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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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Welcome to the Boston University MD/PhD Training Program

Md/phd program, training exceptional physician-scientists.

The MD/PhD Program at Boston University's Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine aims to train physician-scientists to be leaders in twenty-first century health care.  Our training produces a medical-scientist with the capacity to identify clinically-relevant questions that can be rigorously explored in a scientific setting and is engaged by serving the underserved.  We are fully committed to promoting student grant skills for obtaining independent research funding, enhancing leadership skills, and providing opportunities for future research success while minimizing financial obligations during both medical and graduate school years.

Cutting Edge Research Opportunities

At BU, students have access to over 1,600 labs organized into in over 130 research centers and institutes spread out over two beautiful campuses in Boston, Massachusetts. With access to Boston Medical Center faculty, the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Lab (NEIDL) and over 40 research cores, students will learn to perform cutting edge biomedical research.

Immersive Training

From the hands-on patient encounters that begin the first week of medical school, to the dedicated Integrated Problems course spanning the M1/M2 years taught by physician-scientists, to the translational research electives available to our trainees in their M3/M4 year, our program is designed to teach our trainees to ask and investigate clinically-relevant research questions from their first week on campus.

Recent Program Updates

Congratulations to Shen Ning on her AOA Induction!

Shen Ning has been elected to have membership to the medical honor society, Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA). Induction into AOA is awarded to medical students who exemplify scholarship, character and have contributed significantly to the medical sciences and practice.  On behalf of Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine's MD/PhD program, we would like […]

Congrats to our 2023 graduates!

Congratulations to our 2023 MD/PhD graduates Kristy Abo, Katelyn Batterman, Alissa Frame, Xu Ke, Yoonjoo Lee, Will Li, Jane Lock, Aditya Mithal, and Marc Vittoria! We wish you the best in your upcoming endeavors!    

Nobel Prize for Medicine Goes to BU MD PhD Alum!

We congratulate Drew Weisman MD/PhD (class of 1987) in receiving the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine! The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Drew Weissman and Katalin Karikó for their breakthrough discoveries in mRNA technology that led to COVID vaccines. Photo by Peggy Peterson/Courtesy of Penn Medicine.

Congratulations to Daniel Kirsch on a successful defense!

Congratulations to Daniel Kirsch on successfully defending his PhD dissertation on the pathological contributions to clinical symptoms of CTE!

MD PhD Students Shine at Medical Student Research Symposium!

MD PhD students presented this past Monday at the Medical Student Research Symposium. Rose Zhao was selected as an oral presenter for her research on "Characterization of Whole-genome Double Sequencing Events Across Tissues in vivo." Martin Ma and Kristen Segars both won awards for their poster presentations. A huge congratulations to our students!

Alumni Spotlight Interview: Milissa Kaufman MD PhD

Dr. Milissa Kaufman is a graduate of the combined MD/PhD program at Boston University. Dr. Kaufman is the medical director at the Hill Center, a clinical program specializing in the treatment of trauma-related disorders. SCB: Describe your journey to BUSM? MK: Honestly, I thought entering BUSM from Arizona State as an undergraduate was an unachievable […]

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Since 2002, BU has been offering award-winning online learning programs that enable students worldwide to pursue their educational goals and earn a college degree from Boston University.

When you learn online at Boston University, you connect to world-class faculty, highly motivated students, supportive staff, and academic programs that provide specialized skills in some of the most competitive industries. Whether pursuing your master’s, completing your bachelor’s , earning a doctoral degree, or seeking a graduate certificate, Boston University offers an  innovative approach to distance education, along with a deep commitment to online students and a trusted reputation.

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For more than 145 years, Boston University has been synonymous with pioneering research, academic innovation, and internationally renowned faculty and alumni. Today, BU’s online programs bring that unique experience to students worldwide.

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A world-class education is within reach—wherever you are. We invite you to explore our online programs .

“The mission of the Office of Distance Education is to enrich and expand Boston University’s online initiatives, delivering an unparalleled distance learning experience to students who demand expert instructional design, state-of-the-art media production, a strong sense of community, and comprehensive academic support resources.”

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BU D&I ODE Presentation: Strategies for Improving Accessibility in Digital Spaces

Strategies for Improving Accessibility in Digital Spaces Tuesday, March 29, 12 – 1... Read More

New Online Certificate Announced for Health Professionals

Want to gain skills in leading interprofessional healthcare teams? Boston University’s Office... Read More

BU MET Online Programs Advance in U.S. News Rankings, Place in Top 10 For Eighth Year

Over eight years of U.S. News & World Report rankings, BU’s Metropolitan... Read More

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Professor of education and former academic dean will begin her role at the end of the academic year

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Celebrated psychologist and originator of the theory of multiple intelligences will address HGSE graduates on May 22

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Support for low-income prospective college students and their families more crucial than ever during troubled federal financial aid rollout   

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What to know about the Boston University grad student workers’ strike

G raduate student workers at Boston University walked off the job Monday , pushing for a union contract that would guarantee them pay increases, stronger health care coverage, and a boost in other benefits.

BU Graduate Workers Union, which represents approximately 3,000 graduate student workers who help teach courses and conduct research, voted last week to strike if they did not secure a contract with the university. BU is now scrambling to keep the labor action from disrupting midsemester academic operations.

Here’s what to know.

When and where is the action?

Strikers gathered at Marsh Plaza on Commonwealth Avenue on Monday, with an official launch rally at noon. US Representative Ayanna Pressley, an outspoken supporter of the labor movement, appeared at the rally.

Workers will continue striking indefinitely until they reach a contract, their union said, with picketing scheduled daily for locations around campus , including 808 Gallery, the office of admissions, and the BU Medical Campus.

Why are the graduate student workers striking?

Graduate student workers, who unionized under Service Employees International Union Local 509 in late 2022, are striking to increase pressure on the university to negotiate a contract that includes increased wages, health care coverage, and other benefits, such as child-care assistance.

Grad students earn stipends of roughly $27,000 to $40,000 a year for working up to 20 hours a week. But they often perform additional work outside of their official duties, they say, and are discouraged from seeking additional hours elsewhere.

“BU’s conduct continues to signal that they do not value the contributions of the workers that keep this university running, and we are committed to support our members as they fight for the fair contract they deserve,” said David Foley, president of SEIU 509, said in a statement following the strike authorization.

The university has said most PhD programs offer full tuition scholarships, while many master’s and professional programs offer partial tuition scholarships.

Could the strike disrupt classes?

Hundreds of classes could be affected by the strike, according to the graduate workers, but the school is taking precautions to avoid disturbances to undergraduate and graduate education.

“A disruption to students’ lectures, seminars, discussions sections, and labs is not acceptable,” Kenneth Lutchen, BU’s interim provost, said in a statement.

According to the office of the provost , “departments will be able to arrange for replacement workers to cover the work of any graduate student workers who are on strike during this period.”

Adjunct professors represented by SEIU 509 have agreed to support strikers by not serving as replacement workers, according to the union’s website . Scores of BU faculty have signed a “non-retaliation” letter , vowing that if their students are among the strikers, it will not impact “advising, mentoring, or future letters of recommendation.”

What does the college say?

The university has said that it is bargaining with the union in good faith . Its latest offer proposed an increase in PhD student stipends to $42,159 next year, as well as “an overall increase representing 13 percent over three years,” the school said. The union declined to counteroffer the proposal, the university said.

BU has also offered to raise the minimum wage to $18 from $15 for hourly workers, allow children age 6 or under to be added to the health insurance plans of PhD students, implement a partial MBTA subsidy for graduate student workers, and create a $50,000 “help fund” designed to “assist graduate students who are experiencing personal crisis,” according to the school .

The school plans to withhold pay for graduate student workers for the days they are on strike.

Is grad school the right step after college?

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No end in sight for Boston University graduate students' strike

Graduate workers at Boston University are on strike, demanding better pay and benefits after months of failed negotiations with the school. More than six weeks since they first walked off the job, Adam Reilly is joined by Nikunj Khetan, a member of the BU Graduate Workers Union, for an update on where the strike currently stands. (Boston University declined an invitation to provide a guest who could present the school's perspective.)

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UMass Boston

• Nursing PhD

Take your place on the intersection of nursing, population health, and health policy.

The Nursing PhD program at UMass Boston prepares you to become an effective nurse leader with the highest-level qualifications in order to address critical population health problems/conditions. Graduates have taken on leadership roles as policy analysts, researchers, and educators. The program has a BS-PhD option and an MS-PhD option.

In the Nursing PhD program at UMass Boston, you will:

• Develop advanced research competence in nursing, including proficiency in research methodology, data analysis, and ethical considerations
• Foster scholarly inquiry and critical thinking skills to analyze nursing theories, evaluate existing research literature, and identify research gaps
• Cultivate leadership and advocacy abilities to assume leadership roles, influence healthcare policy decisions, and advocate for evidence-based nursing practice

Career Possibilities

Analyze healthcare policies and assess their impact on nursing practice and patient care as a healthcare policy analyst. Oversee and manage nursing departments, units, or healthcare organizations as a nursing administrator. Or, conducting innovative and impactful research as a nursing scientist. These are just a few of the possibilities a Nursing PhD offers.

Become a(n):

• Nursing Researcher
• Nursing Administrator
• Healthcare Policy Analyst
• Nurse Consultant
• Nursing Faculty

Attend an Info Session    --> Start Your Application

Plan Your Education

How to apply.

• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Personal statement: As a prompt, focus on the following: Specific interest in either Health Policy or Population Health, Rationale/basis for interest in pursuing a PhD in Nursing, Current major research and policy or population health interests in nursing/health care, Description of professional post-PhD goals with relevance to health policy or population health.
• Two professional references
• Current résumé or CV
• Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from an accredited program (BS-to-PhD). Master’s degree in Nursing or related field from an accredited program (MS-to-PhD)
• Nursing license, certification (if applicable)
• Candidates are encouraged to schedule an interview with the Program Director or her/his designate as part of the application process.

In addition to the general admissions requirements, international students must take both the TOEFL exam and IELTS exam and meet the minimum score requirements. For additional information on the international student application process, please refer to the “Special Instructions” section in your application.

Deadlines & Cost

Deadlines: March 31 (priority deadline) and July 1 (final deadline) for fall

Application Fee: The nonrefundable application fee is $75. UMass Boston alumni and current students that plan to complete degree requirements prior to graduate enrollment can submit the application without paying the application fee.

Program Cost Information: Bursar's website

Course Requirements - BS to PhD Health Policy and Population Health Track

Required Courses (42 Credits)

• NURSNG 607 - Evidenced Based Teaching Practices  3   Credit(s)
• NURSNG 616 - Evidence Based Practice I: Appraising the Strength and Significance of Evidence  3   Credit(s)
• NURSNG 618 - Introduction to Health Policy, Finance and Ethics  3   Credit(s)
• NURSNG 637 - Mental and Psychosocial Health of the Urban Family  3   Credit(s)
• NURSNG 608 - The Nurse Educator in the Academic Setting  3   Credit(s)
• NURSNG 700 - Philosophy of Nursing Science: Ways of Knowing  3   Credit(s)
• NURSNG 702 - Doctoral Seminar  3   Credit(s)
• NURSNG 715 - Health Informatics  3   Credit(s)
• NURSNG 741 - Health Policy I  3   Credit(s)
• NURSNG 745 - Population Health I  3   Credit(s)
• NURSNG 750 - Contemporary Disciplinary Knowledge  3   Credit(s)
• NURSNG 757 - Social Behavioral Determinants of Health  3   Credit(s)
• NURSNG 760 - Introduction to Biostatistics: Biostatistics I  3   Credit(s)
• NURSNG 765 - Health Systems Leadership  3   Credit(s)
• NURSNG 770 - Biostatistics II: Advanced Statistical Methods in Healthcare Research  3   Credit(s)

Research Methods Courses (9 Credits)

• PPOL-G 609L - Qualitative Methods and Field Research  3   Credit(s)
• EHS 825L - Advanced Quantitative Research Methods I  3   Credit(s)
• NURSNG 825L - Advanced Quantitative Research Methods I  3   Credit(s)
• NURSNG 780 - Epidemiologic Methods  3   Credit(s)
• NURSNG 790 - Integrating concepts & methods for research development  3   Credit(s)

Methods Electives (9 Credits)

Complete three electives chosen in consultation with the graduate program director.

Dissertation Research (9 Credits)

• NURSNG 899 - Dissertation Research  3-9   Credit(s)

Course Requirements - MS to PhD Health Policy and Population Health Track

Required Courses (21 Credits)

Complete three courses chosen in consultation with the graduate program director.

Graduation Criteria

Program requirements - bs to phd health policy and population health track.

Complete 69 credits from 21 courses including 14 required courses, three research methods courses, three methods electives, and nine credits of dissertation research.

Doctoral candidacy:  Students must pass written and oral comprehensive exams which is a prerequisite for doctoral candidacy. The written exam consists of two papers; one conceptual and one methodological. Dissertation:  Candidates must complete and defend a dissertation written in traditional five-chapter format.

Statute of limitations:  Eight years.

Program Requirements - MS to PhD Health Policy and Population Health Track

Complete 48 credits from 14 courses including seven required courses, three research methods courses, three methods electives, and nine credits of dissertation research.

Doctoral candidacy:  Students must pass written and oral comprehensive exams which is a prerequisite for doctoral candidacy. The written exam consists of two papers; one conceptual and one methodological. Dissertation:  Candidates must complete and defend a dissertation written in traditional five-chapter format.

Statute of limitations:  Eight years.

[email protected] (617)287-7571

Graduate Program Director: Ling Shi ling.shi [at] umb.edu

Learn more about UMass Boston's Nursing department, our research, and our faculty.

Manning College of Nursing & Health Sciences

Learn more about the faculty, research, and programs that make up our Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Graduate and undergraduate students to present research at Nutrition 2024 in Chicago.

Congratulations to Helena Ge (Sargent ’25, M.S./DPD/DI) and Sorochi Anyaibe (Sargent ’25, B.S. Health Science) whose abstract submissions on their research with Dr McCrory to Nutrition 2024 were accepted. The meeting takes place in June/July 2024.

Ms Ge will be presenting some results of her study on the safety, feasibility, and compliance with wearing the AIM-2 for assessing dietary intake in patients with chronic kidney disease. The study was a collaboration with Dr Vipul Chitalia at Boston Medical Center and Edward Sazonov from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. Several Eating Patterns and Metabolism Lab members assisted with the study including Sorochi Anyaibe, Yunkeli Lin (Sargent ’24, B.S. Nutrition/Dietetics), Manan Patel (Sargent ’24, B.S. Human Physiology), and Tianran Ye (Sargent ’22, B.S. Nutrition/Dietetics; Sargent ’24, M.S./DPD) and coauthored the abstract. 

Ms Anyaibe will be presenting some results of her study investigating the timing of eating and energy intake in urban and rural households in Ghana which were assessed using images time stamps from the AIM-2, a wearable camera. That study was part of a larger research project funded by the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation and with research collaborators from the University of Georgia, the University of Alabama, the University of Pittsburgh, Baylor College of Medicine, University College London, and the University of Ghana.

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Suspended MIT and Harvard protesters barred from graduation, evicted from campus housing

CAMBRIDGE — Dan Zeno’s suspension from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology last week for participating in an unauthorized encampment protesting the war in Gaza had a swift impact on his family’s life. The graduate student has not only been barred from classes, he was also evicted from campus housing, along with his wife and 5-year-old daughter, with just one week to find another place to live.

“My daughter is the most important thing,” said Zeno, 35, an Air Force veteran enrolled in MIT’s Sloan School of Management MBA program. He is scrambling to find alternative housing in Cambridge, where Zoey attends kindergarten. “We’re trying to keep a sense of normalcy for her.”

Yet, even as the suspension has upended his family’s life, Zeno said he remains “fully committed, without reservation” to the student-led effort to compel MIT to cut research contracts with the Israeli Ministry of Defense amid the brutal war.

“The level of risk we are taking on is nothing compared to what Palestinians are going through in Gaza,” Zeno said. “Children are being intentionally starved as a military strategy. This is a super urgent situation.”

Zeno, who helped organize MIT’s “Scientists Against Genocide” encampment on April 21, said he’s horrified by daily images being livestreamed from Gaza and is on “a deeply spiritual journey” to speak out against injustice.

Some suspended students won’t be graduating as planned, others have lost income with their fellowships canceled, and some have had their research projects halted. Yet, they vowed to continue protesting.

Demonstrations have erupted at campuses across the country since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, triggering a massive attack on Gaza by Israel. More than 34,000 people have died in Gaza, two-thirds of whom are women and children, according to local health officials .

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Colleges have been cracking down on encampments with disciplinary action against students and arrests.

On Wednesday, two days after MIT warned protesters they would face discipline if they did not vacate the encampment on Kresge Lawn, administrators sent a flurry of suspension notices to some of those who were participating. A spokesperson declined to say how many students were suspended, but protest organizers said there were at least two dozen.

Sally Kornbluth, MIT’s president, wrote that the encampment was a “ high-risk flashpoint ,” drew “outside threats,” and endangered the broader campus community. She said repeated attempts to negotiate with the protesters failed, leaving the university with few options as tensions appeared to heighten.

“I hoped these measures could be avoided through our efforts to engage the students in serious good-faith discussion,” Kornbluth wrote in a campus-wide letter last week , which outlined the discipline. “But recent events, and my responsibility to ensure the physical safety of our community, oblige us to act now.”

Safiyyah Ogundipe, a chemical engineering senior at MIT and organizer of the encampment, said she received an email Wednesday notifying her of her suspension. She is barred from taking final exams or walking with her graduating class at the end of the month. She, too, faces eviction from student housing, effective Wednesday.

“My family is not too pleased about it — that’s an understatement,” said Ogundipe, 21, of Virginia.

“It does feel very weird to come to the very end and not feel like I came over that finish line,” she said during an interview Thursday. “But I think we’ll find a way out.”

She remained hopeful MIT’s Committee on Discipline will overturn her suspension after a hearing, paving the way for her graduation. “I just have to take it day by day.”

Still, even as her academic future is unclear, Ogundipe said her commitment to the pro-Palestinian protest movement is not.

“This has been one of the most tumultuous years that I’ve been through at MIT, but also the most rewarding,” she said.

Early Friday, police dismantled the MIT encampment and arrested 10 students, including Ogundipe, making MIT the third Boston-area college — following Emerson College and Northeastern University — where protesters were forcibly removed from encampments and charged, mostly for trespassing.

Although Zeno was not among the MIT students arrested Friday, he was arrested two weeks ago outside Emerson when police cleared that school’s encampment from a public alley, detaining more than 100. Zeno’s charge of disorderly conduct was dismissed in exchange for his agreement to perform 40 hours of community service.

Zeno said he believes the disciplinary action taken by the school is probably more severe for people than an arrest. But, the protesting students feel strongly about the fight, which he compared to the student anti-Vietnam protests and anti-apartheid movements decades ago.

On Friday, Harvard University, the site of the last pro-Palestinian encampment in the Boston area, began suspending protesters who refused to leave the area of makeshift tents. Those suspended were told they can’t sit for exams or participate in commencement or other school activities, and they will be evicted from student housing.

In a letter to the university community last week, Alan Garber, Harvard’s interim president, said the encampment’s place in the center of campus had forced activities, including exams, to be relocated. Garber said some students have reported feeling disrupted and, at times, intimidated by the protesters, and he believed that their continued presence could affect the commencement ceremony later this month.

Kojo Acheampong, a Harvard sophomore studying computer science and an organizer of the school’s encampment, was among those suspended.

“Obviously there’s a moment of shock. It’s like, ‘Oh, it’s actually happening.’ You’re making calls to your family members and they’re going crazy,” Acheampong said. But, as an organizer, he said, he expected to be targeted and to have to make sacrifices.

“It fits into a legacy that I’m proud of,” Acheampong said. “I’m proud of the history of organizers who fought against South Africa, Vietnam, proper liberation of all people. So this type of repression means that we’re doing our job.”

The suspension from Harvard means “you’re essentially booted out, and you can’t come back to the yard or any buildings or things like that until after” the suspension, Acheampong said. He said he was told toleave campus by noon Saturday.

He said he “got lucky” because he finished his finals before being suspended, but his parents are upset at both him and the university and were asking about the impact the suspension may have on his future.

“I take seriously the fact that I’m an organizer and I take seriously the fact that that comes with certain sacrifices that have to be made for the movement,” Acheampong said. “I mentally prepared myself for what can happen. And this is what fulfills me. I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”

As for the possibility that he could be arrested, Acheampong said, “I’m genuinely not worried, because I know that we’re on the right side of history.”

Globe correspondents Ava Berger and Daniel Kool contributed to this report.

Shelley Murphy can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her @shelleymurph . Alexa Coultoff can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her @alexacoultoff . Madeline Khaw can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her @maddiekhaw .

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Ph.D. Program

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The curriculum for Ph.D. students consists of four required courses in the first year, and one required writing course in the second year.

Second Year

Ph.d. committees.

*Two approved graduate electives are required. Course Registration is subject to oversight and approval by the Graduate Program Director and the student's Ph.D. adviser (when applicable)

Graduate Research Experiences (lab rotations) allow students the opportunity to explore important questions in the department's existing areas of research and to identify a particular lab environment suitable for a student's thesis research. Each lab rotation ends with a Data Talk. First Year Ph.D. students are required to fulfill two semesters of a Teaching Assistantship. Graduate students are expected to participate in Data Club and to attend all department seminars during their time in the program.

Course Registration is subject to oversight and approval by the Graduate Program Director and the student's Ph.D. adviser (when applicable). Throughout their program students have access to graduate advisers as well as a series of advising committees, depending on where in their academic time-line they are.

There are several committees that advise and guide Ph.D. students through the Biology Graduate Program. While the committees have different names to reflect their different functions, there is usually a substantial continuum of faculty membership. The role of the committees in each year are described below.

Candidacy Examination Committee

During the second year, a Ph.D Candidacy Examination Committee made up of three faculty, two chosen by the Department, one by the student, administers the candidacy examination.

Thesis Advisory Committee

The Thesis Advisory Committee consists of three or more faculty members (the student's PI and at least two other faculty members) who advise each student during their third year in conducting her/his thesis research. The chair of the committee will be selected at the first meeting and is someone other than the student's direct PI. Students must have their first meeting before the end of the academic third year, as well as annual meetings until their defense.

Ph.D. Defense Committee

In years four and five, the Ph.D. Defense Committee is composed of five faculty, the Thesis Advisory Committee plus two more internal or external faculty members, before whom the Ph.D. candidate must defend her/his thesis in public and private sessions. This committee needs to be submitted to the Dean’s Office via the committee form.

Dissertation Committee Form

Biology Department 355 Higgins Hall

617-552-3540

Person arrested during Northeastern graduation, university says

• Updated: May. 06, 2024, 4:08 p.m. |
• Published: May. 06, 2024, 12:12 p.m.
• Susannah Sudborough | [email protected]

Editor’s note: A previous version of the story conflated two pro-Palestinian protests that happened at Northeastern University graduations over the weekend in response to which different faculty responded with the same comment in quelling the crowds.

A student “who attempted to disrupt the ceremony” was arrested during Northeastern University’s Class of 2024 graduation at Fenway Park in Boston Sunday, Northeastern University Vice President of Communications Renata Nyul confirmed to MassLive.

A livestream of the graduation shows the student walking up to the stage wearing a keffiyeh — a scarf associated with Palestinian liberation — on his head and chanting pro-Palestinian phrases. Cheers can be heard from the crowd.

In response, Kellee Tsai, Northeastern’s College of Social Sciences and Humanities dean, tried to calm the situation by taking the microphone and speaking to the audience.

“We respect your passion and opinions. We respect your right to voice them in the appropriate setting,” she said. “This event honors our graduates and distinguished guests, and it’s a celebration of their achievements. Out of respect for your community and honored guests, I ask that you let us continue with this event.”

University officials said the incident was handled quickly by police. Boston police declined to comment on the incident to MassLive Monday morning, saying the Northeastern University police were “handling” the arrest.

• Read more: Northeastern students urge school to be on ‘right side of history’

In another pro-Palestinian protest at a Northeastern graduation event Saturday night, a graduating student went on stage to collect his diploma while wearing a white button-up shirt with “NEU kills” written in fake blood on it. A video of the incident posted to social media shows him holding up his hands covered in fake blood.

The video shows the student speaking out into the audience while holding up his hands, which are covered in fake blood. When he does not leave the stage after about a minute, security people can be seen escorting him off stage.

A different faculty member can be heard in the video issuing the same statement as Tsai to calm the crowd in response to the Saturday night protest. The student “was trespassed” following the demonstration and had his tickets for the Sunday ceremony at Fenway Park revoked, Northeastern said in a statement Monday.

• Read more: Reporter questions who said ‘kill the Jews’ at Northeastern pro-Palestine rally

In a third such incident, two graduating Northeastern students went up to the graduation livestream camera to show photos on their phones calling for the university to listen to its students and divest from weapons contractors. Video of this incident was also posted to social media.

Northeastern students receive their diplomas at college-specific events the week before the main graduation ceremony, which about 55,000 people attended on Sunday, according to the university.

“Although a couple of individuals attempted to disrupt these celebrations, the university handled each incident promptly and the events were concluded successfully,” Northeastern said in a statement.

• Read more: Arrests made as police clear Northeastern pro-Palestinian encampment

The graduation protests come just over a week after police arrested over 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had created a tent encampment on Northeastern University’s campus at the university’s request.

Northeastern claimed the protest had been “infiltrated” by people from outside the university, and that antisemitic rhetoric at the demonstration had “crossed a line.” Northeastern now says that about two-thirds of the people arrested were not affiliated with the university, though one antisemitic phrase cited by the university was later shown to likely have been uttered by a pro-Israeli counter-protester .

• Read more: Emerson College won’t discipline arrested students for protest, president says

Many graduates could be seen waving Israeli and Palestinian flags throughout the Sunday graduation, which continued without further disruption, The Boston Globe reported .

Additionally, the student speaker at the commencement, Rebecca Bamidele, expounded on the plight of Palestinians amid the war in her speech, according to WBZ-TV .

“Right now as I speak to you, babies are being born by flashlight amongst rubble. Mothers bleed to death, unable to receive care for childbirth complications. And the lives of these mothers in Gaza and the entire population remain at risk every day that remains without a permanent ceasefire in Gaza,” she told the crowd.

• Read more: UMass Amherst warns protesters at pro-Palestinian encampment of trespassing

Pro-Palestinian student protests have roiled college campuses across the country in recent weeks . New York City’s Columbia University — whose encampment demonstration inspired many others, including those at Northeastern, Emerson College , Tufts University and UMass Amherst — announced Monday morning that it would be cancelling its graduation ceremony .

More higher ed

• Robbed of graduations in 2020, college seniors reflect on possible 2024 disruptions
• Several arrests made as MIT clears pro-Palestinian encampment in 'last resort'
• These are the 5 graduations most likely to be disrupted by protests in Mass.
• Over 130 protesters arrested at UMass Amherst, school confirms
• Beverly-based company accused of violating ban on college recruiter payments

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Ph.D. Program

Candidates for a doctorate in Political Science will be expected to produce and defend an original significant contribution to knowledge in the discipline of Political Science, demonstrate mastery of subject material, participate in professional academic community activities and be able to teach the discipline at the undergraduate level.

To take a look at our program profile, visit our page here .

Degree requirements include (a) course work, (b) a primary (second year) paper, (c) the qualifying examination, (d) the Ph.D prospectus and (e) the Ph.D. dissertation.   All requirements for the doctorate should be completed within seven years (exceptions require a petition to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences). The sections that follow clarify what is involved in each of these requirements and provide a schedule for the completion of these requirements.

Please be aware that you must be registered as a student during any semester in which you complete any degree requirements. You must also be registered as a student during the semester prior to the one in which you defend your dissertation.

Learning Outcomes

• Produce and defend an original and significant contribution to knowledge in the discipline of Political Science
• Demonstrate mastery of subject material by developing a minimum level of competence in five of the six fields of Political Science (American Politics, Public Policy, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, and Methodology) and a high level of competence in two of these fields
• Participate in professional academic community activities, such as attending local seminar series, presenting papers at conferences, and submitting papers to academic journals
• Be able to teach the discipline at the undergraduate level

Course Requirements

Students are required to complete sixteen graduate-level courses. Students entering the Program from Boston University’s BA/MA Program or other BU MA programs will be able to transfer some of their 500-level, 700-level or 800-level courses. These students should schedule a meeting with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) to resolve this question upon arriving at Boston University.  Students from other universities that hold an M.A. may be exempt from specific requirements of the BU Ph.D. program (at the discretion of the DGS), but still need to take sixteen classes in total. Coursework completed outside of Boston University cannot apply to the 64 credits required for graduation.

• NOTE: In general, we do not recommend trying to waive required courses. Even if you have taken a similar course in a different graduate program, there is a benefit to getting to know the intellectual approach of our faculty, which will help prepare you for comprehensive exams—and, in the case of methods courses, get additional practice with an important technique. However, if you have taken a prior graduate course in another program that you feel is substantially similar to one of the required courses, you may petition the DGS for a waiver. Please provide a copy of the syllabus to the DGS, who will consult with relevant faculty members to assess whether the course will satisfy this requirement. Please note that even in the case that a required course is waived, the credits earned in that class will not count toward the 64 required for the degree.

Selection of these courses must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Political Science. Courses may be drawn from the offerings of this and related departments subject to the following requirements:

• A total of 64 units of credit must be completed to advance to candidacy.
• At least 56 units of credit (14 4-unit courses) must be fulfilled by graduate-level courses (500-,600-,700-, or 800-level) taken for a letter grade.
• 8 units of credit may be fulfilled by other courses (e.g. Research Workshop, Directed study, Professional Development, and Dissertation Workshop).
• Four core seminars must be completed in Year 1: PO 711 (American Politics), PO 771 (International Relations), PO 751 (Comparative Politics), and PO 791 (Political Theory).
• The Research Workshop must be taken in Years 2 and 3.  Students are strongly encouraged to continue taking this course in subsequent years so long as they are in the program and living in the Boston area.
• PO 841: Quantitative Research Methods
• PO 842: Qualitative Approaches to the Study of Political Science
• PO 843: Techniques in Political Analysis: Maximum Likelihood Estimation
• PO 844: Methods for Causal Inference
• The Professional Development course (currently offered every other year), must be completed–preferably in Year 2 or 3.  Students may choose to audit subsequent iterations of this course, as desired.
• Students are encouraged to take courses offered in related disciplines such as economics, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and history. Such course selections vary according to the student’s overall program and must be planned in consultation with the student’s advisor and the DGS.
• All requirements, except those imposed by GRS, may be waived by permission of the DGS.

Grades & Incompletes

In order to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, students must maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher and complete course work on time. Incomplete grades (“I” grades) may become permanent unless course work is completed within twelve months. On graduate transcripts, grades lower than B- are interpreted as failures. Students receiving more than eight credit hours of failing grades will be liable for termination by GRS.

Ph.D. Qualifying Examinations

In order to advance to candidacy (for the Ph.D.), a student must write a second year paper and take two timed exams. These are the three elements of the Qualifying Examination. Requirements for a terminal M.A. (without advancing to candidacy) may be met by either the two written exams or the master’s thesis.

As one element of the Qualifying Examination, students must submit the Second Year Paper, an independent research paper of high quality. Typically, this will involve a substantial revision, expansion, and polishing of a graduate seminar paper. A student who does not pass the Second Year Paper is required to submit a revision that incorporates feedback from the evaluating committee.

The other two elements of the Qualifying Examination consist of timed examinations taken in Year 3 of the Ph.D. program. Exams are scheduled once a year in September and will be offered at other times only in the case of a failed exam. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the graduate program coordinator and the examining faculty that they are planning on taking the exams at least one month in advance. Students should have contacted the examining faculty members well before this point to discuss how to prepare for the exams. Students may not take the timed examinations if they have any incompletes.

Timed examinations are given in two fields of the student’s choosing: American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and methodology. Committees of three drawn from the Graduate Faculty of Political Science (GFPS) will be established by the DGS in each of the five fields. Each committee should include whoever teaches the core course in that field on a regular basis or has taught it recently.

Committees are charged with (a) constructing a single reading list for each exam, (b) revising that list periodically, (c) writing a single exam for each exam period, and (d) grading that set of exams, along with whatever second year papers fall into their field. Reading lists include material presented in core 700- and 800- level courses, though they need not be limited to that material. An online database including the current reading list along with old exams will be kept on Blackboard, by approval of the committee.

The standard time-limit for the exam will be 8 hours, i.e., 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. This time limit will be strictly enforced. If students do not hand in their exam at 5:00 it will be counted as a failed exam and they will need to re-take it.

Committees will determine whether the student (a) fails each exam (including the Second Year Paper), (b) passes at an M.A. level (setting in motion an exit from the program with a terminal masters), or (c) passes at a Ph.D. level (allowing for advancement to candidacy). Along with notification of the decision, the committee will give written feedback to the student pertaining to their performance on the exams and the Second Year Paper. Students who fail one or more elements of the qualifying examination are permitted to take that element(s) a second time, but not a third.

Prospectus Defense

Students are encouraged to defend their prospectus in Spring of Year 3. Work on the proposal can begin at any time. However, it cannot be submitted to GRS until all requirements for the Ph.D. — other than the dissertation itself — have been met.

Once a student has decided on a probable dissertation topic, they must assemble a committee of three faculty members (the first, second, and third readers) for the prospectus defense. The first reader must be a regular faculty member of the GFPS except under unusual circumstances (which must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies). It is the student’s responsibility to approach relevant faculty about the possibility that they might serve in one of these capacities. The student should write the first draft of the dissertation proposal in close consultation with the faculty member who agrees to serve as the first reader.

Students should check with the Director of Graduate Studies regarding the length and format of the prospectus. The main source of guidance in the completion of the proposal will come from the student’s advisor(s) who set the standards on content.

When the proposal is completed, the student should circulate copies to readers, and — working through the Graduate Program Coordinator — schedule a defense of the proposal. The defense committee, a minimum of three members, must include the faculty members who have been designated as first, second, and third readers. At least one committee member must be a tenured or tenure-track professor in the Graduate Faculty of Political Science and must ultimately serve as first, second, or third reader of the dissertation. (Other graduate students and faculty may attend, but not participate in, these defenses.)

The outcome of the defense, including any recommendations for change, will be forwarded to the Graduate Program Coordinator to be placed in the student’s file, and the appropriate Prospectus Approval form will be forwarded to the Graduate School for review.

In the event that a proposal is not approved at the defense, candidates are given the opportunity to schedule a second defense. Failure to receive approval for the dissertation proposal at the second defense, however, will lead to recommendation to the Graduate School for termination from the program.

The Dissertation Defense

A completed dissertation must be submitted for defense no more than five years after the completion of the Qualifying Examinations. Students are responsible for keeping faculty members informed of their progress in completing the dissertation and should contact the Graduate Program Coordinator for information about graduation deadlines, the scheduling of the defense, the submission of the dissertation abstract, and the format of the dissertation. Please consult the Graduate School guidelines .

The defense committee is composed of four or more faculty members – typically the three readers who approved the prospectus plus one additional reader. Students are encouraged to select a fourth reader as early as possible in the dissertation-writing process; ideally, this person will also participate in the prospectus defense. At least half of the dissertation committee must be members of the Graduate Faculty of Political Science; this includes the first reader, except under unusual circumstances (which must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies).

In some cases, a student – with the first reader’s approval – may request that a faculty member from another university serve on the dissertation defense committee. If this is the case, the student should notify the Graduate Program Coordinator in advance and submit a copy of the individual’s curriculum vitae. Following departmental approval, the outside reader must also be approved by the Graduate School for Arts and Sciences. The department cannot be expected to cover the travel expenses of outside readers, but it is usually possible for them to participate remotely.

Prior to scheduling a defense of the dissertation, the student must submit an abstract describing the dissertation’s thesis, methods, and main findings. Since abstracts will be the principal means through which other scholars first make contact with the dissertation, it is important that the abstract provide as much concrete information as possible about the dissertation and present it in a fashion that is understandable to readers who may not be familiar with the approach or the focus of the dissertation. Abstracts must be approved by the first reader of the dissertation, the Director of Graduate Studies, the Department Chair, and the Dean of the Graduate School.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, using information provided by the candidate, will send an announcement of defense to each member of the committee, and will provide the chair of the committee with the necessary forms on which to report the results of the defense. After the defense, the chair will return the forms, with the necessary signatures, to the Political Science administrative offices. At this time, the necessary signatures will also be entered onto the signature page of the dissertation itself.

Timetable for Completing Ph.D. Requirements

The maximum time limit set by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is 7 years; extensions require a petition. Boston University fully funds students for 5 years. A typical breakdown of a student’s work schedule is as follows:

• Year 1: Complete 8 required courses
• Year 2: Complete 6 required courses + Research Workshop and/or Professional Development Course + Teaching Fellowship + Second Year Paper
• Year 3: Take 1 course, Complete the Comprehensive Exams + Research Workshop and/or Professional Development Course + Teaching Fellowship + Dissertation Prospectus
• Years 4 and 5: Complete and defend dissertation

The above schedule can be used as a rule-of-thumb to measure one’s progress. Students who find themselves more than six months “off schedule” should discuss their status with the Director of Graduate Studies.

Leaves of Absence

Students must register for each (Fall/Spring) semester until all degree requirements are completed. However, upon a written petition, and for appropriate cause, a student will be permitted a leave of absence for up to two semesters. Leaves of absence beyond two semesters are granted only in exceptional cases and require the approval of GRS (see the Graduate School Bulletin for details). Time spent on leave is counted as part of the time allowed for the completion of degree requirements.  Given these time constraints, students should work closely with their dissertation readers to devise an efficient schedule for research, writing and revision. A leave cannot be approved for the semester before the student defends their dissertation.