an Eagle One Card. The initial fee is $45 and will automatically be billed to your student account.
The Office of Student Services consolidates the functions of the Registrar's, Financial Aid, Student Employment, Student Accounts, Student Loans, and Credit Collections Offices in order to offer one-stop services for students and families. For more information, visit the Web site at https://www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/offices/student-services/about/Contact.html.html
Massachusetts State Law requires full-time, part-time, and part-time visa-carrying students to show proof of required immunizations. All information must be submitted 30 days prior to the start of classes. Failure to do so will result in a $85 non-refundable late fee and you will not be able to register for next semester classes. More information about the immunization requirements can be found here.
Boston College has a pay parking system. All individuals using parking at Boston College are required to pay.
Parking permit applications can be found on the Parking and Transportation website. Students may complete the application in advance and then bring a check to Student Services in Lyons Hall on the first day of class to obtain a parking permit. For 2021-2022 the grad student (SGS) rate for the summer is $113. Students who need overnight parking can order the regular summer permit (SUM) for $322 for the Summer or $95/week.
For those students who are staying in on-campus housing, you will receive information about on campus parking for the night that you are checking in.
For those of you driving to campus on the first day of class, please park in the large TML lot on the Brighton Campus. Parking enforcement will be relaxed on Monday, June 27th and July 18th so students can pick up permits at Student Services that afternoon. In order to continue to park on campus, you must purchase your permit at Student Services by the end of that day or pay to park on a daily basis.
A Preschool Summer Program is available at the Boston College Children’s Center located in the Haley Carriage House, 47 Stone Ave., Chestnut Hill, MA. For more information, contact the Boston College Children’s Center at karen.cristello@bc.edu.
The STM Summer Session Housing Application is available at this link and is due by June 7.
Due to space restrictions, housing assignments will be granted based on the date we receive your application. Once housing is filled the online application will be closed regardless if the application deadline has not passed.
Please indicate your room preference (single, double, family accommodations, roommate preference) and any specific housing needs in the "comments" section of the summer housing application.
If you have a specific person with whom you want to share your room or apartment, please indicate so on the application form. You may request only a person who is taking the same sessions as you are. Summer Housing is unable to "hold" a space for two weeks until a friend arrives. Conversely, should your roommate/apartment mate leave earlier than you, we will need to fill the bed space with a new student.
Once your Summer Housing Application has been processed, you will receive a confirmation email. Application processing will not begin until late May. In order for the application to be approved, you must be registered for a course within the applicable session. Students not registered upon submission of a Summer Housing Application will not be approved. To prevent a delay in processing, please register for your courses prior to applying for housing.
All STM Summer students are housed in air conditioned single, double, or family occupancy rooms in Rubenstein Hall or another similar residence hall. Units in Rubenstein Hall are apartment-style with two bedrooms and include a kitchen, a bathroom, and a common room. Each room includes a desk, chair, chest of drawers, and bed for each occupant. No dining plan is available through the University in the Summertime, but the dining halls are open. Students may pay with cash, a card, or with their Eagle ID Dining/Eagle Bucks. Eagle IDs or coins can also be used to pay for the laundry facilities located in Rubenstein hall. Rubenstein hall, along with all other buildings at Boston College, is smoke free.
Dishes, pots, pans, glasses, silverware and other utensils are NOT provided. If you wish to use these, you will need to supply them.
Single Accommodation includes a single bedroom in a shared apartment. Double Accommodation includes a shared bedroom in a shared apartment. Each bedroom is furnished with two single beds, two desks, two study chairs, and two dressers. All buildings at Boston College, including the residence halls, are smoke free and during the summer alcohol is not permitted on campus even for those who are of legal drinking age.
A basic linen service is offered to all STM Summer students for $32 per person. Each student and family member will receive a supply bag that contains linens, towels, and toilet paper. Trash barrels with liners will also be provided for the suite. All linens must be returned in the supply bag provided when the student checks out.
Unfortunately, Summer Housing is not able to house Summer students before or after the session. Due to the limited time available to prepare the halls, no one will be allowed to move into their assignment until the official move-in day.
More summer housing information will be available at https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/offices/student-affairs/sites/residential-life/living-in-bc-housing/summer-housing.html
Type | Rate/Night/Bed (Air-Conditioning) Voute Hall |
Student Double Occupancy (2 per bedroom) | $30.00 |
Student Single Occupancy (1 per bedroom) | $59.50 |
Spouse/Family Double Occupancy | $83/per family member |
Spouse/Family Single Occupancy | $112/per family member |
STM Summer students bringing a spouse or additional family members should register for appropriate accommodations and include the names of each family member they are bringing in the comment section of the application. Rates depend on the number of occupants in a room and students are charged for each occupant. Please note that there are different rates per night for spouses and family members, which are listed in the table above. More summer housing information will be available at https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/offices/student-affairs/sites/residential-life/living-in-bc-housing/summer-housing.html.
Please note: Family occupancy apartments are extremely limited and will be distributed in accordance to need by STM. Family occupancy is designed for Summer students with children. STM participants planning on bringing family members must indicate this on their application and register for an entire two bedroom apartment. Family apartments are only available with space availability due to space restrictions. Please contact the Summer Housing office at summer.housing@bc.edu if you are considering bringing your family.
STM Summer students may check in at the Summer Welcome Center, located at Stayer Hall, 110 St. Thomas More Drive, across from St. Ignatius Church, which is a short walk from Rubenstein Hall. If you are taking a taxi to campus, you may want to have the taxi wait while you check in and drive you to the residence hall. Participants must arrive on the date listed for their course in the above chart. The Welcome Center is open from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. daily. Please do not arrive outside these hours, as there will be no staff available to check you in. If you have an international flight that arrives after 1:00 a.m., please email summer.housing@bc.edu to make specific arrangements.
All residents must check out by 11:00 AM on the date of their approved departure at the Summer Welcome Center. Keys and access cards must be returned upon check-out. Keys and access cards that are not returned will result in a charge assessed to the student’s account.
Information about Summer Housing will be available in the coming weeks.
21st ANNUAL EVELYN UNDERHILL LECTURE IN CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY
Christian Spirituality as a Resource in Polarized Times
Saturday, July 9, 10:00-11:45 a.m. EST
Presenter: Julie Hanlon Rubio, Professor of Christian Social Ethics, Jesuit School of Theology, Santa Clara University
Location: Robsham Theater, Chestnut Hill Campus
Free of charge, Register at
In the context of increasing polarization in church and society, people of faith may need to turn to spiritual practices. As we head into another election season, Julie Hanlon Rubio, Professor of Christian Social Ethics at Santa Clara University and author of Hope for Common Ground: Mediating the Personal and the Political in a Polarized Church (2016) explores how "practical mysticism" can help Christians heal divisions in the church and cultivate a better politics.
Sponsored by STM
13th ANNUAL MARY OF MAGDALA CELEBRATION
The Struggle for a Place at the Table: Jesus and the Syrophoenician Woman
Friday, July 22, 12:00-3:00 p.m. EST
Presenter: Maria Pascuzzi, CSJ, SSL, STD, Director, Spirit Alive: The CSJ Institute for Faith Inquiry and Theological Education
Location: St. Ignatius Church and Corcoran Commons, Heights Room, Chestnut Hill Campus *This celebration of the feast of St. Mary Magdalene begins with Mass and lunch, followed by a lecture.
Free of charge, Register at
The dismissive response by Jesus in Mark 7:24-30 to the Syrophoenician woman’s request has left many struggling to explain the dynamics of this interaction. Traditionally, the story has been interpreted as a test of the woman’s faith. Others see it as a boundary-breaking encounter in which, through the woman’s agency, Jesus comes to broaden his thinking and reorient his mission to include Gentiles. This text invites us to consider the difficulty of relinquishing privileged status and power, a difficulty that persists in our own day.
Sponsored by STM