phd programs boston college

Boston College

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Boston College Graduate Programs

Boston College is one of more than 800 institutions with graduate schools surveyed by U.S. News on an annual basis. Boston College confers degrees through various schools, such as: the Carroll School of Management, the Law School, the William F. Connell School of Nursing, and the Lynch School of Education and Human Development.

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Master of Science in Applied Analytics

Learn differently.

Flexible On Campus/Online Degree Program

Applied Means…

Breaking through in the board room uncovering insights that drive action cultivating skills that sustain relevance, breaking through in the board room. uncovering insights that drive action. cultivating skills that sustain relevance..

Whether you are an established professional who wants to elevate your career in a changing world, or a recent undergrad ready to maximize your career opportunities in today’s data-driven workplace, the Boston College Master of Science in Applied Analytics will position you to drive strategy and effect change across organizations and industries.

Yes! I want to know more about the

Online master of science in applied analytics, on campus or online.

Choose the learning format that works best for your learning and lifestyle

Flexible Scheduling

Study full- or part-time online, on campus during the evening, or any combination that works for you

Broad-based or Specialized

Prepare for multi-industry career opportunities or take a deeper dive into a specific focus area

What you’ll learn in our M.S. in Applied Analytics Program

• Design analytic approaches to solve complex problems
• Understand and deploy advanced analytic techniques in search of actionable insights
• Use machine learning and artificial intelligence tools and approaches to leverage data for business and policy decisions
• Draw insights from analytics and communicate them clearly to non-technical audiences
• Drive real impact based on results and insights from analytics

Where can the M.S. in Applied Analytics Take You?

Enhance your credentials, expand your network, and accelerate your career with this specialized degree from Boston College and become part of an engaged and passionate alumni network of more than 200,000 worldwide

Source – EMSI/Burning Glass

Boston College

Located just west of downtown Boston, Massachusetts, Boston College is known for its highly regarded graduate programs and is consistently ranked as a top 40 school by U.S. News & World Report.

• Best Colleges, #36, National Universities, U.S. News & World Report • Best College Values, #20, Kiplinger’s 2020 • America’s Top Colleges, #42, Forbes 2022

MS in Applied Economics

Learn to lead in a data-driven world

Flexible On Campus/Online Degree Program

Learn to lead in a data-driven world, big data. big ideas. big impact..

Whether you are a recent undergrad ready to maximize your career opportunities in a rapidly growing career field, or an established professional who wants to elevate your career in a changing world, the Boston College Master of Science in Applied Economics will position you to drive strategy and effect change across organizations and industries.

Personalized, Convenient and Employer-Aligned

A flexible format and industry-aligned, competency-based curriculum provide hands-on experience directly applicable to real-world initiatives, preparing graduates to contribute immediately and advance quickly in a number of roles and industries, including:

• Finance & Banking
• International Development
• Social Policy

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Online master of science in applied economics degree, what makes the msae program at boston college exceptional, on campus or online, full or part time, broad-based or specialized, what you’ll learn in an ms in applied economics degree.

• Master the tools and methods to understanding complex policy, industry trends, analytic strategies, and modeling
• Learn to evaluate policies and programs, develop forecasts, track consumer behavior, and design marketing campaigns
• Build the theoretical foundation and quantitative skills to form policies and strategies that can make a real impact on organizations, industries, and society

What Our Students Are Saying

Where can the MS in Applied Economics Degree take you?

Enhance your credentials, expand your network, and accelerate your career with this specialized degree from boston college and become part of an engaged and passionate alumni network of more than 180,000 worldwide.

• Apply economic theories to real-life situations

Quantitative Analyst

• Use data to drive business decisions

Senior Financial Analyst

• Create analyses that drive better business decisions

Source: Glassdoor.com, Obtained June 2018

Boston College

Located just west of downtown Boston, Massachusetts, Boston College is known for its highly regarded graduate programs and is consistently ranked as a top 40 school by U.S. News & World Report. • Best Colleges, #37, National Universities, U.S. News & World Report • Best College Values, #18, Kiplinger’s 2018 • America’s Top Colleges, #49, Forbes 2018

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Master of science in applied economics.

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PhD in Linguistics

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Aims of the PhD

Human language is a multifaceted phenomenon. It is simultaneously a property of individual minds and of whole speech communities, and thus both internal and external to us. It both shapes and is shaped by our societies over time. It is a combination of sound (or sign), which has physical properties that can be measured, and meaning, which does not. Accordingly, becoming a linguistic researcher involves mastering a variety of methods, both quantitative and qualitative. The PhD in Linguistics at BU aims to produce scholars who are versatile enough to be experts in both of these aspects of linguistic inquiry, yet skilled enough to do cutting-edge research in a particular subfield of the discipline. We offer a solid grounding in a range of research methods, including field methods, quantitative methods, and computational methods.

Learning Outcomes

Students graduating with a PhD in Linguistics will demonstrate:

• broad knowledge of the discipline
• deeper knowledge in a specialized area or subfield
• ability to carry out a significant piece of independent research (which implies knowledge of and ability to use research methodologies in order to complete the research)

Prerequisites

The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is not required to apply.

Entering students are expected to have completed introductory classes in: 

• phonetics/phonology (e.g., GRS LX 601)
• syntax (e.g., GRS LX 621)
• semantics/pragmatics (e.g., GRS LX 631)

Students who do not have sufficient background in linguistics must complete additional coursework to fulfill the above prerequisites prior to entry or during the first year. Note: if completed at BU, GRS LX 601, 621, and 631 will not count toward the PhD course requirements.

Admissions & Funding

The deadline for application to enter the program in Fall 2023 is January 6, 2023.  Information about the graduate admissions process ( including the application process and requirements ) is available at the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GRS) website:

We anticipate being able to admit about five students per year. All admitted students will receive full coverage of tuition costs plus a fellowship for five years. For further information about funding, consult the GRS website above.

Requirements

Course requirements.

The PhD requires successful completion of 64 credits at the graduate level, including three core courses: 

• GRS LX 703 Phonological Analysis
• GRS LX 722 Intermediate Syntax
• GRS LX 732 Intermediate Semantics

Six additional courses from the four areas below, with two courses each in two of the areas, and one course each in the remaining two areas:

• advanced phonetics, phonology, or morphology (e.g., GRS LX 706)
• advanced syntax, semantics, or pragmatics (e.g., GRS LX 723, 736)
• linguistic research methodology
• language acquisition or socio-historical linguistics

A 4-credit graduate proseminar sequence (GRS LX 801 & 802) is typically taken in the second year.

Finally, six additional courses (including up to 8 credits of directed study) are taken in Linguistics or related fields that comprise a specialization , which will generally be in the area of the dissertation. These courses will be decided upon by the student in conjunction with their advisor, whose approval is required.

Language Requirement

The PhD requires demonstration of graduate-level reading proficiency in two foreign languages (one of which may be English, for non-native speakers) by the end of the third year of enrollment.

These proficiencies can be demonstrated through any of:

• a language examination
• successful completion of a non-credit graduate-level foreign language reading course offered at BU
• the equivalent of two years of undergraduate study of the language at BU (or successful completion of any higher-level language course taught in the language)

Graduate-level foreign language reading courses offered at BU include:

• GRS LF 621 Reading French for Graduate Students
• GRS LG 621 Reading German for Graduate Students
• GRS LI 621 Reading Italian for Graduate Students
• GRS LS 621 Reading Spanish for Graduate Students

Qualifying Examinations

To advance to candidacy, students must satisfactorily complete and defend two substantial research papers in different areas of the field (the first by the end of the fourth semester, the second by the end of the sixth semester of enrollment).

Each Qualifying Paper (QP) will be planned and carried out under the supervision of a Linguistics faculty member with expertise appropriate to the relevant project and, upon completion, will be defended orally and approved by an examining committee, composed of the first and second reader as well as a third faculty member determined by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) in consultation with the student.

A brief proposal for each QP must be submitted, with signed approval of a first and second reader (who have been approved by the DGS and who have agreed to advise the student on the proposed project), by October 15 of the academic year in which the project is to be completed. For the second QP, a topic approval form, in which the student explains how the second QP differs from their first QP, must also be submitted, in advance of the proposal approval form.

Dissertation and Final Oral Examination

PhD candidates will demonstrate their abilities for independent study in a dissertation representing original research or creative scholarship.

A prospectus for the dissertation must be completed and approved by the readers, the DGS, and the Department Chair.

Candidates must undergo a final oral examination in which they defend their dissertation as a valuable contribution to knowledge in their field and demonstrate a mastery of their field of specialization in relation to their dissertation.

All portions of the dissertation and final oral examination must be completed as outlined in the GRS general requirements for the PhD degree:

Director of Graduate Studies

Co-Directors of Graduate Admissions

Program in Biomedical Sciences

Boston University’s Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS) provides rigorous training towards a PhD degree by integrating the foundations of interdisciplinary biomedical research with focused investigation and preparation for career advancement. PiBS offers first-year students the opportunity to explore a variety of research areas over the course of three laboratory rotations along with a core curriculum to help determine the direction of their PhD focus.

The degree granting programs within PiBS are:

Biochemistry | Biophysics | Genetics & Genomics |   Microbiology | Molecular & Translational Medicine | Nutrition & Metabolism | Orofacial & Skeletal Biology | Pathology | Physiology

In addition, students can participate in the Immunology Training Program , ultimately earning their degrees within either the Microbiology or Pathology program.

Please note: The admissions cycle for Fall 2024 admission is now closed.

For program admissions questions please contact [email protected] .

The Program in Biomedical Sciences is now accepting applications September through December for entry to the Fall 2024 class. Prospective applicants will create an account with the Boston University Centralized Application System (BU-GMS CAS) completing all personal, academic and supporting document sections.

Application deadline: December 1st, 2023

Application requirements:

• Completed all requirements for a baccalaureate degree
• Three letters of recommendation
• An unofficial transcript of each college or university attended (in English) or international credential evaluation (such as WES)
• Structured personal statement (read here )
• TOEFL: 100 with a minimum of 20 in each section
• IELTS: 7.0 or higher
• See this page regarding waiver eligibility

Visit the PiBS Admissions Page for complete application requirements and answers to frequently asked questions.

PhD Funding

Students receive full tuition coverage, fees, health insurance options, and a $41,200 stipend per year as of September 2023.

In the first year PhD students will participate in the Foundations in Biomedical Sciences (FBS) core curriculum and select elective courses focused on area-specific interests.  Additionally, students will experience laboratory rotations and participate in journal clubs and research seminars. Professional development opportunities (see below) round out the curriculum. Students will work closely with a faculty advisor in the development of an individual plan tailored to serve specific research and professional goals.  After selection of a laboratory, students will join the program/department with which the mentor is affiliated and continue advanced studies towards candidacy.

Laboratory Rotations

Students will identify one lab rotation in the first semester and two lab rotations in the second semester in consultation with their advisors.

Professional Development

GMS is dedicated to the professional development and mentorship of all our graduate students and postdoctoral trainees. For more information about workshops and career development activities, please visit our Professional Development site . Take note of the host of opportunities available through BU’s BEST ( http://www.bu.edu/best/ ), which is an NIH-funded award dedicated to “ B roadening  E xperiences in  S cientific  T raining”.

Our students also have access to our alumni networking site; enabling them to connect with BU GMS alumni for career advice.

PiBS Student Handbook

Please review the 2023 – 2024 Student Handbook for details on specific policies and procedures regarding academic requirements, lab rotations, qualifying exams, etc.

Contact [email protected] for more information about the program.

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The doctoral program has long been committed to the study of the history of philosophy with particular attention to developments in contemporary European thought. It is nevertheless committed to pluralism, diversity, and inclusion, with a range of courses in Anglo-American philosophy, and a number of scholars working closely in contemporary ethics, social and political philosophy, critical philosophy of race, epistemology, philosophy of science, and philosophy of religion. 

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Ph.D. Handbook

We are convinced of the importance of interdisciplinary work, with active, formal programs in philosophy and law, psychoanalytic studies, Lonergan studies, Medieval thought, and philosophy and theology. We cultivate a strong sense of both the American and international contexts for our work, with a number of faculty members connected to Europe, Asia, South America, and Australia.

The department normally can admit five new students to the doctoral program each year. Their studies are fully funded, by tuition remission and stipends (graduate assistantships and teaching fellowships), for five years (four for those who already have an M.A. when they enter the program). Students entering the program without an M.A. earn an M.A. on their way to the Ph.D.

All requirements for the doctorate must be completed within eight consecutive years from the beginning of doctoral studies. Extensions beyond this limit may be made only with departmental recommendation and the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

• Training in Teaching and Research
• Logic Proficiency
• Language Proficiency
• Comprehensive Exams
• Dissertation

The department emphasizes the importance of training doctoral students in teaching, and in philosophical research and writing. Doctoral students follow a “Professional Development Curriculum” committed to each of these areas, which prepares them to an academic career. During the first year of the program, doctoral student work closely with faculty members as a Research Assistant, and attend the Teaching Seminar to prepare for the teaching of their own two-semester undergraduate introductory course to philosophy in the following years. Students teach for each of the next three years, and still participate to the Teaching Seminar in their second year. The Writing Seminar, geared towards publishing and led by a faculty member, meets throughout the academic year. Students may participate for the entirety of their doctoral studies.

Other workshops prepare to bibliographical research, inform about main trends in current scholarship, etc., and prepare to the search of an academic position. Finally, students are guaranteed a last year of funded research and writing, without any other obligation than writing their dissertations. See the Ph.D. Handbook for a time-table and additional details.

The Ph.D. student must demonstrate proficiency in logic by taking PHIL5577 Introduction to Symbolic Logic with a grade of “B” or better, or by attaining a score of 80% or better on the Logic Proficiency Examination, or by showing evidence of comparable prior course work. More details can be found in the Graduate Studies Handbook.

The Ph.D. student must demonstrate proficiency in two foreign languages of their choice. These languages should be relevant to their research work (qualifying paper and/or dissertation). More details can be found in the Graduate Studies Handbook. Proficiency can be demonstrated by 1. having received a grade of “B” or better in two semesters of the language at the elementary college level or one semester at the intermediate college level, or 2. in a 12-week summer language class for graduate students at Boston College, or 3. depending on the language, passing the department’s own language examination. Students can take language courses at Boston College for free. Language courses do not count towards the philosophy coursework requirement.

The total course work required for the Ph.D. is 16 courses (48 credits). Students entering the program with an M.A. in philosophy may be given credit for up to six courses (18 credits) toward this requirement, but must take a minimum of ten courses (30 credits) in the program. Students entering the program without an M.A. earn an M.A. on their way to the Ph.D.

Ph.D. students are expected to pass this examination at the end of their first year in order to be authorized to teach the following year. The exam is based on the syllabus for Philosophy of the Person that the students prepare in the teaching seminar. More details can be found in the Graduate Studies Handbook.

This exam, to be taken in the fourth year (third year for the students who already had a master’s degree when they entered the program), comprises two parts: 1. A qualifying paper, 2. A dissertation proposal. More details can be found in the Graduate Studies Handbook.

A Ph.D. student is expected to complete a dissertation which embodies original and independent research and which demonstrates advanced scholarly achievement. The research must be carried out and the dissertation written under the direction of a tenure track faculty from the Philosophy Department. After validation by the supervisor and the second reader, the dissertation is defended in a public oral examination. More details can be found in the Graduate Studies Handbook.

Funding Opportunities

Research assistantship.

Doctoral students funded by BC are Research Assistants in their first year and are responsible for a total of up to 20 hours per week of service to faculty members of the department of philosophy. More details can be found in the Graduate Studies Handbook.

Teaching Fellowship

After their first year, doctoral students, building on the pedagogical techniques acquired through the teaching seminar, become teaching fellows or assistants to earn their stipend, while they continue taking classes. Either they begin right away to teach their own class in full responsibility, or they serve first as teaching assistant in year 2, in which case they teach their class in full responsibility from year 3 on. The class they teach is one unit of Philosophy of the Person I in the fall semester and Philosophy of the Person II in the spring semester. The course description is currently as follows:

This course introduces students to philosophical reflection and to its history through the presentation and discussion of the writings of major thinkers from ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary periods. The course is designed to show how fundamental and enduring questions about the universe and about human beings recur in different historical contexts and from a range of approaches and methods. Emphasis is given to ethical themes, such as the nature of the human person, the foundation of human rights and corresponding responsibilities, and problems of social justice.

Student Life

At any given time, there are approximately forty students actively at work in various stages of the program, over half of which are present on campus. Many of our students come from other countries, including Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, India, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. Those who are from the United States come from a wide range of liberal arts colleges and universities coast to coast. A number spend part of their time in the program conducting research abroad (e.g., in recent years, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the United Kingdom).

Students maintain several lively study groups and organize at least one major conference each semester (e.g. a Workshop on Contemporary Philosophy in the fall and a Graduate Student conference in the spring). There is also a bi-annual off campus community day, at which faculty and doctoral students undertake extended discussion of professional and social concerns chosen by the students. Some funds are available to assist graduate students who are delivering papers at scholarly conferences. 

For specific questions about the Philosophy department's graduate programs please contact the Graduate Program Assistant, Christopher Hanlon.  All other requests on the application process should be made to the Graduate School at the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences.

Contact MCAS Graduate Office

Philosophy Department Stokes Hall North

617-552-4570

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The PhD in Philosophy prepares students for a position pursuing research and teaching philosophy. All applicants should have completed the equivalent of an undergraduate major in philosophy with a strong grade point average. Students with minors in philosophy are also encouraged to apply. Part-time applications for the PhD are strongly discouraged.

Learning Outcomes

Students completing our PhD program are expected to:

• Acquire the conceptual ability, and the speaking and writing skills, needed for intensive examination of questions concerning what is true, what is good, and what is beautiful.
• Gain significant knowledge of the canonical works of both Antiquity and Modernity, as well as the basic issues and texts of contemporary philosophy.
• Learn to develop strong arguments that can be defended in a professional forum.
• Upon graduation, have made an original contribution to the field.
• Learn how to cope with the demands of the profession while retaining the enthusiasm for the study of philosophy that animated them at the outset of their careers.
• Display curiosity about, and interest and engagement in, the world in which they live.

Course Requirements

PhD candidates must take a minimum of 16 graduate-accredited semester courses (64 credits), plus a required Dissertation Workshop. Course requirements are as follows:

• At least 12 (48 credits) must be in philosophy, including at least four at the 800 or 900 level. Coursework must also coincide with a specific distribution of courses; please see Philosophy Department Regulae for details.
• Registration for the Dissertation Workshop (GRS PH 990) each semester beginning in the fourth year and ending either at the end of the sixth year or upon successful defense of dissertation, whichever comes first. PH 990 does not count toward the 16 required graduate courses.
• Logic Proficiency: The candidate must demonstrate competence in logic by passing a designated logic course with a B+ or higher, or by passing a logic examination administered by the department.

No more than three directed studies may be taken toward course requirements.

Language Requirement

All students pursuing a PhD in Philosophy are required to demonstrate graduate-level reading proficiency in French, German, Greek, or Latin by the end of the third year of graduate study. If the student’s native language is French or German, the requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). Any language other than English may fulfill the requirement if (a) it is needed for dissertation work and (b) approval is granted by the DGS. Language proficiency can be demonstrated through either a language examination, by achieving a B+ or higher in an approved intermediate course (normally a translation course) administered by another department and approved by the DGS, successful completion of a noncredit graduate-level foreign language reading course offered by Boston University, or the equivalent of two years of undergraduate study of the language at Boston University. Language courses offered at the graduate level will be given graduate credit. Two such courses may count toward the coursework requirement of 16 courses.

Students must possess a good reading knowledge of any language that is important for their dissertation work. A dissertation proposal will not be approved until the relevant mastery has been demonstrated to the satisfaction of the dissertation director. The director will have the discretion of accepting a B+ or higher in a relevant language course as evidence of competence; or adequate performance on a translation examination; or any reasonable means of determining competence.

Qualifying Research

a. By the end of the third year at the latest, students should have finished their distribution requirements and secured the agreement of a faculty member to supervise their prospectus. The faculty member may also end up supervising the dissertation but that need not be the case. By the end of the third year at the latest, students must also produce a document detailing specific research goals, including a timeline, for producing “qualifying research.” Student and advisor should produce this document together and have it approved by the DGS. The plan can be revised with the approval of the advisor and student. The plan can include a Directed Study for credit to facilitate the research goals. This “qualifying research” could take one or more of the following forms: a draft of the prospectus, a literature review, a draft of a dissertation chapter, or some other document or documents that student and advisor mutually agree upon.

b. By the end of the first semester of the fourth year at the latest, the student will have produced said “qualifying research,” to the satisfaction of the advisor. Confirmation of the advisor’s approval should be submitted by the advisor to the DGS.

c. By August 31 of the summer after the fourth year at the latest, the dissertation prospectus should be officially defended and the paperwork submitted to GRS. If the prospectus is not defended by August 31 of the summer after the fourth year, the student does not receive the fifth-year dissertation fellowship and instead receives a teaching fellowship.

d. Every semester after the distribution requirements are completed, the student will write a progress report, which will be reviewed by the advisor and, if approved, will be submitted by the advisor to the DGS.

In sum, there are three deadlines the student must meet. The first is securing an advisor and creating a timeline for the completion of specific research goals; the second is producing satisfactory “qualifying research;” and the third is the prospectus defense. The dates stated above are all “outside” deadlines. It is strongly suggested that students complete these goals before the deadlines.

Dissertation and Final Oral Examination

Candidates shall demonstrate their abilities for independent study in a dissertation representing original research or creative scholarship. A prospectus for the dissertation must be completed and approved by the readers, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Department Chair/Program Director. Candidates must undergo a final oral examination in which they defend their dissertation as a valuable contribution to knowledge in their field and demonstrate a mastery of their field of specialization in relation to their dissertation. All portions of the dissertation and final oral examination must be completed as outlined in the GRS General Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree.

Get more details and a copy of the department’s guidelines from our department site.

Students admitted into the doctoral program may also obtain the MA by satisfying the requirements indicated for the terminal MA . Students who are candidates for the MA are required to submit a thesis similar to the one required for the terminal MA. The MA thesis for the PhD student need not be orally defended.

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