Graduate Student Information
Are you looking for information on thesis or dissertation requirements? Take a look at our Current Graduate Students section.
Alpha Sigma Nu, the only honor society permitted to bear the name Jesuit, distinguishes itself from other honor societies in its focus on the whole person. For this reason, academically eligible students are invited to apply to Alpha Sigma Nu in the fall of their junior year, and will be selected on the additional criteria of scholarly passion for their studies beyond the requirements of the classroom, loyalty to the values of the Jesuits through commitment to a deep sense of morality, decency and responsibility, especially as exemplified in service as well as contribution to the community and concern for the welfare of society. Accepted students are honorably inducted by the deans and the university president in the spring semester, who recognize them as outstanding representatives of the holistic value of Jesuit higher education. Notably, student religious preferences is not an aspect of ASN membership.
The Dean of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences selects the brightest scholars from the Junior Class to be chosen for this honor. Students are selected on the basis of their overall academic performance, recommendations from their departmental faculty, co-curricular initiatives, and their sense of purpose in how they approach their future.
The Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences offers students the opportunity to pursue honors within most academic majors. These departmental honors programs each have their own requirements, but all provide students with a combination of advanced coursework, special seminars, and / or independent research. In many cases, students who are enrolled in these programs will complete a senior thesis or research project. For those students who are members of theÌýA&S Honors ProgramÌýthis thesis may satisfy the senior thesis requirement of that program.
Academic honors are based on averages at the end of the second semester senior year.
Starting with the class of 2021, the cumulative average for degrees with honors will be as follows:
Prior to the class of 2021: TheÌýsumma cum laudeÌýwas awarded to the top 4.5 percent of the graduating class,Ìýmagna cum laudeÌýto the next 9.5 percent, andÌýcum laudeÌýto the next 15 percent.
Academic honors are not calculated for graduate students.
Please contact Student Services with questions concerning graduation honors.Ìý
A recognition specifically for seniors in the Scholar of the College Program. The prize is awarded at the Scholars Banquet for what is judged by dean's reviewers as the best Scholar of the College projects submitted by an annually announced deadline. Typically McCarthy prizes are awarded in the areas of the Natural Sciences, the Social Sciences, and the Humanities.
The College of Arts and Sciences' honor society for seniors.
The most prestigious academic honorary society in the United States.Ìý
A designation given at Commencement to exceptional students who have excelled academically in their undergraduate studies and who have done substantial, independent work of the highest quality for a significant part of their senior year, under the supervision of faculty scholars.
Academically distinguished members of the Sophomore Class who have achieved an academic ranking, placing them in the top three percent of their class, are selected by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Most have also received the recognition and nomination of their major departments.
Distributed to outstanding graduates at the Commencement ceremony.Ìý
The Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences' diploma ceremony will take place in Alumni Stadium after the main University-wide Commencement ceremony. Our starting time is, therefore, dependent on when the main ceremony ends. We hope to begin around 12:00 noon.
Graduates and parents are encouraged to monitorÌýthe University-wide commencement website at for information regarding Senior Week, school-specific diploma ceremonies, and the Residential Life move-out process.
For additional questions, please contact: 617-552-9259 orÌýcasdean@bc.edu.
An internship can provide undergraduates an opportunity to explore career possibilities, apply academic knowledge to real-world challenges, and develop professional skills and habits. Students are expected to guide their unique search for an internship and may choose to partner with the Career Center as they investigate possible internship opportunities. Students may apply to earn academic credit for an internship experience in the fall or spring semesters or during the summer.
MCA&S students enrolled in UNAS2250 MCA&S Internship earn one credit and are graded pass/fail ONLY. Up to three credits of one-credit, pass/fail, internship credit will be counted toward the 120 credits required for graduation, so long as no more than 18 total pass/fail credits are being counted toward graduation. Upon written verification by the internship supervisor that the student successfully completed the responsibilities of the internship, a passing grade will be recorded on the student’s transcript. Otherwise, a failing grade will be recorded. With written approval of the internship supervisor, a student enrolled in UNAS2250 may withdraw from the internship through the University course withdraw process, subject to the standard deadline. In such cases, a W will be recorded on the student’s transcript.
To apply to receive credit for an internship in the Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences, students must upload a completed MCA&S Internship Approval Form.
For further questions regarding internship credit in the Morrissey College, please contact Dr. Elizabeth Bracher, elizabeth.bracher@bc.edu.
Are you looking for information on thesis or dissertation requirements? Take a look at our Current Graduate Students section.