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Boston University, the third-largest independent university in the United States, is a hub of intellectual, scientific, and cultural activity. With more than 2,500 faculty members and more than 29,000 students, it pursues the ideal of a research university--that knowledge is best acquired in the pursuit of new knowledge, and that both undergraduate and graduate students benefit by learning from individuals who are actively engaged in original research.

The University traces its roots to a school founded in Vermont in 1839, which moved to Boston in 1867 to become the first American university to be modeled on the European system. Today the University retains its dual character: Yankee independence combined with a cosmopolitan outlook. Within the University, 15 Schools and Colleges offer a total of more than 250 degree programs. Academic departments and research institutes serve as small communities for students and scholars, who also participate fully in the excitement and variety of the larger University community.

Boston University is coeducational and nonsectarian. Its campus extends over 71 acres from the historic Back Bay section of Boston westward along the south bank of the Charles River. From the townhouses of Bay State Road to state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms, and from peaceful parks and esplanades to the city life of Commonwealth Avenue, the University offers a clean, safe, and attractive environment in which students live and study. A separate medical campus in the South End of Boston is home to world-renowned medical researchers and teaching physicians.

Founded by a group of Methodist lay leaders, Boston University has always been strongly committed to equality in opportunity, without regard to race, color, creed, sex, or national origin. It was the first institution of higher education in Massachusetts to grant degrees to women, and it graduated the first African American woman MD and the first woman PhD. It stood nearly alone in its early years when it opened its doors to African Americans and international students from all continents. The University's commitment to the recruitment of minorities and women continues today within the student body and the faculty.

The University is a progressive, recognized innovator in health care, science, engineering, communications, management, and education. The two-year College of General Studies introduced the first college program in the country organized around a team method of instruction. The University initiated accelerated programs in liberal arts/medical education, liberal arts/dental education, and liberal arts/law education. Numerous interdisciplinary programs offer broad possibilities for combining career goals and personal interests.

Boston University is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. Individual Schools and programs are accredited by other professional associations. Please see School bulletins for information.

An urban institution from its inception, Boston University has always recognized that its future is linked with the future of its city. The University fosters programs that promote the well-being of Boston's citizens and improve its environment. Major undertakings such as the Chelsea Schools initiative illustrate the University's commitment to the community.


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Other Schools and Colleges of Boston University

From innovative, two-year, basic study programs to its world-famous graduate schools, Boston University offers a student at any academic juncture a wide variety of options. The other Schools and Colleges of Boston University are briefly described below. If you would like further details regarding any program of the University, write to Boston University Graduate Programs, P.O. Box 886, or Boston University Undergraduate Programs, P.O. Box 887, Boston, MA 02215.


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College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences provides BA and, in conjunction with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, BA/MA programs in the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences, offering more than 50 concentrations in 23 departments and numerous interdisciplinary centers. Students in the University's other four-year undergraduate Colleges take their required and elective liberal arts courses in the College of Arts and Sciences.


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School for the Arts

The School for the Arts encompasses the Music Division, Theatre Arts Division, and Visual Arts Division. Each provides its students with intensive training for professional careers in the arts. Studies are augmented by courses in language, the humanities, and other areas through the various Schools and Colleges of the University. Bachelor's and master's degrees are awarded in each of the divisions. In addition, the Music Division offers the Doctor of Musical Arts (MusAD) degree, the Artist Diploma in Performance, and the Certificate in Opera. The Theatre Arts Division offers the Certificate Program for Artisans and Technicians.


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College of Communication

The College's undergraduate program leads to the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Film and Television, Journalism, or Communication. The Master of Science (MS) is offered in Film, Television, Television Management, Journalism, Broadcast Journalism, Business and Economics Journalism, Science Journalism, Health Communication, Mass Communication, and Public Relations. There are two dual degree programs. One leads to the MS in television management and MBA from the School of Management, and the second leads to the MS in mass communication and Juris Doctor (JD) from the School of Law. There is also a joint MA in international relations and international communication through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.


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School of Education

Programs of study are offered for the Bachelor of Science (BS), Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Master of Education (EdM), Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS), and the Doctor of Education (EdD). Professional specialization is available in more than 20 areas within four departments: Administration, Training, and Policy Studies; Curriculum and Teaching; Developmental Studies and Counseling; and Special Education.


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College of Engineering

The program of study for the Bachelor of Science (BS) degree prepares students not only for a career in engineering but also for further study in other areas. Degree programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and are available in aerospace, biomedical, computer systems, electrical, manufacturing, and mechanical engineering. A major in interdisciplinary engineering is also available for student-planned studies in areas such as environmental science and music technology. The College's Cooperatve Education Program integrates the student's academic studies with a paid, professional eight-month work experience. The ENGMEDIC program allows students to earn a BS in biomedical engineering from the College of Engineering and an MD from the School of Medicine. The BS/MS program allows students to earn a Bachelor of Science in Engineering concurrently with the Master of Science in Engineering. Programs are also offered leading to the Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees. The MS program in manufacturing engineering may be combined with the School of Management's MBA program. The PhD program in biomedical engineering may be combined with the School of Medicine's MD program.


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College of General Studies

The College of General Studies offers a two-year, general education core curriculum taught through a team system of instruction and oriented toward students whose traditional admission credentials, such as scholastic aptitude scores and high school grade averages, may make them ineligible for direct admission into the University's four-year programs. Students who satisfactorily complete the prescribed 56 credit hours of the general education core curriculum and 8 credit hours of approved elective courses are eligible for continuation into nearly all of the University's four-year Schools and Colleges.


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Goldman School of Dental Medicine

The School offers a four-year predoctoral program leading to the Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD). In cooperation with the College of Arts and Sciences, the School offers the Seven-Year Liberal Arts/Dental Education program. Postdoctoral programs in all the dental specialties lead to the Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS). In addition, the School offers the Master of Science in Dentistry, the Doctor of Science in Dentistry, the Master of Science and Doctor of Science in Nutritional Sciences, and the Master of Science in Dental Public Health.

The Office of Continuing Education provides short, intensive courses of interest to general practitioners, dental auxiliaries, and specialists in all phases of dental science.


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Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs in more than 30 fields in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and in interdisciplinary programs.

A joint PhD program is offered with the School of Social Work (in sociology and social work), and a joint MA in international relations and international communication is offered with the College of Communication.

Dual degree programs with other Schools allow students to earn the MA in international relations or preservation studies simultaneously with the JD from the School of Law; the MA in economics or international relations together with the MBA from the Graduate School of Management.


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School of Law

The School of Law offersa three-year program of full-time study leading to the Juris Doctor (JD) degree.Particular strengths of the School include intellectual property law, health law, environmental law, business and organizations and finance law, litigation and dispute resolution, and international law. Students may pursue concentrations in those areas to graduate with certification of advanced study. Students also have a choice of six dual degrees with other Schools of Boston University, allowing them to combine a JD degree with an MBA; an MBA in health care management; an MS in mass communication; a Master of Public Health; an MA in historic preservation studies; or an MA in international relations. Students interested in international law also have the opportunity to study abroad for a semester at Oxford University in England, the Université Jean Moulin-Lyon III in Lyon, France; the University of Leiden in The Netherlands; or Tel Aviv University in Israel.

Boston University School of Law is widely respected for its outstanding clinics, which include both defender and prosecutor programs, a Legal Aid Clinic, a Legal Externship Program, a Judicial Internship Program, and a program in legislative services. An impressive publications program features seven law journals and offers students outstanding opportunities for legal writing and analysis, while extensive moot court competitions hone the courtroom and advocacy skills of student participants.

The School offers three graduate programs: the Master of Laws (LLM) in Taxation; the Master of Laws in Banking Law Studies, which focuses on either American or international banking law; and the Master of Laws in American Law, for foreign jurists interested in acquiring a working knowledge of the American legal system.

The School of Law enjoys an international reputation for the excellence of its faculty, who value both research and teaching. Graduates of the School have held leadership positions throughout the legal, business, and government communities since the School was founded nearly 125 years ago.


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School of Management

Undergraduate and graduate degree programs prepare individuals for management positions in corporations, small businesses, government, health, and not-for-profit organizations. The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) provides students with skills and concepts applicable to careers in management, including an understanding of management as a system of interrelated functions and departments. The Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program, which includes concentrations in health care management and public management, is offered on a part- or full-time basis. The Executive MBA Program is offered for current managers with at least ten years of professional experience. Dual degree MBA programs are offered with the MS in management information systems; the JD at the School of Law; the MA in economics, and the MA in international relations at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; the MS in manufacturing engineering at the College of Engineering; the MA in medical sciences at the School of Medicine; the MPH at the School of Public Health; and the MS in television management at the College of Communication. The School of Management's Master of Science in Management Information Systems Program prepares graduates of accredited undergraduate programs for careers that integrate the needs of management and computerized information systems capabilities. The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Program leads to professional research and consulting positions in industry, government, and nonprofit settings.


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School of Medicine

Boston University School of Medicine celebrates 150 continuous years of medical education in 1998. The University established the School of Medicine in 1873 by merging with the New England Female Medical College, which had been founded in 1848 as the world's first medical college for women. The School of Medicine became a constituent member of the Boston University Medical Center in 1962. Situated in the South End of Boston, the School of Medicine offers multiple pathways leading to the MD degree, including a four-year program. A seven-year program, which began in 1960, leads to the BA and MD degrees; students also have the option of completing this program in six years. The Modular Medical Integrated Curriculum (MMEDIC), a nonaccelerated, eight-year program leading to the BA and MD degrees, began in 1977. It was expanded in 1990 to allow early selection of qualified Biomedical Engineering students (The Engineering/Medical Integrated Curriculum--ENGMEDIC). The Early Medical School Selection Program (EMSSP) offers early admission to candidates at participating historic black colleges and universities to increase the underrepresented minority physician population. The School of Medicine also provides an alternative curriculum that allows students the option of completing the first year of medical school in two academic years. A program leading to the MD/MPH degree is offered through the School of Medicine and the School of Public Health.

The School of Medicine also offers the Master of Arts (MA) in Anatomy, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Medical Sciences, Microbiology, Pharmacology, and Physiology. The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is offered in Anatomy, Behavioral Neuroscience, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Cell and Molecular Biology, Immunology, Microbiology, Oral Biology, Pathology, Pharmacology, and Physiology. A combined MD/PhD degree is also available.

In the fall of 1992, on-campus housing became available to medical students in Harrison Court, a completely renovated, elegant nineteenth-century structure on Harrison Avenue.


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The School of Public Health

This School, within the School of Medicine, offers part- and full-time programs leading to the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree with concentrations in environmental health; epidemiology and biostatistics; health law; health services; international health; maternal and child health; and health behavior, health promotion, and disease prevention. Doctoral (DSc) programs in epidemiology and environmental health and a master's degree in epidemiology (MSc) are also offered. The School also offers the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and the Master of Arts (MA) in Biostatistics jointly with the Mathematics Department in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Five dual degree programs are available: MD/MPH, MA (in medical sciences)/MPH, MSW/MPH, MBA/MPH, and JD/MPH. A Nurse Midwifery Education/MPH Program is available to experienced registered nurses. An MPH program incorporating Peace Corps experience has also been established. The Health and Housing Fellows Program is open to returned Peace Corps volunteers and others with extensive community service experience. In addition, the School's Center for International Health offers several short-term certificate programs in international health. For further information, call or write the Office of Admissions, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118; 617/638-4640; Fax: 617/638-5299; E-mail: sphadmis@bu.edu; or visit the School of Public Health Web site.


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The Program in Biomedical Laboratory and Clinical Sciences

This program, offered jointly with Metropolitan College, offers part- and full-time degree and certificate programs which provide students with hands-on laboratory science experience. Students take evening classes that prepare them for positions in clinical, research, or biotechnology laboratories. Job assistance is available. Call 617/638-5622 or e-mail cphilli@bu.edu for details and information on this and other programs offered to high school science teachers and high school students.


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Metropolitan College

Since 1965, Metropolitan College has been serving working adults who might not otherwise have the opportunity to take courses or earn degrees. With the exception of the Science and Engineering Program, classes are scheduled for evening sessions. In addition to those at the Charles River Campus, courses are offered at the Boston University Downtown Center in the financial district and at the Corporate Education Center in Tyngsboro. Additional programs are offered at several overseas locations.

The Associate of Science (AS) degree is offered in Accounting, Biomedical Laboratory and Clinical Sciences, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, and Management Studies. The Bachelor of Science (BS) degree is offered in Biology, Biomedical Laboratory and Clinical Sciences, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering Management, Interdisciplinary Studies, Management Studies, Mathematics, Paralegal Studies, Psychology, Sociology, and Urban Affairs. The Bachelor of Liberal Studies (BLS) degree program offers a traditional liberal arts education in Art History, English, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Philosophy.

There are two special undergraduate credit programs: the Accelerated Program, designed to accelerate the process of obtaining a bachelor's degree, and the Science and Engineering Program, a two-year, full-time curriculum for students whose preparation for science and engineering should be enhanced.

Graduate degree programs offered are the Master of Science (MS) in Actuarial Science, Administrative Studies, Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, and Telecommunication; Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) in Interdisciplinary Studies; Master of Criminal Justice (MCJ); Master of Urban Affairs (MUA); and Master of City Planning (MCP). For more information, write to Metropolitan College, 755 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215; 617/353-6000.

The College also maintains the Corporate Education Center, a 220-acre satellite campus in Tyngsboro, about 30 miles north of Boston, where instruction is offered in several MET graduate programs in Computers and Management. The Corporate Education Center offers many professional development seminars in business, computers, and other technical areas through its four divisions: the Center for Management Development, the Center for Information Technology, Computer Career Programs, and manufacturer-authorized training. These programs are also offered in Boston at 930 Commonwealth Avenue and the Boston University Downtown Center, in Cambridge on Alewife Brook Parkway, and in Foxboro at the Foxboro Company. The Corporate Education Center offers meeting and conference facilities as well as on-site training programs for business and industry.


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Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Sargent College offers programs leading to the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Athletic Training, Clinical Exercise Physiology, Communication Disorders, Health Studies, Human Physiology, Occupational Therapy, and Rehabilitation and Human Services. Students may enter the College with an undeclared major. During the first two years, faculty members and advisors help undeclared students select a major.

The Bachelor of Science in Health Studies and Master of Science in Physical Therapy Program includes three years of preprofessional study and two and a half years of professional preparation. Performance will be reviewed during the third year of study; those meeting the established criteria will continue directly into the professional portion of the program. The Master of Science in Physical Therapy (MSPT) program, designed for those possessing a baccalaureate degree in another area, requires two and a half years of professional study. Both programs lead to eligibility for professional certification.

The Combined Bachelor of Science and Master of Science (BS and MS) Program, leading to eligibility for professional certification, is an option for a limited number of highly qualified students in speech-language pathology. This department also offers a two-year MS program that enables students to fulfill professional entry requirements. The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) and the Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling, two-year programs, provide professional education to men and women who hold bachelor's degrees in a variety of fields.

Advanced education for experienced health professionals includes programs leading to the MS in nutrition, applied anatomy and physiology, occupational therapy, rehabilitation counseling, speech-language pathology, and applied kinesiology. The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) is offered in speech-language pathology and audiology, occupational therapy, and rehabilitation counseling.

The Doctor of Science (ScD) can be earned in applied kinesiology, audiology, speech-language pathology, applied anatomy and physiology, rehabilitation counseling, and therapeutic studies.


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School of Social Work

The School offers part- and full-time programs leading to the Master of Social Work (MSW) in Clinical Social Work Practice (with individuals, families, and groups) and in Macro Social Work Practice (community organization, human services, management, and social planning). Students may elect a Family Therapy Certificate Program or a program in human service management. Dual degree programs are available leading to the MTS/MSW or MDiv/MSW (with the School of Theology), the MPH/MSW (with the School of Public Health), or the MSW/EdM or MSW/EdD (with the School of Education). The PhD in sociology and social work is offered in conjunction with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.


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School of Theology

The School of Theology provides college and university graduates with professional education for ministry in the Christian Church and related vocations. Degree programs lead to the Master of Divinity (MDiv), Master of Theological Studies (MTS), Master of Sacred Music (MSM), Master of Sacred Theology (STM), Doctor of Theology (ThD), and Doctor of Ministry (DMin). Programs for the MA and PhD are available through the Division of Religious and Theological Studies of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Dual degree programs are offered with the Music Division of the School for the Arts (MSM/MDiv) and with the School of Social Work (MSW/MDiv and MSW/MTS).


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The University Professors (UNI)

The teaching program of The University Professors is designed to respond to the need for rigorous and well-founded cross-disciplinary studies apparent in our cultural centers. This elusive, but principal, objective is achieved partly by emphasizing the fundamental humanistic values inherent in all academic endeavors.

The blurring of the deceptively distinct boundaries between the conventional disciplines has not passed unnoticed by many students, who have shown an interest in courses that integrate several disciplines around a central theme, frequently with challenging and illuminating results. Most courses taught by The University Professors are open to all Boston University students, and they can be taken either as electives or in order to meet degree requirements, always with the approval of the student's advisor.

The responsibility of teaching in The University Professors program is precisely associated with the mastery of several disciplines. Each member of the faculty has experience in a number of disciplines normally linked by current research commitments, the better to serve students who are themselves interested in extending, modifying, or integrating established fields of study around a flexible academic program.

The Bachelor of Arts (BA), Master of Arts (MA), combined Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts (BA/MA), and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees are offered by The University Professors.


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International Graduate Centers

Boston University's Metropolitan College operates graduate degree programs in four cities abroad. The Master of Science in Management (MSM) is offered at Beer Sheva and Tel Aviv, Israel; Brussels, Belgium; and London, England. The Master of Science (MS) in Administrative Studies, with a concentration in multinational commerce, is offered at Brussels, Belgium, and London, England. Information is available from Boston University, International Graduate Centers, 755 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215-1783; 617/353-3028.

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Published by Trustees of Boston University
147 Bay State Road
Boston, MA 02215

11 March 1999
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