Boston College Courses: A Comprehensive Overview

Boston College, founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), has a rich history of educating Boston’s predominantly Irish, Catholic immigrant community. From its humble beginnings as a "small streetcar college" on Harrison Avenue, Boston College has grown into a leading national university committed to its Jesuit, Catholic mission of faith and service. Today, it offers a wide array of courses across various disciplines, fostering intellectual, ethical, religious, and spiritual formation for its students.

A Foundation in Tradition and a Vision for the Future

Boston College builds upon its traditions. It seeks to be the national leader in the liberal arts; to fulfill its Jesuit, Catholic mission of faith and service; to continue to develop model programs to support students in their formation; and to seek solutions-as researchers, educators, leaders, and caregivers-that directly address the world’s most urgent problems. This commitment is reflected in its diverse course offerings, designed to challenge students and prepare them for meaningful careers and lives.

Academic Divisions and Majors

Applicants must designate to which of the four undergraduate divisions they are making their application: Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences, Carroll School of Management, Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Connell School of Nursing. Students are only considered for admission to the division to which they applied. Matriculated students wishing to transfer from one undergraduate college to another within Boston College should complete the internal transfer form.

Students frequently ask us if they can have a major in two undergraduate divisions. Students in the Carroll School of Management, the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, or the Connell School of Nursing may pursue a second major in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences. Students enrolled in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences may pursue a second major in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, but cannot pursue a second major in one of our three pre-professional undergraduate divisions. Therefore, if you plan to pursue two majors in different undergraduate divisions, we encourage you to apply to the Carroll School of Management, the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, or the Connell School of Nursing. While we do require that you select an undergraduate division before you apply to Boston College, we realize that you may be undecided about the specific major you'd like to pursue. At Boston College, with the exception of nursing and engineering, you do not have to choose your major until the end of the sophomore year.

Exploring Course Offerings Through EagleApps

EagleApps Course Information and Schedule in the Agora Portal includes course descriptions, faculty, meeting times, and room assignments. You can customize your search by using filters to select course number ranges, course levels, meeting days and times, credit hours, and open or closed courses. To expand information about a course, click on More Detail to view the short course description. Click on the course title to view a more detailed course description, including any course pre- or corequisites and Core requirements, and links to syllabi, course evaluations, and textbook information, if available. EagleApps Course Information and Schedule is limited to members of the BC community, so you must authenticate by logging into the Agora Portal.

Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences

The Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences offers a broad range of courses in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Students can explore subjects such as history, literature, philosophy, economics, biology, chemistry, and more. The college emphasizes critical thinking, research skills, and effective communication, preparing students for a variety of careers and graduate studies.

Carroll School of Management

The Carroll School of Management provides students with a strong foundation in business principles and practices. Courses cover topics such as accounting, finance, marketing, management, and information systems. The school emphasizes experiential learning, ethical leadership, and social responsibility, preparing students for success in the corporate world.

Lynch School of Education and Human Development

The Lynch School of Education and Human Development prepares students to become effective educators, counselors, and leaders in various educational settings. Courses cover topics such as curriculum development, educational psychology, special education, and human development. The school emphasizes social justice, equity, and inclusion, preparing students to make a positive impact on the lives of others.

Connell School of Nursing

The Connell School of Nursing provides students with a comprehensive education in nursing theory and practice. Courses cover topics such as anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and patient care. The school emphasizes critical thinking, clinical skills, and ethical decision-making, preparing students to provide high-quality care to patients in a variety of healthcare settings.

Specific Course Examples and Themes

Boston College offers a diverse range of courses that explore various themes and topics. Here are some examples:

African and African Diaspora Studies

What is the African American literary tradition? This course explores the African American literary tradition through poetry, slave narratives, essays, speeches, tales, short stories, and novels. It considers how culture, politics, and history shape African American literature. Centers Black experiences, cultures, knowledge production and identity formation in the United States and in the African Diaspora across time and space. Examines and traces the genealogies of Black Studies as a discipline: its political, ideological, and practical foundations on college campuses and in communities. Also explores earlier traditions and contemporary work in Black radical thought and activism that lay the groundwork for and build on the founding principles of Black Studies by mobilizing an intersectional and diasporic lens.
Arts of Africa and Latin America: This course introduces the arts of Africa and Latin America. It explores the rich diversity of each continent's artistic production and highlights the impact of their intertwining histories on visual expression in the wake of transcontinental exchange and globalization.
Black Containment: This course interrogates the theme of black containment from slavery and Jim Crow to, principally, mass incarceration. Students explore the topic alongside the development of open letter writing skills. This form explores the persuasive impact of personal relationships and the politics of public vulnerabilities. Readings include letters to and from prison, documentaries, poetry, short stories, anthologies, memoirs, comics, visual art, and critical interventions. We also look at contemporary projects organizing for abolition and prisoner support. that explore both contemporary social problems. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, The Individual in Community, Research and Information Literacy.
Religion and Hip Hop Culture: Considers an often overlooked element in the study of hip hop culture, religion. Uses digital media studies to explore diverse religious expressions in hip hop culture. Through critical reading, community field trips, and hands-on technology usage, students consider an often overlooked element in the study of hip hop culture: religion.
African American Women's History: Survey of African American women's history from the slave trade to the present, investigating its critical role in shaping the meaning of race, gender, and sexuality during slavery, Jim Crow, and the civil rights era.
Archaeology of the African Diaspora: Introduction to the archaeology of the African diaspora, the global displacement of African people and their descendants. Reviews findings, methodology, and theory around key burial contexts. Emphasis on shifting dialogues, such as human remains stewardship, community engagement, and reburial.
Toni Morrison and American History: Using historical and literary sources to make visible the interactions between the world of the novel and that of American history, the course examines how Morrison's Song of Solomon, Beloved, Jazz, and Love depict crucial times in American history.
Race, Ethnicity, and American Politics: Combining research from history, political science, sociology, and economics, this course examines the role of race and ethnicity in shaping American politics and policy.
Religions in North America: This course offers a historical survey of religions practiced by people of African descent living in North America.

Capstone Seminars

A course for seniors: Reserved for seniors only, the Capstone program is designed to cap off college by facing the questions of life after graduation. The Capstone Seminars (UNCP5500-UNCP5599 only) directly address the hopes and anxieties that seniors face but seldom find treated in traditional courses. They invite seniors to discover the patterns underlying their choices up to now. They also relate the life and learning of the past four years to the life and learning ahead. How did my education prepare me to live? With everything I want to do, what will I have to compromise? How can I balance my career and my family? Can I find work with a higher meaning than my income?

Capstone Seminars may satisfy major requirements if they are cross-listed in certain departments. You must be a senior to take the course. Students may take only one Capstone Seminar during their time at Boston College. Capstone Seminars may not be taken Pass/Fail. This is true whether the course is listed under the UNCP department numbers or as a course in a specific department. If a second Capstone course appears on your record, it will be removed.

Different Capstone Seminars will be offered each semester. All Seminars are interdisciplinary. In addition, several Capstone seminars are cross-listed, both as University courses with a UNCP number and also as courses in the department of the professor offering the course. If you find a particular Seminar closed, try to register under the cross-listed number (e.g., if UNCP5500 is closed, try to register for the class as THEO2410, and vice versa). Some Capstones require “Department Permission”: if so, contact the instructor, not the Program Director.

A Capstone Seminar can count as an elective for students in all colleges (Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Connell School of Nursing, Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Carroll School of Management). For majors in English, Philosophy, Theology, and certain other departments, it might satisfy the major requirements if the seminar is taken under the cross-listing in the department of his/her major. No student may take more than one Capstone seminar during his/her undergraduate years.

Summer Programs

BCE Two-Week Non-Credit Program: The BCE Two-Week Non-Credit Program is an academically intensive program open to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors (ages 15-18*) and covers areas such as business and leadership, economics, history, government, history, philosophy, forensics, design thinking, and college and creative writing.
BCE Honors Six-Week Program: The BCE Honors Six-Week Program offers academically qualified rising high school seniors** (GPA 3.5 or higher) the opportunity to enroll in a non-degree program taking up to two credit-bearing undergraduate courses during the summer. Students select their course(s) during the application process, with offerings in areas such as college writing, humanities, mathematics, and the social sciences.

Resources and Support for Students

Boston College provides a wide range of resources and support services to help students succeed academically and personally.

Read also: History of the BU Bridge

The Boston College Career Center: assists students in discovering their unique gifts and talents, offering a range of services to help students identify their interests and integrate them into meaningful careers and lives.
The Office of the Registrar: provides support and service to students, parents, alumni, faculty, and administrators of Boston College in the areas of records, registration, reporting, transcripts, graduation, scanning services for classroom assessment (e.g., Scantrons), classroom management, and scheduling. The office also assists external audiences such as employers seeking degree verification and alumni who request copies of their transcripts.
The Office of Residential Life: creates a respectful, healthy, inclusive, and safe living community for our residents. We are committed to integrating the Ignatian tradition into the formation of each student by connecting their intellectual, ethical, religious, and spiritual lives through a multiplicity of programs and services. Our role in this formation is to promote the academic mission of the University, encourage responsible and ethical behaviors, engage residents in conversations regarding diversity, and to create safe, well-managed learning environments where students can seek the greater good.
Boston College Libraries: As intellectual and cultural centers for Boston College, the Libraries acquire, preserve, and facilitate access to world-class collections, engage in collaborations that benefit scholarship, teaching, and learning, and support student formation and discernment in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition.
Media Technology Services (MTS): provides a wide range of technology support and media production services for the entire university. The staff of MTS assist members of the Boston College community who use technology in the areas of teaching, learning, research projects, conference planning, and event support.
University Health Services: is here to help you by diagnosing and treating physical, emotional, or transitional issues you may be having. Appointments are available Monday through Friday in the Outpatient Unit. After hours (during the academic year), students can be evaluated in our Inpatient Unit.

A Vibrant Campus Life

Step inside Gasson Hall, cheer on the Eagles at Alumni Stadium, or take a stroll down Linden Lane. Our main campus is located in the picturesque Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Newton, just a short drive from downtown Boston and accessible by public transportation. This campus houses the University’s oldest buildings, most of its academic and residence halls, athletic facilities, and dining locations.

Boston College is home to 31 intercollegiate Division I teams, a variety of club sports, 44 intramural sports programs, and courses in aquatics, spin, yoga, and more. That means you have plenty of reasons to cheer and countless opportunities to stay active. With more than 300 student organizations to choose from, focused on everything from arts and culture to politics and socioeconomics to civics, service, and social justice, you'll have opportunities to connect to a wide variety of students, develop leadership skills, and make a difference on campus and beyond.

Rankings and Recognition

Boston College Rankings Study Portals Meta Ranking Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.

World University Rankings: 251 By Times Higher Education
Academic Ranking of World Universities: 501 By Shanghai Jiao Tong University
QS World University Rankings: 526 By TopUniversities
Best Global Universities Rankings: 534 By News & World Report

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